Cap n Ball wads get my powder damp

[joehammer75]

Im pretty new to cap and ball shooting. I bought some Cabelas lubricated wads for over the powder in my 1858 Army. I use Pyrodex pistol pellets and the wads are getting my pellets damp enough that some times they barley get the ball out of the bbl and drop out still burning. Some one please help 

[buffermop]

I use the loose Triple 7 powder with vegtable oil impregnated wads. No problem what so ever in my Remy.

[WV SCROUNGER]

FIRST GET RID OF THE PRYO AND SHOOT Goex.  You will then not even need a wad...gun will shoot fine without it....

[NozzleRag]

Pellets are terrible for cap and ball revolvers. Most that use them do so only for a short time before they go to loose powder. I agree that real black and dead soft balls is the best solution.

[mcwoodduck]

Throw the wads away and use over sized balls with a touch of grease.  Or grease/ Wax the powder side of the wad.
If gun is supose to use 451 balls and you use 454 you will get a lead ring when you cram them in and get a good seal.  I shoot both my 58 and 60 army this way.  For the first few rounds I take a Q tip and stick a little grease around the inside of the the cylinder over the bullet.
With the pistol pellets of pyrodex the wad may act as a cussion and not break up the pellet.  You need to crush the pellet for them to work.  I have only used them once and someone else handed them to me.  There is a wax film on the outside and you need to break them to get ignition if I remember reading the Instructions right.

[JPShelton]

I've never tried the pelletized propellant.  In my Pietta 1860, I shoot 30 gr. by volume of Pyrodex P behind Ox Yoke Wonder Wads, .454" Hornady balls, and T/C Bore Butter, with the load ignited with CCI #10 caps.  I use the wads as they come from the package and haven't had an ignition problem when using them in conjunction with loose Pyrodex.

I would prefer to shoot "Holy Black" in the form of FFFg Goex but I have a hard enough time getting Pyrodex P where I live and the real thing has proven impossible for me to source locally.  As it is, I have to drive 50 miles to get Pyrodex P.

My new to me Pietta 1860 seems to like the loose Pyrodex, though, and is satisfyingly accurate with it, but I personally think that real blackpower is LESS corrosive than Pyrodex and leads to quicker and easier clean up at the end of a shooting session.

Even though I haven't used pelletized propellant, I suspect that this is where the OP's problem lies, since I don't have any issues making the loose Pyrodex go bang and generally hit what I am aiming at when using it.

JP

[longcaribiner]

I prefer using lube on top the balls/bullets,  it lubes the bore before the lead contacts it.  it won't affect the powder.     

[Bigeasy]

I have no experience with Pyrodex in the pellet form, but have used Pyrodex P for years without problem in .44 Colt and Remington style revolvers.  I think it actually fouls less then black powder, and stays softer (less likely to tye up the gun)  if you use natural lube, such as Ox Yoke, or Wonder Lube.

Some folks swear by an over powder wad in BP revolvers, but I have never felt the need.  As stated by others in this post, you want to seat a ball with a large enough diameter to leave a slight lead ring at the chamber mouth,  This, along with a little natural lube to fill the chamber mouth will provide plenty of lubrication, keep fouling soft, and prevent a cross fire to another chamber.  Cross firing is a very real danger without a little lube sealing the chamber mouth.  I never would have believed a spark could somehow get past a ball in another chamber and set it off if I hadn't had it happen to me.  Ball was not a tight fit, and I was out of lube, but kept shooting.  Got my attention

Larry

[Flint]

My experience is that Pyrodex is (much) more corrosive than real black powder, and though the fouling is less, cleaning at the range is easier than waiting to get home, as the fouling from Pyrodex seems to harden with time.

The pellets need to be broken, push the rammer til you hear it "pop".  I generally found Pyrodex to burn better in a cartridge than in a muzzle-loader, perhaps the compression is better in a cartridge.

[lrrice]

I use dry felt wads punched out of worn out felt hats.  Never had a cross fire with them.  I have had a cross fires when using balls w/o grease no matter how tight they fit.  Normally I use lubed conical bullets cast from Lee molds but only in my Remingtons.  BTW, pellets are an extremely expensive way to shoot. 

[Flint]

I agree, Pyrodex pellets are too expensive to use much.  I bought a bottle just to try it, but wouldn't buy another.  Loose powder is better for the pocketbook.

[AndyHass]

I use FFFg 777, loose.  No reason for pellets.  I usually use the wad over the powder AND lube over the bullet.  Mostly because my 1858 binds up if I don't lube the hell out of everything.