Wads..which one

[foesgth]

I am starting to load with black powder. I have a couple of front stuffing revolvers I have shot for a while but am new to black powder cartridge loading. In those I use a lubed felt wad. Do those have any use in cartridge loading? I have done a lot of reading and have even built some 44-40 and 45-70 rounds that didn't blow up in my face!

I guess this is my question. I see folks talk about their loads and what wad they use. Is there a list that I missed about wads? Why would one use a vegetable fibre wad instead of a plastic one or a milk carton one? Does the thickness just have to do with taking up space? Is there one wad to rule them all? Or does each kind of wad solve some specific problem?

Thanks for your help, and I am glad I can use a computer to find the answer to something everyone understood in the 19th century!

[Don McDowell]

I use the muzzleloader original dry lubed felt wads with paper patch loads in the rifles. I suppose they would work fine with grease groove as well, but for the most part when loading greasers, I use .030 fiber wads, except in cases where the powder charge exceeds 70 grains, then I use a .060 fiber wad. I use the John Walters fiber wads.

[tmanbuckhunter]

It really just depends on your purposes. I find my BPCR rifles like the least amount of compression possible, but I also want to separate the powder from the base of the bullet, so I use the thinnest wad possible. I have some loads that still leave too much space for the desired seating depth, and thus a thick nitro card and maybe even a filler are necessary. As far as preference in type, again... try and see what works best. BPCR adds about another 10-20 variables that loading with smokeless doesn't have.

[oldracer]

I shot black powder cartridge rifles for about five years before switching to just muzzle loaders. I was taught by my mentor Doug Knoell (now deceased from cancer) to use the same as he did and load as such: Put powder in, insert a milk carton wad (after cleaning the surfaces) then a news paper wad in top of that. Compress the powder such that when the cast bullet is inserted the overall length is what you need. Do not compress the powder with the bullet as it will cause swelling for the nose area. Since he had won many matches, was a national champion and at one time held the shortest string measure for a Schuetzen target I figured he gave good advice.

A funny side note was he once won a match at Raton by ONE point. When the second place man asked what he did Doug said how are you putting in the milk carton wad, the guy said he didn't know so Doug said to make sure and printing was facing the powder! He laughed when he told me and said it doesn't matter.....messing with his head.
John

[jednorris]

Unless you are going to get a punch tp punch out wads I suggest you buy " Walters Wads" in .30 or .60 on top of powder to keep bullet base from getting torched by powder as it goes down range.

[oldracer]

The punch I use is one that mounts in my one stage manual press. I generally make wads along with other things such as home made shoot-n-see targets on days (not many in So Cal) so I punch out several thousand at a time. It is a 45 caliber size and can do paper, milk carton, .030 or .060 thickness material.
John

[Chill Wills]

I was taught by my mentor Doug Knoell (now deceased from cancer)
A funny side note was he once won a match at Raton by ONE point.
John

I am sorry to hear of your friend Doug Knoell"s passing. I would have liked to know him. What years or year range was he attending the nationals at Raton, NM?

[indian joe]

I am starting to load with black powder. I have a couple of front stuffing revolvers I have shot for a while but am new to black powder cartridge loading. In those I use a lubed felt wad. Do those have any use in cartridge loading? I have done a lot of reading and have even built some 44-40 and 45-70 rounds that didn't blow up in my face!

I guess this is my question. I see folks talk about their loads and what wad they use. Is there a list that I missed about wads? Why would one use a vegetable fibre wad instead of a plastic one or a milk carton one? Does the thickness just have to do with taking up space? Is there one wad to rule them all? Or does each kind of wad solve some specific problem?

Thanks for your help, and I am glad I can use a computer to find the answer to something everyone understood in the 19th century!

Which wad ?? shoot it and see -----44/40 might not show much or any benefit, bigger cases (45/70 etc) usually will
For my money - wad is better than no wad (accuracy wise) - which material is better ? I think you wont figure that out until you get to, or inside the two MOA level. Juice box, poly, gasket material, tablet backing card? - all have their promoters. No point to lubed felt wads unless you need the extra lube .

[ELFEGO BACA]

I usually use .03” wads in my 45/70 black powder loads.
Sometimes I use .06” wads.
They are vegetable wads!

[DaveM]

When I load BP .44-40, I do not use a wad. With 35 grains / 2.2cc of Swiss 3Fg and an Accurate 43-215C, it gives good accuracy with minimal fouling in my 24" barreled Cimarron 1873 Sporting Rifle and 1860 Henry.

However, I did buy some card wads from Track of the Wolf so that I can load .44 Henry-equivalent loads with 28 grains of 3Fg. The wads will give me 100% loading density. I've done this previously but use 0.5cc of cornmeal for a filler. I figure that the wads will be easier and at $10/K, were cheap enough.