.32 over powder wads?

[Leadriver]

Hey fellas
I have a question about using over powder wads for my .32 cal percussion rifle. I have read from numerous places that using one protects the small powder charge from being contaminated with lube that will affect ignition. I also read that it will also increase accuracy. I would like to try these but have no idea what to get or try, including wads thickness. Also I find both lubed and unlined wads, I would personally like the unlubed ones. Any input would be greatly appreciated. I have both PRB and Buffalo Ball-ets.

 

[William Lincoln]

Shooting my 45 cal Hawken I do not use a wad. I load my powder,run down a patched ball
and cap up. No wad needed. Now, if you want a wad try the unlubed type. Make sure to tamp
your ball down. Shoot real black powder. Experience with the rifle is key. Find a range and
start trying your loads for accuracy at say 35 yards. Try with and without wads to settle
the issue. Swab between shots if you are getting fouling resistance on reload. If hunting in damp
or snowing conditions snap a finger cot or small balloon over your muzzle till ready to shoot.
Try a smaller charge and work up. Do not worry about ignition if you are loading real black
powder AND it is dry. Watch out for bringing a cold rifle into a warm humid camp or room to
warm up when returning outside to shoot. Be sure to remove any condensation, before
loading ,with a dry swab. If noise is not an issue you can snap a cap, run a dry swab and load up.
I do not use a lot of lube on anything, maybe a very little on patch or moist with spit.
Do not get "involved with analysis paralysis." Just start spending time with your rifle at
the range and ready yourself for hunting, competition, or just target practice. Take a young
person along so they can learn about the excitement of the sport. Best to you.

 

[Grimord]

I have found that some guns will shoot tighter groups if a dry patch is placed over the powder charge, and then the lubed patch & ball. I have an heirloom .35 caliber rifle that had a charge left in it for over 100 years. When I pulled the ball and cleaned the barrel I found that the powder charge left a corroded rust ring down at the breech right where the ball would be seated. I use a dry felt wad over the powder to get the patched ball above the rust ring and the gun shoots 3/4" groups at 25 yards. Before using the wad I was lucky to get 3" groups at 25 yards. I cut my felt wads using a hole punch and some old wool felt hats that I picked up at the Goodwill store.

 

[Leadriver]

I ordered some 100% felt that about .1 thick. I have a metal lathe to make a punch but I don’t know what size to make it.

 

[Grenadier1758]

@Leadriver, make your punch between the groove diameter to 0.010" larger than groove diameter. The felt will compress to groove diameter.

 

[Leadriver]

I have a pedersoli scout .32 but I don’t know what the groove diameter is. I don’t have anything to check it with. I have read that they seem to run between .330- .334 groove diameter for the Pedersoli Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and the Frontier. The Scout I have is a Pennsylvania carbine version.

 

[Leadriver]

To me it makes total sense on why the wads would increase the efficiency of the powder burn and increase velocity along with lowering SD,s. I mainly want it to protect my small powder charge from becoming contaminated while hunting. My Great Plains 50 cal is suffering from a loss of accuracy since last season, went from 1” group at 50 yards to nearly 3”. It is 22 years old so it does have some pitting near the chamber. A wad just may be the ticket to try in this also.

 

[hanshi]

I use wads a lot but not always. I chronographed a rifle and found the wad did indeed give a slight velocity jump but also a bit more uniform ballistics. I've also switched back and forth, wad to no wad, in the same shooting session with a .32 and a .36 and noticing no difference on the targets.

 

[Leadriver]

I use wads a lot but not always. I chronographed a rifle and found the wad did indeed give a slight velocity jump but also a bit more uniform ballistics. I've also switched back and forth, wad to no wad, in the same shooting session with a .32 and a .36 and noticing no difference on the targets.

Did you notice any difference in fouling between using and not using a wad in the .32?

 

[hanshi]

Did you notice any difference in fouling between using and not using a wad in the .32?

Unlike some I've never had any more fouling in the .32 & .36 than in the larger deer calibers. I can't really say if the wad made a difference or not, but if it did the difference was (for me) undetectable.