Wads For Original Smoothbores

[Feltwad]

Caution should always be taken when using modern card and felt or fibre wads in original smoothbore muzzle loaders with Damascus barrels . You will find that most of commercial made wads are for modern breech loading cartridges and not for muzzle loaders. I prefer to cut my own with a punch or the right bore size, you will find that most original bore size has enlarged through use and modern wads are too small and will not give a proper gas seal

The over powder wad must be a 1/8 card of which if no felt or fibre wad is used then two 1/8 cards are best The felt or fibre modern wads are impregnated with a paraffin solution and have been known to be a fire risk. Has for plastic wads these should never be used in Damascus barrels where black powder is used because they are the first thing with the plastic build up in the bore to cause barrel ripple which I have come across many times The over shot wad must not be less than 1/16 inch .There are a lot of over shot wads on the market today that a for cartridges and are to thin. These wads are the most dangerous because when ramrod them home it happens many times that the ramrod by passes and leaves the wads on the bore wall it should be followed with a right size wad and bedded both down onto the shot. This is then a obstruction just has snow or mud in the muzzle and will burst or bulge a barrel so the motto is think safety, shoot safely .
Feltwad

 

[Stumpkiller]

Had not heard that "minimal thickness" concept.

I do pierce my over-shot cards (0.010") so they don't trap air and "pop" back up after withdrawing the rammer. That I've had happen several times before I started snipping the edge or jabbing holes. A 1/16" drill bit and 1/2" stack of them at once makes it easy to prepare a bunch.

My smoothbore rammers have belled tips so they can't ride past a stuck card.

I have heard rave reviews about using a 1/8" thick cork wad for overshot, and wads as well. When I use up my gozillion Circle Fly cards I will try that.

 

[Feltwad]

Had not heard that "minimal thickness" concept.

I do pierce my over-shot cards (0.010") so they don't trap air and "pop" back up after withdrawing the rammer. That I've had happen several times before I started snipping the edge or jabbing holes. A 1/16" drill bit and 1/2" stack of them at once makes it easy to prepare a bunch.

My smoothbore rammers have belled tips so they can't ride past a stuck card.

I am afraid it can still happen even with ramrod belled tips in over shot wads less that 1/16 ,some of these thin wads are no thicker than A4 computer paper. On my 6 and 4 bore over powder wads I always clip the edge using a old bus conductors ticket clipper.
Feltwad

 

[Feltwad]

Not much response too this thread
Feltwad :idunno:

 

[azmntman]

It's OK, not all respond, check the hits, it is being reviewed (172 times!). I have had a thread in hunting that has basically zero response (and the 2 that are there are there in my response to no response :youcrazy: ). If I could I would delete the dang thing. NO PICS FOR YOU GUYS (except the two responders)

 

[Leadball loader]

Feltwad, I think in days gone by that newspaper was probably the primary material used to wad shotgun, Fowler, smoothbore loads.
I cleaned an old cap lock shotgun barrel that was still charged and found news paper wadding.
I suspect it had been loaded since the middle 19th century. It was found in an ell wall as I remember.
Newspaper was available even in the 18th century in the more settled areas. After it was read to shreds it most likely became wadding.
Leadball loader

 

[Feltwad]

Feltwad, I think in days gone by that newspaper was probably the primary material used to wad shotgun, Fowler, smoothbore loads.
I cleaned an old cap lock shotgun barrel that was still charged and found news paper wadding.
I suspect it had been loaded since the middle 19th century. It was found in an ell wall as I remember.
Newspaper was available even in the 18th century in the more settled areas. After it was read to shreds it most likely became wadding.
Leadball loader

Yes I have restored many M/L Shotguns which have used newspaper for wadding in fact there were many different things used for wadding ,I remember restoring a s/b flintlock fowler of which the wadding was leather and the shot was lead sheet cut into small squares . I would say that these things were only used in certain circumstances when the proper wads were not too hand
Feltwad

 

[Artificer]

Excellent Safety Tip! :hatsoff:

I certainly enjoy and appreciate all your threads, though I don't usually post unless the subject pertains to something I have or if I have questions.

How much oversize should a card or wad be compared to the bore size, if not the actual bore size?

Gus

 

[Feltwad]

Excellent Safety Tip! :hatsoff:

I certainly enjoy and appreciate all your threads, though I don't usually post unless the subject pertains to something I have or if I have questions.

How much oversize should a card or wad be compared to the bore size, if not the actual bore size?

Gus

I have card punches in all bore sizes from the 410 to the big 2 bore ,For example the 12 bore I use a punch of 11 bore size this in fact is a large 12 bore this also applies to the 10, 14 , 16 bore Has I said the modern wads are for cartridge loading and the worst is the over shot wad this is one of the main reasons of a most burst barrels they are not thick enough and are easily by passed by the ramrod leaving them on the bore wall.

Feltwad

 

[matttdalton]

I've been cutting felt wads for my pedersoli 10gauge with the 20mm arch punch from here:
https://www.bloomertool.com/Metric-Arch-Wad-Gasket-Punches.html

I took the punch to an auto parts store to find a socket wrench that fit. The 18mm sixteen point socket was near perfect. I wrapped some clear packing tape around the end once or twice to get a nice snug press fit. Then I put the socket wrench adapter into my cordless hand drill and cut away. Some come out a little oblong, but I never noticed any performance issues. A drill press would certainly be better but I don't have space for one.

 

[Feltwad]

I've been cutting felt wads for my pedersoli 10gauge with the 20mm arch punch from here:
https://www.bloomertool.com/Metric-Arch-Wad-Gasket-Punches.html

I took the punch to an auto parts store to find a socket wrench that fit. The 18mm sixteen point socket was near perfect. I wrapped some clear packing tape around the end once or twice to get a nice snug press fit. Then I put the socket wrench adapter into my cordless hand drill and cut away. Some come out a little oblong, but I never noticed any performance issues. A drill press would certainly be better but I don't have space for one.

It is always better to turn the shank on a punch so it will fit into a drill press. This is a lot quicker but it does have one fault is the cut wads which fly off the punch all around your workshop like confetti. Enclosed is a image of some of my punch's in different bore sizes. Also include is a image of card wads the white ones are the bought over shot wad and should be avoided and not for muzzle loaders but shotgun cartridge
Feltwad

Wad Punches

Card Wads