felt wad

[newkid]

I decided I wanted to try a felt wad under a patched round ball. I've purchased the duro-felt but I haven't ordered a punch yet. My question is, for my .54 what size wad (or punch) should I use.

Thanks for any advice!

 

[paulvallandigham]

Try a 9/16 cutter for cutting those wads. It will produce a wad that is .5625 in diameter, which is slightly larger than the nominal .550, but unless your bore measures smaller than .550, it will work. You want the felt wad to seal the bore from gases. There are better wads to use for that purpose, but that is what you need to make your own. YOu will do better to use two wads over the powder, but you will learn that as you try out your homemade wads of felt.

 

[greenneck]

Well, .54 should be a good size, or better make it a little larger, like .55 or .56.

Felt wads sometimes improve accuracy quite a bit.

Steve

 

[Blizzard of '93]

I punched wads for my .50 from the 1/8" duro-felt, tightened groups noticeably. good luck, 9/16" punch should do fine.

 

[roundball]

I decided I wanted to try a felt wad under a patched round ball. I've purchased the duro-felt but I haven't ordered a punch yet. My question is, for my .54 what size wad (or punch) should I use.

Thanks for any advice!

I use the next larger size caliber oxyoke wads with all my rifle hunting loads for a tighter fit, tighter seal, more lube,[url] etc...in[/url] your example the .58cal wad in a .54cal.

When I pick then up off the ground at the range, the outer edge has marks that remind me of miniature teeth where the pressure squeezed the extra material out into the grooves.

No science, just seems logical they'd offer even more improvement than just the bore sized wads, so if I'm going to use wads anyway, I use the next larger caliber size.

 

[rice1817]

They way I do it is to go to Lowes and get some copper tubing with an ovesized ID. Cut it off with a pipe cutter, and hone the edges sharp. I soak the felt in my favorite liquid lube, then freeze it. Put the sharpened pipe in a drill press, lay the felt on a board, and I knock out wads as fast as I can pull the handle. I also find that 5/8th wads work fine in 62 and .58 caliber, and 9/16 wads work fine in 54 and 50.

 

[newkid]

Paul, you said "There are better wads to use for that purpose, but that is what you need to make your own." I'm curious, what "better wads" were you referring to?

Thanks

 

[paulvallandigham]

Try some circle fly fiber wads. They are stiffer, overbored diameter, easy to load, but seal the bore better. With felt, it bends, and with a round ball, it bends forward around the ball, allowing gas to blow by in the grooves. That burns patches, and cuts lead, which is not conducive to accuracy.

The escaping gas is powder wasted, as you do not get the velocity you would have using a stiffer fiber wad. A chronograph will tell you all about velocity, while the traditional checking of your used patches after each shot tells the rest.