Density of felt for grease cookies

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orpington

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My understanding is that a hard wad is desired, approximately .36 gm/cm3. I have access to felt at .26 gm/cm3. How essential is it that it be .36 gm/cm3?
 
The grease cookie (which I used to use in the sharps/but not so much now) is just a carrier for the lube.
Doesn't need to be any particular density as long as it soaks up/retains that lube.
 
It is worth noting that when purchasing/acquiring felt for wads that you ensure you are dealing with 100% wool, or at a very minimum 100% natural fibers. Synthetic fibers will most likely melt and "foul" and build up in your bore.
Lots of "felt" today is full of synthetic fibers
 
If that's the case, I should think that a lesser density would be more desirable. And, thank you for your answer.
 
Go to Durofelt and order the felt for wads. It is affordable and of perfect quality for muzzleloading guns.
 
I probably should not comment since I use over-the-ball lube instead of felt wads in my cap guns, and simply coat the bottom of the bullet with lube for black powder cartridges. But I am trying to imagine how a lube wad works, considering the dynamics of pushing a projectile down the barrel.

Pressure is going to go sky high when the powder burns, mashing the felt wad against the base of the projectile. If I am imagining correctly, it seems to me that a low density felt with lots of lube is going to extrude more lube out when it is mashed than a hard wad. So I think a low density mashable wad would be more effective, would it not?
 
I am not an engineer but my take would be that the amount of pressure generated by the burning power would be such that the density of the felt would be of no consequence

The higher density felt would make for an easier chance to get a solid compression of the powder when rammed into the chamber.
 
The felt wad protect the base of the bullet, and deters somewhat the accuracy destroying gas cutting of the sides of the bullet. The addition of lube to that wad may or may not be a benefit, only the gun and target can say for sure.
 
If you are using a wool wad, the composition of the lube they are soaked in can be a determing factor. If I use straight Bore Butter the wads tend to be very soft and pliable. Using a lube with a larger amount of beeswax/parrafin stiffens the wad considerably. Some feel the stiffer wads act like "scrapers", removing fouling as they go down the bore. I have not settled the question to my own satisfaction as I have had good luck with both types. All this experimentation is part of the fun.
 
Very elementary thought here--but, why wouldn't the grease cookie simply combust when the black powder behind it ignites?
 
Because the wad under it keeps the flame off of it.Often you will find whats left of the lube cooky sandwiched between the wads in front of the gun.
 
Flintlock builder and restorer Jack Brooks is the one who should be asked. He has a bachelors and masters in chemistry.
 
J-Bar said:
Because wax/grease does not ignite as quickly nor burn as quickly as gunpowder?
Click to expand...
Agreed. In all my years of shooting black powder, even across fresh snow, I have never noted a wad/cookie or even a remnant of the aforementioned. Seems to me they fully combust. Whether they help from residue building up when they travel the first 1/3 or half a barrel length before fully combusting...???
 
You will occasionally see a burning wad stick to the base of a bullet or ball and give you a mini fireworks display. It can light dry vegetation on occasion.
 
Don't know what volatile stuff you use, my bees wax/Crisco wads show up on the snow or sand, if close enough leaves a smudge on the target. they are slightly blackened especially the edges but I am shooting real black powder.
 
Are we talking "felt" punched out into wads or "grease/wax" punched out into pills, cookies or wads. Some post seem to reference one or the other. No felt wad is going to combust during firing. I even know one shooter that collects and reuses them.

I have experimented with using one or the other and even both with the grease/wax pill either between the wad and ball, or over the ball.

Felt is graded on "hardness" of the finished product. IMO the harder felts are easier to cut into wads either with a punch or a cutter designed to use in a drill press.
 
Last edited:
I was going to ask if one can re use cookies not consumed. I don't see why not and question answered, above.

I did order hard felt. Mine, so far, had not been composed of this hard felt so, hence the combustion.
 
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