Home made shotgun wads

[Woody Morgan]

in a pinch. 2 squares of toilet paper work just fine, but they leave a bit of confetti behind on the range,

I use tp in a .75 caliber cannon. The Range Master sez, "There goes Woody...crapping all over the range again."

Back on track, if I used lubed 1/8" inch felt wads I might not be escorted from the forum?

wm (asking for a friend just in case)

 

[recurvebill]

I haven't tried felt wads but for cutting patches for my rifles I use the correct size hole saw with the teeth ground off and the edge sharpened. I spin it my drill press. It will cut multiple layers of cloth as fast as I can move the material under the quill and lower the handle. I use a block of wood of course to run the cutter against. Tomorrow I may try using kapok in my 20 gauge for round balls. Log Cabin Shop had a good assortment of shotgun wads the last time I looked.

A sharpened hole saw ? In a drill press ? Wish i had thought about that !! I love it ! Lowe's tomorrow morning !!! Oh , Yeah , Thanks !

 

[Troyfairweather]

A sharpened hole saw ? In a drill press ? Wish i had thought about that !! I love it ! Lowe's tomorrow morning !!! Oh , Yeah , Thanks !

If you got a harbor freight I think they got a (hole) set for like $10. Different pipes work to and when you sharpen you can adjust the size a little depending if the bevel is on the outside or inside.

 

[The Crisco Kid]

I'm always glad to help. Lord knows I've been helped enough getting through life. I think I use a 7/8" hole saw to cut a 3/4" patch for my 32. I'd go measure it but I just ate a big burrito with a couple of Dos X's and I'm too lazy an old dog to get off the porch.

 

[11Bravo]

How much larger should the wad be from the bore diameter. I will be making 14 ga. for my recent purchase's, no chokes to deal with as they are twist barrels.

 

[Britsmoothy]

How much larger should the wad be from the bore diameter. I will be making 14 ga. for my recent purchase's, no chokes to deal with as they are twist barrels.

Measure the bore. Then plus .040". Or there abouts.

 

[BS]

From Circle Fly

 

[11Bravo]

Thank you both, that is what I was looking for.

 

[BS]

I was told to buy one size bigger. So, for a 20, buy 19. For a 12, buy an 11........fiber wads only.

 

[Historian]

Or, you can buy a wad punch online. Standard or Metric. I picked up both of mine from Amazon for less than $25 each. 16 and 20 mm.

 

[hawkeye2]

Zonie was that John Wayne toilet paper?

 

[Zonie]

Zonie was that John Wayne toilet paper?

Yes. But they got the name backwards on the label. It said, "Wayne John Paper".

 

[3Setters]

Why hard felt and not medium or soft felt wads? I would have assumed they would load easier than hard felt wads.

 

[megasupermagnum]

Why hard felt and not medium or soft felt wads? I would have assumed they would load easier than hard felt wads.

Even "Hard" felt is still only about as firm as a marshmallow. Harder may not the best term. Denser would be a better way to describe it. I buy from Durofelt, and the best stuff to use from them is labeled as "hard-for wad use". If all you were using the felt simply as a spacer like in a shotgun shell, then it wouldn't matter. As a wad, the denser it is, the better the seal it can make. Even as it is, I would prefer a much larger wool wad size than the bore, compared to a paper or similar wad. For example, with a paper card wad, I generally like around .020" over bore diameter, plus or minus. It doesn't have to be super accurate, it just has to seal. You can go way bigger, but then they don't turn and seat quite as nice, but work just as well. I'll use a rifle as an example, since that is where I've used both most often. In a 54 caliber rifle, I like a 9/16" punch for a paper card wad. In the case of felt, I like way larger. In that same 54 caliber rifle, if using a wool felt wad, I like a 5/8" punch. Another common application would be a cap and ball revolver. for a 45 caliber, I like a 1/2" wad punch. Even this oversize, they load super easy.

 

[GREENSWLDE]

Wads for Shotguns.. Small sheet of 1/4" Hard Felt. 1/16" Printers board. Water soluble adhesive, Copidex or similar. Coat felt with glue/water mix 50/50 one side. Put board on wet side of felt and apply old scale weights/other weights. Leave until dry-24 hrs? Cut wads with spinning cutter.
To load 1X card down,1x card up over powder. A felt sandwich. Shot & finish with wad card side down. Only need to carry 1 bag of wads.. Or go and buy pack of Kleena fibres and 1/16"cards from your local gun shop. O.D..

 

[3Setters]

Thanks for the replies. Powder arrived Thursday, caps should be here Monday. Hopefully I'll be shooting some patterns next weekend.

 

[Dave James]

For years a young wot at the local thrift store thought I collected felt cowboy hats right punch and a few wads we're always in the bag

 

[3Setters]

OK, started to pattern last night trying different combinations. It seems most everyone is using a fiber/cardboard card over the powder before the felt wads, its that necessary? Will the burning powder cause problems against just the felt wads?

 

[Britsmoothy]

OK, started to pattern last night trying different combinations. It seems most everyone is using a fiber/cardboard card over the powder before the felt wads, its that necessary? Will the burning powder cause problems against just the felt wads?

Felt wads. The only time I use a felt wad or felt disc is if I happen on an old discarded hat!

 

[Grenadier1758]

Most of the fiber or felt cushion wads are attempts to make the shot load look like an unmentionable contained cartridge load. There is some mythology in the belief that a cushioned wad keeps the shot from being crushed during the force generated during ignition of the charge. When patterning a shot load, a cushion wad can be often seen to blow a hole in the center of the pattern. There is benefit from a hard card over the powder and under the shot to seal the ignition gases behind the shot column.