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< 16ga. Ammunition & Reloading ~ Felt wads - make or buy |
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Posted:
Sun Nov 30, 2014 7:07 am
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Joined: 28 Aug 2014
Posts: 924
Location: Eastern Tennessee
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In my ongoing mission to prove to the rest of you how cheap I am I have a new question:
I have a few load data calling for 20ga 1/4" felt wads. Now these are likely to be high usage loads. My question is, worth making or just buy?
If you did make them, other than buying a 20ga punch, how would you select the right felt?
A question like this just makes me feel cheap and dirty! |
_________________ 16' Brown A5
15' Brown White Light Citori
13' Brown Upland Spcl BPS
02' Rem 870 Exp
53' Rem 870 Wing
53' Mar 90 DT
50' Mar 90 DT
47' Rem 31L
46' Win 12 (2)
33' Rem 31 |
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Posted:
Sun Nov 30, 2014 8:03 am
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Joined: 07 Apr 2007
Posts: 1624
Location: northwewst Wyoming
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I think it depends on how much time you have. All of my hunting loads use card and fiber wads and I buy my felt wads from Circle Fly. I load all brass hulls and while it takes at least twice the time, the process is more personnel than pulling a handle. I can't help you on material, but I'm sure that someone on this forum will point you in the right direction. |
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Posted:
Sun Nov 30, 2014 9:36 am
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Member
Joined: 08 Oct 2006
Posts: 1393
Location: Tappahannock, Virginia
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Posted:
Sun Nov 30, 2014 11:26 am
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Member
Joined: 22 Aug 2011
Posts: 1498
Location: the Moosehorn
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I use felt wads in shotcups to improve patterns. I bought a small set of "Arch Punches" They punch 3/8 ,1/2, 5/8, 3/4. Picked up some 3/8" and !/2" grey rag wool carpet padding and I can make any felt wad I need. the padding was .50c per sqft the punches were $40.00 have had them 20 years cut nice wads. If I need a bunch I put 3 layers together and with 8 cuts I have enough for a box |
_________________ ALWAYS wear the safety glasses
If you take Cranberries and stew them like applesauce they taste much more like Prunes than Rhubarb does ----G.M/ |
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Posted:
Sun Nov 30, 2014 2:16 pm
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Joined: 26 Apr 2010
Posts: 3172
Location: NCWa
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I use four punches, because that's what I have: a 10 ga & 12 ga I got from a friend & a 1/2" and a 3/8" I purchased at a hardware store. For wads I use Styrofoam salvaged from packages of hamburger (they were the trays that the meat was placed on for wrapping with Saranwrap). I don't have sizes that work well for a 16 bore, so the two smaller sizes get used for filler within a shotcup when I'm getting really cheap and loading 1/2 or 5/8 oz in a 16 ga. |
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Posted:
Sun Nov 30, 2014 5:36 pm
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Joined: 21 May 2010
Posts: 602
Location: Victoria BC Canada
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Two points;
1. 20 gauge is as near as spit to 5/8 inch. So a cheap hollow punch would work.
2. Durofelt are great to work with. Tell them what you are doing and they will help you out. Not the soft felt: Medium or hard?
3. (Bonus) I have not ever punched out felt cushion wads. I have cut the petals off regular or range pick-up wads when I wanted a bit wider patterns, or a bit more room. I have made cushion wads out of Bounty. A 1/4 sheet soaked and stuffed into a cut off shell, with a shingle nail through the primer hole to eject the wad after it has dried over a radiator. Then a quick dunk in olive oil before loading. I have punched wads from 1/8" cork sheet or even pulp egg carton.
My Over powder wads are cut from scrap cadged from a picture framing shop.
My over shot cards are punched from waxed paper milk cartons.
I load my BP loads in Magtech brass shells. I have a stock of fibre cushion wads, but need 14 gauge O/P and O/S cards. I went to a tool supply shop and bought a "General" arch punch. It is marked "11/16 18mm" It mikes .685, a bit smaller than I'd like, but they fit snugly and glue-gun fixes them. |
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