Thinner Patch Material?

[Swede Creek]

Just finished putting together a .50 ML kit for a friend.    Shot several  sighting in, and the patch material I was using (standard pillow ticking), is just a struggle to get pushed down the barrel!  ( using a .490 pure lead ball and a moose milk saturated patch).   He struggled trying to get a ball w/ the pillow ticking patch rammed own the barrel, so was thinking if I could find a bit thinner patch material, it'd help him out!

So, what material might you old front end loaders suggest that would be a bit thinner.   My friend is mainly looking at recreational shooting, not planning to do competition target or big game hunting. 

Looking forward to your ideas!

[Daryl]

Make the crown look like this, and heavily patched balls are easier to seat into the muzzle and easier to push down as well.
Make sure you are using enough lube. Some folks skimp on the lubricant.
You can make your muzzle look like these by using the end of your thumb & rotating it with emery or wet/dry 320 grit in the muzzle
as shown in the last picture. 15 minutes or less. Push a patch down an inch or so, then after finished, retrieve it with tweezers or needle nose pliers.
If the boe is smooth, loading is easy. If the crown is smooth, not just factory cut with a tool, seating the patch and ball into the muzzle, is also easy.
Just a smack of the hand on the starter knob and it's done.
The only thing a thinner patch will do, is decrease accuracy and reduce the bore cleaning that happens with a good thick patch. Every time I own, shoots
well with a 10 ounce denim patch. Same patch in every one.  .682" ball in the .69, .495" ball in the .50, .350" ball in the .36", .596" ball in the .62 smoothbore.

[Longknife]

Patch thickness depends on ball size and rifling depth. Mic. your patch material and go to a fabric store with your mic to find a thinner fabric. I found that Hobby Lobby has the widest selection of pure cotton material in my area. (St Louis).

[smylee grouch]

Some fabric has sizing in it that makes it very stiff and hard to load if not washed first. I also think that more lube might help.

[Prairie dog shooter]

Yes, wash that ticking first.  I like pocket drill from Jo Ann's. 

[hanshi]

What Daryl said in his post; try it!

[bob in the woods]

What kit is it that you put together ?   Is this a foreign made barrel ?
I've seen some with very shallow rifling and rough machining
If a U.S made barrel, then , what Daryl said

[Flintandsmoke]

Speaking for myself, i usually run a slightly smaller ball and thicker patch. I find i can usually go a full afternoon of shooting without cleaning at the range.

[walks with gun]

    Pillow ticking seems to come in three thicknesses at least, there is also a cotton drill cloth that works well.  As said before try using a different lube.  If thin patches blow through I was told that a pinch of wasp nest material placed over powder and under patch will help with this.   He could always order a slightly undersize ball mold and go that route.   Bals should load easy as occasionally you may want to pull them, as well.

[Daryl]

Speaking for myself, i usually run a slightly smaller ball and thicker patch. I find i can usually go a full afternoon of shooting without cleaning at the range.

Interesting that you sometimes have to clean the bore while shooting.  If a suitable patch and lube (about any water based) lube is used, there should NEVER
be an occurrence where wiping or swabbing the bore is necessary - no matter the humidity.
The pictures of muzzles I showed above, in a variety of bore sizes, allows easy starting of the ball (with a starter) and seating with the rifle's rod - IF the bore is smooth.