Leather wads for smoothbore

[Ferret Master]

I am interested in making leather wads for use with shot in smooth bores. Any suggestions as to thickness of leather needed?

 

[tenngun]

I shoot 1x2 inch folded paper as my go to wad. I’ve used yellow deer skin of about the same size but thicker. I would be more concerned about its ability to bens and fold more then the thickness

 

[Britsmoothy]

I stamp out leather welding gloves sometimes. Work fine.
Use what ever you have.

 

[ohio ramrod]

I have used leather wads for over forty years. I make mine out of leather scraps from a harness shop. I use anything from 1/8 to 3/16th. The cuffs of old welding gloves work nicely. For the softer leather I use them as is, for the harder leather I soak them in a 50/50 mix of alcohol and olive oil to soften them.

 

[Sam squanch]

I stamp out leather welding gloves sometimes

did they catch fire?

 

[Crow-Feather]

did they catch fire?

No, they can sit in the bore forever and not burn. (chuckle)

 

[Historian]

Leather is far better at sealing the bore if sized properly than paper style wads to include cardboard wads. Get yourself a wad cutter and have a machinist turn down the handle so it will fit into a drill press or hand held drill. It makes making the wads simple and efficient. All I use are leather wads and I can see the difference over the chronograph which cuts down on powder usage. They are also flexible which makes loading them easier than hard card wads. As of now I do not wax them with beeswax but I might start doing that with a trial run.

 

[Rató:rats]

Same here. I only use leather wads in my gun. Lots of scrap leather around my place. And leather goods can be had from thrift stores for a song. Get a $12 dollar punch and you’re in business.
I think it was A Treatise On Shooting where the author tried different wadding but settled on saddle leather because “nothing drives so fierce”.
I’ll dig around for the page and quote

 

[George]

I think it was A Treatise On Shooting where the author tried different wadding but settled on saddle leather because “nothing drives so fierce”.
I’ll dig around for the page and quote

Pteryplegia: Or, The Art Of Shooting-Flying, George Markland, 1727:

Now search for Tow, and some old Saddle pierce:
No Wadding lies so close or drives so fierce.

Spence

 

[Rató:rats]

Wiser heads
Thanks Spence