Beer mats and BP

Nath · Post by **Nath** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 3:59 pm

Whilst I was entertaining the current Mrs in a public house this weekend it dawned on me that the beer mats looked perfect for cutting my M/L shotgun wads out of so I had a quiet word with the bar maid and soon got a pocket full

I have posted this too on Themuzzleloading forum but what with all the BP cartridge shooting going on here it may make good cartridge wads too.
I'm sure you will apprieciate the excuse to visit the bar any ways

Nath.

Old Time Hunter · Post by **Old Time Hunter** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 4:32 pm

Nath, they work real well in cartridges, a little thick for heavy loads, but work fine on lighter loads. Here in Wisconsin we call them 'coasters', don't know why, but we do.

Andrew · Post by **Andrew** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 5:46 pm

What's a beer mat?

Bronco · Post by **Bronco** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 6:01 pm

a coaster

. The thick cardboard that the barkeep sets your cold glass on.

John

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 6:44 pm

Great idea!

Sounds like a perfect way to finish off a beer!!!

(tell me they were COLD beers, please!

)

Post by **Chuck 100 yd** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 7:04 pm

I have cut wads form many things but the coasters from the Olive Garden resturants were the best for BP rifle both cartridge and ML.

The very best wads I have ever made are from a Stetson Beaver cowboy hat! Very thick and stiff, when soaked in melted Wonder Lube (Bore Butter) they will improve the accuracy of any ML rifle load I have tried.

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 7:21 pm

Chuck 100 yd wrote:I have cut wads form many things but the coasters from the Olive Garden resturants were the best for BP rifle both cartridge and ML.

The very best wads I have ever made are from a Stetson Beaver cowboy hat! Very thick and stiff, when soaked in melted Wonder Lube (Bore Butter) they will improve the accuracy of any ML rifle load I have tried.

Do you use some sort of punch for this?

Post by **Chuck 100 yd** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 7:35 pm

Yes ,Ysabel Kid, I have several wad cutters I have made on the lathe.
You may find just exactly what you need from Mac or Snap-on tool dealers. They sell sets for gasket making and you can buy a single size replacement punch.

I can take a photo if you need an idea!

2ndovc · Post by **2ndovc** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 7:49 pm

Nath wrote:Whilst I was entertaining the current Mrs in a public house this weekend it dawned on me that the beer mats looked perfect for cutting my M/L shotgun wads out of so I had a quiet word with the bar maid and soon got a pocket full I have posted this too on Themuzzleloading forum but what with all the BP cartridge shooting going on here it may make good cartridge wads too.
I'm sure you will apprieciate the excuse to visit the bar any ways
Nath.

Brilliant!

nemhed · Post by **nemhed** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 7:39 am

Nath, do these wads need to be soaked in beer first?

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 8:53 am

nemhed wrote:Nath, do these wads need to be soaked in beer first?

Seems to me to be a waste of good beer.

I use the waxed paper milk or other milk products come in. Rinse 'em out and punch 'em out! Will NOT stick to the base of the bullet.

Nath · Post by **Nath** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 10:54 am

Yes YK, I make my own punches too.
[img][img]http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o65/ ... ies004.jpg[/img]
Nemhed, I'd prefere a little spilt whiskey, I'd have to nudge your glass

Nath.[/img]

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 11:22 am

Details Nath - details! How'd you make that punch!!!

Nath · Post by **Nath** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 2:44 pm

Oh, ok then, I used an old leather punch that was to big and after boring on a lathe at work a short bar of EN24 to .735 I welded it to the old punch.
Then I heated it up to a dull red and quenched it- no sorry I shaped it first and then after quenching stoned it sharp. Thats it.
Nath.

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 9:51 pm

Thanks Nath!

Bruce Scott · Post by **Bruce Scott** » Thu May 01, 2008 6:58 am

More or less on thread...

Are wads made from supermarket meat trays any good? What we see here are some sort of thin black polystyrene foam. I punched out a heap of them using an 8mm leather punch for possible 32-40 use.

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Thu May 01, 2008 7:03 am

Bruce Scott wrote:More or less on thread...

Are wads made from supermarket meat trays any good? What we see here are some sort of thin black polystyrene foam. I punched out a heap of them using an 8mm leather punch for possible 32-40 use.

IIRC, Don Tomas' did that when making his "snake loads" for a .45 Colt. Seemed to work fairly well.

Give it a whirl and let us know!

Nath · Post by **Nath** » Thu May 01, 2008 10:53 am

I'm not sure what BP would do to that plastic!
Nath.

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Thu May 01, 2008 3:30 pm

Sort thru the Wad Survey over on the Shiloh BP forum.

I know what plastic shot cups leave behind in the barrels of my shotgun with BP; it's NOT someting I'd like to clean from a rifled barrel!

Ben_Rumson · Post by **Ben_Rumson** » Thu May 01, 2008 5:57 pm

I made a 12ga wad punch from a IIRC 7/8ths hole saw..Mounted it in a electric hand drill... spun her up & ground the teeth off..then ground an edge like in Nath"s pic.. Spin it up in a drill press..after several wads are cut the stay lodged in the punch and the ones you cut after that cant get lodged in anymore and stay right where they were cut in the cardboard..

Beer mats and BP

Beer mats and BP

Re: Beer mats and BP