44 cal. Wad Questions

[BSA1]

I would like to acquire about 1,000 felt wads for use in 44 caliber handguns. Wonder Wads from Cabelas seem pricey at 9 or 10 bucks per 100. Is there a cheaper source for a bulk buy?

The second of my question is it cheaper to make my own wads? If so what tools and materials are needed and what is the procedure for making them?

 

[rodwha]

It is much cheaper to make your own.

You'll want 1/8" hard felt.

http://www.durofelt.com/products.html

Ohio Ramrod is a retired machinist who makes custom punches for ~$10 + shipping. I have 2 now and can attest to the quality. He sends a few punched pieces of 1/8" leather to show they work.

http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/

 

[Noz]

I buy felt from duro-felt products and use an 11mm hollow punch from Harbor freight.
$15 buys a bunch of felt and the punch comes in a set of 6 different sizes for about $6 or so.

 

[BullRunBear]

Rodwha has it right. It is MUCH cheaper to make your own. I use the Gatofeo lube recipe which leaves the wads stiff enough to handle easily, even in hot weather, and are saturated with plenty of the lube. I use the same lubed wads in 45 caliber BP cartridges.

Jeff

 

[Prairie Dawg]

I bought a bag of Sagebrush 45 caliber felt wads a few years ago & have been happy with them.
Lube them with Gatofeo's Lube & use them in 1860s and ROAs.
Currently, they are $35 per 1000
http://www.sageoutfitters.com/catalog/item/7230243/7463772.htm

Just ordered a coupla bags myself
--Dawg

 

[Don McDowell]

Check with Buffalo Arms. They sell felt wads, lubed and unlubed in bulk.
They also sell the Cornell press mounted wad punches, that make it a simple deal to punch 500 wads of what ever material up to 1/8 in thick.

 

[Mr. D]

The only unlubed bulk wads I see on Buffalo Arms are made from vegetable fiber. Anyone have experience with these? How do they perform compared to felt?

 

[rodwha]

I also use Gatofeo's #1 lube, both for the wads and also for conicals. I melted quite a bit and the some of the leftover I poured into a soap mold. I cut that into 6 little chunks and use it like a crayon to fill in the grooves.

Gatofeo's lube (by weight):
1 part beeswax
2 parts mutton tallow
2 parts paraffin wax

 

[Don McDowell]

Does look like they quit listing the unlubed felt wads, along with the 40 cal felts.
The fiber wads work great in cartridge loads, would likely work well in muzzleloaders as well.

 

[dickydalton]

I buy dry wads from the Possible Shop Inc. and lube with Gatfoe

 

[zimmerstutzen]

Veg wads from circle fly .450
$16 for 1,000

 

[BSA1]

Great information...thanks.

OK, suppose I have the dry wads and the lube. Now I need to mix them together. How do I do this?

Or rephrase it differently if I use the kitchen oven will I still be alive after my wife discovers what I cooked in it?

 

[wap41]

track of the wolf has some for about $6,per hundred

 

[rodwha]

The Harbor Freight punches that I got wouldn't even cut cleanly through the felt with several strong whacks from a hammer!

You can put the lube in a microwave safe container (I have a large mason jar that got chipped) and melt in there, and then I placed the wads in a plastic container and poured it on top of the cut wads.

 

[Don McDowell]

OK, suppose I have the dry wads and the lube. Now I need to mix them together. How do I do this?

Or rephrase it differently if I use the kitchen oven will I still be alive after my wife discovers what I cooked in it?

Best way to do this is go down to a flea market or big box store and get yourself a couple of cheap sauce pans. One that will sort of fit inside the other. You'll be using the big one to boil water, and the little one to set in the boiling water to melt the lube. When the lube is melted then drop you felt wads in and let them soak some lube, then scoop them out with a fork and lay them on a sheet of wax paper to dry.
You can also lube grooved bullets by either dipping them in the melted lube , or setting them in a shallow pan and pouring the melted lube until it covers all the lube grooves.
Keep your pans in a container someplace where the house keeper won't try to throw them out or clean them up and use them for herself.

 

[Hellgate]

Buy the Harbor Freight hole punches and chuck them into your drill press on slow speed. It punches them out just fine over a wood block without all the noise and mess. Lube after punching them out (Crisco or 50/50 beeswax/olive oil). To make it easier I hogged out the chamber in the hollow punch so the cut wads would pass through the punch easier.

 

[Patocazador]

I know this thread isn't about Harbor Freight but any product I've ever bought from them was sub-standard.

 

[Fingers McGee]

The lubed wads from Sage Outfitters work great and are only a dollar a thousand more than the dry wads. why hassle with lubing the wads when you don't have to.?

 

[Prairie Dawg]

Fangers............NOW ya tell me!
Only experience before my first bag of Sagebrush dry wads was Wonder Wads, Which never carried enuf lube IMHO.
Guns always felt like they were being shot dry.
Next time I'll try the lubed ones!

Thanks for your observations

--Dawg

 

[Fingers McGee]

Fangers............NOW ya tell me!
Only experience before my first bag of Sagebrush dry wads was Wonder Wads, Which never carried enuf lube IMHO.
Guns always felt like they were being shot dry.
Next time I'll try the lubed ones!

Thanks for your observations

--Dawg

Ya gotta ask those thing PD.

As long as I'm not shooting in Phoenix or Cheyenne, (Hot/dry) the Sagebrush wads will keep my navies running a whole match without any additional lube. If the condition are hot and dry, just have to wipe things down and add some lube to the arbor. With my shorty 1860s, I've only shot local matches; but they've worked fine.

 

[swathdiver]

I really like the ones from the Possible Shop, they are .480 in size. As my bulk order from them was runnin' low, I had Ohio Ramrod make me some punches and bought some Durofelt and now make my own for 3 calibers.

 

[BSA1]

Thanks for the helpful replies.

 

[dickydalton]

Like swathdiver says, they are .480 in diameter so they actually cup the ball. If you pick them up downrange you will see rifling marks and no sign of gas passing. I've recovered many still stuck to the bottom of the ball like a tail or gas check. I'll have to post a pic sometime.