?? For you McGyvers out there...

[Hogtamer]

Could the wax paper in my kitchen drawer be used as a low cost wrap for shot loads? You can bake it in the oven or use it in a microwave...I love the BPI Teflon wrap but it is expensive.

[pipehand]

Sure you're not talking about Parchment Paper? That's the kind you can bake with. Regular waxed paper isn't something I'd put in the oven. The parchment paper is also pretty strong. You could give it a try and see if the wrap survives the trip out the barrel. The only wrap I've used was inside a shotcup in an effort/experiment to see if it held a tighter buckshot pattern, and I used tyvek for that.

[Jeffrey]

Hogtamer, You might want to rephrase your question. The writers of the show and the character himself were vehemently anti gun. http://www.macgyveronline.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=5984#.UdlipyQo45s

[Hogtamer]

Ignorance is bliss Jeffrey but it appears you are right. The question remains, however. My fabric of choice for anything is duct tape, but even I recognize the limits of that magnificent invention!

[longbow]

I haven't used parchment paper but I have used regular paper for paper patching slugs and balls. For the balls, I made a tube then folded over the end. The goal was both to bring the ball up to diameter and also simulate a shotcup to launch the ball without spin. Seemed to work not bad. At least no ill effects anyway.

I would think a two or three wrap paper tube may work and if it doesn't, you might get some leading and/or poor groups but it certainly shouldn't hurt anything. My opinion of course.

Something else you might try too is to use old hulls of 12 or 20 ga. cut to length then slit and cut to make a once around sleeve. I have done that with slugs too but not shot. They act like a thick wrap. Or heavy notebook cardboard backing or heavy craft paper might be worth a try.

You will likely have to slit paper tubes if they are more than one wrap or they may not release the shot.

Its worth a try.

I live in a reloading supply desert (almost anyway) so getting pretty much anything is difficult and I have tried a few things as substitutions for factory wads, shotcups, etc. I should also say that I am very careful with hulls, powder and primer and follow published recipes. I have substituted wads, gas seals, etc. where I am confident that they will not create a nasty pressure excursion. Some work and some don't. Your patterns will tell you.

My thoughts anyway.

Longbow

[Firebricker]

There is a book about loading buffered shot and the author say you can use certain clear folders used for cover letters found at office supply stores. I cant think of who wrote the book if I find it later I'll get the exact info for you. FB

[35remington]

If you've access to draftsmen or old drafting supplies, like I do, try Mylar. It's much tougher and resists shot scrub much better than weak waxed paper, which is really flimsy and perforates from the rub between shot and barrel.

And I agree....don't put waxed paper anywhere hot unless you want a fire. Wax burns.

[turbo1889]

I routinely use brown paper wraps (cut from brown paper grocery bags or equivalent type of heavy rought and tough brown paper stock) in many of my home brew loads that use an entirely bio-degradable wadding column. Haven't tried wax paper but I don't see any danger in at least trying it.

[nanuk]

has anyone tried pop bottles? that plastic is tough, and cut into two pieces might work as a sleeve.

but I wonder how biodegradable it is....