Poly Wads

[Castaway]

I’m wanting to try poly wads in my loads. Currently, I’m using a waxed milk carton wad, topped with newspaper. I’ve had good luck with this combo but I understand there’s a bit of base deformation with the cardboard that the poly wads don’t have. Probably not a big deal at 100 but might at longer ranges. I know they’re available at BACO already cut, but is there somewhere I can buy a sheet and punch out my own? Looking to start with 0.03” thickness to match my current wads

[BLAHUT]

I was using a 1/16" poly punched wad, under bullet, with cork punched wad, with a solid bleached cardboard cut wad over powder to take up air space.
Made a nice cleaner round. Now use a punched poly wad from coffee can covers, under bullet, with solid bleach card ( milk carton ) over powder.
Google the thickness of poly you want, there is a machine supply here in Minneapolis that sells it, name of company, Granger. The news paper is what is causing the deformation, I tried backer rod, that caused problems, went to the poly, cork, solid bleach, end of problems.

[Minerat]

Try Buffalo Arms. They have 0.030 and 0.060 bulk sheets here's a link to the 30

https://www.buffaloarms.com/2-sq-ft-030-white-bulk-poly-030poly.html

[Castaway]

Am aware BACO has them. Interested in what’s available to punch my own

[BLAHUT]

Am aware BACO has them. Interested in what’s available to punch my own

You can get the punch at track of the wolf.

[Castaway]

Grief! I didn’t know this would be that complicated.

[45-110]

I buy the .03/.06" ldpe or hdpe sheets from Grainger
kw

[Gunlaker]

You can definitely buy 0.030" and 0.060" LDPE sheets at a number of industrial plastic supply places. I can't recommend any because I'm in Canada so not likely local to you. BACO does also sell the sheets separately which is often what I use. I have a number of press mounted punches ( from BACO ) that cut very nicely. If you can find one of those you'll probably like them. I don't like the ones you strike with a hammer.

Chris.

[Minerat]

Am aware BACO has them. Interested in what’s available to punch my own

That link was for bulk sheets so you could punch our own.

[Kenny Wasserburger]

If you use anything less than a .060 wad thickness, you run the risk of base cutting. Lee Shaver proved this some years ago with his bullet catch box, no matter the material. Card or poly, ldpe is commonly used material. HDPE is also used by quite a few top shooters. It’s available from McMaster Carr and Grainger, the 1 inch wad strips are very handy in the press mounted wad punches I own.

Kenny Wasserburger

[indian joe]

Downunder I havent been able to buy the proper stuff so I cut HDPE from disposable 10 litre water jugs. If you pay attention you can keep around 50 thou thick - I reckon diameter fit matters - a lot of fellers use wads that are an easy fit in the case - mine are cut .460 same as bullet sizing. Cut it into strips first so can be sure of even thickness. Getting good chrony numbers and nice groups (for me) at 100 & 200.

[Castaway]

Thanks to all. Ordered 0.06” wads from BACO

[uscra112]

If you've got airspace above a solid wad, you're asking for a ringed chamber, as the late Charlie Dell proved conclusively several years ago.

[BLAHUT]

Be careful of the card stock you cut wads from ? If it a shiny or coated stock it may have a clay coating, that's dirt under pressure in your barrel, use only uncoated stock or milk carton stock..

[Kenny Wasserburger]

Be careful of the card stock you cut wads from ? If it a shiny or coated stock it may have a clay coating, that's dirt under pressure in your barrel, use only uncoated stock or milk carton stock..

You do realize that the edge of the wad is the only part in contact with the barrel?

KW

Lord help us.

[indian joe]

You do realize that the edge of the wad is the only part in contact with the barrel?

KW

Lord help us.

:killingpc

[Kenny Wasserburger]

:killingpc

Exactly.
KW

[steveu]

I have some.070” vinyl I am going to try in the trapdoor and 1885 rem-Lee as soon as I get a .45 cal wad punch die

[toot]

vinyl, isn't that the same a plastic? and I would be Leary of having it melt in the bore from the heat generated with either BP. or smokeless powder. I use wads cut out of old felt hats that I get from local thrift shops, also card board and wads cut / punched out of milk cartons & milk cartons. jmho.

[Kenny Wasserburger]

vinyl, isn't that the same a plastic? and I would be Leary of having it melt in the bore from the heat generated with either BP. or smokeless powder. I use wads cut out of old felt hats that I get from local thrift shops, also card board and wads cut / punched out of milk cartons & milk cartons. jmho.

Been shooting poly wads in all my Sharps Rifles since 1994, 28 years worth never found any plastic in the bore, and I have recovered hundreds of wads down range, they show no signs of melting.

For one thing, they are never exposed to enough pressure, and secondly never enough time to melt.

Expressing opinions are fine, however when done so without any experience to back them up? This does the group as a whole nothing, nothing worth value at least.

KW

[indian joe]

vinyl, isn't that the same a plastic? and I would be Leary of having it melt in the bore from the heat generated with either BP. or smokeless powder. I use wads cut out of old felt hats that I get from local thrift shops, also card board and wads cut / punched out of milk cartons & milk cartons. jmho.

when I first started shooting plastic wads (HDPE) first thing I did was retrieve as many as I could - surprise ! nary a mark on em they came up off the ground lookin just like they went in the case. The rifling cleans up sweet - no plastic in there .

think we tend to jump at shadows a bit !

[toot]

what I asked was a question. I have not shot them, and did not say that I did. sorry I am ignorint. grow up, get over it. and as a VIETNAM VET. I will express my opinion, and ask questions. and I did say, jmho. have a nice day.

[Kenny Wasserburger]

what I asked was a question. I have not shot them, and did not say that I did. sorry I am ignorint. grow up, get over it. and as a VIETNAM VET. I will express my opinion, and ask questions. and I did say, jmho. have a nice day.
First of all thank you for your service.

Second any citizen has a right to express their opinions, not just you vets.

Third, you’re ignorant and admit it. You were schooled and educated on your ignorance, what you do with that, well sir perhaps you’re the one that needs to grow up.

You spin on that for a spell, looks to me you’re the one that needs to get over it.

KW

[toot]

Kenny Wasserburger, thank you fore the nice reply to the question that I asked. and again I said that I had never shot them. so now I know the rest of the story. I might even give them a try. have a nice day.

[indian joe]

Kenny Wasserburger, thank you fore the nice reply to the question that I asked. and again I said that I had never shot them. so now I know the rest of the story. I might even give them a try. have a nice day.

so dunno why ya got yre whiskers in a twist over my bit of a reply ? just tellin ya what i did and why -- I chased them wads down because of wondering about that plastic in the bore thing - didnt happen ! and if ya think about it how many millions of rounds of shotgun ammo every year with same kind of plastic but much more friction exposure to bore than just the thin edge of a 60 thou wad.

[indian joe]

what I asked was a question. I have not shot them, and did not say that I did. sorry I am ignorint. grow up, get over it. and as a VIETNAM VET. I will express my opinion, and ask questions. and I did say, jmho. have a nice day.

I have respect for Vietnam boys but yelling it as a right to be heard over others ??????

That show stole a year of my life (I got off light!) while I waited for the results of a lottery to see if my a$$ got hauled off to participate in something I knew was a wrong deal (turned out I was right about that) for about the millionth time we were scammed by the money men and conned by inept politicians - and for what - a bunch of lies.!!!
Absolutely no excuse for the treatment vets received on homecoming (and since) that was disgraceful and the people did it, my country and yours, should be ashamed until they in their graves. People are stupid - they should have been pi$$ing in the face of the people who made the decisions not the boys who carried the can - but here we go again - its playin out in Europe just like every other time - all about the money.

[toot]

indian joe, my reply wasn't to your post. when I was in NY. in the 60's, people were chanting we will win with HO CHI MIN. and AMERICAN flags sewn on the butts of there pants. so I agree with you. and thank you for your service. I enlisted RA, ALL THE WAY. most of us are in our 80's now. so please do not take issue with what I said. I just asked a question. all the best.

[steveu]

The vinyl I am using is for a scba air cylinder cover, maybe a higher melting point. I have used ldpe and the wads when recovered look great! I’m going to try vinyl to see if I can get rid of the small amount of leading I am getting, I am thinking it may seal quicker due to it’s flexibility.
As for plastic residue, Ed’s Red takes care of that if any is in the bore, which I doubt because I wipe between shots. I will post results when I get them.

Cheers,
Steve

[indian joe]

indian joe, my reply wasn't to your post. when I was in NY. in the 60's, people were chanting we will win with HO CHI MIN. and AMERICAN flags sewn on the butts of there pants. so I agree with you. and thank you for your service. I enlisted RA, ALL THE WAY. most of us are in our 80's now. so please do not take issue with what I said. I just asked a question. all the best.

No mate I didnt go - (sorry If my post mislead you) - had to put my name in the barrell at the start of the year and being december born just spent the year in limbo - when my month lot came due they rolled the dice for odd or even birthday number - december they took evens and I was 13th day - they changed the rules every other day and this was late in the business (1969 I think) so by then it was a forgone conclusion the whole thing was bull$hite - your geniuses in charge were talking of fighting "a holding war" ??????? ya gonna engage in a fight and tell the other guy you got no intention to win - just lets spin this thing out as long as we can!!!
I do a lot of contract work all over the country and am pretty observant and I can pick the blokes that went in a few minutes (talkin about the blokes that seem to have handled it ok and are settled in businesses or their family farm - got over it ok most would say) Have yet to meet one bloke who came home unscathed (normal if you like) - I guess he is out there someplace but I aint found him. So all the best - you made 80, many that came home didnt - just lost our mother in law this morning at 91 so heres a tip for the both of us - do whatever the heck it takes to maintain your mobility, nothing is more important than the ability to get up and walk from here on out - Im a 48 model so I got a bit more time than you but mobility is life!!! Clint Eastwood said it for that song "Dont Let The Old Man In"

[toot]

indian joe, well if your # came up you would have gone. nothing wrong with that. and were so young back then, just kids, not old enough to vote or drink. and yes I lost a lot of friends. thank you.

[martinibelgian]

To put this into perspective - and come back to the original subject: Card or even paper wads when used as overpowder wad in cartridges when found back don't even show scorch marks, are much less consumed. Contact time is so short that the heat has next to no influence.

[4060MAY]

FWIW
I started shooting BPCR in 1991, my first rifle was a Danish RB I barreled in 40-60 Maynard, because my friend made the reamer for me, Douglas Barrel 1-16 Twist, brass made from R-P 30-40 Krag
At that time, shooting at Ridgway,PA, I met Fred Cornell, Fine machinist making molds and wad punches, and a really nice guy, I had a brain fart believing I should make the wads, .060 LDPE, .437 instead of .410, because that was the dimension inside the case where the bullet stopped.

surprise, surprise, it didn't work like I thought, when the powder ignited , the wad grabbed the inside of the case and pulled the brass, contributing to a cracked case, after 3-5 shots
I lost 250 of my 500 cases before I really noticed the black line on the case after tumbling.

I still have the wad punch, if anyone needs one this size

[JKR]

What is the advantage of a poly wad over a veggie wad given they are the same thickness?
JKR

[Lead pot]

What is the advantage of a poly wad over a veggie wad given they are the same thickness?
JKR

None that I have found looking at undamaged recovered bullets.
Having the proper diameter of the wads a poly or a card or a fiber protects the bullet base or shank just as well.
If one is getting gas cuts something else is going on like bullet diameters not matching the alloy hardness or how it's seated in the case.
Using multi wads stacks in the case has one advantage that I have found and that is reducing recoil in large calibers that might improve accuracy for recoil sensitive shooters.

[Don McDowell]

What is the advantage of a poly wad over a veggie wad given they are the same thickness?
JKR

Some swear the poly wad makes a big difference in accuracy and fouling, others not so much.
It's just another of those things that your rifle and the target will tell you.

[Kenny Wasserburger]

Poly made a big difference in accuracy in my 40-70 SS, Shiloh.

KW