50 cal wads

[Longone]

Looking for some ideas on making 50 cal. over powder wads? I have a cutter that will work just need an idea of what material you are using. I have been reading in the archives that some folks like a wad under their REAL boolits and thought I would do a with and without test.

Longone

[Nobade]

I use a lot of LDPE, usually .030" thick. (low density polyethelene) also 1/8" thick hard felt from www.durofelt.com - I tell them I want felt for shooting and they know what to send.

The LDPE seems to scrape the fouling out well and allows for multiple shots before having to wipe the bore when using paper patched bullets.

-Nobade

[Themoose]

I also use the DuroFelt hard felt, they actually list it for using for wads on their website. Back when I shot blackpowder cartridge, I just used cardboard milk cartons. I'm only shooting paperpatched bullets now in my ml and like the felt.

[docone31]

I stuff a patch over the powder, then load.

[rodwha]

I also use the hard felt from Durofelt to make all of my wads.

Is your punch creating a larger than .50 cal wad? On my Lyman the grooves are ~.520", and the fellow who made my punch told me it's better to be a little oversized. I don't recall how large he made mine but it works well.

I tried 320 grn REALs in my rifle just to see, and the first was without a wad and keyholed at 50 yds and was far left by nearly a foot. The next 2 were with a wad and nearly touching and just under the bull.

For lube I use Gatofeo's formula...

[johnson1942]

if you go to the auto supply store and buy a sheet of rubber and cork gasket material it makes the perfect over the powder wad. the rubber and cork are in a perfect blend and thickness.

[rsrocket1]

You might also try just an overpowder card. I sharpened a 1/2" ID steel pipe to use as my cutter and cut a bunch of cards using a cereal box. I heard that the cardboard on the back of a notepad also works. I do this for my 250g REAL's over Alliant BlackMZ
Just punching paper, not hunting. But it's cheap and fun.
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[Hanshi]

Durofelt is THE way to go. They carry various densities and thicknesses. Great stuff.

[newton]

I use duro felt also.

Nobade, where do you get your plastic? Does it leave any residue in the bore? Would you think that hard stock(cardboard) would do the same kind of scraping?

I know you gave me some of those plastic wads Johnson right? Do you have the same experience with them?

[Fly]

Same here on duro flelt.Little lady in Ark runs it from her home.Just tell her what
your doing with it & she can advise you for all the felt she sells to muzzle loaders.

Fly

[Longone]

Well there are certainly enough endorsements in this thread alone to give it a try. 1/8 wads are pretty common with this combo?

BTW, are you lubing them with moose milk or whatever lube you have settled on?

Longone

[Nobade]

I use duro felt also.

Nobade, where do you get your plastic? Does it leave any residue in the bore? Would you think that hard stock(cardboard) would do the same kind of scraping?

I got the last roll of that stuff from Shiloh. They have .030" and .060". I haven't tried the thick ones yet, they're really thick. Guess I need to at some point. I use them for muzzleloaders and cartridge guns under paper patched bullets. The felt and the cork wads also are used, felt in muzzleloaders because I can lube them with gatofeo #1 and cork for the cartridge rifles.

I guess you could get that plastic from MSC or McMaster Carr also, or a plastic supply house if one is near you.

The cardboard wads don't scrape nearly as well. They're not as hard and stiff and seem to get deformed by the fouling where the plastic ones cut it. Never seen any plastic residue in the bore.

-Nobade

[freedom475]

I make these out of skirting leather, it is considerably better than the felt or plastic wads that I have tried. ... They absorb oil/lube perfectly, and are very rigged, to provide a good sweep of the bore from shot to shot. Most leather wads that I cut are +1/8" thick.

I sent some to a friend to try and he tested them and returned these results..
"I just wanted to share some data with you that I obtained when comparing leather wads VS no wads. I made some leather wads from the leather that I got from you a few days ago. I punched them out using a half inch hollow punch. The rifle was a .50 cal Hatfield. I was using 50 grains of Goex fffG. My patches were .015 light denim that were lubricated with Bore Butter. I soaked the wads in Balistol and let them dry on a towel for about three days. I made five shots over a chronograph using no wad and five shots using a leather wad. The average muzzle velocity without the wad was 1289 ft/sec with a standard deviation of 21.35. When I used the wads, the average muzzle velocity was 1317 ft/sec with a standard deviation of only 7.00. This proves to me that the wads significantly improve performance."

I had fired several shots using the wads for another project prior to firing the shots to see if the wads made any difference. After 10 shots, during which loading was very easy, I ran a cleaning patch moistened with Rusty Duck cleaner down the bore and was amazed at how little gunk came out. There is no doubt that the wads improve combustion and lower fouling. After doing my test shooting, I went on a woods walk with my club and shot over 25 shots using the wads for each shot and never once needed a cleaning patch. When we finished, I started cleaning my rifle and there was more **** around the nipple than there was down the bore. I am absolutley sold on using the leather wads with the Balistol on them. My patches were lightly lubed with Bore Butter. A wonderful combination!!

[Nobade]

That's a good idea! I never thought about using leather for wads. I'll have to give it a try.

-Nobade

[Longone]

Skirting leather? Where would one come into a proper size of this material? And is there a specific thickness you used?

Longone

[koger]

A guy at Friendship, sells all types of shotgun/rifle wads, his veg/fiber wads, are just basically cardboard, according to him, thick also. I dropped min in hot veg oil, on a gas burner, rolling boil, out after 1 min, let them drain/dry for 4 days. Works great, cheap as hell, I think 1000ct was $30 or so when I was there. Mikes Wads I think was the name of the vendor. I have .40, .45, 50 also, works great for RB and slugs.

[ihuntbear]

A guy at Friendship, sells all types of shotgun/rifle wads, his veg/fiber wads, are just basically cardboard, according to him, thick also. I dropped min in hot veg oil, on a gas burner, rolling boil, out after 1 min, let them drain/dry for 4 days. Works great, cheap as hell, I think 1000ct was $30 or so when I was there. Mikes Wads I think was the name of the vendor. I have .40, .45, 50 also, works great for RB and slugs.

are we talking about using a wad under ball and patch over powder???????

[tomme boy]

Yes. I use one under a patch and ball too. It really does make a difference. I use bore butter for lube. I will cut about 100 wads and put them in a plastic bag and put some bore butter in with them. Then throw them into the microwave for about 30 seconds. Then shake them around. Then put them back in to make sure all the lube is melted. Then shake them really well for a couple of minutes to make sure all are lubed.

My groups have shrunk in half by using these felt wads. The LEE REALS made the most difference.

[ihuntbear]

Yes. I use one under a patch and ball too. It really does make a difference. I use bore butter for lube. I will cut about 100 wads and put them in a plastic bag and put some bore butter in with them. Then throw them into the microwave for about 30 seconds. Then shake them around. Then put them back in to make sure all the lube is melted. Then shake them really well for a couple of minutes to make sure all are lubed.

My groups have shrunk in half by using these felt wads. The LEE REALS made the most difference.
what is the twist of your rifle??I have a pedersoli tryon with 1-48 twist that really doesnt like real but maybe work good with a wad..The gun calls for a .445 ball and patch but I use .451 ball with a greased patch,i think ill try a wad over powder with that to

[tomme boy]

Two TC New Englanders in .50 and 1 CVA Hawken in .50 They all three have 1-48 twist. And all shoot the 250 gr and the 350???? gr REAL and the 375 gr TC Maxi ball very well. I use real BP not the subs.

[ihuntbear]

is there a difference in the shot if u don't lube the wad. the lubed patch and ball is already out the barrel when the wad comes out,does it help with building pressure.I use unlubed wads in my 45 70 sharps and can take a squirrels head off at 100 yrds...but if it works ill give it a try

[carbine]

Bar coasters, they are free!

[fouronesix]

is there a difference in the shot if u don't lube the wad. the lubed patch and ball is already out the barrel when the wad comes out,does it help with building pressure.I use unlubed wads in my 45 70 sharps and can take a squirrels head off at 100 yrds...but if it works ill give it a try

Try it both ways to see what works best. I've shot both ways and see little difference in POA. However, a lubed wad will help keep the fouling soft for the next loading and shot which in turn may affect subsequent points of impact if bore is not swabbed between shots.

The wad, patch and ball exit the muzzle at the same time. The whole column is subject to gas pressure in the bore until muzzle exit. The only time there could be separation of the parts of the column would be with extremely light charges where the friction between the parts (specifically the separate over-powder wad) and the bore exceeds the gas pressure.

With BP loads, increase in pressure when using a wad would be very small.

[Good Cheer]

My first go-to is the pressed paper spongy stuff from egg cartons, like these.
Sometimes soaked in melted lube. For fifty use the 9/16" punch.
http://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy192/SNARGLEFLERK/NewEnglanderandLyman457124_zps8b48b4ba.jpg (http://s791.photobucket.com/user/SNARGLEFLERK/media/NewEnglanderandLyman457124_zps8b48b4ba.jpg.html)