Overpowder wad question?

[THBailey]

Getting ready to shoot my 38-55 roller for the first time and I have put together several different loads to see what the gun might like. I have two different overpowder wads, some John Walters vegetable wads and some Buffalo Bullet Company felt wads. I am wondering if I can expect a significant difference between otherwise identical loads with the different wads? Thanks.

[rfd]

it's all unique, and only testing will give you a proper answer. fwiw, with grease groove bullets, i use a few newsprint wads between the bullet base and the main wad, to keep that main wad from traveling downrange with the bullet.

[sharps4590]

As rfd said only actual testing will tell. As for me, no sir, I've never noticed any significant difference among wads used. I punch most of mine out of florist boxes or something similar.

[Don McDowell]

You may or may not notice any difference, wad's are like anything else in a reloading recipe, your gun may or may not like it, the target will tell you what you need to know.

[Nobade]

After trying different wads I have settled on using a newspaper wad to compress the powder and a .060" ldpe wad seated with the bullet. That works better than anything else I have tried.

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[Gunlaker]

I've never noticed an accuracy difference when using groove diameter bullets when testing at close ( 200-300 yards ), but I have with bore diameter paper patched bullets.

I have spoken with a reputable shooter who did testing with various wads and groove diameter bullets. He determined that LDPE wads produced less finning at the base of the bullet than a veg wad, and that HDPE was even better. The effects of finning might be measurable at long distance, I don't know. I use LDPE and they seem to work very well.

Chris.

[country gent]

As has been said testing will tell a lot, Not only wad materials but thickness may matter also. I normally use a Napa rubber fiber gasket material for the over powder wad then compress to depth and and 2 tracing paper wads on top of it to insure release from the bullet, with grease groove bullets. with loads using a grease cookie the rubber fiber wad compressed grease cookie and a wad cut from playing cards to seal the cookie off. then the 2 tracing paper wads and the paper patched bullet. Not only wad material and thickness but wad dia may have an effect on a loads performance.

[Jim2]

If loading GG bullets, I always wipe the bullet base on a paper towel first. That makes sure there nothing on there the wad may stick to.

Jim

[country gent]

I also wipe my bases when loading but rough surfaces can hold together giving varying releases.