Over The Powder Wads

[Glenfilthie]

Guys I am thinking I have a problem with patches burning through and I have heard somebody say that you can place cards or wads over the charge and this will help accuracy.

So how does that work? Do I buy those shotgun wads? Or are there special 'cards' for the various calibres?

 

[roundball]

A company named Oxyoke started making caliber sized wool wads around 1990...I use them with every rifle hunting load I have...they act as a firewall to protect the patch, uaually tighten groups a little more, etc...I use the prelubed ones and that puts more lube in the bore as well.

They're not cheap at $9 or $10 a bag of 100...but you don't need them with target loads...so a bag of 100 will last a long time.

The Possible Shop (forum advertiser) usually carries them...if not, try RMC, or Cains Outdoor

 

[cowpoke1955]

I buy my Ox-Yoke Wonder wads from Track of the Wolf: http://www.trackofthewolf.com/(S(s...s/tableList.aspx?catID=2&subID=37&styleID=124 . As you can see, they come in all calibers.

 

[kawaker900]

Try a dry cleaning patch over the powder, then the PRB. Works great for me.

 

[Keppy]

I have used just another patch but wasp nest is best for me. The next time your out in the woods and see a big wasps nest. Remember where it at if its summer but at this time of year take it down. It makes the best OPW's. I just found a wasp nest about the size of a football and so with what I have already I should be good for a couple years. The wasp nest works great. I just fold up a piece about a 1/16 inch thick. Cost me nothing.

 

[Darkgael]

I use vegetable fiber wads (Walter's Wads). They are made in calibers from 25 to 50 and come 1000 per bag for about $18.(Midwayusa has them)
Cheaper is to buy a wad punch set from Harbor Freight and cut your own from waxed cardboard milk cartons.
Pete

 

[Walks with fire]

I have a couple of PA Hunter rifle that will burn the patch with 3f loads but not with 2f. In fact it doesn't matter if it 60 grains or 110 grains as long as it's 2f the rifles shoot great.

I now use a heavy (.025 with calipers) blue jean patch material from Wal-mart (it's labeled 10 oz.) and a .495 ball with the 2f powder. Patches look great. I use Crisco for lube. It must seal the bore a little better too because it imprints the target about an 1 1/2" higher than the .017 Pillow tick patch I used to shoot.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Crisco is okay, but you will find that either Bore butter( by any of its many names) or Moose Snot- based on the Stumpy's recipe that you will find under Member Resources at the top of the index page to this forum-- make a better patch lube. Lubing the patches at home, before you go hunting, or shooting, also helps give the grease the time to penetrate thoroughly the fibers in your patches. This becomes even more important when you use heavy patching like thick denim. You can speed up the process, by putting the freshly greased, and stacked patches on a plate in your microwave oven, and giving them a series of 5 second bursts. don't give them a long burst, as you are likely to burn the grease, and the odor will drive you out of the kitchen and house, if not seriously jeopardize your continued relationship with SWMBO! :shocked2: :rotf: :hatsoff:

 

[Blizzard of '93]

I use felt buttons I make from Duro-Felt over powder. then slug or PRB. tightens groups a bit.
in C&B revolvers or caplocks.

 

[hornetk4]

I make my own out of scrap leather , I've made a few of those cookie cutters out of tubng for the various calibers needed.As stated before they improve groups at least they improve mine . Also they wipe some of the fowling from the preveous shot down on top of the new powder leaving the barrel a little cleaner for the patched ball to go down and leave more lube on a cleaner bore your patches come out clean enough to use again, not that I would need to. Some will say thats just one more step to to my loading sequence well I look at it like it's one more rabbit I pull out of my hat towards more accurate shooting. After all I'm out there to have fun whats one more step in the process ? anyway thats my opinion everbodys got one.

 

[gjkershul]

Another buffer material is cream of wheat. For long gong shots I put 20 grains by volume over the powder charge.

 

[RonT]

I use a pinch of blown in (cellulose) insulation. I lightly over spray with PAM on a spread out newspaper to give it a little cohesiveness then carry in an old shot bag.
R

 

[Glenfilthie]

Hammy, do you get extra fouling from using buffers? I thought buffers were for cartridge guns?

 

[Poor Private]

If you read up in the pistol forums, using buffers is not unusual. Alot of guys will load thier pistols this one way or the other-powder, filler, wad, ball. others powder,wad, filler ball. The object is to get the ball as close to the end of the chamber as possible, so that sucker can engage the rifleing as soon as possible, for a more accurate shot. take a look see thru the forum.

 

[R.M.]

I use buffers in my C&B guns. It could be Cream of Wheat or plain ol' corn meal. It's my opinion that along with the gas seal that it provides, it seems to scrub the bore.
That's my story and I'm stickin to it.

 

[Glenfilthie]

I am going to give that a go but for now I am trying out the wads. I may have screwed up because I bought the lubed ones. Can the moisture from the lube contaminate the powder over time?

 

[roundball]

Any commercial made prelubed wads for use with black powder should not be containing a type of lube that would harm powder...and getting more lube in a bore is a good thing

 

[marwat06]

I use Grits as a filler on top of the powder. Works great and very cheap.