Case filler/over powder filler

[bigted]

Well have wrestled with different fillers over the years and never been completely Satisfied with the run of the mill stuff. Friend uses packing peanuts to pretty good use. I have tried the pillow fill/polyester for fill but hate the big wad of **** that blows out with the shot.

Setting here eatin my lunch ... Munching cheese puffs and digging it out of my teeth ... I had an astonishing thought (maybe already covered) why not use these cheesy morsels as a filler?

They are light, fluffy, would fill a giant area in a big case, and I doubt that it will leave any residual crud in the bore.

What say Yee? Anybody tried these tasty Goody's for a filler substance? ... Thoughts?

[Outpost75]

Why do you need to use a filler at all? Are you loading less than a full case of black?

In what cartridge?

If using smokeless powder, if a propellant requires use of an inert filler to produce acceptable ballistic uniformity, that is an indicator that the particular powder is unsuited for those conditions of loading and that you should be using something else.

More specifics would help, but I ask again WHY????

[RPRNY]

Why do you need to use a filler at all? Are you loading less than a full case of black?

In what cartridge?

If using smokeless powder, if a propellant requires use of an inert filler to produce acceptable ballistic uniformity, that is an indicator that the particular powder is unsuited for those conditions of loading and that you should be using something else.

More specifics would help, but I ask again WHY????

Excellent points.

If topping up a BPC, it seems unlikely that cheese puffs would do the trick. Unless powdered, they would not fill the void or would leave space.Corn meal works very well as it has a similar consistency to BP and will solidly fill any void.

If intended with smokeless, in addition to the excellent points raised above, how big a case are we talking about that they could take cheese puffs? Short of mousefart loads for the 50 BMG, I'm having a hard time envisaging a case in which cheese puffs would be a viable space filler?

[bigted]

Lol ... 45-70, 43 spanish , 45 colt ... All with small doses of smokeless powder. Yes i like messin with status quo but then WHY NOT? I have various reasonsfor my madness

[RPRNY]

Well, I can't see cheese pufs working unless powdered. Dacron puffs at least hold the majority of the smokeless in place towards the base like a wad. I can't see cheese puffs doing it. But there should be no objection to the puff material itself. Might even smell nice !

[Kestrel4k]

[...] I doubt that it will leave any residual crud in the bore.

I'm to understand that you'd be using the noncorrosive variety that doesn't contain sodium chloride yes?

[Chill Wills]

The uneatable and uniform version of Cheese Puffs is called Floral Foam. It is green, cheap, 99.9% air and very easy to work with. It is sold in blocks in the floral dept. of Walmart and other fine stores.


You cut the block into flat pieces the thickness you intend to use. Often I start with a caliber thick piece.
I set the fence on my bandsaw for the thickness I want and it takes about 30 seconds to cut the whole package. There are other good ways of cutting the slabs also.

Like polyester Dacron fiber this has no weight and just keeps the charge back near the primer same as shooting the full moon at midnight would. This is a mainstay loading practice in many circles including Schuetzen and I was introduced and mentored in its use by my shooting partner, Jack Odor about 15 years ago.
Once you have your case filled with powder, just press the foam over the case mouth cutting the disk and seat bullet.

One would always start low and work up your load - like anything we do.

[bigted]

That is awsome. Never considered the floral foam. Bet it is the shis nis.

Heck i may need to play with my 45-120 some more. Do this work with blackpowder as well?

[bigted]

Thanks for all the suggestions

[Lead pot]

Using that Floral foam will make Chuck E Cheese happy

[Outpost75]

Lol ... 45-70, 43 spanish , 45 colt ... All with small doses of smokeless powder. Yes i like messin with status quo but then WHY NOT? I have various reasons for my madness

OK, now we are getting somewhere. A bulky, fast-burner, like Red Dot is your friend here and will work well in all of those.

In the .45 Colt I have gotten best accuracy with 6.5 grains of Bullseye, which I bought when I ran out of the Red Dot I had used for years. [6.5 grains of Red Dot in .45 Colt is also best]. Using less than 6.5 grains of Bullseye in the .45 Colt velocities were less uniform. Accuracy, while acceptable, was not quite as good as 6.5 grains, which proved to be the most accurate load in my Colt New Service M1909 as well. Below are summary results of my .45 Colt load development fired with Bullseye in the H&R Handi-Rifle, bullets as-cast, unsized .455" from COWW, lubricated with LSStuff 45-45-10, Starline cases, Remington 2-1/2 primers:

H&R .45 Colt 20" Classic Carbine, iron sights off sandbags

Saeco #954 230-grain FN_______ 5x5 shot groups 50 yds.
__________________Velocity_______Avg. ES
6.0 Bullseye________971 fps, 28 Sd__2.18
6.5 Bullseye________ 1125, 8 Sd_____1.63
7.2 Bullseye________ 1184, 4 Sd_____2.24

Saeco #955 255-grain FN
6.0 Bullseye_________862, 42 Sd____3.11
6.5 Bullseye________ 1093, 7 Sd_____2.08
7.2 Bullseye________ 1149, 9 Sd _____2.6

Old Western factory 255-grain Lubaloy from the 1950s averaged 1057 fps and 3.5" for five consecutive 5-shot groups fired off sandbags at 100 yards, which is a good benchmark for a .45 Colt carbine.

[bigted]

So am I correct in thinking that the floral foam would work with black power? I wouldn't mind playing with the huge 45-120 case again but the Hummer is both very hungry and gets tired of my shoulder in a hurry. It is housed in a snazzy Shiloh so either I get it rebarreled to a cal that is more user friendly ... Or figure out some loads that I can handle. Selling is not in the cards as of now.

[bigted]

Thank-you Outpost75. That is helpful info and thanks for sharing that.

[Nobade]

If you used more than just a thin sheet of floral foam I would be concerned with ringing the chamber. Think about what would happen at the shot - that foam will collapse instantly, and the mass of the powder behind it would have a significant amount of inertia. The bullet would bump up, but a lot of that power might get expended outward instead of forward and cause a ring. I couldn't guarantee that would happen, but it would be a strong consideration of mine if I was tempted to do something like that. Now cream 'o' wheat, on the other hand, is not going to compress much and can be used to take up space otherwise occupied by gunpowder. You can either use it as a filler by itself, or you can even mix it with your powder to make it less powerful by weight if you feel so inclined.

-Nobade

[Chill Wills]

So am I correct in thinking that the floral foam would work with black power? I wouldn't mind playing with the huge 45-120 case again but the Hummer is both very hungry and gets tired of my shoulder in a hurry.

Ted, I have zero experience and no knowledge of using floral foam with BP. I bet someone has but I am not the right guy.

I mostly shoot BP in everything, mostly, but all my chambers are on the small side compared to that big 3-1/4 inch 45. You already know the normal ways to tame them so I won't wear you out with that.

I have some old 1Fg Elephant powder, which might be the weakest powder ever made! If we lived close I would gift it to you. A full load of that in your 120 still might not = a 45-70 velocity with regular BP. Bullets powdered by 1F Elephant can't even get out of their own way.

I have never tried to use non- powder filler like cornmeal. I just shot the big ones I own when I needed a big rifle

If the rifle is a safe queen and you truly want to shoot the rifle lot more than you are but, the case is too much of a good thing, consider a barrel lining - it is a good, accurate, less expensive way to go.

Good luck

[JSnover]

I used Floral foam with light smokeless loads in a 45-70 a few years ago and had no trouble. Then I gave it up for BP.

[bigted]

Chills ... Got ahold of Shiloh few years ago and they quoted me 550 dollars to rebarrel and send back ... Since i no longer have the nice AK wages i have a bit of aproblem finding extra funds. Prolly should trade it for what would work for me but i gotta get the rite mind set to be able to let it go ... We have a little history together.

Still n all ... May need to try small doses of white powder with the floral foam or my normal corn meal/cream o wheat fillers. The corn meal smells great when shot n makes me hungry tho

[Boolit_Head]

A lot of shotgun loaders use a cheerio when needed to fill out the load. I've tried it and it works well. Plus side is you get a snack on your loading bench while loading.

[Mr Humble]

1. Switch to Trail Boss
2. If using low bulk powders, I use COARSE Cuban style ground corn meal. Works very well, smells good and gently scrubs the bore.

[Old Coot]

Have the barrel set back and re-chambered to 45-70. It should make the rifle a lot more pleasant to shoot. Brass should be cheaper, and it won't cost $$$$ 550 either.
Brodie