WAD MATERIAL

[Artie Peltier]

I do a lot of percussion rifle shooting, 32 to 54 caliber, and have been considering using wads over the powder charge. Went to Track of the Wolf and found out that they are available in different material. I found felt, vegetable fiber and cardboard. Any recommendations on which material is better or do they all perform the same is appreciated.I can see where the felt or vegetable fiber would give a tighter seal. Also are they used dry or lubed, and what type of lube. Thanks Art

 

[tenngun]

Buy several and try them and see. What works for Bob is a waste of time to Jack. Based on my smoothies I like lobed fiber over cardboard. Freely admit any difference may be all in my head

 

[hanshi]

I bought sheets of felt and punched my own wads, for smoothbore and rifle. I use them only with hunting loads during the season. I have used bought lubed ones before and they offered nothing the home punched ones didn't offer plus they cost more.

But for all other shooting I found a cheaper and equally good substitute; toilet paper. Sounds weird but gives excellent results. I stuff a bore size wad of it down on top of the powder and then seat the prb. It doesn't burn and usually just turns to "snow". Occasionally the wad will stay together and will be found with the fired patches. I've been using toilet paper wads for a long time in rifle and smoothbore loads but mostly rifle loads. A little goes a long way.

 

[Grimord]

I too punch my own felt wads for some of my guns. My old Penebaker .35 caliber rifle has a pitted bore in the breech area. A felt wad over the powder (lubed or unlubed, doesn't seem to matter) protects the patched ball and provides a better seal thus preventing the patch from shredding.

 

[arcticap]

While I've never tried it, I wonder if Cream of Wheat or another filler might work, especially in a smaller caliber.
Although it might work in any caliber.

 

[RAEDWALD]

In a .32, cigarette filters. Not the slim ones tobacconists usually sell but ask for the larger diameter ones. Cut in half you get two wads ideal for the bore. With care you can dip one half in your preferred grease/wax and load the dry end down on the powder.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Before buying felt wads, I suggest as Arcticap mentioned, that you use something like grits, or cream of wheat, or cornmeal. Load the powder, tap it with the end of the ramrod, then load about 10-20 grains of cornmeal on top, (more for larger calibers, less for smaller) and then the patched ball. After doing this for five shots, inspect your patches. The advantage of the loose material is that it will fill the space above the powder including the grooves from the rifling. Other materials such as felt or fiber may not do that, and if you're not used to loading something like a think, felt wad it can turn sideways if you're not careful, and thus defeat itself. The drawback to cornmeal etc that the stuff can burn a bit and add extra carbon to the inside of the barrel. So if there's an advantage seen with using the filler, then try felt, or some other wad.

LD

 

[FishDFly]

"While I've never tried it, I wonder if Cream of Wheat or another filler might work, especially in a smaller caliber. Although it might work in any caliber."

COW is used by pistol shooters. Only problem with COW in pistols is that it does not compress when seating the ball. Would not be a problem in rifles.

COW is cheap, if it does not work you can use it for breakfast.

 

[Stony Broke]

I don't normally use a wad over the powder, unless it's a hunting load that might stay there for some time. If I am hunting, I like a good pinch of wasp's nest over the powder to keep the patch lube from the powder. I've used it a lot with both rifled and smoothbore barrels.

 

[FishDFly]

Some time ago I asked for what size punches for different calibers, I managed to lose it.

Any one have it?

I have a lot of felt and need to make some felt patches.

Thanks

fdf

 

[arcticap]

Some time ago I asked for what size punches for different calibers, I managed to lose it.

Any one have it?

Here's a conversion chart for MM's to the nearest 1/32" to the decimal inch but it's approximate.--->>> http://infinityline.net/conversion.htm
Some folks grind their punch down to make a larger wad if the punch diameter is slightly undersized to begin with.
Good arch punches come in both MM and inches but a single punch of the right size can be much more expensive than the Harbor Freight sets.
Or just use Google, for example imput "7mm to inches" and the conversion equals 0.275591" instead of .28" on the chart.
To determine the decimal equivalent for 9/32's, 9 divided by 32 = 0.28125, while the chart says 0.28".

I did not intend to complicate such a simple question, but depending on the source of the chart, they cannot always be trusted to indicate the best punch size.

 

[FishDFly]

Thank you.

 

[Col. Batguano]

The boys that reload black powder cartridges like the 577 Snider have been using cream of wheat for years as a filler between the powder and the bullet.