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Quick question on pillow ticking trimming

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Different strokes for different folks but IMO, your pro at the range was only giving you his opinion.

Here's mine: As long as the patch completely covers the place where the ball meets the bore and rifling, it is doing all that is needed.
Having extra material doesn't add any benefits unless you are using a pre-cut patch and not cutting it with a knife.

The benefit of having a larger than needed pre cut patch is that it is the shooter doesn't have to be real careful to get it centered on the bore before ramming the ball down the bore. If the patch is a little off center, it will still be close enough to completely cover the junction between the ball and the bore.

The next time "the pro" reminds you about using a larger patch just thank him and say something like, "Cutting the patch at the muzzle seems to be working fine for me and I don't have any pre cut patches. :) "
 
If you're happy with your results, I don't see a reason to change a thing. After all, free unsolicited opinion is worth exactly what you paid for it! ;)
 
I can't imagine why anyone would tell you that... Unless you were shooting too well.
Cutting at the muzzle will always give you the right size.
If it is working for you, keep doing what you were doing.
I like using a loading block, cut my patches on the block just like they were at the muzzle.
Sam
 
Cutting at the muzzle is fine. Using pre-cut square or round is fine too. If you have a good ball/patch fit, the shape of the patch won't matter, as stated earlier.
 
This is interesting. I was new to muzzleloading at the time. Heck, as far as that goes, still am, because even though it was 20 years ago, I haven't done much since.

Anyway, my older brother was the one who told me about the pillow ticking and trimming. Apparently, he had run into a seasoned old timer who schooled him. He surmised that trimming the pillow ticking allowed perfect centering of the patch, and, as I was working on accuracy and loads for my .45 Kentucky at the time, and it helped, I believed it.

But now, thinking about it, maybe it was just the thickness and qualities of the ticking that made the difference?
 
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

Not much of a "pro" in my opinion. A muzzle loading "pro" would know why you cut the patch at the muzzle and know the pros and cons associated with the use of pre-cut versus cut at the muzzle. As Zonie stated if the patch covers the circumference of the ball in the barrel, that is all the patching that is needed. A little more patching isn't likely to be detrimental any more than the use of a square patch compared to cut at the muzzle.

A pro would be looking at the fired patches to determine if the size is correct, the patches are cut by the sharp crown, sharp lands, blown because the patch is thin or has too loose a weave. By the way, I'm not a pro, just an opionated old Grenadier.

I like to cut my patch at the muzzle. Note that the hole in the patch strip is sort of squarish.
 
Thanks for all the replys . When he commented about my patches I just said okay and left it at that .
 
I may have to revise my comment as there may be more to the pro's comment that wasn't said.

You said the pro made the comment of too small a patch after looking at a shot patch.
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

What did he see in that fired patch? Was the patch frayed because of gas blow by? Was the patch cut by the crown or the lands? Was the patch too thin (small)? I am not sure he meant for you to stop cutting the patch at the muzzle, but to try a different patch.

What did the fired patch look like? A picture might help.
 
What happen was I asked him to look at one of my shot patches .He did and said that my patch looked fine but said my patches were to small and should use patches like his which were twice the size of the patches I was cutting at the muzzle . I said okay and left it at that.
 
I got to say I found cutting at the muzzle a PIA. It’s historic, as are precut. I’ve shot some small groups with precut and put a little meat in the freezer or in the can or just on the plate with precut.
 
When I used to shoot matches, I seated the ball about 1/8" to 1/4" before cutting at the muzzle. Seemed like the knife was always getting dull halfway through the match. Now I'm lazy and just pre-cut them or buy some. Much easier.
 
This is a little bit of post drift but, a nifty patch cutter can be made out of the right size hole saw. Chuck it up in a drill and run it against a grinder until the teeth are gone and a sharp edge is formed. I run the cutter at a fairly high speed in my drill press with a piece of wood as a backer for the patch material but a drill will work, too. To pre lube the patches I melt the lube and dip a patch into it with tweezers. This gives a patch with too much lube on it but by squeezing it between two dry patches all three come out with the right amount of lube.

JS
 
This is a little bit of post drift but, a nifty patch cutter can be made out of the right size hole saw. Chuck it up in a drill and run it against a grinder until the teeth are gone and a sharp edge is formed. I run the cutter at a fairly high speed in my drill press with a piece of wood as a backer for the patch material but a drill will work, too. To pre lube the patches I melt the lube and dip a patch into it with tweezers. This gives a patch with too much lube on it but by squeezing it between two dry patches all three come out with the right amount of lube.

JS

Yeah, saw this when you originally posted it in another thread. It is a drift, but thanks anyway.
 
IF THE EXPERT SAID THE PATCH THAT YOU CUT AT THE MUZZLE WAS TOO SMALL. I BELIEVE HE WAS ABOUT 100% WRONG.
PATCHES CUT AT THE MUZZLE. ASSUMING YOU DID IT CORECTLY ARE ALWAYS PEFECT.
HIS SUGGESTION THAT YOU NOT CUT AT THE MUZZLE AND USE A BIGGER PIECE OF PATCH MATERIAL IS ABOUT AS WRONG A PIECE OF ADVICE I HAVE EVER HERD IN 40 SOME YEARS OF FUSSING OVER MUZZLELOADERS..

I AMAMAED THATANYONE WOULD GIVE SUCH ADVICE.

DUTCH SCHOULTZ

I may have to revise my comment as there may be more to the pro's comment that wasn't said.

You said the pro made the comment of too small a patch after looking at a shot patch.


What did he see in that fired patch? Was the patch frayed because of gas blow by? Was the patch cut by the crown or the lands? Was the patch too thin (small)? I am not sure he meant for you to stop cutting the patch at the muzzle, but to try a different patch.

What did the fired patch look like? A picture might help.
 
IF THE EXPERT SAID THE PATCH THAT YOU CUT AT THE MUZZLE WAS TOO SMALL. I BELIEVE HE WAS ABOUT 100% WRONG.
PATCHES CUT AT THE MUZZLE. ASSUMING YOU DID IT CORECTLY ARE ALWAYS PErFECT.
HIS SUGGESTION THAT YOU NOT CUT AT THE MUZZLE AND USE A BIGGER PIECE OF PATCH MATERIAL IS ABOUT AS WRONG A PIECE OF ADVICE I HAVE EVER HERD IN 40 SOME YEARS OF FUSSING OVER MUZZLELOADERS..

I AMAZED THAT ANYONE WOULD GIVE SUCH ADVICE.

DUTCH SCHOULTZ


Amen, Dutch.
 
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