bore buttons or wonder wads

[cayugad]

For those of you who have not tried them, you can make your own bore buttons or wonderwads as some call them. They are made of felt and placed between the charge and the projectile. They will increase the barrel pressures and some claim make a more even shot... I use them in some rifle and other rifle hate them.

To make them order a cheap set of Hollow Hole Punches. I got mine at Harbor Freight. The 1/2 inch punch will make a .500 diameter bore button which of course is a .50 caliber. The 9/16th will make an undersized .54 caliber wad. Not the best thing on the market but better then nothing.

I get my felt from the hardware store. I buy the 1/2 wide felt that you tuck around windows to weather proof them. I get the 1" for the patio doors for the .54 caliber.

All you do is punch them out. I punch into a white plastic cutting board to keep the punch sharp longer. Then soak the wads in some melted bullet lube. Put the wads between paper towels and let then dry. They really do work.

I started using them when I began shooting Triple Se7en. Triple Se7en will smoke a lot of patches. But if you put a wad between the charge and the patched round ball, you solve the problem and your accuracy improves right away. Black Powder has gotten all but impossible to get around where I live, so I shoot Triple Se7en or Pyrodex.

There are other sites where you can get punches to make a more perfect button but the punches cost a lot more then what Harbor Freight will sell them for....

 

[gordy]

cayugad: I've had good luck with horents nest as a buffer against patch burnout in my longuns ,but think i'll try the homemade wonder wads in the Ruger old Army.The WWs.are getting quite expensive,over $5.00 a hundred.The powder ball and patch arn't that much!Yeah! I'm also cheap! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif ::

 

[jtmattison]

cayugad,
Small correction on your post. A 9/16 punch makes a slightly oversized wad for .54 caliber not undersized.
My rifles don't seem to like my homemade wads. I think the felt is a little more pliable than a commercially made wonder wad.
Have you ever tried using 2 wads?
I may try it to see if it makes a difference. Using 777 I get lousy performance using PRB with a wad. Maybe 2 wads will tighten it up.

Huntin