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Post by Kyle on Oct 28, 2023 13:28:48 GMT -5
I get asked several hundred times a year if a particular setup will shoot better or worse with a wad. I tell people to try shooting the load with and without and see which way is better. Shooting 2 groups and possibly getting lucky on 1 of the 2 is not the way to go about it. My recommendation is as follows:
You will need a chronograph, caliper, 4 targets, 12 bullets, 12 primers, 12 powder charges and only 6 wads.
First foul the barrel with a few shots and let the gun cool down for about 15 minutes.
You will want to record the next 12 muzzle velocities with the chronograph.
Shoot the targets in order 1,2,3 and 4 waiting the same time between groups for the barrel to cool down.
On targets 1 and 3 shoot these loads WITHOUT a wad.
On targets 2 and 4 shoot these loads WITH a wad.
One of the Four targets should share the same attributes of the tightest group and the lowest extreme spread in velocity.
Wads are an inexpensive test, let the gun tell you what it likes the best.
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Post by dennis on Oct 28, 2023 14:27:54 GMT -5
I have never needed a wad with any of your bullets in any of my guns. Some of the lesser bullets need them. You hit a home run with your bullets.š
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Post by yoderjac on Oct 28, 2023 14:45:10 GMT -5
Perhaps wad usage also depends on purpose. I can see where a competitive shooter may be looking for fine improvements. I think for many hunters, the question becomes whether any improvement from using wads is worth the hassle. I've not tried using a wad simply because my grouping is plenty good enough for my hunting and it is just one more thing to mess with.
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Post by yoderjac on Oct 28, 2023 14:45:41 GMT -5
Perhaps wad usage also depends on purpose. I can see where a competitive shooter may be looking for fine improvements. I think for many hunters, the question becomes whether any improvement from using wads is worth the hassle. I've not tried using a wad simply because my grouping is plenty good enough for my hunting and it is just one more thing to mess with.
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Post by Deputy819 on Oct 28, 2023 15:40:16 GMT -5
My conversion needed wadsā¦.but admittedly I wasnāt shooting Pittman bullets through it. The other 3 rifles Iāve had built since then have NOT needed wadsā¦ā¦and Iāve ONLY shot Pittman bullets through those. Hmmmmmmmmmmm š
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Post by Kyle on Oct 28, 2023 21:32:51 GMT -5
Wads are absolutely necessary in some guns with some loads. Below is a picture of a .402" Aeromax 325 impact out of my .40, with a wad its a different story.  |
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Post by kbrezlin on Oct 28, 2023 21:38:29 GMT -5
In my CF conversion shooting the 300 accumax wool wads gave me 4ā vertical stringing. Take them out a pretty much the same hole when I do my part at 100. With sabots and 35 grains of N110 in my 10ML2 with 200 SST I needed them to keep from shredding sabots. I also had a duplex load with sabots in the 10ML that wads also gave me vertical stringing. Go figure, thatās why we test.
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Post by ballistic on Nov 6, 2023 21:55:26 GMT -5
I found that wool wads lowered my extreme spread on speed deviation on my .40 cal.
The further you shoot -the more it matters.
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mitch
Junior Member
Posts: 90
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Post by mitch on Nov 7, 2023 6:24:48 GMT -5
Wads are absolutely necessary in some guns with some loads. Below is a picture of a .402" Aeromax 325 impact out of my .40, with a wad its a different story. I had similar results when I tried shooting a 300gr out of my .40. With the wad Iām pretty consistently 1.8MOA groups (yuck), so I tried without. On a 4ft by 4ft target at 150yd, first two shots missed. Third shot hit 0.5ā right of center. Gonna sanity-check QL for pressure and try again with a little hotter load, seems to me Iām right on the edge of obturating enough to not need the wad. |
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Post by hillbill on Nov 9, 2023 9:48:15 GMT -5
My findings
Lower velocity loads are more prone to need a wad
High sectional density bullets are more prone to need a wad
Slow twist rate barrels are more prone to need a wad
WHY?
Itās all about getting the bullet to swell
A wad gets the initial pressure up quickly swelling the bullet into the rifling stabilizing the bullet as it leaves the bore
Without stabilizing the bullet poor accuracy or hitting the target sideways is the norm
My .40s normally need a wad, not always but most of the time.
I have never shot a .45 that didnāt shoot better without a wad IF the speed was above 2700 and a twist rate 1-20 or faster
BUT
The only way to truly know is test your gun both ways
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