Now fearch for Tow, and fome old Saddle pierce. No Wadding lies fo clofe, or drives fo fierce.

I have used leather wads for many years now, using my Father’s old 20 gauge wad punch. I started using leather wads not because of some historical documentation, but because it seemed the common sense and practicle thing to do. Leather will not take fire and be a danger in dry weather. Then recently I found this 18^th century poem. It says in part:

PTERYPLEGIA:

Or, the art of

SHOOTING-FLYING. 1767.
Now fearch for Tow, and fome old Saddle

pierce.

No Wadding lies fo clofe, or drives fo fierce.

Old Saddle Pierce? This had me foxed for a while, and then I realised that this being a poem, it may not necessarily refer to an item per se but more of a procedure or action. So I searched the dictionary for the word “pierce”, and this in part is what I got:
Pierced. Piercing.

1.    to penetrate (something), as a pointed object does.

2.   to make a hole or opening in; perforate.

3.   To make (a hole or opening) by or as if by boring or perforating.

From this I deduct that “old saddle pierce” is most likely to be the cutting of leather wads from old saddle leather.

What are your thoughts?