Loading shot without wads

[GoodRabbitPilgrim]

I've had my fowler for 2 weekends now and because of postal delays still have no wads to use for shot. What is a household alternative I could use just to run a few shots downrange as I'm champing at the bit to get out for a shot with my new toy.

I was thinking of scrunching up some newspaper, or bit of old shirt over powder then cutting some cereal box cardboard for over shot. Will that work? I just feel the former options won't really seal the gasses well at all.

I could also go to the local gun shop and buy some 20G plastic wads if they have them in stock. Would that seal off the powder ok?

 

[rafterob]

Newspaper unless you are worried about fire hazard

 

[bigdude100]

take a look at duelist den - he has videos on how to load without wads. He uses paper. Very instructional

 

[PathfinderNC]

Be resourceful and use what will do the job. Way back when I just used pieces of brown paper bag for all my wadding and did fine. I was using my restocked Brown Bess with #7.5 shot mostly.
I also got some 12 gauge shot cups which worked fantastically for trap shooting! A bit of crumpled brown paper down over the powder, seated the shot cup down, dumped a measure of shot in and then more brown paper wadding atop. It was so fun and had great success.
As a friend once told me- “When need arise, improvise”.

 

[user 49399]

Brown paper (McDonalds bag works good), wasp nest, unraveled jute string (tow), pieces of old flannel shirt, leaves, pieces of cardboard, purt near anything will work. Some things work better than others though. My favorites are wasp nest or jute string.

 

[sawyer04]

about anything you can pack in the barrel.

 

[tenngun]

2x1 inch square brown paper rubbed between palms pushed down works great and is historic.
Wool blanket scraps, tow,you can get hemp yarn at Wally World and pick it in to fibers.
Grape leaves, dog hair, green grass, cat tail puff, wasp nest, coconut fiber,Spanish moss old wool felt from worn out hat,leather, all have been used and works well

 

[Brokennock]

There is historical reference to folded paper, "rubbed soft," as a wad. For a 20 gauge this would be a 1" wide by 2" long piece of brown paper, such as paper grocery bag, rubbed soft. This is folded in half at time of use into a 1"x1" square and tamped down on top of powder.

@George has written about it both here and on his website, Bob's Blackpowder Notebook, including quotes from and links to the period book this advice is from. He has had good success with it.

If you are cutting up cereal box anyway, this material punched to the correct diameter is essentially the same as a store bought over-shot card,,, which many of us also use over powder.

One option of wanting a little cushion and maybe to carry a little lube is what I call "faux-tow." Take some sisal or hemp rope, cut it into roughly 4 to 5 inch lengths then shred it. Form enough of the shredded material into a birds nest, like for fire making, then roll it into a ball between your palms, rub it in some lube and seat it against the folded paper or card.

Two of these smallest sections at 4 to 5 inches long is enough for a 20 gauge.

Size reference of lubed faux-tow ball. Shown next to a lubed 20 gauge felt wad and one of my shot cartridges.

Leather punched to the right diameter has been used. Heavy, dense, felt. Heavier cardboard.
Green leaves and green grasses....

 

[user 49399]

That’s exactly what I do with jute string. Works good with a little spit for lube or sometimes crisco.

 

[megasupermagnum]

Forget all that scrunching up stuff. It will go bang, but it won't be good. Use a the cereal box for everything. Use 4 or 5 over the powder, and one over the shot.

 

[Brokennock]

Yeah! Do what you're told,,, forget any other options.

Especially if they have historical precedence. The people who relied on these guns for life itself clearly knew nothing.
How foolish of the rest of us to even suggest trying more than one thing.

 

[Flintlock]

Wasp nest is great, free (ask family-neighbors and scout the woods for them in cold weather) no risk of setting the woods ablaze either.

 

[GoodRabbitPilgrim]

The whole notion that you can use near on anything is part of what really excites me about this gun. It may not be my best hunting gun but I feel like it will be the most fun.

Thank you for the replies I will look around at what I have at home and use whatever I can find I suppose!

 

[user 49399]

You’re welcome. I wouldn’t let a lack of wadding stop me from shooting. You might want to take a handful of different materials out with you to try and see what works good for you. One thing I found that wasn’t good was green grass. When compressed, the sap/moisture squeezed out and almost ruined my charge. I won’t do that again.

 

[tenngun]

Forget all that scrunching up stuff. It will go bang, but it won't be good. Use a the cereal box for everything. Use 4 or 5 over the powder, and one over the shot.

Wow tow and hemp fiber has worked for me.
Well I might be wrong on second thought. After all my dead turkeys and squirrels might have been more dead had I not used ‘scrunched’ up stuff

 

[tenngun]

The whole notion that you can use near on anything is part of what really excites me about this gun. It may not be my best hunting gun but I feel like it will be the most fun.

Thank you for the replies I will look around at what I have at home and use whatever I can find I suppose!

It will be your best hunting gun
If I could only have one gun and the tall timber it would be my TFC

 

[Treestalker]

I come from a shotgun using family. My paternal G grandfather used a double barrel in the Confederate Cavalry. My grandad used a double 12 on his homestead. My dad wore out a Browning auto shooting ducks. I shoot a percussion single and am gathering parts for a flintlock trade gun. Some things just work.

 

[vintovka]

Be resourceful and use what will do the job. Way back when I just used pieces of brown paper bag for all my wadding and did fine. I was using my restocked Brown Bess with #7.5 shot mostly.
I also got some 12 gauge shot cups which worked fantastically for trap shooting! A bit of crumpled brown paper down over the powder, seated the shot cup down, dumped a measure of shot in and then more brown paper wadding atop. It was so fun and had great success.
As a friend once told me- “When need arise, improvise”.

1+ on the shot cups. Especially Remington "power pistons" Worked well on pheasants, trap and even a ball in my Ped. Double. Overshots punched from paper milk cartons work well too. Not very authentic but works for me but fast. Stopped using others wads altogether. Forgot to add this was first suggested by Hal Sharon when i bought a 20 gauge barrel 'KIT" (to fit my TC Hawken ) from him so long ago.

 

[GoodRabbitPilgrim]

It will be your best hunting gun
If I could only have one gun and the tall timber it would be my TFC

I hunt a more western US style of environment. There are some in close shots but there are also some big ones. I hunt from the ground mostly stalking when in thick bush but I'm sure this will provide all the punch needed in those scenarios on a big red stag

 

[megasupermagnum]

Wow tow and hemp fiber has worked for me.
Well I might be wrong on second thought. After all my dead turkeys and squirrels might have been more dead had I not used ‘scrunched’ up stuff

In what way does that pertain to "scrunching up some news paper or old T shirt"? I've tested scrunched up garbage as wadding. I'm sure if you stuff enough in there, eventually you will get a seal. for example a recent test I did. With card, the same stuff he is planning to use for overshot anyway, I was getting about 1100 fps. Using the exact same load, but replacing the cards with a ton of balled up toilet paper, I got just over 700 fps, and a shower of burning confetti.

Do not stuff newspaper in the bore and expect good things to happen. Tow and other fibers are a whole other ball game,