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Over powder wad

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Joined
Aug 19, 2018
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Has anyone ever used an over powder wad for shooting lubed cast bullets. Normally I shoot balls but bought a mould to shoot a heavier round in my .32 Crockett.
 
I is e a felt wad under paperpatched conical bullets in 45 caliber. Interesting you mention 32 caliber. I find that if a use a felt wad over the powder I can use a real wet patch and ball combination and not worry about contaminating any powder. And shoot pretty much all day without swabbing. I use a 12 grain charge and have found with that little amount of powder a wet patch will dampen enough powder to ruin accuracy, at least for me.
 
I use an over powder wad for my .54 caplock and .58 flinter. Made paper mache out of newsprint and wet with olive oil. I prefer a patch with beeswax/mutton tallow. Keeps things soft and can fire as much as I want before swabbing.
I do not use it when hunting, might wet the powder.

Don
 
Felt, soft pressed paper egg carton and hard like with orange juice cartons.
Different stuff for different pieces.
 
2 years ago, I got some lubed felt .50 cal wads from totw to try in my .50cal tc hawken. I shoot 370 maxiballs and was an instant believer. it's the only way I shoot those rounds now.
 
I have found that if you are getting torn patches when using a round ball in a rifle, that the use of the appropriate size felt wad over the powder will sometimes stop the problem and increase the accuracy of the round/load.
 
I started using a leather over powder wad to prevent the lube on my mini's from damping the powder while deer hunting over twenty years ago. I liked them so much I now use them even on roundball
 
Try the .54 wads next time and see if things are even more impressive!
Walk
If I’m using wads I always go to a larger than bore wad. I have a set of punches from 1/8” up to 1” and typical use 1/8” thick hard felt from Duro-Felt. For example, 3/8” wad for 32 caliber, 1/2” wad for 45 caliber, 9/16” for 50, 5/8” for 58...... In my experience the slightly larger wad like Walkingeagle suggests seals the bore better and will usually improve accuracy.
 
I always use a wad for the first shot in the deer woods; but don't use them for follow-up shots if any are needed. At the range I use them about half the time.
 
I just use a "dry patch" which is my Castor Oil adaptation of Dutch Schoulzs' dry Ballistol patch. It all but eliminates fouling build up and is an improvement over the already tried & true tallow + beeswax formula, in use for 200+ years.
For Cap & Ball I do use an overpowder wad: simply a square ot TP with a tiny dab of beeswax + tallow lube folded up inside it. Eliminates need for crisco or other goop that attracts & builds fouling.
 
I tried a tallow/beeswax felt wad in my .45 flintlock rifle. These wads were made for my colt revolver, but I thought I'd give it a go in the rifle. Anyway, they sealed the barrel good enough that I could hardly get the patched ball down to seat! I'd push it down, let go to get another hand hold and the rod would come back up an inch or two. I guess I was compressing air as the powder had the vent hole blocked. I'd think that a tight patch/ball combo would do the same, but ive never experienced that....
Good luck, shoot straight and God bless,
Rodd
 

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