Felt over powder wads

[northmn]

I keep seeing their recommendation in patched round ball loads and am curious about their use. I have never used one but could see the use in a hunting load to prevent lube contamination. Still some seem to think they give better accuracy. Not saying they do or don't but I have never needed them. I have used some fairly tight combinations, but have generally been able to get a barrel to shoot without any over powder wad. Sometimes what shoots is not what I like, like a 58 that only seemed to like to really start grouping tight at 140 grains, but that is a different story. Curious not putting anyone down. If it works for you then it works.

DP

[daddywpb]

They didn't work for me. I read that they increased consistency and accuracy, but when I stopped using them because I ran out my groups shrank dramatically. Haven't used them since.

[Fly]

My question is, why would they make you group better????
Fly

[405]

northmn,

As fate would have it I shot the Win 73 32-20 today and took a (new to me) ML with a new GM RB 60" twist 45 cal barrel. I shot a bunch of roundballs! It was a pretty serious range session with the ML. Tried both FFg and FFFg, with and without felt wad, .440 and .445 RBs, .015 ticking and .012 drill. I swabbed and cleaned between trials. All in all I shot at least 3 shots with each combination plus some others.... didn't keep track of the total number of shots for the day but it was a bunch. At this point this particular barrel seems to like 60 gr FFg (Wano), .012 drill patch, .440 swaged RB and no felt wad. One thing I've noticed about this bore is that even though it is new it seems unusually smooth (almost like GM hand lapped it?). Fully as smooth as the best of the custom bores. The felt wads didn't destroy accuracy in any of the loads but I either couldn't tell the difference in group size or the above mentioned load shot better without the wad and it seems the best so far. My standard goal for these guns is about 1" at 50 yds.

I have a Western Arms S. Fe Hawken, the one by Uberti. Probably an early 80s gun. It had a fairly typical somewhat rough Italian bore. They have an RB twist bore. I hand lapped it and fire lapped it. Finally got it shooting well but it does require a felt wad for best accuracy. The best it would do without the felt was 2-3" at 50 yds. Now it is very consistent with 75-80 gr FFg, ticking patch AND felt wad always averaging 1" at 50 yds.

I have a 50 cal flinter with fine custom barrel/ bore. It's bore has been smooth since new. It has been a 1" @ 50 yd gun from the get go. Accuracy is better with felt wads than without them.

Without going into all the examples--- that is pretty much the pattern I've seen. Some do better with the felt wad and some don't. Two very consistent things I've seen when using felt wads: 1) almost without exception and even with mismatched RB-patch-bore fit.... the felt wad does protect the patch from blow through. 2) when shooting a bunch without swabbing or cleaning- the felt wad with the moose milk does keep the bore a little cleaner and the fouling a little softer.

Oh BTW, theWin 73 32-20 shot very well... first time out with the Ranch Dog bullet. Both my Win 92 and the 73 also like the Lym 311316. As B4207 pointed out... good bullet for these guns but a hard mold to come by.

[mooman76]

Well like most things, every gun is different and like different combinations/loads. I have never used the felt wads either mostly because I never saw a need but I may try them in my inline some day. But from what I am hearing they seem to help better in the tight twist inlines and others shooting conicals and/or guns that are having trouble grouping well

[NickSS]

The only time I use a felt wad is with conical solid base bullets. I have found that when I load them up I put a .060 card wad over the powder then a lubed felt wad then a .030 card wad followed by the bullet. This has provided me with the best accuracy and more shots between cleaning. However, I have never used them with patched round ball.

[josper]

when I first got my TC Big Boar .58cal. I couldn't get it to group with patched ball.I noticed the patches were burning through on some ,I tried putting a patch on top the powder and patch the ball normal.That did the trick-good groups now.

[northmn]

If the patch is burning through its too thin a patch or not lubed correctly. It may be easier loading that way which is what some want, but a test of proper patch thickness is that it should be reloadable if relubed. One individual taht is in to accuate rifles claims he reloaded the same patch 5 times. The crown of the barrel is also a very important factor on how easy a rifle laods.

DP

[josper]

I had tried using heavy pillow tick patches lubed with TC Bore Butter rubbed in good.If I went any heaver with the patch I would have had to drive the ball home with a mallet,lol.I have used that patch in myTC .50 Hawken with a 110gr load and never burned out the patch.