Want to try durofelt wad for 50 cal REAL bullet

[weeple2000]

I have been casting a 320 grain 50 cal Lee REAL bullet for my CVA Wolf rifle in 1:28 twist. I'm using lead from a pipe my friend tore out of his house. I've got some stick on wheel weights too.

I bought the gun after last year's season so I haven't hunted with it. Last year I cast a bunch of bullets. I tumble lubed them with Ben's Liquid Lube.

30% Lundmark Liquid Paste Wax (which is still being made at this time)
30% White Label Xlox* (a lot cheaper than Lee's alox)
40% solvent (in the form of odorless Mineral Spirits)

I shot them on top of 80 grains by volume of Triple Se7ev. My gun has open sights. At the time accuracy was sufficient for hunting. I figured I'd leave well enough alone.

Well now here I am a year later. Of course this is an itch I want to scratch. I wanted to try adding another type of lube to it. I didn't have crisco on hand. I used coconut oil. I added that to the bullets I had already tumble lubed. At the time I was shooting it was cold enough that the coconut oil was solid. I'm intending to pick up some beeswax and mix some proper.

I also want to get a punch and some durofelt to try using a wad. I see some listed on this page suggested for wads:

https://www.durofelt.com/image_84.html

Are any of those ok? FM18101OWH, FM18475OWH, FM18675OWH, FM18725OWH - does it matter which?

What size punch do I need for a 50 cal rifle? I see a Harbor Freight set with a 1/2" punch. Will that suffice? Or should I get something bigger? If so, where/what?

Is coconut oil ok, or should I pick up some crisco?

[WRideout]

I just use the 1/2" hollow punch from Harbor Freight. The over powder wad is punched from cardboard packaging. Grease wads are made from wool felt (fabric store purchase) soaked in 50/50 bees wax/Crisco. Punched out with the same 1/2" punch. REAL bullets are pan lubed with the same mix.

I could never get much accuracy with that load using Pyrodex. Also the lightweight CVA Buckhorn Magnum with synthetic stock is a real shoulder bruiser. I have since downgraded to the Harvester sabots using my cast 45 SWC boolits. At least I can get a reasonable group at fifty yards, and recoil is manageable.

Wayne
PS: Crisco was a kitchen discard because it had set on the shelf long enough to go rancid.

[stubshaft]

A 1/2" punch will work fine. I prefer felt from 1/8" hard felt from Duro Felt and Olive oil instead of coconut oil (don't like the smell). I hope it works out for you as I have never found an accurate load using a REAL bullet in any of my 50's. Although, one of my hunting partners swears by them.

[weeple2000]

A 1/2" punch will work fine. I prefer felt from 1/8" hard felt from Duro Felt and Olive oil instead of coconut oil (don't like the smell). I hope it works out for you as I have never found an accurate load using a REAL bullet in any of my 50's. Although, one of my hunting partners swears by them.

Are you using olive oil on the felt wad? For some reason I thought that I should lube the bullet and not the felt wad.

Right now I'm getting a group that's reasonably minute of white tail at fifty yards. I've just got the itch to scratch trying to figure out if I can tighten it up a bit. I have a lot of experience shooting pistols at fifty yards as a bullseye shooter but I have not shot rifle that much.

[weeple2000]

I just use the 1/2" hollow punch from Harbor Freight. The over powder wad is punched from cardboard packaging. Grease wads are made from wool felt (fabric store purchase) soaked in 50/50 bees wax/Crisco. Punched out with the same 1/2" punch. REAL bullets are pan lubed with the same mix.

I could never get much accuracy with that load using Pyrodex. Also the lightweight CVA Buckhorn Magnum with synthetic stock is a real shoulder bruiser. I have since downgraded to the Harvester sabots using my cast 45 SWC boolits. At least I can get a reasonable group at fifty yards, and recoil is manageable.

Wayne
PS: Crisco was a kitchen discard because it had set on the shelf long enough to go rancid.

I recently realized the sabot was an option too. I have the Lee H&G 68 clone in 45. I was thinking I'd actually use a Keith SWC in 44 instead though. Initially I am not so fond of the idea of sabots because you're giving up bullet diameter. I think it would be an inferior wound channel.

All the threads I found earlier said the duro felt wad was the ticket for accuracy with the REAL bullet. I thought it would be better to start a new thread rather than bump an old one.

[charlie b]

I've always had better accuracy with slugs using felt and card wads. I bought mine from Buffalo Arms.

I never liked the REAL bullets in any of the guns I tried them in. .50cal slugs I use are the Hornady Great Plains and a BACO 450gn PP slug. Both sized to .501 for the Lyman. I've also had decent groups with the Lee .500 S&W mold, also sized and PP or just lubed. Also with card and felt wads.

PS the link above for Durofelt. All of those are the same felt, just different size sheets.

[stubshaft]

Are you using olive oil on the felt wad? For some reason I thought that I should lube the bullet and not the felt wad.

Right now I'm getting a group that's reasonably minute of white tail at fifty yards. I've just got the itch to scratch trying to figure out if I can tighten it up a bit. I have a lot of experience shooting pistols at fifty yards as a bullseye shooter but I have not shot rifle that much.

I use a mix of olive oil and beeswax. I pour it onto the felt and put it into a warm oven (on an old cookie sheet) to ensure that the lube penetrates the wad. Let it cool then punch out the wads.

It's the same method I use to make wads for my C&B pistols and BP shotguns. You can use the same lube to dip your REAL bullets in too.

[weeple2000]

I use a mix of olive oil and beeswax. I pour it onto the felt and put it into a warm oven (on an old cookie sheet) to ensure that the lube penetrates the wad. Let it cool then punch out the wads.

It's the same method I use to make wads for my C&B pistols and BP shotguns. You can use the same lube to dip your REAL bullets in too.

If I'm using a lubed wad, should I be lubing the bullet too?

[charlie b]

I would. The lubed wad is to seal the base and keep the fouling soft.

[weeple2000]

I started punching out some wads. This is a lot more work than I anticipated. I have to give about 20-30 whacks with that hammer to get a single wad out. I did about 25 and called it quits. Is there an easier way to do it? I did read the punch will get dull. I didn't notice that they were any more difficult to cut towards the end compared to when I started.

[LAGS]

I made a cutter that fit into my drill press.
It cut the felt pretty easy.

[weeple2000]

Tried a three pound dead blow hammer. That will do it in about 8 solid hits. Unfortunately I don't own a drill press.

[ulav8r]

Use a harder wood and place the felt on the end grain.

[LAGS]

You can try using a regular drill motor also.

[weeple2000]

Use a harder wood and place the felt on the end grain.

Hardwood on the end grain was the ticket. I had a branch come off a pear tree several months ago. I cut it up and it's been drying on my patio. I cut an end off of one of the logs. Using that dead blow mallet on the pear end grain will get the job done in two good whacks. Much easier.

[siamese4570]

I used MD Felt weatherstripping that I bought at Lowe (I think). It's 3/16" thick, 1 1/4" wide, and 17' long. It'll make a lot of wads. I use these wads under my maxi-balls and under the ball on my ROA. To lube the wads i melt 2 parts canning wax, 2 parts mutton tallow, and one part beewax. Soak the wads in the melted lube, remove them and place on wax paper or foil to cool/harden. Don't squeeze out the excess lube when you remove the wads from the melted lube. This same lube also works well for maxi-balls. Just stand them up in a small container like a tuna fish can and pour the melted lube in the can around the maxi-balls. once the lube cools, the m-balls can be removed using a cutter made from a 50 cal bmg case.
Siamese4570

[dondiego]

Try folding the wool over for a double thickness.

[weeple2000]

I know the obvious answer is try it and see. Getting to the range may be a bit difficult though.

Will using a wad change my point of impact? I should be sighted where I want without the wad. Would I be better off sticking without the wad for hunting? Or will I get a better group throwing a wad in there?

I will try to get to the range to find out and post my results. Just curious if anyone has any insight.

[LAGS]

I have found on most rifles, putting in a lubed Wad helps keep the barrel cleaner.
So the second and third shot are as consistent as the first shot in the clean barrel.
But every barrel is different.
So just do a test with yours and see if the load changes help at all .

[Good Cheer]

Wads punched from pressed paper egg cartons and saturated with melted lube can work also. It's about like the stem packing in gate valves. Being compressed by the charge makes them spread out and seal off. More difficult to achieve sealing with a stepped base boolit.