Shooting Patches - Best Scrap Materials?

[Urban Coyote]

Many discussions on patch material for shooting roundballs suggest a number of shooter use various scrap items, cotton, for patch material. Old denim items and tee shirts come to mind.

My wife is fixing to buy me some new tee shirts and briefs so my question is which brands make the best patches. Hanes, Fruit of the Loom, Carhart, Reebok or whatever? Actually, since I use mainly spit for patch lube, let's skip any recommendations for briefs.

Have fun.

 

[Grenadier1758]

I find tee-shirt material too thin to use for patching round balls. Old 100% cotton denim might work but the thickness is not consistent enough for getting real tight groups on target. Maybe okay for plinking, woods walks or hunting at short ranges.

Any of the brands with 100% cotton will work fine for cleaning patches.

 

[SDSmlf]

Many discussions on patch material for shooting roundballs suggest a number of shooter use various scrap items, cotton, for patch material. Old denim items and tee shirts come to mind.

My wife is fixing to buy me some new tee shirts and briefs so my question is which brands make the best patches. Hanes, Fruit of the Loom, Carhart, Reebok or whatever? Actually, since I use mainly spit for patch lube, let's skip any recommendations for briefs.

Have fun.

They all should work about the same so leave it up to your wife to pick the brand of skivvies you wear. Personally, I would limit tee shirt type material use to cleaning patches, finding it too thin with too loose of a weave, not to mention inconsistent from wear, for use as roundball patch material.

Something to consider. Last time I purchased pillow ticking and canvas duck material it was around $5 or $6 a yard, and that 36” x 60” piece of material will yield over 500 2” square patches of a consistent thickness and weave. It’s just not worth it to me to go to the ragbag for roundball patch material.

 

[Winterhawk]

Make sure it's 100% cotton. I get pillow ticking at JoAnn's myself for shooting patches, and flannel for cleaning patches. I cut them into 1 1/2" strips, then for shooting I cut at the muzzle while for cleaning I cut 1 1/2" patches. A couple of yards of each will last a l-o-n-g time.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

I find tee-shirt material too thin to use for patching round balls ...

Same here ... 99% of my MZLs all use red-striped pillow ticking for patches and I use the scrap materials for cleaning patches and swbbing duties.

BTW, all loads are developed using this process here ... one hole groups they all are capable of!

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/...d-development’-to-find-the-best-group.169960/

 

[oldramrod]

The best shooting patches I have ever used were ones I made from used sheets. Our neighbors had a bed and breakfast and would replace their sheets every year. While the centers would get worn thin the outside edges were consistant in thickness and very soft. I made my patches from the outside 12 inches, You can get a lot of patches from the outside 12 inches of a sheet.