AmericanLongRifles Forums
General discussion => Black Powder Shooting => Topic started by: Dennis Daigger on December 10, 2025, 12:28:40 AM
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Just got back from the range shooting my Jaeger flintlock and it was 40 drill patches that shined. I get excellent groups with three rifles using 40 drill patching. Has anyone found a straight up substitute for it?
Dennis
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I'm going to take a guess at 10 ounce denim. I've found it shoots well in every rifle we've tried it in, over a dozen.
I do not see much difference, with a .005" undersized ball when using anything from .020" to 025". The last 10 ounce we
got was .021". It shoots & loads just the same as the last stuff I had that measured .0225" & the mattress ticking that was .0235".
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Please educate me. What does "40" designate? :-\
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SG,
I think it is the width. What I have is .018” thick and I think it is also called pocket drill. It has a unique weave different from denim.
Daryl-I’ve tried .021 patches in my Jaeger and loading is very difficult and the balls are .562’s so denim is out for me.
Dennis
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OK, thanks for the clairification.
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Dennis who made the barrel on your jaeger?
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I normally use 10oz denim but with 2 of my rifles (gezt barrel) I needed 40 drill cloth and bought a whole bolt when Joeann fab closed. The denim is much thicker, and the drill cloth is most similar to pillow ticking but with tighter weave.
try to find an old fashion fabric store (Amish here in Pa) they may still have pocket drill (40 dill is called pocket drill, and is found in the utility fabric section)
(https://i.ibb.co/NBMSqBr/1stgetzgroup.jpg) (https://ibb.co/JJ9QTJq) 50 yrds 490 ball 40 drill cloth tallow
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Dennis who made the barrel on your jaeger?
It’s a Colerain barrel.
Dennis
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FYI
Etsy vendor, Eight22Crafts, says their 7.4 oz drill is the fabric that Joann sold.
Dennis
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Sounds pretty thin. Perhaps, if you cannot load 10 ounce, you could try 8 ounce in denim. I measured that at around 18 thou.
I've always liked denim since the 1970's due to it's "locked" weave.