L9X25 Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 I have heard that a "filler" can be used in rifle cartridges when the powder being used does not use up a substantial portion of the case volume, as in light loads. My question is: Could you mount 2 powder measures on a progressive press and have the first load the powder and the second load the "filler" in the case? What can safely be used as "filler" without radically affecting the balistics? Anything common? Anybody done this before? Thanks, Leo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 No... Filler too light to drop.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L9X25 Posted February 4, 2004 Author Share Posted February 4, 2004 What is commonly used as filler? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gun Geek Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 L9x25: Dacron Polyester (pillow guts) Cream of wheat Kapok Yellow ear plugs Packing peanuts The Dacron is the most common and most reliable. BTW: My source for this is another site I belong to called the Reload Bench www.reloadbench.com Geek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L9X25 Posted February 4, 2004 Author Share Posted February 4, 2004 Time to try cream of wheat in the powder measure! Thanks, Leo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TMC Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 I've used Kleenex in 45-120 cases with smokeless powder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricW Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 The cream of wheat might be the ticket. I use corncob in my shotgun loader all the time as pseudo-shot for making "popper" shells. Corncob is probably the wrong choice for rifle though.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gun Geek Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 I was thinking about the Cream of Wheat as well. With a little experimentation, it seems like you could get the volume ratio you need to fill the case. Mix up a batch with the powder go to town. Seems like saw dust might work as well. Let us know what you come up with. Be safe! Geek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Sweeney Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 Having seen a beautiful Griffen & Howe Springfield Sporter with the chamber ringed from light loads using cream of wheat, and read of a bunch of other problems, I'm not too hot on the whole "filler" load process. Perhaps, as a means of fire-forming cases, but for light loads, no. Better to investigate the loading data for cast bullets in rifle calibers, where you might find some joy. the only case where you can use fillers with relative impunity are straight-wall cases, like the 45-120 TMC mentioned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L9X25 Posted February 4, 2004 Author Share Posted February 4, 2004 With a little experimentation, it seems like you could get the volume ratio you need to fill the case. Mix up a batch with the powder go to town. Geek, I don't think that mixing powder and filler (or any components with different densities) would ever be a good idea. The heavy powder would work it's way to the bottom and, before long, you would have a big boom! My idea was to have 2 powder measures set up, one with the powder first and the second with the filler to "top off" the case. I could then seat the projectile and go to town. As long as the hoppers were full I could just keep loading as usual. I will have to look deeper into this before I actually load anything. Thanks all, Leo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L9X25 Posted February 4, 2004 Author Share Posted February 4, 2004 Next stupid question ... do you reduce the light loads even further, because of the filler, or just allow the filler to raise the pressure slightly?? Leo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBF Posted February 5, 2004 Share Posted February 5, 2004 DANGER.... WARNING !!! It is a bad idea to use some fillers in bottlenecked cases. It can form a wedge under pressure and raise pressure unpredictably. Dacron from the fabric store , used to stuff pillows works in straight cases. Travis F. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gm iprod Posted February 6, 2004 Share Posted February 6, 2004 What cartridge are you actually wanting to use a filler in? If it has a bottle neck, as both Pat and TBF suggest stay away from it. Fine for straight cases, especially old Blackpowder cartridges that you are using a nitro powder in. I load large amounts of subsonic ammo for use in silencers. I rarely use a filler. Find a powder that will burn fast and give the pressures that you require. eg1 .303Brit 205gr Lead Gaschecked, 8.7gr Winchester Super Target = 1060fps. This load barely fills 20% of the case and shoots finr, very low pressures and I have shoot hundreds of these. eg2 .44Magnum 300gr Sierra or Hornady JHP 17.0gr H4227 = 1045fps in a Ruger 77/44. Case quite full, but still only going slow out of 16" of barrel. Two very different ways of doing a reduced load. If all you want to do is slow some loads down a little then search a bunch of reloading manuals and you will find some. The Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook is full of all sorts of reduced loads for most rifle cartridges. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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