Fiber shot wad question
- Thread starter randyhi
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I use olive oil in mine, and it's not an issue the way I do it. I put a day's supply of fiber wads in a ziploc, add a little oil and slosh it around, then let it sit for an hour or so. Pull the wads and let the oil soak in overnight. That Type A overpowder card does a great job of stopping any oil that might leak out, but I've never seen any sign of it in my guns.
Same here too and I dont down a card first!
Maybe an issue if they are dripping in it I guess.....best not have them dripping in it then I guess :wink:
B.
Maybe an issue if they are dripping in it I guess.....best not have them dripping in it then I guess :wink:
B.
ohio ramrod
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Some lube , some don't. If you lube, just remember the problem most people have with lubes is using too much! :idunno:
I stick mine on a pin and roll the edge through melted beeswax. Soaking them just adds mass and slows down the muzzle velocity.
I took the new to me shotgun out yesterday and had a great time with it. With the mod and full chokes, the wads were a little challenging to get down but not enough to discourage me from shooting it regularly. In fact, on the last 2 shots, I left out the 1/2" fiber wad and it patterned pretty well. As I understand it this wad serves to cushion the acceleration on the shot as the powder begins to burn and push the shot down the bore. How important is the fiber wad in the shot? My load is 80gr of Pyrodex with an equal volume of #4 shot, .125 overshot card, 1/2" fiber wad lubed with cooking oil, and a very thin overshot card. I found the load here and it worked great. I would like to omit the fiber wad at times if I am hurrying to reload if it doesn't generally raise accuracy issues. I found that the cooking oil made the wad mushy trying to push it past the chokes.
It is misleading calling wads cushion wads. The force on the shot is just same with a fiber or felt wad as with just thin cards.
Wads are an invention to take space up in a cartridge.
They are not a necessary component in a muzzleloader.
B. :thumbsup:
Wads are an invention to take space up in a cartridge.
They are not a necessary component in a muzzleloader.
B. :thumbsup:
Joel/Calgary
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For some of us, it is a convenient way to get lube in to keep fouling soft without swabbing.Britsmoothy said:
Regards,
Joel
Joel/Calgary said:
+1 here. If I just use overshot wads I have a hard time seating the wads after 3 or 4 shots during a clay pigeion match. A lubed wad keeps her loading easy. One thing is evident though. If you soak the wad all the way through it will fly all the way to the target like a projectile. Not good. If I just lube the edges it falls free close to the muzzle. I cannot remember the difference in weight of a completely lubed wad and one just lubed around the edges but it seems to me a completely soaked 11 gage wad weighs close to 30 grains If I remember correctly. I will have to weigh one again.
Bob
Absolutly. Thats why I use them....sometimes.
When I use cards only I have in my bag a spare cap tin with patch lube in it(olive oilxcandle wax at the moment) and when the bore is getting crusty a blob is thumbed in the muzzle onto a card .....more cards added and rammed.
Ok for a few more shots....
B.
When I use cards only I have in my bag a spare cap tin with patch lube in it(olive oilxcandle wax at the moment) and when the bore is getting crusty a blob is thumbed in the muzzle onto a card .....more cards added and rammed.
Ok for a few more shots....
B.
I like tow or cotton balls greased with mink oil or lard, made into little balls and taped flat with the rammer. I shoot the volume of 90 grains of lead over 65 grains powder for tree rats and bunnies,I swab tween shots in the field and never got into clay shooting.so I have no time pressure on me.
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Leatherbark said:
Huh.... Never thought about the weight gain. Let us know what you learn.
I'll add that after my 1-hour soak and overnight sit, the wads are only oiled about 1/8" deep, with the centers still dry. I've never allowed wads to soak long enough to saturate, mostly cuzz I was kinda affeared they would start falling apart in carry and handling.
Bottom line, a guy's gotta go with what works in his gun. But that doesn't mean he should stop looking for something that works even better.
If nothing else, the steady testing keeps you shooting and thinking. Neither is a bad thing, and beat the heck out of keyboarding and dogma. :rotf:
As I am new to muzzleloading, I really don't understand what "swabbing" after a few shots would look like. By that, I mean what particular tools and techniques are used? Are there certain compounds used? I apologize for so many questions but, I really want to be able to hunt safely and successfully with the bp shotgun.
"Swabbing" is a cannonier's tecnhique where a wet fiber mob is run down the bore to extingish embers.
In shoulder arms it is more often used to promote consistancy and accuracy with rifles with a salive damp patch between shots (ALWAYS dapen the patch with something or you'll get a jag well and truly stuck). A proper lube, IMHO, does not require wiping the bore more often than once in eight or ten shots . . . but I'm lazy. I suppose some swab smoothbores, but I never saw the need. But then, I use a waxed wad to lube up the bore between shots.
In shoulder arms it is more often used to promote consistancy and accuracy with rifles with a salive damp patch between shots (ALWAYS dapen the patch with something or you'll get a jag well and truly stuck). A proper lube, IMHO, does not require wiping the bore more often than once in eight or ten shots . . . but I'm lazy. I suppose some swab smoothbores, but I never saw the need. But then, I use a waxed wad to lube up the bore between shots.
I have some beeswax to make bowstring wax. I'll melt some and follow your earlier recommendation on lubing the fiber wad. I doubt that there will be a session where I fire more than 10 shots without cleaning. Thanks for the advice.
Swabbing or wiping the bore is only necessary if loading becomes noticeably difficult. Then you use a damp patch to remove some of the fouling from the bore. The jag should be a loose fit and the damp patch should be fairly large to bunch up around the jag as the ramrod is removed from the bore. Using lubricated wads, swabbing may not be necessary during a day long hunt.
Yes....last time I was hunting our wood pigeon I shot about 30 shots from my double and no swabbing....just fiber wads in a plastic bag and olive oil poured in. I do split a wad in two instead of ramming as a one piece.
The fouling stayed soft enough....infact the gun had not been cleaned for weeks. It was the leading from the shot and ignition troubles that made me go with a complete clean.
No swabbing between shots for in excess of 100 shots.
Save the bees wax for the bow!
Get some cheap candles. Melt and add some olive oil and forget :hatsoff:
The fouling stayed soft enough....infact the gun had not been cleaned for weeks. It was the leading from the shot and ignition troubles that made me go with a complete clean.
No swabbing between shots for in excess of 100 shots.
Save the bees wax for the bow!
Get some cheap candles. Melt and add some olive oil and forget :hatsoff:
:hatsoff:
Brits.
Brits.
