wacky wads?

[Bibbyman]

I've been loading up 12 gauge plastic hulls with black powder and Pyrodex. All have been 7/8 oz loads with charges ranging from 40-60 by volume. Mostly I've been using Claybuster gray wads with and without over powder card. I've also loaded and shot some with over powder card and wad of paper towel. I then loaded some with over powder card and oatmeal tamp down.

I patterned samples of all of these different loads and found no real difference in performance in my Stoeger coachgun. All are a blast to shoot.

When time is factored in, it's clear that plastic wads are the most economical and convenient way to go. But I don't like the wads littering up the place.

I've found that the oatmeal filler shot well and may well have produced a nice muzzle flame of about 3'. I suspect the oatmeal is burning as I didn't find any on the ground after a dozen rounds. The only trash left was the ground was the over powder card.

This got me to thinking about other homemade wads. I was thinking of melting paraffin and mixing in oatmeal as much as it would take. Then spreading out on wax paper like rice crispy treats. Then cutting out filler wads from same.

Anyone else have tried innovative wad material?

How about dowg food? Past date raisins? Popcorn?

 

[Foto Joe]

I'm going to assume that you are compressing the powder and the filler when you're using the oatmeal. I don't have a clue about the compressibility of oatmeal but....

Black Powder or Pyrodex should be compressed for the best performance. That being said, if you were to use cornmeal as a filler (it compresses well) then you could consider the compressed cornmeal to be you was or over powder card.

What I'm curious about is the plastic hulls. Are you getting melted plastic down the bore of the barrel?

 

[Bibbyman]

What I'm curious about is the plastic hulls. Are you getting melted plastic down the bore of the barrel?

Since I've got interested in reloading black powder in plastic hulls and plastic wads I've gotten widely conflicting testimony on melted plastic in the bores. I've yet to find any. And I've loaded a number without over powder wads just to see if that would cause plastic deposits in the bore. Recovered wads show no sign of scorching or melting.

I clean with scalding hot water. 99% is flushed out leaving a mirror bright bores. I do brush and run paper patch through to get any thing else lurking. I push a paper patch through with Thompson Bore Butter to finish up.

On the oatmeal wad loads, I seat the over powder wad with hand pressure using a dowell rod until I get a crunch. Then I measure in oatmeal and compress the same way. By trial (and no error as it came out right the first time) I scooped and compressed until the stack was right. Then I put in an under shot card. The total height was just right to get a good star crimp. Turned out, the right amount of loose oatmeal filled the hull to the top.

 

[Foto Joe]

I'd love to be on the trap range watching the expression on some faces without a sense of humor when you shoot that thing.

 

[Bibbyman]

I'm cranking up to shoot cowboy action shooting when it comes spring thaw. Those guys love the smoke and smell of black powder.

 

[Armored farmer]

I use the same Duro-felt that I use for my cap 'n ball revolvers. I have a 12ga punch and simply punch 'em out.
powder>2 over powder cards(punched from soda or beer carton)>felt wad>card>shot>over-shot card.