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Albanyco

32 Cal.
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Aug 28, 2014
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Hey folks, any of you use just regular old cardboard for wads? I've been punching them out with a sharpened 3/4 inch pipe. I was thinking of using 2 for an overpowder wad and then another for an overshot card. I took some test patterns yesterday and it seemed to work fine at 25 yards. Thoughts?
 
Sounds fine. I've used it too and it seems to work pretty good. I collect all of the blotter calendars
at work at the end of the year...the cardboard backing on those is just about perfect for overshot wads.
 
I tried using cereal box for the overshot card, but on the first shot all the bb's in the left barrel rolled out. The cereal box card was just too flimsy.
 
Albanyco said:
Hey folks, any of you use just regular old cardboard for wads?

Been there, done that!
They work better as overshot cards than they do as over powder cards...
My favorite is thick leather for an OP wad and cracker box for a OS card.
The front and back covers to 3 ring binders are a nice thick dense cardboard suitable for OP wads.. Just cut the plastic outer covering and slide it out. Schools throw them out like crazy.
 
Albanyco said:
I tried using cereal box for the overshot card, but on the first shot all the bb's in the left barrel rolled out. The cereal box card was just too flimsy.

Might have to do with the size you cut them. Compare them to the commercial overshot cards, and they're virtually the same thickness. I cut mine a little oversize and never had a problem in my doubles.

Gotta do what works for you, for sure.
 
I use posterboard as the over-powder card and heavy mailing envelope (about cereal box thickness) as the overshot card. They are cut with a piece of 20ga barrel that has been sharpened. I then soak the cards in melted deer tallow.
 
Years ago, I used regular corrugated cardboard punched out. I glued three layers together for over powder wads and two glued together over shot, gave me great patterns. Now I'm lazier and just use hornets nest(minus hornets) or use half a over powder fiber wad.
 
As someone already said I use poster board I purchase from a local printing company. It measures .050" . I took a .750" punch and centered it up so I could chuck it up in a drill press and punch them out that way.It don't take long to make several hundred. I use the same method to make felt wads from Duro Felt. Two card wads with one felt(lubed) over powder. Then one card over shot works great for me. You will get a lot of good ideas here just use what works for you and enjoy.

wayne/al
 
Mr. Albanyco- Your system is the same one recommended by V. M. Starr as being the best he had found. It should still work fine.
 
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