Punch for thick .50 wads?

[Nuthatch]

I'm looking to make some thick cork or other tight-fitting wads for my .50 and am looking for suggestions on what size punch to get or how best to make these. I have a 1/2" punch that I've used to cut thin paper cards, leather cards and cork wads. Once soaked in oil, they swell a little and provide a good fit -- enough to cause a little bit of air bounce when loaded over shot. But I discovered that my gun shoots a great pattern with a plastic sabot, stripped of its petals, loaded over top of the shot. The sabot is extremely tight-fitting & takes quite a bit of effort to get seated firmly over the shot. I can't get any homemade wad to fit that tightly. And I'd prefer to ditch the plastic anyway. I'd likely need something a little bigger than 1/2" diameter and probably need something more than a punch to cut something about 1/2" thick. What's the best tool for this job?

Looks like TOTW has .510 wads from Circle Fly but they're out of stock at the moment. So homemade alternatives would be preferred.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Can you get a 9/16"? Can you get metric punches? 13 or 14mm?

 

[FishDFly]

I'm looking to make some thick cork or other tight-fitting wads for my .50 and am looking for suggestions on what size punch to get or how best to make these. I have a 1/2" punch that I've used to cut thin paper cards, leather cards and cork wads. Once soaked in oil, they swell a little and provide a good fit -- enough to cause a little bit of air bounce when loaded over shot. But I discovered that my gun shoots a great pattern with a plastic sabot, stripped of its petals, loaded over top of the shot. The sabot is extremely tight-fitting & takes quite a bit of effort to get seated firmly over the shot. I can't get any homemade wad to fit that tightly. And I'd prefer to ditch the plastic anyway. I'd likely need something a little bigger than 1/2" diameter and probably need something more than a punch to cut something about 1/2" thick. What's the best tool for this job?

Looks like TOTW has .510 wads from Circle Fly but they're out of stock at the moment. So homemade alternatives would be preferred.

Google you local contractor supply store and call them, or do a search for W.W. Graninger and do a search there.

 

[French Colonial]

Our good friend when it comes to supplies

punches | McMaster-Carr

 

[ohio ramrod]

If you take your 1/2 inch punch and hone a "cone" into the tip it will cut oversized in leather or cork. When I make punches I like to make them so that they cut a wad .025 to .030 over the bore size.

 

[OldRust]

Here is a cheap set to experiment with as Ohio Ramrod suggests.
Harbor Freight Hollow Punch Set, 9 Pc. (harborfreight.com)

Thanks,
O.R.

 

[ZUG]

You could buy cheap hole saw and grind the teeth off and put an edge on it.

 

[Ajgall]

I use a 1/2” harbor freight punch. Coned and sharpened, mine came from the store very dull.