Wad Loading Problem

[cannonball1]

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[Britsmoothy]

If your are now using an over shot first why don't you just use three or four of them and be done with carrying two types and fiddling about ?

 

[cannonball1]

I like the stiffness of the nitro wad over the powder and the thirteen guage makes it easy loading. To me putting three or four thin over shot loads is more fiddling than two different kinds of wads. Other than that no reason.

 

[Doc Hickok]

I use leather wads and have no problems. I punch my wads out of leather scraps usually 1/8 inch or less in thickness.

I was told you make wad punches if so how can I contact you

 

[Mike in FL]

Punch a hole if wads trap air. With a safety pin.

 

[oldwood]

One thing to try , before I migrated my m/l small game shooting from shot gun to rifle ,I was drilling a 1/16 " hole through my wads , to let off the loading air pressure.Sounds like some dumb m/l mechanic might suggest this , but it worked , and patterned well.

 

[Lorne Johnson]

Lot of replies here! As Brit noted, there is a lot of variation in actaul bore diameter. I have a couple of 12 gauge Pedersolis that are really 3 gauge. My 20 gauge needs 19 gauge wads, and my 10 gauge likes 10 gauge wads--"go figure!" Using about 3 overshot cards is a good solution, 13 gauge might well work here. Using 13 gauge over powder cards would also, likely work. Lubing never hurts, but can be a nuisance in the field if you are busy.

 

[cannonball1]

Yip, That is where I am at now. A 13 ga nitro wad is a fraction loose with a clean barrel, but tightens up with after the first shot. I am going to try three 12 ga overshot wads next for patterning. If I don't see any difference, I'll stick with all overshot wads. A small hole in the wad makes the overshot wad go down easy. Starting on an English Sporting rifle 20 ga/45 caliber fast twist target second barrel next. Wish I would have started with a smoothbore 10 years ago. Several years ago I made a 62 caliber Hawken full stock flinter and I can use the same bullets with this new 20 ga. smooth bore. Be fun to shoot a deer with a smoothbore and there are a few grouse around the same area.

One question I do have for you smoothbore shooters. Right now I am using a 12 ga overshot wad on the powder. Then using a 13 ga nitro wad, which I said above, is loose with the clean barrel. Do you think I would get to much blow past the 13 ga nitro wad if I eliminated the overshot wad? Remember after the first shot, that wad(13 ga) requires some resistance, but very little, to put it down the barrel.

 

[SciAggie]

@cannonball1 Are you using a lubed cushion wad anywhere in the load column? I can't remember without going back in the thread. The reason I asked is because I find little difference in loading a wad in a clean barrel vs. a fouled barrel. I'm using the Shychief load though with a well lubed cushion wad - it keeps the fouling soft. If you are only using nitro and over shot wads my assumption is the fouling is not as soft.
I cannot answer if using a smaller wad for subsequent shots would have a negative effect - I've not tried it myself.

 

[cannonball1]

I am using the skychief method with the olive oil cusion wad as the final one I load.

 

[tenngun]

I have a short starter; I certainly don't want to clean after every shot; making leather wads - no; I learned to overcome the air pressure; pitting - it is a new shiny barrel made by Rice. I really want to use all of these nitro wads up and was thinking about the lubricating the Nitro W, but thought it would contaminate the powder. With a bit of bees wax added and only doing the edge might do the trick. Thanks Brits. Hope it works.

All you need do is wipe. A cleaning patch wet with spit, I like to pop it in the mouth and get it damp, then a dry one. You can use the dry one several times.
I find the folded brown paper rubbed soft 3x2 inch in a 12 bore, 2x2 in a 20 bore, works great. Historic and handy

 

[cannonball1]

Then using a 13 ga nitro wad, which I said above, is loose with the clean barrel. Do you think I would get to much blow past the 13 ga nitro wad if I eliminated the overshot wad? Remember after the first shot, that wad(13 ga) requires some resistance, but very little, to put it down the barrel.

Wiping after each shot is out of the question for me. I want fast. with the above described scenario do you think I would be getting to much blow by with the 13 ga wad.

 

[tenngun]

Don’t mean to be mean here, but, don’t they make these guns with suppositories they stick in the wrong end to load fast?
How much time does it cost to swab the bore. We’re not looking at a fast sport here.

 

[cannonball1]

I don't mean to be mean either. The only thing I want to know is if the smooth bore group of shooters think that my 12 ga gun that I fight with putting a 12 dry nitro wad down a clean barrel will get to much blow back with a 13 ga nitro wad. I know I can try lubricating the nitro wad. The weight of the ramrod will push the 13 ga wad down the barrel. With the second shot you can easily push the 13ga nitro wad down the barrel, but it will NOT go down with the weight of the ramrod. Sorry tenngun, but that is all I want to know in this blog. Just this: I think ----- No blow by, some blow by, but won't hurt, to much blow by and will hurt accuracy, good question, etc.

My last time at the range I put an 12 ga over-shot wad in first, then the 13 ga nitro wad and want to get rid of that over-shot wad on the powder. No big deal. Just want to know feelings. I shot 25 plus shots without cleaning the bore.

 

[SciAggie]

I don't mean to be mean either. The only thing I want to know is if the smooth bore group of shooters think that my 12 ga gun that I fight with putting a 12 dry nitro wad down a clean barrel will get to much blow back with a 13 ga nitro wad. I know I can try lubricating the nitro wad. The weight of the ramrod will push the 13 ga wad down the barrel. With the second shot you can easily push the 13ga nitro wad down the barrel, but it will NOT go down with the weight of the ramrod. Sorry tenngun, but that is all I want to know in this blog. Just this: I think ----- No blow by, some blow by, but won't hurt, to much blow by and will hurt accuracy, good question, etc.

My last time at the range I put an 12 ga over-shot wad in first, then the 13 ga nitro wad and want to get rid of that over-shot wad on the powder. No big deal. Just want to know feelings. I shot 25 plus shots without cleaning the bore.

I'll say this. With my wad/barrel fit pushing a nitro wad down a fowled barrel is not difficult. I also don't "fight" loading the wad in a clean barrel. So I would say use the 13 gauge wads. From your description it sounds like a 13 gauge wad in your gun loads about like the 12 gauge wads in my gun. My gun patterns fine too. I took three ducks Saturday morning and all my shots were farther than ideal.