Ticking is a close weave fabric traditionally made from 100% cotton. Why is it called pillow ticking? What we do know for sure is that the word ticking itself comes from the Greek word theka, which means case or covering. Until the twentieth century, ticking referred to a woven fabric, originally linen and later cotton, used as the covering for straw or feather mattresses. When used to make a patch, the patch is lubricated and then wrapped around the ball during loading. This removes pockets of air in the load and serves other purposes: Increases accuracy and rotation. Getting the right patch diameter is important, But the proper thickness is just as important. the thickness of the patch and its relationship to the depth of the rifling and size of the ball, along with powder charge, determine the accuracy of the gun. Each gun is a rule unto itself, and you must find the proper combination by shooting. Patch size will generally be between .005 and .020 and will most commonly be between .010 and .020. Retrieve those patches and look at them. If you use pre-cut and happen to get one in off center to such a degree that it comes off part way down the barrel, but most people who are "into accuracy" don't use pre-cuts but cut their patching at the muzzle which gives you a perfect fitting patch every time.
