Affect of wonder wads

[boom pop]

If i load my .36 cal percussion cylinders monday will the treatment in the wads affect the powder if i plan on shooting them sunday i have 12 cylinders and a sealed box with humidifiers.

[Prairie Dawg, SASS #50329]

You have to worry about the powder soaking up some of the lube on the wads.
Yes, it will most likely kill some of the powder, but how much I don't know.
I load my cap guns the night before a shoot for the first stage.
I don't want a lubed wad sitting on the powder all night, for the reason I mentioned above.

So the first load gets a bit of cornmeal underneath the ball and grease over the ball.

At the shoot, I use a lubed wool wad (lubed with Gatofeo #1 Lube) over the powder, and then a ball.

I figure it will be OK for the 45 minutes until I shoot again. 

I have not done any experiment, so I can't say for sure, but the loads have always been good during the shoot.

Just my opinion & experience.

--Dawg

[boom pop]

You the man dawg i still shoot your tuco guns

 

[Rooster Ron Wayne]

When I used to do this I used a hand punched cardboard cutout under the wad to make sure it did not affect the powder .

 

( like a over shot card )

 

I never had a issue myself doing it this way .

I even left one cylinder loaded for one year to see if it would still go bang .

Yes it did on the first try .

 

I always used my kids old cereal boxes and a hole punch .

Its one more step at the loading table .

But its a peace of mind on the range .

Rooster 

[Eyesa Horg]

I make my wads with Bore Butter that they claim won't contaminate powder. Typically I load the guns a couple hours before shooting and have had no issues. Only once, I loaded them the night before and also had no issue. I only shoot them for Plainsman, so 3 stages about 3 times per season. Not a lot of experience to set your hat on!

[Blackwater 53393]

If I load my cap guns the night before a match, I place an over powder card between the powder and the lubed wad. I seldom do this, but I have never had issues with contamination when I did.

 

I also use a lubed wad when I load rounds for my rifles and cartridge revolvers. I use the same over powder cards and wads as I use in the cap guns. Some of these reloads have sat on the shelf for years.

 

I DO store my cartridges with the bullet down, just in case the lube tries to migrate through the card. I’ve never had any trouble with it, but it seems like a good idea.

 

 

[irish ike, SASS #43615]

wads soaked in 50/50 bees wax and crisco. Never used anything over the powder. I can shoot 6 stages without tending to the guns. Never an issue. For the distances we shoot a bit of contamination won't hurt.

[boom pop]

Thank you all

[Cusz M. Dutch SASS Life 55326]

I think it is a problem that might have happened once 27 years ago to somebody long forgotten...

I loaded a Ruger old Army and left it set 5 years in the vault waiting for another Muzzle Loading tag,  \

Surprise surprise all 6 holes went off in camp the day before season opened,  

[Howlin Mad Murdock SASS #4037]

I did my own experiment a few years ago. Loaded both my ROAs with 30gr Goex ffG topped with Thompson wads and then the ball.  Put them in the safe till the next months match.

Capped them up for the first stage, buzzer goes off, all ten chambers went bang first try, no noticeable difference in power between first stage and the other five.

 

YMMV

 

Subsequently I've used the Thompson wads in cartridges as well, no issues after a few years of storage.

[Eyesa Horg]

When I load my muzzleloader for hunting season I pour in the powder, place a homemade felt wad soaked in Bore Butter, then a patched ball. Ram it all home. Then place a square of electrical tape over the muzzle.

Back before I was shooting the gun once a week it would sometimes sit in the safe after hunting season til next year. Never dared just taking it hunting again, so I'd set up a target and fire it at 100 yards. Always hit within an inch of POA.

[Pb Mark]

I have never shot SASS with percussion revolvers but do shoot them often.  All I do is make sure I use a lead ball slightly bigger diameter than the cylinder, so it shaves off some lead when seating.  The deeper the ball is seated, the lower the accuracy.  Cornmeal can fill the gap if low powder charges are being used when powder is compressed as required.  Helps with accuracy if that is the goal.  Sometimes I butter or seat wax disks over the balls, sometimes not.  If you shave the balls, no way for a chain fire to happen.

 

[Pee Wee #15785]

I have been shooting C&B for around 68 years and always have done powder lubed felt wad and ball.  If shooting for accuracy it is powder, card wad, felt wad, card wad, and ball/conical. I shoot 51 Navy so the ball/conical is .380 dia. to get a nice ring shaved off .  If shooting for money I use a conical which seems better than a ball.

[Rooster Ron Wayne]

This is how I load 99% of the time

 

https://youtube.com/shorts/ByP6HkJUx10?si=fKfYnfigq2MfD3yr

[Eyesa Horg]

My limited experience of grease on top of the balls just ends up a mess and gone with the first shot. YMMV as I only did it a few times until I learned about felt wads.

[I. M. Crossdraw, SASS# 8321]

I would put a cardboard wad between the powder and the grease wad and store the cylinders face down in a cool dry place if loading days before a shoot.  I don't think a humidifier is necessary, got to keep the powder dry and away from warmer temperature.  

Edited September 30 by I. M. Crossdraw, SASS# 8321

[Blackwater 53393]

On 9/21/2025 at 9:47 PM, boom pop said:

If i load my .36 cal percussion cylinders monday will the treatment in the wads affect the powder if i plan on shooting them sunday i have 12 cylinders and a sealed box with humidifiers.

I THINK you’ll want DEhumidifiers! A humidifier adds moisture to whatever is placed in it or in with it!

 

You’ll want to avoid that.  Ya’ wanna’ “Keep yer powder dry!”

[Griff]

While not specifically called out n the rules, make your fellow shooters comfortable by only capping after mounting the cylinder on the gun. 

From the SHB:

Quote

If a particular stage requires a one shot reload, the sixth chamber of percussion revolvers may be charged at the bench and then capped “on the clock” either before the first round is fired or after the last round is fired. A complete reload for percussion revolver shooters is handled by staging a loaded, uncapped revolver down range or switching uncapped cylinders and capping on the clock.
- Percussion revolvers must only be capped at the loading table or while on the course of fire. The cap over a nipple must never be seated using the percussion revolver’s own hammer. The Timer Operator (TO) shall require any misfires to be cleared on the firing line by either recapping and firing that chamber, or by uncapping the misfired chamber.

Note, it sez "revolvers", not cylinders.  Emphasis added.