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Quick question on pillow ticking trimming

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Got this from an archived post.

After throwing the powder charge, I like to use something between the powder and the patched ball to keep the lube from contacting the powder. A wad of toilet paper or paper towel works for me. Seat the over powder wad all the way down on the powder.

Then lay the lubed ticking over the muzzle and push the ball into the bore with your finger as far as you can. My rifle has no rifling at the muzzle so it's easy. Otherwise use your short starter to get the ball down into the barrel just past the crown, with the ticking puckered up around it. Then take your pocket knife (old timers had a "patch knife") and cut the ticking flush with the muzzle. Then seat the ball all the way down on the powder.
 
I use pre cut patches but it's my interpretation that your patch knife needs to be single bevel so you don't end up scrapping and possibly damaging the crown.
 
You want the top of the patched ball to be just below the muzzle. When the patch is cut you will see the ball nested in the patch material. You can push the ball down a bit further with no ill effect. I have shortened the nub on my short starter to push the ball just past the muzzle. Just being extra precise.
 
What Grenadier said is accurate. The first nub on the short starter gets the ball just below the muzzle. Then cut the patch material flat across the top of the muzzle. Then you're good to go.
 
No certain depth is important. Most short-short starters seat anywhere between 1/8" and 3/16", some a little more. Extra depth and material will not affect accuracy. Patch knives work best if they are thin blades, single bevel not necessary.
 
Square cut. I take my lady’s scissors and cut about 1 1/4 “ squares. Take my lube mix while it’s hot, then soak about 100 patches. Then squeeze the manure out of them then let it cool. It only matters if your looking for same hole types of shots. Other than that, I’d doubt you’d notice any difference. Once that ball clears the muzzle, the patch’s job is over.
 
I cut my ticking in strips about 2 inches wide and the length of the piece of fabric. I place into a plastic bag then put some bore butter inside and toss into the microwave to melt it. The move the patching around until its got a nice coating of lube.
 
My balls fit tight so it takes a real hard smack to start with the short starter. The depth is not important and any patch above the ball does not matter. Just below the crown or even deeper is fine. For hunting I use pre cut patches. I buy dry so I can use a better lube. I have a huge steel cutter for the .45 that I can stack a pile of material and smack with a big rubber hammer to make a bunch at one time. I do it on a chunk of oak 4X4 to protect the edges. They are not quite large enough for my .54.
I made a patch knife with a flat side out of tool steel and also one from an old straight razor blade. But a good thin pocket knife blade works too. Material above the ball does no harm as the patch floats away when the muzzle is cleared. It is a cloth sabot. It also means nothing if a pre cut is off center so relax and make smoke.
 
My balls fit tight so it takes a real hard smack to start with the short starter. The depth is not important and any patch above the ball does not matter. Just below the crown or even deeper is fine. For hunting I use pre cut patches. I buy dry so I can use a better lube. I have a huge steel cutter for the .45 that I can stack a pile of material and smack with a big rubber hammer to make a bunch at one time. I do it on a chunk of oak 4X4 to protect the edges. They are not quite large enough for my .54.
I made a patch knife with a flat side out of tool steel and also one from an old straight razor blade. But a good thin pocket knife blade works too. Material above the ball does no harm as the patch floats away when the muzzle is cleared. It is a cloth sabot. It also means nothing if a pre cut is off center so relax and make smoke.


Well stated 45man.
 
It's funny how some guys think they need a perfect trim job at the muzzle to get any accuracy. I have done a lot of trimming the patches and using pre cut patches, and do just fine in the monthly matches I shoot in. One of the best shots in our club just uses square patches he cuts up beforehand and regularly shoots a perfect 50 with them.
I guess it's just a matter of opinion which is best....
Lately I have been using a small rubber hammer to start the prb into the bore, and then use a short starter from there. That manner of doing it will work with precut patches or will seat the ball enough for you to trim a patch.
 
I used to use a straight razor to cut patches just below the muzzle, but the thin edge doesn't hold up with much sharpening. It will disappear pretty quick. You can buy some of those $2 razors from Pakistan and replace them easily enough. Because the crown is recessed, any shape sharp knife will do.
Now I pre-cut square patches with a rolling cutter and trim them octagonal. Everyone knows that octagonal patches only shoot tens. ;) It confuses the little imps riding the ball and they forget to make it fly crooked.
 
At my age I have imps jumping on the end of the barrels. There is one with a swing too.
 
How far do you seat the PB before trimming the pillow ticking?

If the knife clears the ball, it's deep enough for me. Turns out I can do that with the butt of my knife before swiping the excess. Purty darned handy. No short starter, no fiddling around.
 


Good question. I always use pre cut as it's more convenient. Back when I could still see the front sight, one hole, 5 shot groups were common at 25 yds and frequent at 50. Accuracy has always concerned me and one's method of patching is totally irrelevant. A close friend cuts at the muzzle and we both do just fine. I'm not sure why a one-hole-group wouldn't be considered accurate; but I've never been able to shoot a "one half hole group".
 
I,am new to muzzle loading . I cut at the barrel as I learned here . One of the pros at range told me that my patches were small after looking at the patch that I had just shot . He asked why I cut at the muzzle and advised me not to do it . That I should use larger patches
 
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