Wad Stack for Black Powder PPB

[Gobeyond]

No longer a competitor, but that shouldn't stifle the quest for accuracy and minimum group size.

No lube in my wads, I don't go that route. I'll swab between shots fired.

Grease cookies just take up space that's better used by added powder in most instances (other than reduced powder/power loads).

How much powder have you tried? I’ve found that 70 grains 1 1/2 ffg fits easily uncompressed.

[JosieGun]

How much powder have you tried? I’ve found that 70 grains 1 1/2 ffg fits easily uncompressed.

Typically better consistent accuracy is achieved with some powder compression. For .45-70 long range I run 82 grains of Swiss 1-1/2F and a single LDPE wad under an Accurate 532 grain PPB bore rider. Wad stacks are for reduced loads at shorter distances and I've gone down quite low at times, compressed 55 to 65 grains of Swiss 1-1/2F under a 300 to 350 grain PPB and a stack of Circle Fly wads. These days I'll typically run 70 grains of compressed Swiss 1-1/2F, under a Circle Fly wad stack, under a 350 grain PPB bore rider that sits 1/10" into the case mouth (so that I can get the most amount of that short bore rider PPB past the freebore and into the rifling). There's no substitute for testing out what yer gun likes best ... or worst.

[Gobeyond]

Wow 82 grains. Who would have thought…. So it’s ok to work up or down from seventy. 70 causes a little increase in pressure for me. Can’t go much higher. Can’t wait to see what it does today. Can’t even try 3fg. But that’s what I needed to hear because there’s so much room in the case with PP. This blows out my 60 grains load. Have more hope now for a decent 200 yd attempt. You sure don’t hear this coming from load books. The calculator just says 83 grains won’t fit and stops there.

[JosieGun]

For me to get 82 Swiss 1-1/2F grains into a FIRE FORMED (which has somewhat larger capacity than sized brass) .45-70 Starline brass case requires drop filling the powder slowly from a 30" height and then further settling in that powder with tapping/vibration, which allows pressing in the .060" LDPE wad to within .1" of the case mouth. I don't load that hefty any more, no need as I'm only going out between 200 to 600 yards at best, and with a modern break open scoped .45-70 meant for commercial jacketed bullets and greasers, not PPBs. But it works well enuf, for me.

Much of the BP PPB bore rider cartridge loading media is kinda lacking. Randy Wright's booklet "Loading and Shooting Paper Patch Bullets" is one of the best, though it's mostly about grease cookie loads which I avoid. I prefer using Swiss 1-1/2F powder, though I have dabbled with 2F and even 3F in .45-70 loads. I use Swiss 3F for loading .44 Magnum BP PPB bore rider cartridges, now that's fun!

[Kenny Wasserburger]

My wad stack:

For my 45-110 Shilohs a 25# Bull barrel and a 34 inch LRE.
Powder can be Olde Eynsford 1.5Fg, or Goex Express 1Fg.
Charges vary from 103.5 grs of Olde Eynsford to 110 grs of Goex express all depending on the lot.

Compression of .380-.385 my goal. I use a .060 vegetable fiber wad to do that. Next is a .060 LDPE wad lastly is a 1/8 felt wad. My paper patch loads set .450 in the case, my dual diameter bullet, the major diameter at .4575 just kissing the grooves snug. My bore riders are the same .450 in the case. This set up set a new record in Pedersoli’s 5@200 1.336 inches at 200 yards 5 shots in 2008. This type of wad stack has won multiple national championships in both Creedmoor and midrange scope class. Also two Winter nationals in Creedmoor at Phoenix.

Kenny Wasserburger

[JosieGun]

My wad stack:

For my 45-110 Shilohs a 25# Bull barrel and a 34 inch LRE.
Powder can be Olde Eynsford 1.5Fg, or Goex Express 1Fg.
Charges vary from 103.5 grs of Olde Eynsford to 110 grs of Goex express all depending on the lot.

Compression of .380-.385 my goal. I use a .060 vegetable fiber wad to do that. Next is a .060 LDPE wad lastly is a 1/8 felt wad. My paper patch loads set .450 in the case, my dual diameter bullet, the major diameter at .4575 just kissing the grooves snug. My bore riders are the same .450 in the case. This set up set a new record in Pedersoli’s 5@200 1.336 inches at 200 yards 5 shots in 2008. This type of wad stack has won multiple national championships in both Creedmoor and midrange scope class. Also two Winter nationals in Creedmoor at Phoenix.

Kenny Wasserburger

Awesome, Kenny!