Denim is tight for sure, an old flannel shirt will make good patches or go to Walmart and buy a yard of pillow ticking, wash it and then cut into strips, cut at the muzzle like you were doing. I like mink oil for patches and conical but Crisco veg shortening works good. Recovered pillow tickin /Mink oil patches out of my .54 look good enough to shoot again. A spit patch works real good also. When you get the load right and can hit a squirrel's eye at 25 yards you're ready for the woods. h.h.