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What Size Punch For 50 Cal Powder Wads

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NEW222

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Hi there. While on a recent trip to the US, I scored some felt in two thicknesses and hardness's for over powder wads. Now to make these for my 50 caliber flintlock, what is the general consensus on size for my wads? I know that the gun is 50 caliber, but is a 1/2" punch too small, or is it alright? Or should I find something in the 5/8" diameter? Thank you in advance for any help.
 
I would recommend a wad punch .025 to .035 above the land to land of a rifle, or actual bore of a smoothbore. :hmm:
 
Thank you. I may be getting a punch in a couple of weeks from a family friend. I will keep you posted.
 
If for some reason you aren't satisfied just talk to Ohio Ramrod on this forum. He has made me a couple and they are well worth it, and very reasonably priced.
 
Yes, thank you for the recommendation. He has already messaged me about one. I am awaiting to see what I get and if it is not what I think is good, he will get to make me one. :grin:
 
I'd recommend a shop made punch. Ohio Ramrod is probably a good choice but I have no experience with his work. Most of the commercial ones are not hard enough to hold a sharp edge. I make my own for that very reason. I like tools that stay sharp with normal use.
 
I'd recommend a shop made punch. Ohio Ramrod is probably a good choice but I have no experience with his work. Most of the commercial ones are not hard enough to hold a sharp edge. I make my own for that very reason. I like tools that stay sharp with normal use.

He sent both of mine with thick leather wafers he punched with them to show they’re good to go.
 
9/16" or 15mm should do yah. Better to have them a bit over sized than under where the wad won't help seal the ignited charge.
 
If you use a good lube on your felt wads such as a beeswax and lamb allow mix, then the felt will swell up and fill the bore when you push in the wad. You'll also get the benefit of lubing ahead of the load. 9/16 would be just a tad too large for .50 caliber. I think you can get too large and an oversize wad can be harder to load and won't always center well. I'm getting ready to make a punch for myself and I'm going to follow Ohio /ramrod's recommendation. I've got an adjustable reamer that I'm going to cut the bore of the die with that ought to get me a good sized wad. That's another good reason to buy a shop made punch. They have to tools and the knowledge to make a punch the right size, sharp and hard enough to last a while.
 
No. You always want the wads over groove size. A .50 cal's grooves are always over .50. My Lyman states it has .502” lands, again still larger than 1/2”. But my grooves are stated to be about .520” so a 1/2” punched wad wouldn’t do it’s job of sealing the bore. Lyman’s shallow groove is stated to be .510”. You don’t want it to merely fill in the grooves but be pressed in a bit so they have some gripping power.
 
Ohio Ramrod stated 20 to 35 thou over land to land dimension would be best and I agree. .5 inches would not be enough. If you punch lubed felt, it will usually come out a larger diameter than the punch hole. It tends to rebound after it comes out of the punch. If you punch a wad that is too big, you run the risk of a buckle in the wad which would allow a leak somewhere. You should reach a dimension that is just slightly larger than your groove to groove dimension to get the best seal.
 
Depends on what your wad material is. If you're using felt and you're going to put it in lube after punching, then 1/2. The felt will swell a bit with the lube and seal fine.
 
The sticky here says 1/2".

At the bottom of the sticky there is a comment 33/64 is better or use a 13MM.
 
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I use 5/8" they come out at .62" ish. They are a little big but seal very well.
 

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