Wad survey

mdeland · Post by **mdeland** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 12:36 am

I've tried LDPE, cork and veggy gasket material and have settled on the veggie wads I punch out. I have used .058 thick and am currently trying some at .042. My 45's are .470 diameter and 38's are .375.
What is the diameter and thickness you use ? MD

dozer · Post by **dozer** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 9:48 am

.470?? What shape are they in when you get them in the case? I use .460 in either .030 or .060 poly/veg, depending on which rifle they are shot in (yes, all 45 cal). I have not found "one fits all" yet. It's been a while since I tried cork but I plan to again when I have time.

mdeland · Post by **mdeland** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 10:23 am

I can thumb them right in and they are good and snug but do not make a bulge in the neck that I can detect. I have a SAMMI spec chamber in the 45-70 which is mighty generous in the neck area so these work quite well.
They seem to compress evenly around the perimeter and are nice and flat when I compress the powder through them with a steel spud in a loading die.
I often pick them up down range and could shoot them again if desired. MD

D. Cash · Post by **D. Cash** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 8:52 pm

I am using a weatherstripping felt punched with a .460 punch. The felt begins life between 1/8 and 3/16 thick and sits level with the top of the case on top of 70 gr of drop tubed powder. After the powder is compressed the wad is about .030 as close as I can tell. The felt surely made a difference keeping the fouling moist though I have no idea why. Accuracy is very satisfactory.

WBH · Post by **WBH** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 8:55 pm

I use either .060 or .030 Veggie wads only in my .50 and .45 cal rifles. Never tried anything else.

dmarable · Post by **dmarable** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 7:40 am

I only use round wads. Seriously, I use .030 and .060 veggie wads and gasket wads and I can't tell any difference. As a matter of fact, I have shot GG bullets without a wad and with only a wax paper wad. I still couldn't discern any difference. When I shot without a wad, I shot the same day I loaded as I would assume bullet lube would soon seep, or wick, into the powder column. I have shot the LDPE wads, but they seem so non-historical that I soon abandoned them.

Also, bear in mind that I am not a match shooter. or as a matter of fact, not even a great shot. Even my internet groups are loose.

Don

I have never had any problems with bulgeing cases, even with as much as .4 inches of powder compression.

sass93 · Post by **sass93** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 3:49 pm

dmarable wrote:...bear in mind that I am not a match shooter. or as a matter of fact, not even a great shot...

I have used, since the late '80s, a waxed card wad punched from milk cartons. For my .40 cal they are .420 diameter and about .024 thick. Use the same under all my BP loads, including my .45 Colt. The "inside" side is against the powder with the "slick" outside against bullet base.

As long as it's "minute of deer" it works for me.

mdeland · Post by **mdeland** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 4:00 pm

Some where along the line I got the notion that LDPE wads were the prevalent wad being used in BPCR and I mentioned this to a friend in passing. He said that he thought the veggy wads were, hence the survey question. I then was curious as to wad specs while hopefully getting some input from you all or is that "yall", being the eternal inquisitive person that I am. Thank you for your participation and the more the better! MD

mdeland · Post by **mdeland** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 4:05 pm

I have used the milk carton wads as well but in my 45 colt loads with smokeless. I just never thought to try them in my BP rifle loads. Good idea me thinks with the thick wax paper they afford. They certainly would let go of the bullet in flight, be grease proof and allow more case volume for powder. MD

LH · Post by LH » Sat Mar 15, 2008 4:19 pm

I've shot more gasket wads than anything, but the last 1200 or so rounds in my 40/65 have been with ldpe. I honestly dont think I could prove the difference between the two, but I am fairly certain that my Shiloh is slightly more accuate with the .030's vs the .060's. It takes alot of shooting to "prove" something like that in most guns I think. Its real tempting to decide on one or the other based on the results from 20 or 40 rounds fired on one day, but getting results to repeat on successive days is the only sure fire way to know.

ironramrod · Post by **ironramrod** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 6:47 pm

Primer wads made a significant improvement in shooting precision. YMMV

Regards

Creedmoor · Post by **Creedmoor** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 2:55 pm

I switched to HDPE after using LDPE for a few years. A couple of minor testing sessions between .060 LDPE vs .060 veggie didn't show a noticeable difference in accuracy.

However I suspect that LDPE or HDPE seals the charge and resists lube contamination better, so I've stuck with them. The HDPE material seems more uniform and punches out cleaner for me.

mdeland · Post by **mdeland** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 9:14 am

Another thing I would like to know is how many punch out their own wads compared to buying them commercially? MD

JerryWilliams · Post by **JerryWilliams** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 2:04 pm

I do both, punch out my own, and buy 'em. When I attend shoots with vendors there (supporting the sport) I try to find ways to do business with them and one can always use more wads. Their wads, my wads, no differance in size, material, or thickness.

Painless · Post by **Painless** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 8:56 pm

I use a newspaper over primer wad, wax carton & newpaper wad
under the bullet in my 45-110. All are cut using a cornell wad cutter.