felt overpowder wad

[eph289]

My nephew "Clutch" and myself are wanting to get some new felt to make overpowder wads . We'll need to make punches for Cal.54,58&62 . We need to know how much oversize these wads need to be for these Cals.plus what thickness of felt. I think we're going to get some from Dura Felt.
We would appreciate any information so we do'nt have to reinvent the wheel.
Thanks Guys!

 

[Blizzard of '93]

I got 1/16 felt for wads for my revolvers and 1/8 felt for my .50 rifle and pistol I made my own punches the .50 punch is .504 I.D., good snug fit in my .50.
Noticeably tighter groups when using them, and seems to keep fouling down some in my .50 but I dry-patch afer every shot anyway so maybe my outlook is tweaked.

 

[Tim Wilkinson]

let us know what you come up with..I have also been looking into overpowder wads but havent found anything good to punch them with or anything good to make them out of yet..Hoffman and Wright make wads for 45,50 and 54 cal, pre lubed,50 per bag for 6 bucks plus shipping,but I am still trying to make them on my own. Hoffman and Wright make some GREAT big game bullets with a big flat nose on them..kinda like a semi wad cutter handgun bullet..you can hear them wack the target at close range..AWSOME!!!!

 

[R.M.]

For .45 wads, I bought a Lee push-through sizing die .457, and cut the lead-in of the bottom (about 3/4")This works pretty good for a wad punch when I clamp the single-stage press upside down to my loading bench. It kind of sounds more complicated than it realy is. With the press being upside down, it's easier to see what your doing. I cut the felt in 1/2" strips, and just feed them across.
Plus, the price of the die is less than $20.00.
I then just dip the wads in melted bore butter.

Works for me.
R.M.

 

[Old Charlie]

Put Duro-felt in your search and you can find the felt for your wads.
Old Charlie

 

[NORD]

What did you use to cut the bottom off of the Lee sizer die? Isn't that steel aweful hard?

 

[playfarmers]

I found a set of punches at the local hardware store, and found that 9/16" should do the job for the .54, and I use the 1/2" for the .50 cal. I have been lucky so far in finding scrap felt pieces for free.