cotton ball

[brubincam]

how would a real cotton ball work as a over powder wad

 

[slowpokebr549]

Wouldnt think it would seal worth a hoot, but I have seen green leaves used to pretty good effect, so what do I know.

 

[nchawkeye]

You might also catch the woods on fire....

 

[paulvallandigham]

It would depend on the size of the cotton ball, and the caliber of the gun. Corn meal is cheaper.

 

[berickson]

also ... when those cotton balls get rotten .... :grin:

cotton has a tendency to expand if it's not under pressure. it would also soak up too much lube and contaminate the powder.

i HAVE wondered about cork tho. but at present all i use is card wads. i found cushion wads break my patterns up.(assuming we are talking shot loads.) if you are trying to protect the patch on a round ball i have heard wasp nest works well. haven't tried it tho. i usually use a card wad, but my loads aren't so heavy they need an over powder protection.

i have tried cotton balls and spent some time stomping out little fires in the bush. ergo cotton balls make good tinder.

 

[brubincam]

THANKS :thumbsup: maybe they were using cotton balls in Kalifornia?

 

[Joel/Calgary]

You'd probably need more than one cotton ball to get a good seal over the powder. When I inquired about traditional wadding with tow, I was told one needed enough over the powder to pack down (firmly) to ~1/2". On the other hand, someone mentioned (on this board??) using a cotton ball quite successfully for an over-shot wad. I'm not sure if it'd work in a double, though, with the recoil loosening the second load.

Joel