Anyone else using wads for rifles?

Hi all!
Have been using lubed patches and also added lubed wads a while back and have found I can off hand shoot with little if any loss of accuracy and continued easy loading through around 20 rounds with the addition of the wads in my percussion muzzleloader rifle. Prior, would need to stop and run cleaning patches after a few rounds, as loading would get difficult. The trick was to find the right size wad punch. (I'd been purchasing felt in large rolls for years, as I have been making my own lubed wads for my cap and ball revolvers.) For my 50 caliber, 14mm punches gave wads that worked the best. My spouse's 45 caliber uses a 1/2 inch punch. I use just store bought Bore Butter on the patches and wads.

Anybody else using wads in their rifles? If yes, what's been your outcome? What sort of wad sizes and lube did you use?

Mate I am using 1/2 inch thick wads in my .72 Forsyth rifled classic English hunting rifle. The bore in this rifle is a little rough as it is still cleaning up, I am using a thick denim patch with a .71 ball. I put 12 shots through the other day with the last round loading as easily as the first. I believe from discussion on a long rifle sight, that wads work fine with the larger calibers, I guess from .45 and up. Here is the result of benching at 50 yards, charge 123 grains of Fg. First and third shots low, sighing error, full sight 12 o'clock into the black I am lubing the wad with plain store bought unsalted lard. Hard felt and a 12 gauge wad cutter.

I don't always use wads in my rifles but often do. The wad, I've found, can be almost anything; a dry patch, hornet nest, felt or even toilet paper. I use toilet paper at the range and put a tuft over the powder before seating the ball. If you use a strong, thick patch it probably doesn't make much of a difference. The toilet paper wad turns into "snow" when the gun is fired and I have noticed that in some of my rifles it gives more uniform ballistics. Again, it probably isn't necessary but it doesn't seem to hurt anything.

I used felt wads all this year in my .36 rifles, mostly to see if it helped




William Alexander

I started using an over powder wad about twentyfive years ago when hunting with greased mini's to prevent the grease from fouling the powder. About fifteen years ago I started using leather over powder wads with patched round ball and have been using them ever since. As a retired tool and die man I have no problem making my own punches .025 over land to land dimension.I find this tends to "power swab" the bore as you shoot. thus each shot is like the first shot after a fowling shot. :idunno: :idunno:

Not "wads" per se, like the felt ones I use in my smooth bores. But I do use thin fiber (like gasket material) "wads" in my .45 rifle between powder and PRB. I started doing it to separate the lubed patch from the powder while hunting, and in testing found it improved the accuracy of a looser ball/patch combo to equal that of a tight one. Double positive in my book. Easier loading and separation of dry powder from lubed patch.

Cleaning may be a bit easier too in that the thin material these are made of really scrapes down the bore placing most of the fouling on top of the powder.

For a number of years now, I have been using felt wads in my rifles. It enables me to use a thinner and more easily started patch. The wad does the sealing of hot gasses that a tighter patch would do. Secondly, it helps to keep the fouling down. I get more shots between swabbing the bore than when I do not use a wad. Without a wad, I always swab between shots to keep the bore the same from shot to shot but when I use a lubed wad, it seems to do this for me. I buy my punches from one of our members on this forum who goes by the name of Ohio Ramrod. He will make a custom punch for an extremely reasonable price. If you have a drill press, be sure to ask him for his drill press attachment. With it, you can use your drill press to easily punch out your wads. As for lubing my wads, I mostly use Bore Butter. To lube my wads, I just "butter" a sheet of felt and put it in the microwave just long enough to melt the Bore Butter into the fabric. Then I punch out my pre-lubed wads.

Gents,
final sight adjustment an the old girl is now shooting to POA. She really likes the greased felt wads. My first shot a bit low due to sighting error, I need a ver full sight at 12 in the black. 72 FBG 50m Bench by Gordon Hazel, on Flickr

After trying to use hornet nests in the rifles I found I could not get the right amount every time and accuracy suffered. I switched to wonder wads in the correct caliber and found one wad would improve accuracy and two wads would improve it more.
Can't determine if the accuracy is improved because of the extra seal in the barrel or if the two wads going down helps wipe the bore between shots and provides better rifling to patch connection and less fowling. Could be both, but seems to help in all my rifles.