Thoughts on using leather for an over powder wad?

[bwhoffman]

puched some 1/2 and 5/8 holes the other night out of some latigo and tooling leather...thinking these could be used as over powder wonder wad type wads.
What do you think?

 

[jtmattison]

Interesting. Lube them up and try them.
I assume you normally use over powder wads so you will have a basis for comparison.

HD

 

[bwhoffman]

I have'nt used over powder wads in the rock lock trade gun yet, other than when using shot.
I'm thinking in the lines of getting a better seal than the patched roundball is giving.

the cores from the punch mic out at .510 and .620,so there could be some use here!

thought I would ask before I toss them.

 

[Many Klatch]

I have used thin deerskin as patching around a roundball in my .54 as an experiment. I found that I could reduce the size of the roundball to about a .50 and still get pretty good accuracy. I normally shoot a .526 with a .015 spit patch. Leather patching can be reused if you can find them at the range.

Can't say that I have ever used leather wads for a shotgun, but I don't know why they wouldn't work. You probably will need to stack a couple to get good results.

Many Klatch

 

[Herb]

Yes, they will work fine. I have used split leather (about 1/16" thick) for OPW. Squirt them with Murphy Oil Soap and alcohol for a lube before I seat them, and you can do them in advance. I put one on the muzzle and just cup it into the bore with a short starter and then seat the patched ball on top of it. Just don't shoot many of them through a chronograph, for they are a secondary projectile at close range and can damage the sunshades. I make them larger than bore size so they cup into the bore.

 

[hornetk4]

I was schooled in muzzel loading by an old guy in his 80's he always folded a patch four times and put it down over the powder befor the patched ball , he swore by it.With that in mind I have always put a punched leatherpatch over my powder befor my patched round ball Ifeel it gives a superior gas seal and a more accurite load. I punch them out of deer skin according to caliber about a32nd over bore dia and oil them in a bag until use.When you push them down with your ramrod you want the patch to make a slite cup shape. All I can say is don't knock it til you've tried it.I wouldn't bother with it if it didn't work

 

[bwhoffman]

Thanks for all the input folks.

I found the answer I was looking for and not much opposition.