Plastic shot wads

[Jim Seaman]

Totally understanding that this would not be proper for period style shooting. In addition to black powder, I also reload for conventional shotgun shells. Has anyone out there successfully used modern plastic shot shell wads in smoothbores and were there any advantages?

 

[Johnny Too-Tall]

Yes, theres video's on you tube by the black powder maniac shooter. Its does help create a better pattern. But don't rule out other loading technics and see whats best.

 

[TreeMan]

I use them all the time. If you use a wad of tow between the cup and powder it greatly reduces any melting of the cup. If you use cards instead of tow after several shots there will be some stringy plastic residue left in the bore. It’s no biggie as it comes out with a cleaning patch. It does greatly improve my shot patterns. I buy my cups with slits from ballistic products. Powder, TOW, shotcup of shot, two over shot cards to hold it all in. Boom!

 

[Phil Coffins]

My double has fired at least a thousand RXP wads and has given complete satisfaction.
IMG_0552 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

 

[planefixer da50]

I use them in my 410,28,20 16, n12 smoothes bp. I also use corn meal on top of powder to keep heat off plastic. use olive oil soaked cushion wad on top of shot. holds consistant patterns. only complaint is squirrels but not for long.

 

[CVA Enthusiast]

BPMS on you tube does a great video on the subject. Now just keep in mind when cleaning one will find plastic kind of like with sabots and in lines I have been around a few when it happens They eh um SPAZ, FREAK lose the noodle for some odd reason cleaning and finding substances used to shoot seem to totally knocks them off their square, ME eh it is what it is. If I use Cow Manure to shoot shot or ball I expect it to be there when cleaning some folks I got no clue shoot black powder and some cleaning fairy is supposed to do the work...

 

[Rob M.]

Oh yeah ... And when I go to a range I I st pick them up for free . Got a bunch of em. I make cups out of a few things , paper grocery bags , thick paper etc. but the plastic cups are good too. For extented range I'll wrap a piece of masking tape around it to. Grass , hornets nest or corn meal on top . Works great

 

[Feltwad]

I would never use plastic wads in a muzzle loader especially Damascus barrels Black powder melts plastic which builds up on barrel bores and causes barrel ripple I have seen many original barrels ruined this way, my advice is stick with card wads they just has good if not better than plastic
Feltwad

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Totally understanding that this would not be proper for period style shooting. In addition to black powder, I also reload for conventional shotgun shells. Has anyone out there successfully used modern plastic shot shell wads in smoothbores and were there any advantages?

The only caveat is be sure that the wads are rated for black powder use. Many are not. I didn't and had a devil of a time getting the melted plastic out of my barrels.

A buddy who is a chemist gave me a quart of "original" Hoppe's #9.... which once upon a time had benzene. It was a miracle product when it first showed up because the benzene would dissolve the plastic residue with one swipe of the saturated patch and a jag...., just don't dispose of the used patch inside the house since it was banned as ingredient due to causing cancer....

IF you avoid the wads that will melt due to BP, then you have no worries...

LD

 

[deerstalkert]

The only caveat is be sure that the wads are rated for black powder use. Many are not. I didn't and had a devil of a time getting the melted plastic out of my barrels.

A buddy who is a chemist gave me a quart of "original" Hoppe's #9.... which once upon a time had benzene. It was a miracle product when it first showed up because the benzene would dissolve the plastic residue with one swipe of the saturated patch and a jag...., just don't dispose of the used patch inside the house since it was banned as ingredient due to causing cancer....

IF you avoid the wads that will melt due to BP, then you have no worries...

LD

i have a little tiny eity bity bottle of that #9. guard it like it is a virgin daughter. use it to get that last bit of crud out of patent breech.
wife loves the smell. maybe cause i almost bathed in it when we met!

 

[oldwood]

Early 1970's when I got bored w/ shooting modern competition trap , bought a 12 ga. and 10 ga. Pedersoli sbs double. Had a quantity of modern shotshell components left over from reloading thousands of modern trap shells , so just started experimenting , and using the modern wads in the Pedersoli 12 ga. Far as I could see , most every wad worked well , except for one brand. Still remember this failure......Put up a patterning target to test some George Leonard Herter , World Famous shotgun wads. I laugh.....At the 20 yd. target patterning paper , the wad and shot made a perfect key hole , with no shot pattern. I still laugh out loud. , My immediate reaction was , from knowing almost nothing about this subject , was , "could this be used to kill a deer? I'de just never experienced anything like that. l However , learned something from this event. Don't use any of the old school , thicker plastic wads , as the initial pressure spike in a modern shot shell would be high and abrupt enough to cause the old type plastic wads to open on firing , whereas black powder builds pressure more slowly. My favorite wads turned out to be the thin winged plastic wads from Balistic Products. This wad could be used in any smooth bore from 14 ga. , to 10 ga.. Don't know why , but never had problems w/ plastic buildup. Also , never used any plastic wads in m/l shotgun competition shooting just hunting.

 

[Walkabout]

I've used plastic shot cups on occasion, but I like the idea of using natural materials.

 

[Jim Seaman]

The only caveat is be sure that the wads are rated for black powder use. Many are not. I didn't and had a devil of a time getting the melted plastic out of my barrels.

A buddy who is a chemist gave me a quart of "original" Hoppe's #9.... which once upon a time had benzene. It was a miracle product when it first showed up because the benzene would dissolve the plastic residue with one swipe of the saturated patch and a jag...., just don't dispose of the used patch inside the house since it was banned as ingredient due to causing cancer....

IF you avoid the wads that will melt due to BP, then you have no worries...

LD

Excellent information. Thank you!

 

[Jim Seaman]

I've used plastic shot cups on occasion, but I like the idea of using natural materials.

Early 1970's when I got bored w/ shooting modern competition trap , bought a 12 ga. and 10 ga. Pedersoli sbs double. Had a quantity of modern shotshell components left over from reloading thousands of modern trap shells , so just started experimenting , and using the modern wads in the Pedersoli 12 ga. Far as I could see , most every wad worked well , except for one brand. Still remember this failure......Put up a patterning target to test some George Leonard Herter , World Famous shotgun wads. I laugh.....At the 20 yd. target patterning paper , the wad and shot made a perfect key hole , with no shot pattern. I still laugh out loud. , My immediate reaction was , from knowing almost nothing about this subject , was , "could this be used to kill a deer? I'de just never experienced anything like that. l However , learned something from this event. Don't use any of the old school , thicker plastic wads , as the initial pressure spike in a modern shot shell would be high and abrupt enough to cause the old type plastic wads to open on firing , whereas black powder builds pressure more slowly. My favorite wads turned out to be the thin winged plastic wads from Balistic Products. This wad could be used in any smooth bore from 14 ga. , to 10 ga.. Don't know why , but never had problems w/ plastic buildup. Also , never used any plastic wads in m/l shotgun competition shooting just hunting.

Very good info and thanks much

 

[Jim Seaman]

I've used plastic shot cups on occasion, but I like the idea of using natural materials.

Yes Sir and I understand why. I’ve thought about making some shot cups out of paper. I saw something about that on a YouTube channel sometime back. I might attempt that and do some comparison with traditional loading methods. Thanks

 

[Jim Seaman]

I use them all the time. If you use a wad of tow between the cup and powder it greatly reduces any melting of the cup. If you use cards instead of tow after several shots there will be some stringy plastic residue left in the bore. It’s no biggie as it comes out with a cleaning patch. It does greatly improve my shot patterns. I buy my cups with slits from ballistic products. Powder, TOW, shotcup of shot, two over shot cards to hold it all in. Boom!

Excellent. I just happen to have some shot cups from ballistic supply. I will give them a go. I also have tow and over card wads. I also have some lubricated cushion wads. I thought about trying those under the plastic wads. What do you think? Much appreciated.

I use them in my 410,28,20 16, n12 smoothes bp. I also use corn meal on top of powder to keep heat off plastic. use olive oil soaked cushion wad on top of shot. holds consistant patterns. only complaint is squirrels but not for long.

Thank you!

 

[johnraleksa]

Totally understanding that this would not be proper for period style shooting. In addition to black powder, I also reload for conventional shotgun shells. Has anyone out there successfully used modern plastic shot shell wads in smoothbores and were there any advantages?

Tryed, and didn't think much of them still have a bunch left. I do try them ever now and then because I have so many left.

 

[Reds]

I use the wads from BPS that are for steel and tungsten shot. I use these for bismuth and lead shot using 1 overpowder 1/8 nitrocard 1 half inch felt wad then the bps cup with shot then 2 overshot cards. Sometimes I use buffer in the shot and have never had any issues with melting. This I use in a Pedersoli 12 double, TC Treehawk 12 and a TC New Englander 12. Hope this helps, Reds

 

[Eterry]

I try really hard to stick to the writings of V.M. Starr for my smoothbore shooting. Even so far as using overalls so I can put shot flask in one hip pocket, powder in the other one, caps in a front pocket, wads, only overshot ones, in the other pocket. I use 2 OS wads for my OP wad, it certainly worked for him.

 

[Jim Seaman]

I would never use plastic wads in a muzzle loader especially Damascus barrels Black powder melts plastic which builds up on barrel bores and causes barrel ripple I have seen many original barrels ruined this way, my advice is stick with card wads they just has good if not better than plastic
Feltwad

Thank you for your insight.