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Cushion wad?

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bigted

bigted

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Guessing this question has been addressed before but I have missed it. Has always caused a question in my mind as to the need of a cushion wad at all.

Guess I need to spend a bit of time at the range to figure out some of this stuff first hand ... but for now if you could ... please explain (again) your reasoning behind the science of a cushion wad in the muzzleloading shotgun.

Thank you for your answers in advance. Also the history if you would of cushion wads.
 
Cushion wads came into being when the unmentionable shotgun cartridges made the change from a full cartridge of black powder and ball to an equivalent performance of the smokeless variety powder there was a lot of room left in the cartridge. That was filled by a cushion wad. It did have the benefit of being lubricated and took a little out of sudden impulse from ignition. When we rediscovered smoothbored muzzle loading guns we copied the practice established with the cartridge guns and used cushion wads. They do seal the bore giving a bit more velocity. We do have to be concerned about giving the cushion wads too much weight as they can then blow through the pattern creating a donut hole pattern. Perhaps better to load with powder first, over shot card, cornmeal as a cushion, shot and an over shot card or a cushion wad lubricated in accordance with the Skychief process.
 
Black Powder TV did some test. Cushion wads, and compressed loose fiber wads, the tow that’s well mentioned historically. He got about 200 fps faster with the tighter wad
I’ve killed a tree rat or two some bunnies and more than one turkey with tow or paper. So I don’t know that the higher velocity really helps.
Of note, back in the seventeenth century a loading instruction story is written as an epic poem saying to use well compressed felt from the padding of used saddles. A century later another writer poo-poos that idea and recommends brown paper rubbed soft.
Since I leaned about that I really like it
 
Grenadier1758 said:
Cushion wads came into being when the unmentionable shotgun cartridges made the change from a full cartridge of black powder and ball to an equivalent performance of the smokeless variety powder there was a lot of room left in the cartridge. That was filled by a cushion wad. It did have the benefit of being lubricated and took a little out of sudden impulse from ignition. When we rediscovered smoothbored muzzle loading guns we copied the practice established with the cartridge guns and used cushion wads. They do seal the bore giving a bit more velocity. We do have to be concerned about giving the cushion wads too much weight as they can then blow through the pattern creating a donut hole pattern. Perhaps better to load with powder first, over shot card, cornmeal as a cushion, shot and an over shot card or a cushion wad lubricated in accordance with the Skychief process.
Click to expand...
Howdy.

Are you saying dump the shot right on top of the cornmeal, allowing the shot to mix a bit with the corn meal?

Thanks.
 
MY OPINION on why a heavy oil soaked feltwad on top of everthing else tightens up the group is commode generated.

Think about it. Its a heavy oil soked feltwad and blows outta the barrel at mach 7 or what have you. This wad PULLS THE SHOT behind it for a nano second so the coulmn stays together just enough to deliver a (much) better pattern. Works for me? Take it or flush....er leave t.
 

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