I tried a 18th Century wad

I was very impressed.

I gathered a whole plastic grocery bag of dead Spanish Moss. I looked for the dead stuff close to the ground and on the ground. If it's a Olive gray, it's still living. Dead Spanish Moss looks like brown hair.

It's really strange stuff. It's not really a parasite as it only uses the host tree, usually an oak; as simply a place to grow. It steals no nutrients from the tree.

I pull off a little of the moss, pick out all the big leaves and sticks; and roll it into little balls between both palms. While rolling the balls up dirt and contaminates fall away leaving a tight and stringy ball. I'm shooting a 28 so I made most of my wads about 12 bore size.

I had a tin with a olive oil and beeswax mixture, mixed to the hard side. I rubbed the moss balls in his mixture and found they take and hold the wax lube easily.

I loaded powder, wad, ball and wad on top. I upped my charge from 80 to 90 grains. I have found this load to be at least equal to a PRB.

I shot a few PRBs until they took a little effort to load. I switched back to the wads without swabbing the bore and the first shot in the fouled bore took nearly the same effort as the PRB. The second was easier the third was was like loading a clean gun. So it seems these wads lube and clean the bore to a point.

I'm going to check my bore and if it's a true 28 I'm going to try some .55s with these wads instead of the .530 I'm using now. Hopefully that will be even more accurate.

Another thing I noticed,shooting 90grains with the wads the gun makes a noticeable Crack along with the boom that echoes off the hills and hollers.

Another thing, waxed and oiled, the wads seem to be fire resistant as I found a spent wad powder blackened but not smoldering. I could have rolled it up and used it again.

This load does well with shot too. Local lore says the Creek Indians used this load in their trade guns.

Good post 54! I wonder what natural materials can be used from the upstate NY area.

TinStar
Soli Deo Gloria!

:surrender: First you would need to get the Emporer's ok to use :rotf:

We have mosses out West here, but nothing like your Spanish moss. Still, I might have to try some to see how if it comes close to working. Thanks for sharing.

54ball said:

Local lore says the Creek Indians used this load in their trade guns.

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"A Voyage to Georgia, Begun in the Year 1735", Moore, Francis, London: Jacob Robinson, 1744.

"“I observed here a kind of Moss I had never seen before; it grows in great Quantities upon the large Trees, and hangs down 3 or 4 Yards from the Boughs; it gives a noble, ancient and hoary Look to the Woods; it is of a whitish green Colour, but when dried, is black like Horse-hair. This the Indians use for wadding their Guns, and making their Couches soft under the Skins of Beasts, which serve them for beds. They use it also for Tinder, striking Fire by flashing the Pans of their Guns into a handful of it, and for all other Uses where old Linnen would be necessary."

Spence

TinStar said:

I wonder what natural materials can be used from the upstate NY area.

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Try the bark of eastern red cedar, you'll like it.

Spence

Thanks Spence. I just had a "DUH!" moment as the second I read your response I realized that I had already read that by you somewhere else! :grin:

TinStar
Soli Deo Gloria!

George said:

"A Voyage to Georgia, Begun in the Year 1735", Moore, Francis, London: Jacob Robinson, 1744.

"“I observed here a kind of Moss I had never seen before; it grows in great Quantities upon the large Trees, and hangs down 3 or 4 Yards from the Boughs; it gives a noble, ancient and hoary Look to the Woods; it is of a whitish green Colour, but when dried, is black like Horse-hair. This the Indians use for wadding their Guns, and making their Couches soft under the Skins of Beasts, which serve them for beds. They use it also for Tinder, striking Fire by flashing the Pans of their Guns into a handful of it, and for all other Uses where old Linnen would be necessary."

Spence

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Very interesting quote Spence, thanks!

great post and an informative read. Thank you for posting this. I'm on the west coast so Spanish moss is not so common, but I may see bout yackin up someone over yonder.
Thanks again.

Grits with that olive oil and beeswax might make a good cusion, but south of the Mason-Dixon I'm afeared it would never quite make its way into the barrel!

Alden what are we going to do with you?...After feeding my tulle lots of stuff I think any natural fibrous stuff can work. I've just used compressed dog hair and it worked well, Picked jute also works, townsend doesn't sell tow now.
Humm. I'ved used corn meal in low loaded revolvers. Maybe your on to somthing

When I was in school in Tuscaloosa, I had my mattress revamped at a place across the river in Northport. They used spanish moss and the mattress held up well for the 4 years I used it.

Horses love to eat it in the winter .. lots of protein I've been told. Now I can use it for wadding too. :hatsoff:

I've collected some wasp nest material which has a nice spongy character here in the northern climes of Indiana. I'm thinking it will work well but yet to try.

Patocazador said:

...spanish moss and the mattress held up well for the 4 years I used it.

Horses love to eat it in the winter .. lots of protein I've been told. Now I can use it for wadding too. :hatsoff:

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Can we put Velveeta on it? Buttermilk, Mrs. Butterworth's pancake syrup, and give it to the kids down there!? Sounds better'n grits.

Don't think Velveeta would be good on it but it will definitely improve the flavor of grits. :grin:

I've heard it said, many times that hornets nesting makes great wadding.

hobowonkanobe said:

I've heard it said, many times that hornets nesting makes great wadding.

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Absolutely true. Down here we only have the yellow jackets who build a separate chamber nest that doesn't compress that well. One of the posters from Ohio took pity on me and send a big one in a plastic bag. Yikes, that's a big ole thing!!

good to know as my only present smooth bore is my Howdah, but I am holding onto hope to get a Fouler or F&I era musket.