Wonder Wads in Cartridges.

I have a new to me Shiloh Sharps 50 2-1/2" Business Rifle. My previous experience with single shots was a Rem Rolling Block No 1 in 45-70. That was over 25 years ago and these days I'm too busted up to compete at anything. I just want to shoot this "Big Fifty" at a gong out at 100 or 200 yards and put a smile on my face...if not my reconstructed shoulder. LOL

My first outing was with the Lyman 515141 over a card wad and 90g of FFg (all I had on hand). I did not see any indication of a grease star at the muzzle so I'm wondering if the Lyman bullet has sufficient SPG. The other bullet I have on order is the RCBS 57921 which looks to have less grease, or at least narrower grooves than the Lyman bullet.

The idea crossed my mind that a 50 cal Ox-Yoke Wonder Wad between the card wad and the bullets base might provide additional lubrication, but in a search here I can't find anyone using them in cartridges.

Anyone tried Wonder Wads in a cartridge? If so what was your experience?

Dave

I can't see why that or a home punched felt was saturated with lube wouldn't work just fine.
Many BPCR shooters use a grease cookie which is a disk of pure lube under the bullet.

I would try a grease cookie.

Maybe add a wax paper wad over the felt to prevent it from sticking to the bullet's base.

If those rounds are left loaded very long the lube seeping out of the wonder wads will contaminate and weaken a fiber wad on top of the powder.

Dave,

You would be better off with the Lyman because the driving bands are thinner making less lead contact with the bore. I used that bullet in my .50-2.5 Shiloh but just for trying to hit a bowling pin at 200 yards and it kicked up more dust than busting the pins.
My .50 has a 22 twist and that short squatty 1" long almost a round ball would be better served in a .50 with a 36 twist.
If you Shiloh has the slow twist that bullet would work just fine.
As far as the wad, I don't have much use for felt wads. I use a .023" OJ carton wad and a wad cut from a gallon plastic ice cream bucket in all my rifles and that works just fine for me.

Lead Pot,

My first outing was in the desert and after checking sight alignment at 25 yards I picked out a football sized rock on a nearby ridge, which my friends range detector said was 135 yards away. I scared the bejeebers out of that rock with my next 10 rounds but like you with the bowling pins, never actually hit it. The Big Fifty was still a hoot.

Shiloh tells me this is a 1-22" twist. That's why I wanted to try the longer RCBS bullet. Of course longer generally means heavier, and heavier means more recoil. My reconstructed right shoulder decided it didn't like the Big Fifty toward then end of my first outing, and that with me wearing a "magnum" recoil pad. I can only imagine what heavier bullets will feel like. And still, they will put a smile on my face. I just love this rifle already.

Dave

Dave,

I'm 81 years old and I still shoot my .50-2.5 at gong shoots, especially when the conditions get rough. These last three years I been using the .45-90 more but I still reach for the .50 and the .50 has won me several dust collectors at the gong shoots. it has kept me in the top 30 or better with 600 plus shooters on line. Lodi is coming up in May and I been casting bullets for the .50 for that 800-1000 yard match. I know that the guy in the pit will have some words with me because the scoring marker won't stay in the hole with out having tape wrapped around the peg. :D

The shortest bullet is use in my .50 is a PP at 1.435" long and weighs 651 gr with 1/16 alloy. The other bullet that is the best and I use the most is a GG creedmoor nosed 1.492" 705 gr if I use a very hard alloy or 718 gr with the soft alloy.
I use them because they just plain shoot well.
Learn how to handle the recoil and that rifle will serve you well.

A dry or greased felt wad will never stick to the base of a bullet. Pure felt burns up completely at 400 degrees. Have been using them for years after I read Harry Pope cut felt wads from old hats and if they would have distorted accuracy, he never would have shot record scores offhand at 200 yds. With shallow groove bullets such as Dan’s Money Bullet, a thin cardboard wad under a greased 1/4”felt wad provides a nice addition of lube to this bullet and any GG bullet
In addition, I use 1/8” felt wads with an adhesive back, stuck on the bullet bases of my breach seated rounds so the plug has no chance of creating fins on the bullet base

Consider a grease cookie.

Unless the fouling was excessively hard, there really doesn't need to be a lube star on the end of the barrel. Proper use of a blow tube will keep the fouling soft enough to keep from buggering up accuracy in temps under 80 and decent relative humidity.
Felt wads can work wonders, but as I said earlier those wonder wads are usually pretty soaked with lube already and I have had those and similar soften up the card wad under neath, and it really makes a mess with paper patch bullets.

What brand of powder is being used?

I use the Ox Yoke lubed wads on top of a cardboard check bought at Track Of The Wild with my 43 Spanish Rolling Block and they seem to work well for me.

I am using Wonder Wads..but not in the case... I am breechseating a 30-1 tapered bullet in an original Stevens-Pope barrled Ballard. Since it is an early ballard, I decided to try real Black..Swiss 11/2 & Olde Enysford before I tried Smokeless..but I am having so much fun with black..might never switch! Anyway, having tried various combinations of wads, both wax & soft grease, as well as various combinations of card wads..none showing the accuracy I expected out of this rifle, until I finally tried Wonder Wads. Here is what I do...Breech seat tapered bullet 1/16" in front of case mouth with hand pushed breech-seater I built, seat wonder wad in firm contact with bullet base. 42grs. Swiss 1 1/2 FG 30" drop-tubed into primed .32-40 case ( using 1 to 3 cases loading at range). .032" veg. fiber wad pressed into case mouth & case loaded in breech. As breech closes, I can feel case mouth contact & slightly compress fiber wad for a no air-space condition. Using wonder-wads has given me groups of 5 shots 3/8" center-center at 100yds. I am using a Lyman Super-Target Spot 20X. Even though most Schutezen shooters today shun real black, and use small smokeless charges, I have always had a sneaking suspcion a Pope rifle would shoot best with black..after all, Pope did all his research on rifling form and twist using black with his breech-muzzleloaders. This rifle is missing it's false muzzle, but I still feel that black will shoot to it's full potential.

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Originally Posted by Lead pot

Dave,

You would be better off with the Lyman because the driving bands are thinner making less lead contact with the bore. I used that bullet in my .50-2.5 Shiloh but just for trying to hit a bowling pin at 200 yards and it kicked up more dust than busting the pins.
My .50 has a 22 twist and that short squatty 1" long almost a round ball would be better served in a .50 with a 36 twist.
If you Shiloh has the slow twist that bullet would work just fine.
As far as the wad, I don't have much use for felt wads. I use a .023" OJ carton wad and a wad cut from a gallon plastic ice cream bucket in all my rifles and that works just fine for me.

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Just to clarify, a short bullet can tolerate a slower twist. The longer the bullet, the faster the twist it will take to stabilize it, velocities being equal.