Cleaning Patches?

[TrxR]

Anyone here make there own patches? If so is there something specific to look for in material other than 100% cotton? Also what size would you recommend for a .22lr barrel? Or is a person better off just buying pre cuts?

Thanks

 

[stool]

quality cotton t shirts...
or
southern bloomers patches

i use a lot of usgi patches and just cut to fit

 

[5spd]

Ive never bought patches in my life. I make mine out of old tee shirts & other cotton items & cut to what ever size you may need.

 

[Outrider27]

We buy off-white or white cotton flannel by the yard on sale at any store that sells fabric by the yard, including the sewing section of discount department stores like WallyWorld. Then we experiment with size to get the fit we like with each barrel and the rod and jag(s) we use with that barrel. Once you get a size, just cut long strips of the right width and cut off the proper length to make the desired patches.

 

[K22]

In the "old days" when I was a very young man and didn't have very much extra money I made mine own out of old tee shirts. They worked ok but sometime I'd have a thread come loose and stick in chamber. No big deal but a nuisance.

In later years when I became more affluent I began using commercial patches for convienance. I've tried many brands and believe or not, the Hoppe's patches work best for me. You can buy them in bulk at Midway for a very reasonable price. What I like about them is that they do not shed or leave threads behind like a lot of brands do.

 

[NateHaler]

.22 patches need to be small. If you're talking .22lr, may I suggest that you only need a dozen to last you a year. Rimfire bores are harmed more than they are helped by cleaning in many instances. Wipe the muzzle, wipe the bolt face, and keep shooting! Eley, for example, who makes some of the best .22lr ammo in the world, cleans their test rifle bores only after thousands of rounds have been fired, in some cases as many as ten thousand or more. (Check Precision Shooting magazine, circa 2001 or so. They went to Eley and did an article on them...)

But for .30 cal patches, my favorite are made by US Arsenal. And at barely over one CENT each, why would you make your own, ever? For smaller calibers, cut them into squares, or whatever.

 

[LHSmith]

A quality uniformly sized patch used with the proper jag gives you important feedback as to the condition of your bore. I buy Pro-Shot patches directly from them in bags of 1000......no loose threads to get lost in bore, no "blow-thru's"where the patch ends up on the rod shaft. Patch size is dependent on jag size and style, patch material size, shape and thickness....pretty much trial and error until you find a combination that works. I use the piercing style jags, Dewey or Pro-Shot, and will often attach the patch off-center to "fine- tune" to the tightness I need.

 

[roadkill61]

Cut shop towels to size. As good as any cotton.