I need help with DIY wads

[Denon]

Hi everyone!
I'm looking to buy my first BP firearm.
I think I'll go with the Pedersoli double barrel classic in 12 ga without removable chokes. I believe one side is cylinder and the other is improved cylinder.
I want to make my own wads since they are way to overpriced, $20-30 per 200 cork wads plus shipping.

I have some decent cardboard that I could use for over shot but I need help with the size of the punch and wad thickness. I'm from Europe so I'll list it in metric.

I've read that a 19 mm hole punch fits perfectly but I would like to get a hole saw and to sharpen it to use it on a drill press.
It seems easier and with a cleaner cut. I found online 21 and 22 mm sizes. I don't know which one should I get so I get 19 mm once I ground it down. Does anyone have experience with it?

The cork sheets that I found are sold in 4, 6 and 10 mm.
Which one would be thick enough without being too thick to jamm it down the barrel?

I would load lead shot for clay pigeon recreational shooting.

I will probably get a response "you should try it out to see what works best for you" but I don't have a big backyard where I can test it out and I have to order everything online so any help would be appreciated.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

Pre cut wads are cheap. I don't know why you're quoting cork prices, I haven't used them in 40 years of shotgunning.

 

[Sgt. Hulka]

I’m sure that someone who is helpful, knowledgeable and has experience with shotguns will be along shortly to assist.

 

[Dusty_Traveler]

If I were going to make my own wads, I would use 3-4mm thick wool felt and a 19mm punch. For the over shot cards I would use the same punch, and make them out of any stiff paper.

Currently, I use 2 or 3 (3mm x 19mm) felt wads over the powder, depending on how heavy my charge is, and one thin paper card over the shot.

If I were going to make the wads as you stated out of cork, I would use the 4mm sheet. you can always stack them.

Congratulations on getting your first muzzleloader, its addicting!

 

[shaman]

Definitely check out the Skychief load (posted as a sticky).
As far as wads go, here is what I use:

12 gauge, .740" ideal for .729" bore, .500" thick fibre wad, 500, by Circle Fly Wads - Track of the Wolf

 

[Grenadier1758]

Just use the thin cardboard over shot cards instead of the cork wads. Three of the over shot cards over your powder, then your shot, and finally an over shot card to complete the load.

 

[oldwood]

Cork wads would be my last choice for shotgun wads. Here in the USA , they were in use in the late 1930's , to the early early 1940's , in shotgun shells. Cork rapidly fell away to be replaced by card and fiber wads , before plastic wads came on , in the late 1950's. When I was shooting SBS 12 Ga. , and 10 Ga. m/l shotguns , we found better patterns were obtained using plain cardboard wads , as the cardboard wads fell out of the shot cloud quicker , rendering better patterns. I mention cardboard wads , due to their common availability , and here in the States , there is much free cardboard to repurpose into punched wads. My knowledge of cork wads is limited , so can't discount their use in modern m/l shotguns.

 

[Feltwad]

I cannot understand why new comers to shotgun shooting enquire about wads such has cork and such wadding .most of these fancy wads are there to catch shooters pocket and are no benefit All you need are two number 1/8 card wad over the powder and one number 1/16 card over shot . To obtain these you will need a wad punch the size of the bore , for the card look in the waste skips on the industrial estates you are sure to find some suitable card
Feltwad

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

TIP - Cut a piece of 4x4 or similar 3" long and use the punch down into the 'end' grain of the wood, makes the tool work faster/easier.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

I’m sure that someone who is helpful, knowledgeable and has experience with shotguns will be along shortly to assist.

I have been shooting muzzleloading shotguns in competition and hunting for 43 years. I think my post is valid.

 

[TreeMan]

I just use these. Powder, two cards over powder and two over shot. Sometimes I will cheat and use plastic shot cups if I’m turkey hunting. My guns are not choked. 90% of the time cards only. You might be surprised that your choked gun will shoot fine with just the cards as components. 1000 cards for $18.

 

[Denon]

Pre cut wads are cheap. I don't know why you're quoting cork prices, I haven't used them in 40 years of shotgunning.

I'll tell you why. I'm from Europe and even specialized BP stores carry felt wads only for pistol calibers, 44 max. or maybe 50. I can't remember. For 12 ga I only found Pedersoli cork wads which are a sandwich from thin card, cork and card and regular over powder cards. The cork wads come in two thicknesses, 3 and 15 mm if I remember correctly.
The price is not cheap. $25-30 for 250 pcs. That's .22 LR territory just for wads.
Also, one of the charms of black powder firearms for me is the DIY aspect.

If I were going to make my own wads, I would use 3-4mm thick wool felt and a 19mm punch. For the over shot cards I would use the same punch, and make them out of any stiff paper.

Currently, I use 2 or 3 (3mm x 19mm) felt wads over the powder, depending on how heavy my charge is, and one thin paper card over the shot.

If I were going to make the wads as you stated out of cork, I would use the 4mm sheet. you can always stack them.

Congratulations on getting your first muzzleloader, its addicting!

Thanks for your input!
I still didn't find a good material for felt wads but I have a variety of nice cardboard in different thicknesses that I will try.

Definitely check out the Skychief load (posted as a sticky).
As far as wads go, here is what I use:

12 gauge, .740" ideal for .729" bore, .500" thick fibre wad, 500, by Circle Fly Wads - Track of the Wolf

I wasn't able to find that kind of wads here in Europe.

I cannot understand why new comers to shotgun shooting enquire about wads such has cork and such wadding .most of these fancy wads are there to catch shooters pocket and are no benefit All you need are two number 1/8 card wad over the powder and one number 1/16 card over shot . To obtain these you will need a wad punch the size of the bore , for the card look in the waste skips on the industrial estates you are sure to find some suitable card
FeltwadView attachment 219013

I have a selection of clean cardboard that I'll try.
The reson for cork is that I've read in articles and literature that cork is great because it's easy to obtain, it disintegrates during shooting which should prevent the wad from shooting through the shot load and preventing the donut pattern caused by it. It's also a natural material which is better for the environment, it guess. Definitely better than plastic shot cups, right?
From what I've seen Pedersoli only has cork wads.

TIP - Cut a piece of 4x4 or similar 3" long and use the punch down into the 'end' grain of the wood, makes the tool work faster/easier.

That's what I did for other projects but for this I would like to make a tool for the drill press to get more uniform results.

I just use these. Powder, two cards over powder and two over shot. Sometimes I will cheat and use plastic shot cups if I’m turkey hunting. My guns are not choked. 90% of the time cards only. You might be surprised that your choked gun will shoot fine with just the cards as components. 1000 cards for $18. View attachment 219034

I found them for $25 per 1000 pcs. Not too expensive but not cheap either. I'll try to make my own.
Do you put the double cards together or one by one? I'm asking because of air gaps.

 

[Sidney Smith]

I cannot understand why new comers to shotgun shooting enquire about wads such has cork and such wadding .most of these fancy wads are there to catch shooters pocket and are no benefit All you need are two number 1/8 card wad over the powder and one number 1/16 card over shot . To obtain these you will need a wad punch the size of the bore , for the card look in the waste skips on the industrial estates you are sure to find some suitable card
FeltwadView attachment 219013

I don't know why people go even that far. I've used crumpled phone book paper for wadding since I've owned a smoothbore, and I get good patterns. Fold a page into fours. Tear them into individual sheets. Three of the quadrants go over the powder, 1 over the shot. Tamp it tight. Been killing game with this method for years.

 

[Feltwad]

I don't know why people go even that far. I've used crumpled phone book paper for wadding since I've owned a smoothbore, and I get good patterns. Fold a page into fours. Tear them into individual sheets. Three of the quadrants go over the powder, 1 over the shot. Tamp it tight. Been killing game with this method for years.

Yes I agree in the past i have used Toilet roll with caution has not to start a fire on the undergrowth a uncle who often used if he ran out of wads a slice of turnip which he placed over the muzzle and forced the slice down on the muzzle with his palm which left perfectly formed wad which then was rammed down onto the powder
Feltwad

 

[appalichian hunter]

The waxed cartons that milk comes in makes nice card wads.

 

[hanshi]

If for some reason you don't want to buy wads, they are pretty cheap, and make your own; cereal boxes work very well for punching wads.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

It's probably cheaper to buy cards and wads than it is to buy a punch to make them.

 

[bud in pa]

I make my punch out of EMT and sharpened the end .

 

[Sgt. Hulka]

I have been shooting muzzleloading shotguns in competition and hunting for 43 years. I think my post is valid.

I wasn’t talking to you.

 

[Sgt. Hulka]

It's probably cheaper to buy cards and wads than it is to buy a punch to make them.

A constructive comment - very good!