I need help with DIY wads

[Britsmoothy]

19-20mm will be fine but just stamp or spin thin cards from braekfast box's and such. Three or four over the powder will be more than enough and pass the chokes easy on loading.

If it gets crusty in the barrels add some grease, bee's wax and olive oil. Or candle wax and olive oil. Then you can keep shooting easy for a few more shots.

 

[TreeMan]

19-20mm will be fine but just stamp or spin thin cards from braekfast box's and such. Three or four over the powder will be more than enough and pass the chokes easy on loading.
View attachment 219209
If it gets crusty in the barrels add some grease, bee's wax and olive oil. Or candle wax and olive oil. Then you can keep shooting easy for a few more shots.

Britsmoothly you know that we don’t speak “metric” on this side of the pond right??!!

 

[jonathan hawkin]

I use the bought lubed wads, but cut them in half, and still plenty thick enough, with a little jig, could probably cut them in to thirds, cheap enough and easily available in UK, not sure where in Europe you are

 

[Britsmoothy]

I use the bought lubed wads, but cut them in half, and still plenty thick enough, with a little jig, could probably cut them in to thirds, cheap enough and easily available in UK, not sure where in Europe you are

Says Croatia in his profile.

 

[Doc]

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.

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.

Denton, My wife and I are very experienced shotguners, we even have our own oscillating auto thrower. Have tried cork wads and put them away for fiber wads which are much more forgiving. They can be used in both ML and BP cartridges in your reloads. I personally purchase Fly but OX is just as good. Purchased from ”The Gun Works“ in Springfield Oregon USA. If I remember right 1,000 wads for $10.95. With your improved cylinder if it’s tight you may want to go to 13 gauge wads instead of 12. That’s what my wife uses on her Damascus doubles.
Doc,

 

[sheriff john]

Still using the Alcan fiber over powder wads & thin paper wads after 50 years. Then, about 2 months ago, a friend gifted me a sack of OxYoke pre-lubed "felt?" over powder ones. Much easier to load, lube appears to keep fouling softer.

Have had a punch for decades (hit-with-a-hammer type). It works ok, but I'd rather be doing something else.

 

[Feltwad]

Using card wads less than 16 can be dangerous because when ramming a single wad down onto powder the ramrod can often bypass the wad leaving it on the side of the barrel wall , it then become a obstruction

and when the gun is fired can end like the enclosed image
Feltwad

 

[Newtire]

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.

I subscribe to the school of just a hard card, then shot, then overshot-no cushion. Probably there are better ways but hunting a hot dove field, I seldom have time for anything else.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Using card wads less than 16 can be dangerous because when ramming a single wad down onto powder the ramrod can often bypass the wad leaving it on the side of the barrel wall , it then become a obstructionView attachment 219242 and when the gun is fired can end like the enclosed image
Feltwad

That's funny. I seem to recall you using that very same photograph in a discussion about using plastic wads!

How was the cause of the barrel failure proven?

 

[Colonel Blimp]

As you mention you own (or have access to) a drill press, do as I do. Buy a hole punch of this type. See image attached.
Then you can cut more easily by drilling than punching by using it in the drill press. Also I cut mine from felt floor tiles, cork floor tiles, tetra milk containers, heavy card .... whatever I wish to use or experiment with.
The ony draw back is dependent upon the size of the drill press chuck , you may have to take the punch to a lathe owner and ask for the shaft to be turned down to fit your drill chuck capacity.

 

[Rató:rats]

I don’t use paper cards anymore. I find nothing seals the bore of my piece like leather. Leather was used in auto engine pistons for decades. Great gas seal. Also I have lots of scrap laying around and if I needed could resupply at the thrift store for cheap.

Pteryplegia: Or, The Art Of Shooting-Flying, George Markland, 1727:

Now search for Tow, and some old Saddle pierce [saddle leather]
No Wadding lies so close or drives so fierce.

 

[brushblind]

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

Many US Co.'s don't or they aren't allowed to export. Waxed cardboard is fairly common and makes decent wads, should be able to scrounge some where he's at.

 

[LongWalker]

Here's a link to VM Starr's little book on ML shotguns, including a discussion of loading using only card wads: V.M Starr on ML Shotguns Having gone up to meet him and seek his advice a couple of times, I assure you he was just like he wrote, and a fantastic wingshooter.

The fiber wads that people often write about are punched or cut from a product very similar to cellulose-based wall board; Celotex and Homosote are two brand names. If you really want to use the thicker wads, you may be able to find a similar product.

 

[MDHunter]

I’m not sure if anyone mentioned it already but Pedersoli 12 gauge with similar bore chokes to yours seems to likes 13 gauge cards. It does in mine anyway. Yours may differ. I can’t remember the price for a bag but it was definitely cheap enough from Track of the wolf to not consider cutting my own. Good luck and happy shooting!

 

[Blackpowderart]

Bore obstruction from a card turned sideways???I think not. If that was the case, the shotload itself is an obstruction.

 

[Feltwad]

Bore obstruction from a card turned sideways???I think not. If that was the case, the shotload itself is an obstruction.

Explain yourself how shot load is an obstruction a thin paper wad on the barrel wall which open up on ignition is a obstruction just like snow or mud and a burst barrel can occur like the one in the image .
Feltwad

 

[Denon]

19-20mm will be fine but just stamp or spin thin cards from braekfast box's and such. Three or four over the powder will be more than enough and pass the chokes easy on loading.
View attachment 219209
If it gets crusty in the barrels add some grease, bee's wax and olive oil. Or candle wax and olive oil. Then you can keep shooting easy for a few more shots.

You meant greasing the cards or?

I use the bought lubed wads, but cut them in half, and still plenty thick enough, with a little jig, could probably cut them in to thirds, cheap enough and easily available in UK, not sure where in Europe you are

I'm from Croatia. I did find felt wads in the UK but with the shipping, customs and all that I thought it wasn't worth it.

As you mention you own (or have access to) a drill press, do as I do. Buy a hole punch of this type. See image attached.
Then you can cut more easily by drilling than punching by using it in the drill press. Also I cut mine from felt floor tiles, cork floor tiles, tetra milk containers, heavy card .... whatever I wish to use or experiment with.
The ony draw back is dependent upon the size of the drill press chuck , you may have to take the punch to a lathe owner and ask for the shaft to be turned down to fit your drill chuck capacity.

I thought about your suggestion before but I don't know a machinist so I ordered a hole saw that I'll sharpen to a straight edge

 

[Feltwad]

That's funny. I seem to recall you using that very same photograph in a discussion about using plastic wads!

How was the cause of the barrel failure proven?

Well you have a better memory than me concerning the photo has I know the reason for the burst barrel and it was not a plastic wad so are you back to cause trouble again has we have had in the past mostly because you blamed me for something for which I was not guilty
I think the moderator should step in and put a stop so it should not go further because I will not go through what happened in the past and will walk away from the forums of Traditional Muzzle loading
Feltwad

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

Sure is clean inside that bore. Black powder or smokeless loads?

 

[Feltwad]

Sure is clean inside that bore. Black powder or smokeless loads?

Black powder of cause
Feltwad