Shotgun Wad Management

[SciAggie]

I just have a bunch of questions today. Ok - how do y'all manage your wads when you are out hunting? I'm particularly wondering about the heavy cushion wads. I found the Skychief load to pattern particularly well in my smoothbore. For that load the cushion wads need to be heavily lubed. Lube = messy.

So far I've been keeping the lubed cushion wads in a ziplock. Then there are the thin and heavy card wads to consider. I'm just curious what some of y'all have discovered to make loading a bit quicker? I know we'll never win any speed contests, but I'd like to feel efficient anyway. Do you separate the thin and heavy wads? Keep them in a pouch pocket? Keep them in a tin? If your shooting clay birds it doesn't matter much. If we're out after birds then it matters.

So share with me what y'all do that works for you.

 

[Brokennock]

The contents of the tin get changed around a bit depending on the game pursued. Sometimes it's thin cards and lubed felt, sometimes it's thin cards, nitro cards, and lubed cushion wads. The bag usually just gets tow or faux-tow wadding.
After I soak my cushion wads for the SkyChief Load. I quickly dip them in melted beeswax for a very, very, thin coat which keeps them from oozing oil all over. The coating is thin enough that it just breaks apart when I push the wad into the muzzle.

 

[Skychief]

Great idea Brokennock!

To the OP, I just put my lubed cushion wads in a tin. Really not messy if the lid stays tight. The other cards I placed in a pocket while hunting. Either on my pouch or coat. Good luck!!

 

[SciAggie]

Great idea Brokennock!

To the OP, I just put my lubed cushion wads in a tin. Really not messy if the lid stays tight. The other cards I placed in a pocket while hunting. Either on my pouch or coat. Good luck!!

Thank you!

 

[evan9201]

I keep mine in separate plastic pill bottles. Just enough for wads for hunting. You can also reuse various plastic or metal containers.

 

[Feltwad]

Use what you want but these so-called loads do not make any difference they have been around for a long time even in the percussion era using different materials they are there to catch the pocket of the shooter just the same has the fancy flies for the fisherman All you need is two 1/8 card wads over powder and one 1/16 card over shot, Some days on pest control over decoys I can fire up to 100shots most originals shoot better with a coked bore and I do not swab the bore and if some card wads become difficult to ram home a bit of spittle in the bore will help , all my shots are moving shots which are total different than sitting shots. To carry these wads all you need is a good coat pocket and forget about those messy lube wads from leaking tins
Feltwad

 

[Dusty_Traveler]

When I carry my trade gun, I have a little hinged lid tin that I keep my lubed cushions in. I add a few shooting patches to the tin as well, so I can 1:have lubed patches on hand if I want to take a roundball shot, and 2: The patches soak up any runs or drips that would end up in my shooting bag.

OP and OS cards go together in the front pocket of my shooting bag.

 

[andy52]

I use a device I made up years ago it's just a piece of 3/4 inch copper pipe with one end soldered and the other loose. It holds 12 loads of wads in loading sequence. I have a leather tong attached that ties to my bag strap so it's handy in the field.

 

[SciAggie]

I use a device I made up years ago it's just a piece of 3/4 inch copper pipe with one end soldered and the other loose. It holds 12 loads of wads in loading sequence. I have a leather tong attached that ties to my bag strap so it's handy in the field. View attachment 163593View attachment 163594

That's clever. Thanks.

 

[andy52]

That's clever. Thanks.

It saves a lot of time rather than digging around in your bag.

 

[Walkabout]

I keep mine in separate plastic pill bottles. Just enough for wads for hunting. You can also reuse various plastic or metal containers.

Yeah, I bought plastic containers from Hobby Lobby. In the film canister type I keep my shot and wads, the test tube type holds my powder. Works well.

 

[Billywfe]

I bought small plastic lure boxes. You can buy them with fixed or adjustable compartments to suit your space requirements. Powder and shot I keep in plastic reloading tubes, pre measured and ready to use. I can hold my own on a dove shoot.

 

[kevinireland001]

I just have a bunch of questions today. Ok - how do y'all manage your wads when you are out hunting? I'm particularly wondering about the heavy cushion wads. I found the Skychief load to pattern particularly well in my smoothbore. For that load the cushion wads need to be heavily lubed. Lube = messy.

So far I've been keeping the lubed cushion wads in a ziplock. Then there are the thin and heavy card wads to consider. I'm just curious what some of y'all have discovered to make loading a bit quicker? I know we'll never win any speed contests, but I'd like to feel efficient anyway. Do you separate the thin and heavy wads? Keep them in a pouch pocket? Keep them in a tin? If your shooting clay birds it doesn't matter much. If we're out after birds then it matters.

So share with me what y'all do that works for you.

I have an associate shotgunner, black powder, who participated in the championships in Germany a couple of weeks ago. He observed quite a number of the competitors who were not using over powder wads at all. They load as follows. A measure of your black powder first down the barrel. Then an equal measure of polenta meal or some of you might call it finely crushed maize meal directly on top of the black powder. Then your measure of shot directly on top of the polenta then finally a thin over shot card over your shot. The benefits are many. Very fast to load, no cleaning necessary between shots. It fires the best shot pattern column that I have seen ever. I tested on a patterning board from 20metres, firstly loading 55 grain 3f and 11/4 ounce shot and then 50 grain 3f and 11/8 ounce of shot. Enjoy

 

[Brokennock]

I use a device I made up years ago it's just a piece of 3/4 inch copper pipe with one end soldered and the other loose. It holds 12 loads of wads in loading sequence. I have a leather tong attached that ties to my bag strap so it's handy in the field. View attachment 163593View attachment 163594

I used to do similar with my ball and wad combination,

Old cigar tube amd some Tandy "buckskin." Not authentic, but, it worked. And, I have way too many of those tubes hanging around,,, needed to find uses for them.
Now I pretty much use the divided box, wadding bag, and a ball bag.

 

[SciAggie]

I have an associate shotgunner, black powder, who participated in the championships in Germany a couple of weeks ago. He observed quite a number of the competitors who were not using over powder wads at all. They load as follows. A measure of your black powder first down the barrel. Then an equal measure of polenta meal or some of you might call it finely crushed maize meal directly on top of the black powder. Then your measure of shot directly on top of the polenta then finally a thin over shot card over your shot. The benefits are many. Very fast to load, no cleaning necessary between shots. It fires the best shot pattern column that I have seen ever. I tested on a patterning board from 20metres, firstly loading 55 grain 3f and 11/4 ounce shot and then 50 grain 3f and 11/8 ounce of shot. Enjoy

Thank you. Just last night I ran across this YouTube video by capandball that demonstrated the same loading. His patterns improved dramatically.


Gary

 

[knifemaker]

I have an associate shotgunner, black powder, who participated in the championships in Germany a couple of weeks ago. He observed quite a number of the competitors who were not using over powder wads at all. They load as follows. A measure of your black powder first down the barrel. Then an equal measure of polenta meal or some of you might call it finely crushed maize meal directly on top of the black powder. Then your measure of shot directly on top of the polenta then finally a thin over shot card over your shot. The benefits are many. Very fast to load, no cleaning necessary between shots. It fires the best shot pattern column that I have seen ever. I tested on a patterning board from 20metres, firstly loading 55 grain 3f and 11/4 ounce shot and then 50 grain 3f and 11/8 ounce of shot. Enjoy

While I am newly rediscovering BP (literally rounded up the old cans of Goex powder) and using my Pedersoli SXS shotgun with the intention of squirrel hunting with my young grandson, I have been rooting around deeply into the various posts regarding one aspect or another and learning a terrific amount. Pop instructed me to use bathroom tissue as wads. So that's where I started and finished.
(Yes they burn). Never a good pattern for me.
Using polenta (very coarse corn meal) as a wad replacement is even more remarkable to me than I could have imagined. I'm really tempted to try it. Of course, I have purchased the wool and thicker cardboard over powder wads and over shot card wads. This Pedersoli from the early '80's is choked to beat choked, thus precluding the thicker 1/2" wads and the much written of Skychief load. I have a bag of polenta and previously not knowing what to do, now have a possible purpose for a bit of it. Thanks.

 

[knifemaker]

While I am newly rediscovering BP (literally rounded up the old cans of Goex powder) and using my Pedersoli SXS shotgun with the intention of squirrel hunting with my young grandson, I have been rooting around deeply into the various posts regarding one aspect or another and learning a terrific amount. Pop instructed me to use bathroom tissue as wads. So that's where I started and finished.
(Yes they burn). Never a good pattern for me.
Using polenta (very coarse corn meal) as a wad replacement is even more remarkable to me than I could have imagined. I'm really tempted to try it. Of course, I have purchased the wool and thicker cardboard over powder wads and over shot card wads. This Pedersoli from the early '80's is choked to beat choked, thus precluding the thicker 1/2" wads and the much written of Skychief load. I have a bag of polenta and previously not knowing what to do, now have a possible purpose for a bit of it. Thanks.

The right barrel appears to be clearly full choke and the left more so.

 

[Bill Bryan]

I found out years ago that my old Belgian 20 gauge side by side shoots well without all the goop. So I use wads with just a little oil. Also I had trouble with the thin over-shot wad coming loose in the second barrel after the first shot. I started using the same thicker wad for over-powder and over-shoot. It patterns fine for me. Bill

 

[SciAggie]

I used to do similar with my ball and wad combination,
View attachment 163697View attachment 163698View attachment 163700View attachment 163701
Old cigar tube amd some Tandy "buckskin." Not authentic, but, it worked. And, I have way too many of those tubes hanging around,,, needed to find uses for them.
Now I pretty much use the divided box, wadding bag, and a ball bag.

What's the wooden gizmo with the brass end that is in the metal tin? It's the thing sitting on the thin card wads.

 

[knifemaker]

I found out years ago that my old Belgian 20 gauge side by side shoots well without all the goop. So I use wads with just a little oil. Also I had trouble with the thin over-shot wad coming loose in the second barrel after the first shot. I started using the same thicker wad for over-powder and over-shoot. It patterns fine for me. Bill

Thanks for the heads-up Bill. I may as well start out with a thicker over shot card wad. Makes sense. I think I remember having to reseat the left barrel. Little as I knew, I knew that was not good. Seems my bathroom tissue had some inadequacies holding the load.