primitive wadding trials

[George]

I’ve always been fascinated by the versatility of the flintlock smoothbore, most recently by the wadding use in the 18th century. I’ve found references to a variety of things, brown butcher paper, felt from hats, spagnum moss, fearnought cloth, leather, moss from apple trees, old “saddle pierce” and tow, as well as the cards cut to the diameter of the bore which we all use, today. Tow seems particularly interesting to me, because I found a reference which seems to indicate it was used with round ball or maybe buck and ball. It’s from the journal of Arthur Harris of Bridgewater, MA, and lists requirements for Mass. troops in 1775: “A Hundred Buck Shot/ A Jack Knife & Tow for Wadding/ Six flints, one Pound of Powder/ forty Leaden Balls fitted to the Gun”.

I’ve tried several of the old recommendation with varying but generally surprisingly effective results. I set out to develop loads for shot and ball using tow, and had pretty good luck. My supply began to run low, and one night while thinking about that, I had a better idea. I’ve been using shredded cedar bark as tinder for my fire starting for years, and it’s very similar to flax tow. I decided to try some, so I peeled a fresh supply from the cedars in my yard, shredded it and had a little shooting session using it today. Here’s what it looks like:

I tried a heavy shot load, 70 gr. FFg and 85 grains equivalent of #5 shot, and here’s a typical result at 25 yards.

There are 53 holes in the 8.5” x 11” sheet. That’s just about what I’ve been getting with tow. Result with tow and round ball were encouraging, but not up to snuff, just yet. I tried ball with cedar bark and got what i was looking for. The gun is 20 gauge, 46" barrel, cylinder bore, three-shot group, 35 yards, standing rest (leaned against a tree), 85 grains FFFg Goex, .600" bare ball and cedar wadding overpowder and over ball.

I have been hoping to come up with a load using tow for deer, but I think I’ll switch my attention to cedar. It’s free, readily available around my parts and easy to use. I’ve found that you need to use enough of it over powder so that it occupies about 1/2” of bore after being tamped down hard. The recoil makes me think I'm getting a good seal.

Spence

 

[Skychief]

Excellent report Spence. You never cease to amaze. It seems that you are always thinking. Your commitment to that Jackie Brown fowler has been a source of inspiration to me. I am near ready to chuck my guns for a do-it-all fowler! :bow:

Your friend, Skychief.

 

[rabjr]

Thats cool, wish I shot enough to experiment like you do but those days are long gone unfortunately.

 

[scott taylor]

The cedar bark is a worthy idea as I have no shortage of it. Also have a sack of wasp nests to experiment with. Just too dry down here to think about it now. There has been 2 fires nearby that burned of 2-3 hundred acres each. Overloaded transformers and blow outs on the the Hiway were the culprit.

Scott

 

[Stumpkiller]

Good project. I used tow regularly some years back. I don't have any cedars to peel that I know of locally but may keep an eye out.

The wasps nest is good as well. It doesn't burn.

 

[Steve Tobler]

What a fantastic idea. I am always looking for natural items to use as wadding, to show my Scouts what the Indians might have used back in the early 18th century.
Thanks once again !
:hatsoff:

 

[tom deinek]

. . . what the Indians might have used back in the early 18th century.

I'm an American indian; my dad told me me my band always shopped at TOTW. :>)

 

[Mickc01]

What, not Crazy Crow? :thumbsup:

 

[tg]

Wasp nest works well for shot and ball but I have seen nothing to suggest it was used in the past.the long moss that hangs from trees in many areas also works and I think it is mentioned in some period writings

 

[George]

Wasp nest works well for shot and ball but I have seen nothing to suggest it was used in the past.

Neither have I. I tried it and it seemed to work pretty well. The same is true of the cedar wadding, I doubt I'll ever find a reference to it. I'll just have to claim it fits under the general category of "stuff collected from nature", like sphagnum moss or this moss Cleator mentions.

"In countries where orchards abound, a very fine moss, of greenish grey colour, is found adhering to apple trees, which is extremely proper for wadding, and which even possesses the extraordinary quality, of making the barrel less greasy and foul than paper, which always contains a certain quantity of oil."

Don't know yet if cedar bark makes the barrel greasy and foul. :haha:

Spence.

 

[Steve Tobler]

The cedar bark is a worthy idea.

If cedar bark works, I wonder about Cypress, which is abundant around here ?

 

[George]

If cedar bark works, I wonder about Cypress, which is abundant around here ?

The thing that makes cedar bark work is that the outer layer is composed of fine fibers, and when you crush and rub them between your hands they easily separate. The more you rub the more they separate, and you can make a soft, fibrous mass which is easily shaped and compacted. Cypress bark has a very similar look to cedar, so if it has that same fibrous outer layer it should work the same.

Give some a try and let us know. :grin:

Spence

 

[Ft. Jefferson]

The outer bark of wild grapevine is very similar to cedar but alot more work to collect.

 

[hunts4deer]

"... possesses the extraordinary quality, of making the barrel less greasy and foul than paper, which always contains a certain quantity of oil."

So being even slightly greasy or oily was considered a bad thing... And we go out of our way to ensure our wads are well lubricated. How do we reconcile these two opposite approaches?

 

[tg]

We may never know the why of the contradictions twixt our ways of thinking and theirs or the contradictions we see in the peiod writings such as the
"no shiney barrels for hunting" and the "FDC guns supplied with highy polished barrels", translation issues,regional differences, exageratated accounts in the past, over reaching geographicaly the true scope of a particular concept, we can only try to sort it out with open minds and leave any preconcieved biases behind in the process, and avoid most absolutes in our findings

 

[54ball]

Try the cypress. Being in Florida you should try some Spanish Moss.

 

[Steve Tobler]

Try the cypress. Being in Florida you should try some Spanish Moss.

Yep, gonna give some shredded Cypress a go and will report back with my findings.

With respect to Spanish Moss, it does work fine, but needs to be heat / smoke treated over a campfire first, to prevent a really bad Chigger / Redbug infestation. Not pretty at all !!!
:surrender: