Fillers vs Wads

[softpoint]

Ok, having reloaded all my adult life, but nearly always with charges that filled the case, I have run across a controversial subject. And yes, I've done a search, and the opinions are all over the map, on several forums.
I have used the polyester quilting material, in small squares as a Filler. Ihave also used 1/2 sheet of toilet paper as a Filler. These materials, by their construction and in small amounts that are used , I cannot see how they could damage a chamber.(I could be wrong). A Wad, on the other hand, I consider a harder disc cut out of compressed fiber, or cardboard, I can see, if the the theory is correct, how they could possibly do some kind of damage if there is airspace between the Wad and the base of the boolit. Or is this a plausible theory? Then there are materials that are really about halfway between those two materials. I'm thinking meat tray foam, or pipe insulation foam (same stuff, the pipe insulation is usually thicker, but not denser) I cut a .45 caliber filler-wad from pipe insulating foam 1/2" thick, and it wouldn't even weigh on my RCBS digital scale, the scale going back and forth between .00 and .01 grain. Using the poly quilting material to keep the powder next to the primer HAS given me better accuracy out of one of my .45/70's using 5744 powder,a powder which some folks say doesn't need a filler. Then there are the fillers such as Cream of Wheat, Corn starch, corn meal, sawdust and anything else people can find laying about.
I have heard some claims using Cream of wheat that no gascheck is needed,for velocities as high as could be had with a gascheck! I have even heard claims that no lube is needed on many loads using Cream of Wheat. !I suspect this information, although i have never tried it, if those claims were entirely true, the use of Cream of wheat would be much more widespread.
So what is good, and what is bad? I can see not using COW in bottlenecks, as it is supposed to compress into a semi-solid cylinder upon firing, but I am only talking about straight walled cartridges, or tapered, such as the 45/70, 38/55, etc.
Has anyone here ever ringed a chamber with any of the aforementioned fillers or wads? If you did, what were you using.?

[Larry Gibson]

There is a distinct difference between a wad and a filler as you have pointed out and defined both. Unfortunately many on forums and in the gun writing business do not understand the difference. Thus the terms many times are inadvertantly used to mean the same thing. They do not mean the same thing.

Those who have ringed chambers with either a wad or a filler have done so but using it with a wrong combination of bullet weight and powder burning rate. The sticky "filler" gives some good guidelines for the use of a filler. Many of us no longer use a wad of any sort because most ringing is caused by them as you described. I also have done psi measurement with COW in straight and bottlenecked cases. I found COW as a filler really can rais the psi quickly. I am a proponent for the use of a dacron fill if it is used correctly with appropriate powders and bullet weights. Like anything else it can be used incorrectly which is not the fault of the filler but the fault of the user.

Larry Gibson

[softpoint]

Other than the pressure rising more than with other materials does the Cream of Wheat prevent leading as claimed?

[.22-10-45]

Hello, softpoint..I have heard with COW there is no leading even with lube-free bullets..that stuff must scour out bores..even so, I will never never agan use the stuff..I was using it in a
a .25-25 Stevens with black powder reduced charges..wanted to fill up excess air space. The cases were RCM brass..turned from solid bar stock..the slight radial tool marks inside case neck probably grabbed the COW..as some cases were stretched .050"! I did have a case seperation. Switched to Puff-Lon filler...no more problems.

[beagle]

One of my old shooting partners was using that green foam like they use to stick flowers in at cemetaries. Free for the asking when they cleaned off the old flowers. He sharpened a .45/70 case and drilled the primer pocket with a 1/4" (?) drill. To make wads, he'd punch the sharpened case mouth through the block, then use a blunted nail to punch out a long wad. Then he's figure what he needed based on the space between the powder and bullet base and cut enough for a whole run.

Seemed to work pretty clean and gave good accuracy and took up all the air space inside the case./beagle

[softpoint]

One of my old shooting partners was using that green foam like they use to stick flowers in at cemetaries. Free for the asking when they cleaned off the old flowers. He sharpened a .45/70 case and drilled the primer pocket with a 1/4" (?) drill. To make wads, he'd punch the sharpened case mouth through the block, then use a blunted nail to punch out a long wad. Then he's figure what he needed based on the space between the powder and bullet base and cut enough for a whole run.

Seemed to work pretty clean and gave good accuracy and took up all the air space inside the case./beagle

I have done some exactly like that, but I use Foam pipe insulation. And before sharpening the 45/70 case, i flare it, so the wad is a little tighter fit in the case.