doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Reloading with fiber wads

Do y'all know of any good references to reloading shot shells in the traditional way with fiberwads and cards ?

I had such good luck on Pheasants with traditional Gamebores cartridges and they pattern so well in my old guns that I thought about rolling some of my own.

Here's a good site. Some personal tips I've developed for loading them on MEC loaders are to get a 10 ga. wad starter. Lets the 12 ga. fiber wads come through easier. On the Grabber shot tube/wad seater, cut off the wasp-waisted bottom end of the tube. It seats the fiber wads better. If you're using black powder, the Universal Charge Bar(adjustable) is the only way to get a large enough chamber for 75-90 grains of BP. I know the CYA police say to not use a sliding bar to dump BP. I'm not, either, but I've done it for years, myself.
I just realized I forgot to paste the site I referred to. Thanks to JC for doing it.

I like http://www.tbullock.com/bpsg.html

I use GOEX because that's what is available locally. Never tried the subs. Old handled powder&shot measures and clamp-on roll crimpers are pretty easy to find at flea/farmer's/antique markets, combi tools that knock out and seat primers and wads are less common but can certainly be improvised. Modern equivalents and wads and overshot cards from Precision Reloading, Ballistic Products. Never gone MEC-hanized but JL hasn't blown up from static arc yet so that's also a possibility.

jack

Postoak, get in touch with Craig at Circle Fly Wads. He makes fiber wads and shoots them in his doubles. I shoot with him a good bit. He's been spending some time out in the sticks and woods hunting lately, so he may not reply immediately. Craig's a good guy, and he should have some good information for you.

http://www.circlefly.com/

Some years ago I made aluminum bushings for a standard loading press, an old Pacific to drop BP charges. I just measured the dia of the shot bushing I was going to use & bored to same dia for equal volume loading. Have also dumped BP charges from a Lyman 55 measure. The one with plastic hopper. As Jim said I cannot recommend these practises, but I am still here & kicking. I also note that for many years all the Lyman produced info on the 55 measure stated the markings were calibrated for BP with no caveats against using it for that very purpose. All of a sudden then a few years back, apparently with no supporting evidence, they began warning against it's use, added a steel tube powder hopper, called it the Classic & doubled the price. I just saved my money & continued using my old 55. I feel Much, Much more endangered getting in my car & going to town for milk than loading up a box of BP shotshells, using the Lyman to measure.

Thank you one and all for the good info - I am checking in to it.

What about fiber wads and smokeless?

I have read that if you go this route to use waxed fiber wads to lessen lead fouling.

While I have little experience with that combination I did load and shoot several hundred rounds using plastic wads with the shot cup removed - I had a tightly choked double that I was trying to open the pattern on. I got tremendous lead fouling. Using Ed's Red, a drill motor, and a brass brush it would take an hour and a half to get the lead out. Some pieces would come out as big as a 1/2" across and also a fine lead/Eds Red slurry.

I am experimenting with Alcan ring-waxed wads Stallones kindly gave me. I am currently using them in brass shells loaded with smokeless Rex III in 16 gauge. I have not reached any conclusions about waxed fiber wads yet.

Best,

Mike

I load with little else because a lot of clay grounds in England, and game shoots, insist on bio-degradeable wads. Most of my loading is with components easily sounced in the U.K. but I do have some information for Hercules/Alliant powders and CCI & Winchester primers. Most loads just require a slight powder increase with the use of fibre wads; usually 1 to 1 1/2 grains extra. If you use the same load and just substitute a card and fibre wad you will certainly be on the safe side. Try that then just increase the powder load by 1/2 grain increments but do not exceed 1 1/2 grains over standard. Lagopus.....

Fibre wads can be made from fibre board used in the building trade when concreteing.Wad lubrication can be hot beeswax or vegetable oil just put the wads in a wire mesh fryer pan, dip into hot oil for about 30 seconds and then let them drip dry cool.When loading, ram them to a pressure of 50lbs or 75-80 for black powder.I use a 1/10inch overpowder card, fibre wad, 1/16inch card, shot load and then a crimp closure or a RTO for my posh BP game rounds.I have used 3/8inch thick cardboard wads with out any adverse results (cheap to make) but my 'posh' BP shells use fibre plus a felt disc punched with a wad punch out of old felt hats (I find French berets the best, maybe you can use Canadians?)