loading black powder shotshells what to use for wads

what to use for wads for black powder shells cant seem to buy fibre wads here and plastic are no good for bp really well not ideal anyway I can import wads at great cost and might still do that if no cheaper/better option comes along been quoted 110us for 1000 nitro cards,1000 wads and 1000 over shot cards but only $40 us of that is product lol not heavy but I guess real bulky lol

I can easily make over powder/nitro cards and over shot cards so not overly worried about them its mainly what to use for wads 2 options of seen are sheep's wool and the old style felt carpet underlay I can get sheep's wool as my uncle farms a fair few thousand of the little buggers...... felt underlay seems to be a more popular option but I don't know anyone in that line of work can anyone help there?.. also any other options?

Cork tile wads as the cushion for the shot, 4cc BP/beer coaster wad/beeswax cookie/2x cork wads,1-1/8 oz shot/light over cardboard wax or glued in. Remember NO air gaps. I used brass hulls.

@Maca49where do you get cork from mate

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Originally Posted by rambo-6mmrem

@Maca49where do you get cork from mate

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Flooring shop, unfinished cork tile. I made a wad cutter of the correct dia, I also use FFG powder in them, I'm only loading 6 or 7 shot for clays, wax is the diamond rolled bee keepers sheets to help soften the residue in the barrel, Leading of the barrel can be a prob

cool mate

I use pinex ceiling tiles for the over powder wad, thickness is spot on 40lbs pressure on the wad then 1oz of shot thick cardboard over shot wad then roll crimp for 2 inch shells or forget the over shot wad and star crimp.

@Marty Henry, we better stop talking about all the rubbish we are putting into the atmosphere firing these cannons, cork, cardboard,beer coasters, pinex tiles, wax, not to mention lead!! no wonder theres global warming:D

You can buy Brass 12g shells from the states, cheap as and no restrictions

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Originally Posted by Maca49

@Marty Henry, we better stop talking about all the rubbish we are putting into the atmosphere firing these cannons, cork, cardboard,beer coasters, pinex tiles, wax, not to mention lead!! no wonder theres global warming:D

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Ha ha turn up to the toby shoot with one choke those users of that new fangled smokeless stuff and show them what a real propellant can do.

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Originally Posted by Marty Henry

I use pinex ceiling tiles for the over powder wad, thickness is spot on 40lbs pressure on the wad then 1oz of shot thick cardboard over shot wad then roll crimp for 2 inch shells or forget the over shot wad and star crimp.

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The original pinex ceiling (big sheets) was what I used for my 12g, I think it was thicker than the current pinex tiles. Had a nice rotary cutter that made very clean wads. For my 16g I scored some special (well was to the company I worked for) cork gasket material which I cut with a wad punch I machined up. Otherwise I pretty much followed Maca49's combination. For the 12g I star crimped them. For the 16g I used Elley plastic hulls with an overshot wad with a ring of PVA glue to hold the wad in. They held together perfectly and I never had one come apart in the second barrel after firing the first barrel. Patterns were reasonable not fantastic but good enough to bust clays in our clubs shoots. Also used pinex wads etc in my Hollis single barrel muzzle loader.

11.10m2 Acoustic Cork Tiles $14.40 per m2 | Trade Me something like this @Maca49 would work? its 6mm thick?

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Originally Posted by rambo-6mmrem

11.10m2 Acoustic Cork Tiles $14.40 per m2 | Trade Me something like this @Maca49 would work? its 6mm thick?

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Yep, but you can get them from Bunnings, Mega 10 or any flooring store.

yeah saw them on Bunnings website today 35 bucks for a box I'm guessing that would make a shitload of wads though lol your bees wax cookies tell me a bit more about them mate?
cheers
rambo

@Maca49 to you mean bees wax foundation sheets like this cut into wads?
Full depth Manuka Special comb foundation | Comb Foundation | Ceracell Beekeeping Supplies | Auckland | New Zealand

You can make a grease cookie I've used various receipes, bees wax, chef aid, lanoline all melted together in various ratios, tipped into a flat pan and thin cookies cut from it, now I just use bees wax sheets as shown, you could use two of them in a shotgun shell. Theory is it melts with the heat and mixes with the BP residue and softens it, easier to wipe from the bore, you need to play a bit, :thumbsup:

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Originally Posted by Maca49

You can make a grease cookie I've used various receipes, bees wax, chef aid, lanoline all melted together in various ratios, tipped into a flat pan and thin cookies cut from it, now I just use bees wax sheets........

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Ah Haaaaaa. @Maca49 Your past post returns to haunt you. :>)

I was wandering around seeking info on 12 bore fibre wad loads and found you out. Please, please, pretty please with raspberry jam and icing sugar, can you remember how thick, ( height, not consistency) you made your "mixed" grease cookies?
I ask 'cos I made some for my Martini Henry and I suss that they were too thick as after 2 / 3 rounds, the cases would not seat fully enough to allow the lock to close. I was so urinated off at the time, that I walked away from the M.H. but I must get back to "walking the Lady out again," and I still have 3 kgs of beeswax so don't want to source sheets.

Beaver grease has it all ex CHCH

Sells it all as separates and as 500 lots
Under was heavy card
Fibre wad
Over card wad

But some of his raw lanolin as well
Melt it and soak the fibre wads in it
Leave out on plastic to dry
Done


Sounds rude.
My wife bins all his emails to me

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Originally Posted by Kiwi Sapper

Ah Haaaaaa. @Maca49 Your past post returns to haunt you. :>)

I was wandering around seeking info on 12 bore fibre wad loads and found you out. Please, please, pretty please with raspberry jam and icing sugar, can you remember how thick, ( height, not consistency) you made your "mixed" grease cookies?
I ask 'cos I made some for my Martini Henry and I suss that they were too thick as after 2 / 3 rounds, the cases would not seat fully enough to allow the lock to close. I was so urinated off at the time, that I walked away from the M.H. but I must get back to "walking the Lady out again," and I still have 3 kgs of beeswax so don't want to source sheets.

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You know I made so much, I’ve never made it again, I have sold my BP shotguns, but still use this mixture for lubing lead projectiles. Was as below, beeswax, chef aid and lanolin. Beeswax was the base, chef aid to soften and lanolin, cause it expensive and great on your nipples, if breast feeding, I only used a small tube of it. The consistency is such, I can push it into the grooves of projectiles with my warm fingers. Hasn’t deteriorated over 5 yrs
I got the recipe of a yank site.

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Originally Posted by mimms2

Instead of melting and pouring wax straight on to pan/ sheet, heat it directly in boiling water, and let it cool, and it will form a sheet on the surface...<1/8" should do for a wax wad. fill space with fibre (or lead, if you can) so overshot is just inside case mouth/crimp

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Many thanks....I must be a poor questioner so am lucky that you understood all I was asking was for the thickness of the wax cookie.
1/8 th... no wonder the M.H's chamber "glugged up" after a couple of rounds with my fat cookies.
I will try your "hot water" idea as that sounds great.

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Originally Posted by mimms2

^But this also good

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Currently doing that for 11 and 12 bore muzzleloaders, so will try that on the Snider and M.H. :>)

I just punch cards out of hardish cardboard with a wad punch I made and put a couple over the powder - probably 3/32" thick each.
I shoot cap lock and give the barrel a small squirt of ballistol/water after I've loaded the shot and before I ram the overshot card.
I load cases the same - just without the squirt.

Guy in the States loaded that way - V.M Starr and he knew his shit ............ apparently.

Beavergrease does sell wads - I probably wouldn't worry with the fibre ones as I don't reckon they're needed,