Can we talk wads?

[Knarley]

O.K.,
I have cast boolits in 20:1 lead alloy. They have been lubed with SPG and sized. The brass has all been sorted by brand and the compression die has been adjusted.
The dies are set to put the boolit just kissing the lands, all I gots to do is start pullin' the handle.

I understand that the wad is supposed to protect the base of the boolit from the hot gasses of the burning powder, I get that. But in the reading that I've done, the time in the barrel is so brief, that one won't be able to melt a hard wax wad. The books that I have are by Paul Mathews, and I'll admit he's kinda the poster child for grease cookies. I mean no dis-respect mind you, but I guess I have grease cookie on the brain.

I have some of those bees wax sheets that bee keepers put into the hives for the bees to build on, brood wax (or some thing like that) I was thinking they would make a proper wad, seeing as IF they melt during firing they might help soften the following fouling, while protecting the base of the boolit. They shouldn't contaminate the powder either.

What cha think??

Knarley

[Don McDowell]

I think if that's what you think you need to do, then by golly just do it. It'll either work or it won't.

[BrentD]

Beeswax will surely work. How well depends on the circumstances. I've used it before.

the purpose of the wad is not so much to stop melting of the base but to prevent gases from blowing past the bullet before the bullet fully bumps up and plugs the bore. If there is blow-by, then those gases may cut the lead like a torch and erode the sides of the bullet. Ask Lead Pot to post a few of his spectacular gas-cut bullet photos.

the wax wad may or may not be sufficient to accomplish that chore. Try it and see.

As for fouling softening, that's not really the point. If there is a thin layer of wax that adheres to the bore immediately behind the bullet, then the fouling won't stick to it as hard. Exactly like prepping a cake pan with a layer of shortening or the spray on products like "Pam" etc. You just want to keep the fouling from getting intimately friendly with the metal.

Anyway, give the wax a try - it is pretty expensive.

FWIW, I did a lot of 2-shot testing of 0.060" fiber and low-density plastic wads and found that the latter did signficantly better in two rifles (one a .45-70 cartridge rifle and the other a .45 muzzleloader), and they performed the same in a third rifle (.45-70). The same bullets and powder charges and granulations were used in all three rifles. They were all bore diameter paper patched bullets.

[Knarley]

I have the wax anyway, a guy I worked with is a bee keeper, and bought the wrong size. I bought the box from him at his cost, and have more than I know what to do with.
Gas jets, O.K. that's making more sense.
Don you are right, all it can do is not work. Nothing ventured nothing gained. I do have a card punch on the way just in case.
If I don't blow the end off my barrel, I'll let ya know.

Knarley

[MikeT]

Consider putting a piece of paper between the bullet and the wax wad.
The wax may stick to some of the bullet bases.

Keep on hav'n fun!
MikeT

[BrentD]

Consider putting a piece of paper between the bullet and the wax wad.
The wax may stick to some of the bullet bases.

Keep on hav'n fun!
MikeT
+1000 on that.

[country gent]

Alot of wad materials are used some more so than others. Alot recomend wads cut from waxed cardboard milk cartoons, cork, fiber gasket material, felt, tablet backing, newsprint, playing cards, and coffe can lids. Grease cookies are a diffrent thing in regards to this. A grease cookie is bullet lube in a thin sheet to add lube to the load, this is more with paper patched bullets as there is no lube otherwise. The wad helps to seal bore and protect the base of bullet. A newsprint or paper wad above and below a wax wad will help slow powder contamination and it sticking to bullets base.

[.22-10-45]

Hello, Knarley, I have been working with an original Ballard No.3 in .25-25 Stevens. Since this is a cast action, I have only been using Swiss 3FG. Bullets are cast from Ideal 1 piece mould # 25716 @100grs. from 20-1 alloy. Lube is SPG. I am using an old nickled Ideal tong tool for bullet seating. Throat is long so in order for bullet to touch lands, only 1 1/2 bands are in neck. This leaves lots of powder space..and most accurate charges are around 21grs. To take up x-tra space, I seat 1/16" dental beeswax wad on
drop-tubed powder charge. next, 1/8" SPG grease cookie is placed on beeswax wad. Now here is where I am still experimenting..on some loads, I put another 1/16" beeeswax wad over grease cookie, a 1/32" Walters fibre wad & then seated bullet. Lately, I have been using Puff-Lon ballistic filler..a very fine cellulose with moly mixed in..right on top of SPG...to overflowing case..scraped off level & bullet seated to compress filler. I think this is the more accurate one as at 50yds. I am getting around 3/8" groups with the vernier tang & windage adjustable globe front sights. When I first started shooting this rifle, I tried straight Swiss 3FG without any lube wads..only fibre wad under SPG lubed bullet..muzzle had lube star..but running patch thru I found hard fouling..baked on bore in some places. With cookie, dry patch thru I found what looked like hard chunks of fouling..but were very smooth and greasy when pressed between thumb & fingers. To get those 3/8" groups, I need one barely damp patch thru after each shot. Blow-tubing will give 1" groups at 50yds..and probably would be fine for hunting.