shotguns and dry vegetation

[snapper]

Anyone ever had any issues with your wads starting fires from your shotguns?

In the Midwest I am hesitant to use my ML shotgun during hunting season.   The cover is almost always dead, dried grasses.  If a fire were to start it is likely to burn fairly fast and cover quite a bit of ground.

Thanks

Fleener

[rich pierce]

Tow will start fires. I’ve not seen wadded up paper smolder. Regular wads are no hazard in my experience.

[Daryl]

Agree, normal card or donnaconna cushion wads should be totally inert in a charge. When hunting, a lube is not needed. Using 2 or 3 simple overshot wads between powder and shot has worked
for me, up to 15 shots NP.

[T*O*F]

Yes!!  The IL DNR preserve where I used to hunt pheasants banned MLshotguns because they had several incidents of them starting fires.  I forget what wad combo I was using at the time, but they let me use mine.

I also set an oak tree on fire shooting a patched round ball in my smoothbore using a spit patch.  This was in the fall at the Ft. DesChartres rendezvous.

[rich pierce]

I also set an oak tree on fire shooting a patched round ball in my smoothbore using a spit patch.  This was in the fall at the Ft. DesChartres rendezvous.

Reminds me of Pancho and Lefty!
Living on the road my friend
Was gonna keep you free and clean
And now you wear your skin like iron
And your breath as hard as kerosene

Any other explanation? 

[Prairie dog shooter]

I have never had shotgun wads or rifle patching catch fire.  It is all in what you lube with.

[Daryl]

I have never had shotgun wads or rifle patching catch fire.  It is all in what you lube with.

I would not quite agree with that. Fit of ball and patch is VERY important, maybe the most important aspect. The only time I have seen smoldering patches
is with people using loose ball and patched loads. Gas/flame blow by seems to be the culprit in igniting patches, which stands to reason.
Taylor and I have NEVER had as smoldering patch, from smoothbores or from rifles. That just doesn't happen and we
use a variety of lubes, from spit to WWWF + oil to Neetsfoot oil, Track's Mink oil or Bear grease/oil.
In my .69, using dry paper ctgs. & 165gr. never a smoldering 'ctg., either - just confetti form that gun, and solid ctgs. from the Brown Bess with 85gr. 3F.

[smylee grouch]

I saw a tow wad lubed up with crisco start a fire on a turkey target at 15 yds. from a 20 bore trade gun.

[Pukka Bundook]

Fleener,
As a teenager back in Yorkshire I was told by an old country gunsmith to try ivy leaves in dry weather.
We used to shoot wood pigeons over laid barley before it was cut at harvest. It can be tinder dry.
Green ivy leaves rolled in a ball make very good wads. My patterns were just as good as with other wadding.
I agree that card wads won't catch fire,  but if still worried, try ivy leaves or other tough green leaves, only don't leave it loaded overnight as it'll dampen the powder and squib off the next day.

Best,
Richard.

[Dennis Glazener]

I saw a tow wad lubed up with crisco start a fire on a turkey target at 15 yds. from a 20 bore trade gun.

Probably a prototype all in one load for killing then cooking a turkey Sorry couldn't resist!
Dennis

[smylee grouch]

  Well it cooked that turkey target. There were about 20 other shooters at the time and we had to call an cease fire before we could go out and put the fire out. 

[Brokennock]

I've not had a thin overshot card even smolder and I lube my other wadding, be it felt or tow. It blackens but doesn't smolder or burn, just looks dirty. I usually put a thin card or a piece of heavy brown paper, 2"×1" folded to 1"×1", between powder and lubed wad. I do this for both shot and roundball loads so have had no fire starting issues.

[Mike Brooks]

I have never caught anything on fire in Iowa whilst hunting. I use cards and a lubed fiber wad (wonder lube or Crisco). I have sort of switched over to blanket wool ( 3/8") lubed lightly with wonder lube or Crisco in place of the fiber wad. Of course, I don't worry about much.
 I have shot about a bazillion rounds of skeet and have never had a smoking wad.

[Daryl]

Nifty - That's a LOT of shooting. How old are you?

[Mike Brooks]

Nifty - That's a LOT of shooting. How old are you?

Old enough to know better.

[axelp]

In the California Sierras, in late spring, thru summer and early fall,  it can be dry enuff that wads and cloth patches can smolder and there is a fire risk. When we have done shooting in dryer times, we keep a sharp eye and walk the foreground to stomp out any smoldering patches or wads. I do not shoot my flintlock in the woods when its that dry. But in other climes where it is less dry, I doubt there is as much risk of that.

Ken

[smylee grouch]

Wow, how many zero's are in a bazillion?     After I lost my leg I can only count to 15 anyway.