Loading shot without wads

[toot]

People always say wasp. This big old hornet nest is down and bagged and I expect to give it a try.View attachment 101780

that's the ones!!

 

[toot]

I do not use plastic wads in a muzzle loading shotgun. They can leave hard to remove plastic scrapes in the bore.

why don't plastic shot cups leave residue in smokeless powder guns?

 

[toot]

If you have any saddle or harness shops in your area, check with them and see if they have any harness leather scraps. Harness leather makes excellent over powder wads since the harness leather is already stuffed with oils and waxes at the tannery, and no need for lube. Most harness leather will average between 1/4" and 3/8" thick and punches easily with an arch punch and rawhide hammer. For the Pedersoli 20 ga., watch ebay or other auction sites for a #16 arch punch, which is a shotgun wadding punch and cuts a 21/32" diameter wad or card. I found that 5/8" was too small and an 11/16" punch was too large. Here is a photo of the #16, along with an 11ga and 10ga punch.View attachment 101809

NICE!!

 

[toot]

If you have any saddle or harness shops in your area, check with them and see if they have any harness leather scraps. Harness leather makes excellent over powder wads since the harness leather is already stuffed with oils and waxes at the tannery, and no need for lube. Most harness leather will average between 1/4" and 3/8" thick and punches easily with an arch punch and rawhide hammer. For the Pedersoli 20 ga., watch ebay or other auction sites for a #16 arch punch, which is a shotgun wadding punch and cuts a 21/32" diameter wad or card. I found that 5/8" was too small and an 11/16" punch was too large. Here is a photo of the #16, along with an 11ga and 10ga punch.View attachment 101809

when you punch out the wads, what do you put under it to cut them out on? a block of lead or a short piece if 2x4 on end in a vice?

 

[Brokennock]

why don't plastic shot cups leave residue in smokeless powder guns?

They do. But, most modern gun cleaning fluids dissolve them. Ever notice that some cleaners have second versions that are labeled "plastic safe?"
I don't care for "Gun Scrubber" spray cleaner, but, that is a good example. There is original "Gun Scrubber" and there is "Gun Scrubber - plastic safe" on the shelf.
(Yes, I am aware this product is basically brake cleaner,,, it is just an example.)

 

[toot]

They do. But, most modern gun cleaning fluids dissolve them. Ever notice that some cleaners have second versions that are labeled "plastic safe?"
I don't care for "Gun Scrubber" spray cleaner, but, that is a good example. There is original "Gun Scrubber" and there is "Gun Scrubber - plastic safe" on the shelf.
(Yes, I am aware this product is basically brake cleaner,,, it is just an example.)

thank you for the reply to my question.

 

[glidingdoc]

I must confess to using blue toilet paper with my brown boss.. 75 caliber with no 6 shot or BBs. At the range,, the whole sandpit erupted. However, when shooting at rabbits 50 yards away, the merely ran off before the shot arrived!

 

[Grenadier1758]

now we all know where that they have all go? LOL!! a rely great selection of them. the CHINESE ones from HOME DEPOT & TRACTOR SUPPLY are JUNK! jmho.

While I agree that the Chinese arch punches are junk, they will last long enough for @GoodRabbitPilgrim to determine if those wads will function to provide acceptable performing patterns when used in his smoothbore, then he will have time to search for a higher quality arch punch to make his wads. I don't think he has a Harbor Freight, Home Depot or Tractor Supply close to where he lives, but there may be other local suppliers. If there is a fire hazard, then a dampening of his cereal box cards with a spray lubricant should reduce the chance of having a smoldering ember being shot. The dampness will keep the card cooler than ignition temperature of the cardboard.

I also don't think he has hornets that make paper nests for him to harvest for wadding either. Toilet paper with some lubricant to reduce the fire hazard is usable as a cushion wad.

He could have twine or rope from various fibers that can be unraveled to make "tow" wads.

 

[Doc]

My wife and I are fairly serious clay shooters, so of course we’re shooting 3f to raise our velocity and help eliminate the heavy crust and makes it easier for cleaning. Have tried various combinations of cards etc. Finally using these 2 over powder one over shot. Gives us excellent patterns.

 

[user 48702]

when you punch out the wads, what do you put under it to cut them out on? a block of lead or a short piece if 2x4 on end in a vice?

I'm in the leather manufacturing business, therefore, I have numerous types of cutting boards already in the shop. One of the best I use everyday is made of Novolene. You can do a search and find it in various thicknesses, but here is one sold by Weaver Leather Novolene Board . They're not cheap, but they last virtually forever. I bought some scraps from a meat packing supply house years ago and one of the ones I use every day, I've been using for over 20 years. I would say this board has received over 50,000 strikes with various arch, round, and tube punches. Its hard, but easy on tools since it doesn't dull them like wood or other materials which are used as a base. They will dish out a little if you use the same spot all the time. Another board that you can use, which is much cheaper, is one of the poly boards that they sell in the kitchen section of the big box stores.

The Poly Board is a cheaper alternative and works great for punch tools or cutting leather or fiber boards. Best quality would be purchased from a leather supply house like Springfield Leather. Springfield Leather stocks the Poly Boards as small as 4"X4"X3/8" for about $3.00. They have larger sizes, but they are more expensive.
Poly Boards Small Poly Board

Here is a short video from the Buckleguy using various punches on a Novolene board.
Novolene Punch Board Use

 

[vintovka]

I think what ever you use you might want to consistency as another factor. Factory or preformed wad seem best. Short of emergencies stuffing whatever down the bore of a now $600+ ML seems a bit of a risk. I used Remington Power Pistons for last 3 decades with no residue and no cleaners other than hot water, soap and and bristle brush. Mine is an early plain jane, DGW branded, pedersoli and pretty sure its not chromed. Bet chromed ones may not ever need a brush.

 

[Brokennock]

Still a lot of suggestions of what nursing admin. would call "best practices," (a very annoying term to some of us) when the o.p. states he is really just looking for something that will work well enough to let him shoot his new gun while he awaits the arrival of his components.
Sort of, "what will do in a pinch?" Instead of, "I have a bunch of component options, what do you think is best?"

 

[user 48702]

Still a lot of suggestions of what nursing admin. would call "best practices," (a very annoying term to some of us) when the o.p. states he is really just looking for something that will work well enough to let him shoot his new gun while he awaits the arrival of his components.
Sort of, "what will do in a pinch?" Instead of, "I have a bunch of component options, what do you think is best?"

I would let the OP decide if any of these options may be useful now, or might be an option in the future. Appears that you have multiple post on each page with suggestions/advice.

 

[smoothshooter]

In my testing, plastic wads shoot slower than cardboard wads. It wasn't a gigantic difference, but more than I expected. Does that mean one seals better than the other, I don't know. I just know that a card wad will shoot faster than a lead shot wad. Maybe a steel shot wad is a different story, I've not tried them over a chronograph.

I can't believe how many people willingly use scrunched up trash in their guns. I'm not saying it won't work, but you are leaving a TON of performance on the table. If I ever forget wads, you can bet I'll be using a bunch of leaves to make it work, and very likely getting inconsistent patterns. I'll use leaves way before I ever use newspaper or toilet paper, which are not suitable for shotgun wads at all. If everything you shoot is inside of 20 yards, then have at it. There's a ridiculous amount of things that make really good wads out there that you can get for free, to suggest such a practice to a newbie. The guy is already going to be cutting wads from cereal boxes, why would you suggest someone uses leaves, or newspaper, which will not work as well as using the wads he already will be making.

Any kind of cardstock, cereal box, solid boxes, slip sheets etc. all work phenomenally well. Just be sure to use enough so the total stack is at least 1/8" thick.

Leather wads, they work really, really well. Even a single cow leather wad works really well. 2 even better.

Felt works great, but you need to use enough. 1/2" provides a good seal with a dense felt.

Plastic wads do work, they aren't fantastic, but they do work.

Even corrugated cardboard, if you use enough to make a stack 1/8" thick when they are compressed works well enough.

Tow or rope fibers work, as long as you use a sufficiently large ball


What all of these things have in common is they form a solid wad that seals to the bore. Crumpled newspaper does not have this property. Logic says that if you use enough of it, eventually you should get a good seal, but it's not worth the work. Here is what I would do if SHTF, and I had no wads. I would take a bunch of smaller leaves from a tree, and carefully stack them so that they made a stack at least 1/2", maybe 3/4" when compressed. I would then carefully stuff them into muzzle, trying to keep the layers horizontal to the bore. Then finally ram it down. This way does work, but it's not that much fun.

I have never used newspaper. Have used punch-cut wads for decades. Cardboard, and occasionally leather.
But I believe the wax paper wadding works better than you might think. Now that it’s on my mind again for the first time since I was a kid, I am going to do some informal experimentation with the wax paper again.

 

[GoodRabbitPilgrim]

I think what ever you use you might want to consistency as another factor. Factory or preformed wad seem best. Short of emergencies stuffing whatever down the bore of a now $600+ ML seems a bit of a risk. I used Remington Power Pistons for last 3 decades with no residue and no cleaners other than hot water, soap and and bristle brush. Mine is an early plain jane, DGW branded, pedersoli and pretty sure its not chromed. Bet chromed ones may not ever need a brush.

They're about $2,300 new here, mind you I bought mine second hand in as new condition for less than half that. But yes I have every intention of looking after it.

 

[GoodRabbitPilgrim]

I would let the OP decide if any of these options may be useful now, or might be an option in the future. Appears that you have multiple post on each page with suggestions/advice.

He's not wrong, I have every intention of using the wads and overshot cards I've bought for the foreseeable future. I just want to get out for a shot this weekend, at the rate I'm going I won't be able to anyway though.

 

[vintovka]

They're about $2,300 new here, mind you I bought mine second hand in as new condition for less than half that. But yes I have every intention of looking after it.

$2300!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[toot]

I'm in the leather manufacturing business, therefore, I have numerous types of cutting boards already in the shop. One of the best I use everyday is made of Novolene. You can do a search and find it in various thicknesses, but here is one sold by Weaver Leather Novolene Board . They're not cheap, but they last virtually forever. I bought some scraps from a meat packing supply house years ago and one of the ones I use every day, I've been using for over 20 years. I would say this board has received over 50,000 strikes with various arch, round, and tube punches. Its hard, but easy on tools since it doesn't dull them like wood or other materials which are used as a base. They will dish out a little if you use the same spot all the time. Another board that you can use, which is much cheaper, is one of the poly boards that they sell in the kitchen section of the big box stores.

The Poly Board is a cheaper alternative and works great for punch tools or cutting leather or fiber boards. Best quality would be purchased from a leather supply house like Springfield Leather. Springfield Leather stocks the Poly Boards as small as 4"X4"X3/8" for about $3.00. They have larger sizes, but they are more expensive.
Poly Boards Small Poly Board

Here is a short video from the Buckleguy using various punches on a Novolene board.
Novolene Punch Board Use

thank you for the reply, & a nice video!

 

[GomezMunoz1951]

I went to Tandy Leather and not sure what it is called but it is made for stamping and using punches. It is a big black square and it works great. It absorbs the punch and I have used it for leather work and for pretty much anything I need to punch holes in, or cut wads etc. I found it.. Poundo Board Poundo Boards

I also bought the quartz block to go under it. Heavy sucker but it works great with the poundo board.

 

[Brokennock]

I use one of those poundo boards for punching holes and a piece of granite to do stamping.
A tip on stamps and granite.
Go to place that cuts stone for counter tops and sinks. They will often give away the ovals and rectangles they cut out to create the hole for the sink.