Wads material

[Lalili]

Hello everyone, I was wondering if materials like an old cotton t-shirt or even raw cotton were effective as wads for flintlock shooting.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Well they will "work" as wads, but they are pretty flammable. Best to use something like tow, which are the fibers left from processing flax into linen, which smolder instead of flame when ignited, or an old wasp nest, or better yet fiber shotgun wads.

LD

 

[hanshi]

I like the felt wads and they work very well. Even leather or wadded up paper tissue does a great job. And no, paper tissue won't pose a fire hazard.

 

[Lalili]

Ok thanks for your answers, but these materials burn easily and will automatically ignite in the barrel, I think it's safe due to bullet propulsion (cotton or handkerchief will come out completely charred I think

 

[mckutzy]

Wads or patches were talking about???

 

[Lalili]

Wads

 

[hanshi]

Wads or patches were talking about???

Wads are the subject. Wadded up patches under the prb have been commonly used; I've used them myself in the past. A wad protects the patch from blowby and burning.

 

[mckutzy]

Oh OK...
If burning or windage of the patch and ball is an issue.... I would say(based on what I've seen here over the years), use wasp nest material...

 

[French Colonial]

And if you do not have wasp nest material?

 

[bluemule66]

you could always punch out some card wads for over the powder.

 

[French Colonial]

I think I will stick with fiber or felt wads, just not enough wasps where I live to keep me supplied.

 

[Tradbow]

If you do a lot of shooting then I would agree the supply of wasp nest would be somewhat limited for most of us.

 

[Leadball loader]

Borax treated newspaper will not burn or smolder. Use it in my FDC 20ga with shot or round ball.
LBL

 

[appalichian hunter]

Green leaves, a ball of grass, just about anything in a pinch,

 

[mckutzy]

The borax Idea is actually pretty good... almost a modern day muzzleloading hack....

 

[reloader4410]

lubed rope

 

[user 48702]

I've been using leather wads between powder and ball/shot, with a heavy cardboard card over ball/shot. Harness leather scraps work best for the leather wads since harness leather is already stuffed with oils and wax from the tannery. As an alternative, you can punch wads out of any vegetable tanned strap leather, but since it is a dry leather, you can coat them in olive oil and beeswax for lubrication. The old arch type 16 gauge shotshell wad cutters cut a good firm fitting wad for the .62/20 ga. smoothbores. Since I have a full time leather shop, I have plenty of scrap leather to work with.

 

[tenngun]

2x1 rectangles of brown paper rubbed soft, folded and run home. It’s hc, and works real well, just was part of the load for yesterdays turkey dinner.
I learned it from Duelist ‘54

 

[2 shots]

hi all, what is the borax treatment? soak in dissolved borax ?? thanks

 

[tom_in_vt]

I like felt, t shirt material is too thin. It will work, but there are more durable options.