Author Topic: Moose milk and pillow ticking (Read 3221 times)

KING · « **Reply #30 on:** July 31, 2004, 06:35:06 AM »

The sizing was removed from the material after it was washed. The material will compress upon loading and will not be a problem. The ball will be swaged to the bore after using this material and will load with the same amount of effort so there should not be a problem with it. Stay safe.......King

quickdtoo · « **Reply #31 on:** July 31, 2004, 06:51:18 AM »

FWIW, I always compress fabric with my caliper when checking for the proper thickness. After all, when the patch is loaded, it's going to be compressed and that is the thickness I want to know, not the uncompressed thickness or loft.

lostid · « **Reply #32 on:** July 31, 2004, 05:03:38 PM »

Good point quickdtoo,
Yes, cotton material shrinks when washed and dryed. But I have never seen the "crushed" thickness of material change even after repeated washing and drying.
From what I have learned,"pillow ticking" is not the pat answer. What the issue is about going to the fabric shop and/or wallymart to buy cotton fabric, is to have a piece of patching material to hand large enough to eliminate the variables for a long tyme! Knowing you have the same cloth, from the same bolt,,allows a person to experiment with differnt lubes,projectile size and charge size.
Fabric ,,un-fortunatly is not standard from coast to coast,nor even store to store! A bolt of tickin at wally in Minn. will not be the same as tickin at wally in Memphis. And when the last of the tickin at wally in Minn is sold,,the next bolt that same store get's will be different.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #33 on:** July 31, 2004, 05:31:31 PM »

Lostid, you and I think a lot alike! When I bought fabric that I knew I liked and my guns liked, I bought lots! I even measured the thickness of the bolt of fabric at different places to be sure there was no runout in fabric thickness through out its length or width. One of the most consistent fabrics I found is called bullshot denim, available in white or I probably wouldn't have used it. It has good thickness and compressibility and a tight weave and is tough, could shoot and reshoot a patch a bunch of times if I could find it after the shot! Still have several yards of it. Nope, washing it a couple times never changed the ultimate thickness but it did change how easy it compressed, it still only compressed so much and that's the thickness I want to know. Tim

Longcruise · « **Reply #34 on:** July 31, 2004, 06:02:58 PM »

I stopped measuring my patch material about 5 yrs ago. Was never convinced that a given .018 material would give the same results as another that happened to also measure .018. My present strategy is to find something that works and get a Large quantitiy of it.

Lately a favorite is double weave tent makers canvas. It's either 8 oz or 10 oz and is very tough.

For hunting and field loading I like a patch that is not too tight so it can be loaded without a hammer and range rod, but yet tough enough to withstand the trip down the bore. The looser the patch/ball fit the tougher the material has got to be, imo.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #35 on:** July 31, 2004, 06:32:20 PM »

Quote from: Longcruise

I stopped measuring my patch material about 5 yrs ago. Was never convinced that a given .018 material would give the same results as another that happened to also measure .018. My present strategy is to find something that works and get a Large quantitiy of it.

Lately a favorite is double weave tent makers canvas. It's either 8 oz or 10 oz and is very tough.

For hunting and field loading I like a patch that is not too tight so it can be loaded without a hammer and range rod, but yet tough enough to withstand the trip down the bore. The looser the patch/ball fit the tougher the material has got to be, imo.

But ya got to start somewhere and if you know what size ball yer shootin, yer gonna have an idea how thick the patch has to be to get a good fit...knowing the compressed thickness is just the beginning of the process. There are a bunch of variables beside the thickness of patch, I've shot a lot of materials that I bought samples of that were the right thickness but they didn't shoot worth a hoot. But if they are too thick, they aren't goin down the bore, too thin and they won't make a good patch in the first place. I shoot what's accurate regardless whether I'm huntin or playin. They need to load snuggly to suit me, I use a short starter and my hand, no hammerin for me either. I use the biggest ball and thinnest patch that will work. In my .50 lancaster, I shoot .500 balls have even shot .502, and pillow ticking that isn't even made any more, only got so much of it, unfortunetly. :cry: In the .62 trade gun I shoot .610 balls and bullshot denim and have enough of that to last my grand kids! I guess I can say I haven't measured any fabric either for more than 5 yrs, haven't bought any fabric for at least 8 yrs...Dang, time flys!! :grin:

crow_feather · « **Reply #36 on:** August 01, 2004, 04:05:38 AM »

Which brings you back to Irish Linnen. I also have thrown the mic away prefering to assess the material by feel.

C F

mamaflinter · « **Reply #37 on:** August 01, 2004, 04:53:33 AM »

Interesting thread you all have going on here. The rubbing alcohol was added to variations in the moose milk for shooters who are hunting in sub-freezing weather. You mix it like before, but instead of water you add the alcohol instead so it will not freeze like the water would.

I've heard shooters who let the patches dry out first and some who lube and shoot at same sitting. Either way is fine and is a matter of personal preference. I would assume that you would get more consistency if you lubed and then let the water evaporate.

If you want the recipe for moose milk, here is one I put on the net a few years back. http://mamaflinter.tripod.com/id10.html If you lube and allow water to evaporate off, it's similar to Dutch Schultz methods of obtaining the optimum load for your rifle.

Sorry I've been scarce lately. I don't know if you all knew or not, but I'm a returning student and have had a hectic schedule (still do). But right now I've got 3 weeks off till fall starts. Once it starts I'll be real busy again trying to get everything done with school/work. But I will try to stop in from time to time.

crow_feather · « **Reply #38 on:** August 01, 2004, 05:37:22 AM »

I studied ancient egyptian kings and plumbing. I was a pharaoh faucet major.

Longcruise · « **Reply #39 on:** August 01, 2004, 02:33:31 PM »

Quote

But ya got to start somewhere and if you know what size ball yer shootin, yer gonna have an idea how thick the patch has to be to get a good fit...knowing the compressed thickness is just the beginning of the process. There are a bunch of variables beside the thickness of patch, I've shot a lot of materials that I bought samples of that were the right thickness but they didn't shoot worth a hoot.

Yeah, that's exactly why I quit measuring! :grin:

I feel it and look at it carefully. If it looks tough and feels tough and will load with some resistance and shoots accurately, then I get a bunch of it.

My tent canvas seems thinner than my wal mart ticking but it's much denser and tougher and actually harder to load. It's a survivor with heavy loads too.

If I find a really good tough material that seems a bit thin I'll use a bit larger ball with it and that seems to work.

Would like to try some of that airplane wing canvas but can't find any!

lostid · « **Reply #40 on:** August 01, 2004, 03:03:34 PM »

There is absolutley no way a "patch" can be fired the second tyme with the same accuracy as the first tyme. No way!
The mere physical dynamics you all discuss of fouling and pressures and velocity alone mitigate the possibility of "cloth" remaining the same after being shot out a barrel under lead and/or over powder! No Way!

You guy's all believe what ya want to believe,,but I have "NEVER" seen a TOP shooter go down range to pick-up a patch for re-loading!! Ever. No Way!
Inspection yes!! but never too re-load. NEVER SEEN IT!
I have seen guy's re-load used patches,,I've even know a few that "wash'm" and re-load,,but those guy's ALWAYS sit on the side watching the best shooters win! Those are the guy's that wanna see the targets and argue alot amoungst themselves..
Top Shooters? never seen one re-load a patch.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #41 on:** August 01, 2004, 03:42:02 PM »

Cool yer heels Lostid, you tellin me you're too old to learn something new? What can I say! I was outa patches and it was either shoot em again of quit shootin, so you know what I did! It was with my smoothie and I kicked some butt, so I guess you can tell everyone that you've heard it all, now. :grin: I even beat some rifle shooters at that shoot and picked up a couple scalplocks. It's nice shootin a trade gun and beatin rifle shooters, a nice feather...er scalplock on the hat....Aside from the fact that a good lube should protect the patch, and moosemilk does a fine job of that, I can say that my rifle has had a couple recycled patches run through it too, just for fun and they shot just fine too, they were even still wet from the first pass through the barrel, albeit a little darker in color! Maybe you should consider what yer shootin down that barrel, maybe there's room for improvement, I've seen lots of moosemilk patches that looked serviceable after being shot, not just mine. I've also seen flaming patches goin down range and had to close the range so the fire could be put out, but they never came out of my barrel! :wink:

lostid · « **Reply #42 on:** August 02, 2004, 03:16:41 PM »

I've just never seen it. I believe it could happin.. And I could probably do it,with a little spit added,, But I have never seen a top shooter re-use patch as a practice of conntinued accuracy,
I shoot 'vous,I shoot with freinds, I shoot alot with others,,and I have never seen re-using patch as a common pratice amoungst the top shooters.(period)
A good shooter can take about anything to hand and make it shoot,right?

But to tell a new shooter, or somone "lurking" it's OK to re-use patch!?? I'll not participate,,,,,
Luk to ya,,best wishes,,,

quickdtoo · « **Reply #43 on:** August 02, 2004, 03:45:24 PM »

Lostid, you missed my meanin....I only meant that the bullshot denim fabric is tough enough to be used over again after it's been shot, not that I do it as a habit, I just know that it can be done cuz I had to do it once, probably would never have done it if someone would have made sure he had all his accoutrement with him..... :oops: