over powder wads

[owejia]

Google Circle Fly Wads, used to cut my own for use in the bee killer loads. More fun to shoot bees than cut wads. Circle Fly Wads direct from the mfg.

[John McCorkle]

So question here....can a corrugated cardboard wad substitute for a felt was if soaked in lube? I dunno if this is possible and but I'm testing (or soon to test) some Lee real conicals and I've heard the best way to accuracy is wool felt soaked in beeswax and lube mix....but I happen to have no felt. Can I cut cardboard and fill it with wax/lube and have in basics a substitute felt wad?

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[arcticap]

So question here....can a corrugated cardboard wad substitute for a felt was if soaked in lube? I dunno if this is possible and but I'm testing (or soon to test) some Lee real conicals and I've heard the best way to accuracy is wool felt soaked in beeswax and lube mix....but I happen to have no felt. Can I cut cardboard and fill it with wax/lube and have in basics a substitute felt wad?

To be honest, I've never heard of using a wet lubed felt wad with a REAL conical since they have lube grooves that should hold plenty of lube.
Especially if being fired with a rifle. a dry wad is what is most often used.
That's not to say that a lubed wad can't be used, but a lubed cardboard wad may get soggy.
Perhaps a dry cardboard card underneath the lubed wad or a waterproof card to help prevent powder contamination.
I make waxboard cards from juice containers since they are waterproof and I've only used dry wads with rifles which are sometimes sold &b labeled as dry lubed wads.
Is this for a revolver or a rifle?

[Edward]

Egg/milk/ juice cartons all work ,single/double just try them all/Ed

[country gent]

Have used poster board, cereal boxes, corrugated card board, waxed juice boxes ( these are getting harder to find) Gasket materials ( these are a list all their own). Felt, and insulation board. As to the gasket materials there is the oil papers in various thicknesses, corks, veggie fibers, and the last I have had good recuts with the rubber fiber materials. Paying cards make good wads and don't seem to stick to the base of the bullet like some will do. Another we have used to protect the patch is cream of wheat. I mostly use .060 rubber fiber wads when needed. But a flintlock made from a 20mm Vulcan barrel with full charges required the 1/4" insulation board and a heavy patch around the ball ( around 900 grns). I have used most in muzzle loaders'.

Take an assortment of wads and shoot on a calm day watch groups and recover patches see what works. The charge a poster board wad 20 grns or so by volume of cream of wheat and another wad then the bullet does a good job of protecting the bullet/ patch ad seems to seal well.

[arcticap]

Amother idea to protect powder from contamination is to place a layer or two of wax paper over the powder.

[John McCorkle]

To be honest, I've never heard of using a wet lubed felt wad with a REAL conical since they have lube grooves that should hold plenty of lube.
Especially if being fired with a rifle. a dry wad is what is most often used.
That's not to say that a lubed wad can't be used, but a lubed cardboard wad may get soggy.
Perhaps a dry cardboard card underneath the lubed wad or a waterproof card to help prevent powder contamination.
I make waxboard cards from juice containers since they are waterproof and I've only used dry wads with rifles which are sometimes sold &b labeled as dry lubed wads.
Is this for a revolver or a rifle?

Not thinking 'wet' more like a waxy base that requires heat to drive into the felt/cardboard. Few places here on how to make your own lubed felt wads.

As long as the lube mixture would harden up some and not be dripping (say half beeswax or so) and the lube was not doing to spoil the powder it would likely work great. Seal the bore behind the bullet

Heard lots of guys saying they use a felt wad behind Lee reals.. I'm going to try for myself, but from what I see others experience is that a felt wad and a lower than absolute max charge gets best accuracy. The theory is that the lubed wad seals behind the bullet and helps keep gas blow by on the relatively thin bands making contact with the lands of the bore. Lower charges help keep that pressure low enough it's not as big of an issue too.

So my plan is 70-80 grain of pyrodex behind a 320 with felt wad behind (ordered felt from duro felt yesterday) and see how the grouping is. If I can get good grouping with it at 50 yrds, there will be meat on the table come October

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[trapper9260]

I cut cards from cracker box. also if need to get thicker I put 2 over the powder. As for cork you can go to a farm & fleet store and can get it in sheets for gasket make. I have done that for it .

[Edward]

Not thinking 'wet' more like a waxy base that requires heat to drive into the felt/cardboard. Few places here on how to make your own lubed felt wads.

As long as the lube mixture would harden up some and not be dripping (say half beeswax or so) and the lube was not doing to spoil the powder it would likely work great. Seal the bore behind the bullet

Heard lots of guys saying they use a felt wad behind Lee reals.. I'm going to try for myself, but from what I see others experience is that a felt wad and a lower than absolute max charge gets best accuracy. The theory is that the lubed wad seals behind the bullet and helps keep gas blow by on the relatively thin bands making contact with the lands of the bore. Lower charges help keep that pressure low enough it's not as big of an issue too.

So my plan is 70-80 grain of pyrodex behind a 320 with felt wad behind (ordered felt from duro felt yesterday) and see how the grouping is. If I can get good grouping with it at 50 yrds, there will be meat on the table come October

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Not so on max charges .the lee 320 does not get best accurate till 105-110 grains of OE2F in my renegade 1-48 barrel ,same for patched RB in my 1-66 .610 barrel /just sayin Ed

[John McCorkle]

Not so on max charges .the lee 320 does not get best accurate till 105-110 grains of OE2F in my renegade 1-48 barrel ,same for patched RB in my 1-66 .610 barrel /just sayin Ed

Yup in a 1:48 yoj may get to push it faster/ harder. I have a 1:28 and i doubt I'll get to push it that fast with good accuracy

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[GregLaROCHE]

You might try taking some good corrugated box material and heat up some lube of beeswax and crisco or olive oil and using a paint brush lay on some good coats on both side of the box material and then cutting out the disc's after the lube has dried. I'd think it would be easier than dunking all those disc's one by one.

Make sure to coat and then cut. If you try to coat afterwards, they will probably swell up and my not fit.

[Grapeshot]

Kids drink fair amount of soda wonder if the card board from the 12 pack boxes would work.

I used them for years. Worked in an indoor range where the owner would bring in soft drinks in 8 packs and I would take all of the empty cartons after we put the cans in the refridge.

[John McCorkle]

Ended up finding a good load combo...broke down and bought some felt from durofelt

Lee 50 Cal 320 REAL (bore butter on bands)
1:28 twist
95 grain Pyrodex RS
209 primer
Felt wad (no lube)

Put the chronograph at the target after I worked up accuracy... getting 1340 fps at the target and just at an inch (a tad under) at 50 yards

Interesting also is that I powder coated some to see if it changed anything...

Point of impact was a little different but just as accurate and clocked at 1440 (full 100 fps faster) I noticed they were much much easier to slide down the tube ..took a bit more effort to start engraving the rifling but once it went down super easy. I'm assuming the reduction in friction accounted for the increased velocity

Anyhow...felt wad from durofelt us the ticket in Lee REAL bullets. Works great in my case...putting these Louisiana whitetail on notice...Oct 21 is coming soon ....

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[oldracer]

Since this thread is still rumbling along I thought I would list the wads I use as they were the recommendations of a past national champion. I'll list the 45-70 setup also just in case someone wants to go to the dark side!
- 45 caliber slug gun except the Pedersoli Gibbs: Powder no compression, .060 fiber wad (NO lube cookie), 540 grain grease groove bullet pan lubed with Doug Knoell lube.
- 45 caliber Pedersoli Gibbs: Powder no compression, 520 grain Pedersoli grease groove bullet sitting on the powder. I wipe the bullet base very well.
- 50 Caliber round ball: Powder, compress slightly, pillow ticking lubed with Bore Butter (can't use spit any longer since dry mouth after cancer treatment).
- 44 caliber Remington cap & ball: 30 grains of powder, 20 grains of Cream of Wheat, 0.454 ball seated just below front of cylinder, no wad.
- 45-70 Sharps: 68 grains FFG, compressed, milk carton wad, news paper wad, 540 grain grease groove bullet as above, no crimp, case mouth slightly belled to seal case in chamber.
John

[GregLaROCHE]

Glad to hear someone else uses cream of wheat. What do you have against compressing ?

[oldracer]

I don't compress the powder in my revolvers and slug guns mainly because my mentor said not to when I started. I was told to try compressing which I did BUT the accuracy was terrible! I tap the patched round ball for 3 taps but not super hard because of the same. I finally figured it out that the powder needs some air inside the powder stack with percussion caps since they have less spark than a centerfire primer. After 5 years or so he told me what I had figured out as I guess he wanted to see how smart I was?!
John

[indian joe]

I have been looking for heavy cardboard to make wads. i am having a fit trying to find a thick enough card stock. Or are y'all using corrugated cardboard?

My missus works in an accountants office - she brings home busted lever arch files - heavy card same as tablet backing but thicker (60 thou vs about 35) you would proly get them in office depot or wallymart for a couple bucks - could even work out cheaper than buying the right stuff from the right place.

I use lube soaked egg carton in a couple pistols, seems to work ok (2 thicknesses) - heat the lube in a flat tray and dunk the egg carton in it while hot - keep the heat on till bubbles stop coming out of the egg carton material - lift it out - let it drip a bit then lay it flat to cool on a piece of baking paper - this stuff cuts so nice with a wad punch !

Same idea might work with thicker card ? have not tried it - would need longer to soak the lube in I reckon.