Vegetable fiber wads are new to me. Can someone educate me in them? Such as, where can you get the stock to make them from, what thickness is available and your results in accuracy when compared to other materials? I'm mostly interested in how they work for more traditional calibers, but in any caliber that you may have obtain better accuracy in if you think it was because it protected the bullet base.

Frank

Frank I buy my stock from Buffalo Arms and I have achieved the best results using the .030 Veg. Wads inserted into the breach seater and seated at the base of the bullet not in the case mouth. The .060 Veg. Wads did not work for me and Buffalo Arms also sells a wad punch with 7/8-14 threads that screws into your reloading press and one can punch out 1000 wads in no time at all.

J.Louis

Thank you, Brian,
What does McMaster - Carr call it and what section will it be in?

Here is what I used in the olden days for cutting (p-check) wads. I have dies for 30, 32 and 45. The stud index's the punched hole so that there is no waste to the sheet. I use my 2 ton arbor press a lot. I also made a mount for shell holders and I do most all of my bullet sizing/swagging with it.

John,
Thank you, did your .03 wads reduce your groups or make the load more consistent or both?

Forgot to add this one, and it might be useful if you've been wanting to experiment with a thick cork wad.
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Scroll to the bottom of the page and they show cork insulation in thicknesses from 1/2" to 4".   

John did your .03 wads reduce your groups or make the load more consistent or both? 

Both Frank and in regards to cork I have had good success with  1/16" cork and no success with 3/32" cork seated behind the base of the bullet of which I found to be very interesting. I feel I have had better results with .03 Veg. fiber wads seated behind the base of the bullet and they don't tend to blow of the shooting bench during a match.

40 Rod your source for felt wads is very interesting and like you I could not find any material suitable for testing and thank you for the heads up!

J.Louis

40-Rod I only use the chrono to copy what I have success with once I find something that works so I can copy the vel. when testing and changing components. It makes life worth living when one can share truthful and small bits of proven information that helps one to become a better shooter that are directly related to picking up a point or two in lieu of dropping yet another one or two. Don't hesitate to keep going up on your bullet hardness until such time leading becomes a problem or your consistency at the target starts to degrade. Some if not most won't agree with this statement but I have shot some of my best targets with higher than one might consider normal SD's & Vel. spreads and this has just been my personnel experiance over the years and it has never dictated where I would go in my next round of testing in an effort for me to pickup more points.

Most of all please share what you have learned as you move forward with your testing despite the criticism you will receive from  those who are not willing to spend the time and effort yet seem to know it all as I 'am always truly eager to learn through someone else's hard work, dedication and efforts to help me become a better shooter by their positive results at the target as they are the only ones that really count in my book and have any real proven meaning.

J.Louis

I use Waters thin Vegie wads between a case full of black and the bullets base.  I think it works because it seems it ought to.   

Breech seating Black powder thicker cork wad keeps the powder from spilling when loading. Know that works.

Boats

Shot this ten shot group from cross stix at 200 yards today. No wind flags. All original Ballard #9, 40/50 SS   50 grain Swiss 1.5. No wad. Dumped the powder in and dropped a bullet on the powder.  

Dont need no steeeenkeen wads!  

         Jose.