Wads

[Kurt]

I was developing a load for a new bullet I got for the .45-90 using a 10 shot group at 200 yds. I normally don’t use 10 shots for the first development but time is getting short for the upcoming Lodi match and I want to take this rifle for a backup. The 88 gr load of 2F Olde-E is shooting very well in the .44-100 and the .45-90 case accepts the same powder load to hold the .260" compression I use with this powder. The first 10 rounds I shot at the X target and those just about made me pack up and head back home. The first ten on the X I did not use a cork wad in the stack because when loading and holding the compression I was running out of room in the Remington cases using a 1/16" cork wad in the stack.

Here is an example what the 1/16" cork wad I add in my wad stack does. All 20 shots were loaded with the identical load of 88 grains of 2F Olde E powder with a .053" fiber 3/16 lube .053 fiber and a .012" card under the bullet. The brass is Rem with a Br-2 primer and the compression is .260" with the fiber over the powder. and a slight taper crimp holding the bullet to keep it from falling out when I load.

This is what I used on the X target and it shot a 5" group.

The orange target was shot with just the addition of a 1/16" cork wad I cut from a very dense 1/16" cork gasket I get from Tractor supply Co.(TSC). This cork does not have the rubber in it like I see some are using on the forums.

I use this cork in most of my loads because it really cuts down on the vertical.

For the .50 I use a 1/8" cork to keep the same compression level.

For the .45-90 that gives me a very bad leading problem with most loads and a bunch of vertical that little cork wad eliminates those problems shooting a PP bullet using an alloy to hard.
I know a lot thumb their noses on using cork wads, but the ODG's used them and I have for a long time and I have never been able to fing a problem using them.

Kurt






Kurt

[Don McDowell]

Kurt I'm finding that with the rubber cork wads combined with the felt wads I don't pick up any leading at all.
Do you have a brand and part number on that plain cork you use? I've never seen a tractor supply store, but I'ld about imagine other places might have the same stuff. I'ld like to try some of it.

[Dave Roelle]

Very Nice Kurt--------------I have puzzled over wads and how they work and what results can be seen-------------This is the first simple straightforward result i have seen---THANKS VERY MUCH FOR THE INFORMATION !!!!

Next time i'm by Tractor Supply i'll pick up some for testing.

Do you have any theory on what the cork wad actually does or what it effects----------you mention reducing verticle, that would indicate more uniform velocity , better sealing perhaps ?


Again thanks for the report

Dave

[bruce moulds]

kurt,
you mention Remington brass in 45/90.
is this stretched 45/70?
keep safe,
bruce.

[Kurt]

The material I use is "cut.a.gasket" part# 0217429. This is a very fine ground dense cork. We had a TSC close down in town several years ago where I used to get this particular material and I had to switch to the NAPA stuff that had rubber in it and I did not like it as well. Two years ago a TSC opened up again and they stocked the cut.a.gastet material again in 1/16" and 1/8" well I stocked up with again and get whatever is on the shelf when I get there. It's less than $8. a roll 12x36" to get 1000 wads from it.

Dave.

Just a guess. I think the soft dense cork expands when it gets pressure build up between the card wad whatever is above the cork it expands tight against the case wall holding the gas back better than the hard card as the brass case wall gets slammed against the chamber wall. The cork will expand were the hard card wont and let’s gas leak by.
I think the cork acts like a soft rubber ball sort of, when you squeeze the ball it expands.

Bruce.

Yes it's stretched Rem .45-70 brass. It holds a little more than the Norma brass I like to use for the PP bullets.

[Kurt]

Kurt I'm finding that with the rubber cork wads combined with the felt wads I don't pick up any leading at all.
Do you have a brand and part number on that plain cork you use? I've never seen a tractor supply store, but I'ld about imagine other places might have the same stuff. I'ld like to try some of it.

Don.

Big Red might have it.

[Dave Roelle]

Thanks Kurt------------makes sense, perhaps other materials can act the same in different degree's.

Cork does have the springy compressability for sure as well as a "slipperyness" against metal surfaces.

When we loaded mill-spec buckshot for the armed forces we used "homosoap" board punched into wads and dipped in parrifin -----------it acted much the same way, as well as providing some waterproofing to the powder charge in the 9 ball 12 gage loads

Dave

[Kurt]

Homo soap?

[Dave Roelle]

Yeh Yeh i know---------------it was a construction material that we re-purposed as an inexpensive wad material--a compressed re-claimed paper product

Dave

[APDDSN0864]

Kurt,

Where, in the wad column, does the cork wad go?

Ed