Melted filler

[DeanWinchester]

When using a fiber filler, is it common to get a melted clump of it? Maybe I didn't have what I thought I had? Used too much? I thought i bought the right stuff. Looked just like the pictures posted here.

In any event, several cases had a melted chunk about the size of a match head inside the neck. The chunk popped right out with a dentist pick, and I always use a plastic bore brush on the inside of the cases between loadings anyway. There was some funk in the bore, but one patch took 99% of it out.

Just curious. I've never used a filler before.
The load shot really well. VERY little leading. Accuracy was great. Recoil and noise were laughable. I have a 22 magnum that makes more fuss than this did.


308 winchester
Hornady match case
CCI primer
12g Unique
100g plain base RN Tumble lubed

[Jailer]

How much filler are you using?

[Larry Gibson]

What is the filler you are using?

Larry Gibson

[DeanWinchester]

How much filler are you using?
About twice the size of my thumb nail.

It didn't do it on all the cases, so I'm thinking it's possible I had too much in the ones that had the melted chunks in it. The next go round, I'm going to use less.


What is the filler you are using?

Larry Gibson

Polyethylene quilt batting.

[243winxb]

Use Kapok, if you must use a filler.

[Jailer]

You're using the same filler I am and I've had good results but no melted filler anywhere.

Try weighing your filler. I wouldn't use much more than 1 grain, preferably less, or you could run into trouble.

Use only enough to keep the powder in place, make sure you fluff it well before you put it in and don't pack it at all after you've put it in.

[zomby woof]

I though unique required no filler?

[35remington]

Two points:

1) Skip the filler with Unique. It's not that position sensitive

2) If using filler, fill all the free space in the case. Don't use too little. It should be slightly compressed by the bullet in seating. The most common and suitable filler is usually Dacron, AKA 100 percent polyester fiberfill.

[contender1]

I've used poly fiberfill w/o any residue when I loaded light 38 spl loads. 148 grn W/C over 3.2 grns Bullseye.

[geargnasher]

I've used Dacron in all sorts of applications and never had anything remotely resembling a melted wad in the case neck, or anywhere else. If I see it again at all after loading it's a brief flurry of fibers in the muzzle blast.

A hearty second on not needing any sort of filler with Unique.

Gear

[303Guy]

Polyethylene quilt batting.Interesting. Are you sure it's not polyester? Maybe it was called Polyethylene terephthalate which ironically does not contain any polyethylene. It's called PET as opposed to PE for polyethylene. PET is polyester.

It does melt and sometimes one finds a little bead of the stuff. But usually it flies out unheated in a fibre form. Not that I've used it a lot - I've fired some into my test tube.

[sqlbullet]

The only time I have seen this is in a few loads of WC846 that didn't have a magnum primer. Without the magnum spark plug I would get a few misfires, maybe 5%. When I pulled those loads, there was invariably a tunnel through the center of the charge, and a chuck of charred poly at the top of the case.

With only 12 grains of unique, I wonder if the filler and the charge aren't swapping place in the case. That would explain why it doesn't get ejected.

[Larry Gibson]

If it is dacron then 2 things;

1st is the .308W should need 1/2 - 3/4 gr filler at the most. It should be fluffed and stuffed in the case. It shouldn't be wadded together or tamped down on the powder.

2nd is I would not use a filler with a Unique load under that light weight of a cast bullet. I would use 3.2 gr of Bullseye with no filler or wad.

The key to success with light weight cast bullets is to use a fast enough burning powder so ignition is consistent while keeping the velocity in a range of useful accuracy, especially with PB cast bullets. With 90 and 100 gr PB cast bullets I've found the bullseye load to give excellent accuracy in the 800-950 fps range depending on barrel. Again, no filler or wad is needed.

Larry Gibson

[303Guy]

I did a test with polyester filler in my test tube. I was not able to identify any polyester residue fluffed or melted.

Once before I tried wool as a filler and the smell of burned wool was strong. The last time I tried wool I smelled nothing at all. It either burned completely or did not even scorch. Cotton wool will exit just dusted or smouldering (mostly dusted). (When cotton does smoulder it can ignite dry grass or scrub. It doesn't seem to blow away in a dust of fibres).

[trk]

An observation:

I use dacron to hold the powder (usually Unique) next to the primer. (It does make a difference with large/long cases (.405 win and.458WM).

Once or twice I forgot the powder - the dacron was all burned up - inside the case - bullet pushed into the rifling.

One could easily replicate the test with other materials.

[FirstBrit]

[QUOTE=DeanWinchester;1479377]When using a fiber filler, is it common to get a melted clump of it? Maybe I didn't have what I thought I had? Used too much? I thought i bought the right stuff. /QUOTE]

Hello Dean,

I believe you are using this filler just to position the powder - correct ? If this is the case I would only use natural fibres that don't melt for example cotton wool or kapok. I ended up with a ringed chamber on my Steyr SSG and had to have it re-barreled when I used a synthetic cotton wool ( 100% polyester)

I regularly use polyethylene powder fillers to completely fill the free space between powder and bullet base. The use is two fold it positions the powder and also eliminates any gas cutting. But, you can only use this with the slower powders. Since basically the case volume can be dramatically reduced and with the typicall powders for cast bullets like VV N-110 ( v. popular here in Germany.) the increase in chamber pressure can be dangerously high. A very definite no-no with your Unique.

Best regards,

Adrian, Germany.

[1Shirt]

I am a believer in Dac fill for rifle cases for 2400, and the slower burning powders. I do not use it for Unique or any of the fast pistol/shotgun powders, as it is not needed. My rule of thumb for rifle fill is if the charge is less than half the case (filled to the neck, I use fill. If it is over half I may or may not use fill depending on accuracy with and without fill. It is for me a safety AND accuracy factor.
1Shirt!:coffee: