Thread: loading black powder shotshells what to use for wads

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........

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

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.

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.

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

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.

Originally Posted by mimms2

^But this also good

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,