AmericanLongRifles Forums
General discussion => Black Powder Shooting => Topic started by: Panzerschwein on June 07, 2023, 07:21:59 PM
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I’ve read many historical accounts of wool blankets being used as wadding in smoothbores. I’ve also read some trying it with good results in modern times.
I’d love to try it, but am curious if anyone knows where to find 100% wool blankets for a good price?
Thanks!
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Maybe army surplus store. If you have any in your area. Army blankets when I was in were100% wool. The navy ones were white. Try the goodwill or like stores.
Ed
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Jaeren beat me to it. What he said.
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By the way don’t go to a high end surplus store, go to a lower end store, and beat them down on the price on a blanket thats seen a moth or two. Lube them by dipping them in a little hot bear grease, or venison tallow.
Hungry Horse
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I know you didn't ask this P-S, but I found more or less anything is better than wool blanket for wadding.
Best wishes,
R.
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I know you didn't ask this P-S, but I found more or less anything is better than wool blanket for wadding.
Best wishes,
R.
Can you elaborate? It seems some of tried it and like it.
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Sent you a PM, Panzer but will say very briefly, (Going to plant potatoes before it gets too hot, in 90's here!)
I found it hard to compress and make gas tight. as in the gun 'fluffed" when fired compared to most other materials.
It seemed to me wool is springy, and had to get compacted.
It kay be me doing it wrong!
I found that paper, rolled ina ball and rammed down, Spanish moss from trees, green ivy leaves in V dry weather, felt wads cut with a punch, card wads ditto, all outdid wool wadding.
In the old book "An Essay on Shooting" (1789 I Think!) it says regarding wadding, "....wool is nothing worth".
I also found tow hard to compress, but tow from an old saddle is much more compacted and might work, but never had a saddle to try it!
This was with shot, not a ball.
All best,
Richard.
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Surplus wool blankets are all over the internet and some "Army-Navy" stores.
One of the period treatises on shooting, possibly the one mentioned above but I don't remember which, recommends the use of paper "rubbed soft," (I use the heavy brown paper from grocery bags) and folded to just fit the bore. For a 20 gauge this is a 2"×1" strip folded to 1"×1". Several people have reported improvements in shot pattern and projectile energy when placing this between powder and tow wadding, it should improve the performance of wool blanket as well.
Also written about at the time is wool/felt from worn saddles, this would already be well compacted. Maybe speak to some local tack shops and stables for a source?
If you try a standard surplus wool blanket be sure to full/felt it as you would for a match-coat. This will tighten the weave and make the fabric more dense.
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Using wool blanket for wadding has to be put in context. They were using what they thought was the best material they had at the time. These people were not firearms experts, their data was from personal experience and word of mouth (we have the internet!), and their options for material were very limited, compared to ours.
But I still think you should try it and report back to us! And I don't mean that sarcastically, I'm interested in knowing how it works.
And dang, I just threw away a wool sports coat that the moths ate holes in. Not blanket material but would have been worth a try as patching. I guess.
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I remember a post about a year ago but can’t find it and not sure who made the post. The gist was about Canadian smoothbore shooters who were competing against rifle shooters and beating them consistently. They were all using wool blanket material for wadding.
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I think the reasons for using wool blanket material are the same as they were back in the day. One is its availability, there was a lot of it then, and there’s a lot of it now. Just think how many moth eaten blankets were around back when there was little protection from moth infestations. Another reason is fire resistance, nobody want to be in the fight of their life in the middle of a brush fire.
Hungry Horse
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I remember a post about a year ago but can’t find it and not sure who made the post. The gist was about Canadian smoothbore shooters who were competing against rifle shooters and beating them consistently. They were all using wool blanket material for wadding.
I was thanking about that post as well -- if I remember correctly thr context was a "hardcore" event in the PNW and I seem to recall an implication that the Canadians weren't overly particular with patching, aside from it being wool blanket?
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I can certainly see wool blanket for patching a smoothbore ball, but as a wad for shot not a lot of good in my books. Leaves, moss hanging from trees, paper , and cut wads all whip blanket when using shot.
In India, they used dry cow dung. I tried that too in a long old Indian torador. It worked Ok, but cut felt wads whipped it for velocity with a ball.
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I agree. Cut felt wads are superior from my experience. If you still want to try a real blanket scrap, I suggest you full it which is simply washing it and throwing in the dryer. This will shrink the material and tighten the weave. I can’t emphasize enough it must be 100% wool. Anything less will probably have synthetic mixed in which turns to a melted plastic of sorts. I would also recommend using as an over powder wad and still use a linen or cotton patch around the ball. Whatever you choose, examine the blanket after the shot. It can help you to decide whether go or no go.
As always other’s mileage may vary.
Regards
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http://www.durofelt.com/image_26.html
This is the stuff that some vendors use and sell as pre-cut felt wads for use in muzzleloaders
You would need a punch the correct diameter