wads for breech seating ?

[gnoahhh]

I'm delving into the world of breech seating for the first time and have question regarding wads. Should the wad (cork, fiber, or floral foam- I plan to try them all) be pushed down on top of the powder, or left at the case mouth? If down on the powder, what to do when using a bottle necked case? Would filling the case with filler (ie: kapok or polyester) be better? Lastly, is a wad needed at all?

My main concern is ringing the chamber.

The gun in question is a .22 Hornet. Why? I just feel like trying something offbeat. I have all the tools made and a bullet that fits the throat perfectly, just waiting on a break in the weather to try it.

[geargnasher]

If you don't want to ring a chamber, DON'T PUSH ANY KIND OF WAD DOWN ON TOP OF THE POWDER.

Cork the neck with a small ball of Dacron or loosely "fill" the case from powder to mouth with lofted-up Dacron.

Gear

[uscra112]

At the case mouth, as Gear said. Many of the ASSRA guys use a thin disc of floral foam. Some old timers used cork, but a disc of paper seems to have been more popular. Just thick enough to stay in place until the case is inserted into the chamber. Its' only function is to prevent spilling powder. IMHO the lighter the wad is, the better.

Instead of that polyester fiberfill, I like the old time kapok. You can still get it, from sellers on evilBay. I've had some trouble with the polyester stuff melting into a hard deposit in the throat when using very light loads. Not many loads really need it.

[John Allen]

The wad goes all the way down. I use a cork wad or vegetable fiber.

[gnoahhh]

Thank you. I'll try either a thin disc at the case mouth or a small tuft of kapok. (I bought an old boating life preserver at a yard sale and got a lifetime supply of kapok out of it.)

I realize that breech seating a Hornet is rather off-beat, but the winter boredom is setting in...

[Nobade]

Thank you. I'll try either a thin disc at the case mouth or a small tuft of kapok. (I bought an old boating life preserver at a yard sale and got a lifetime supply of kapok out of it.)

I realize that breech seating a Hornet is rather off-beat, but the winter boredom is setting in...

Breech seating air rifle pellets and firing them with primers in that Hornet helps winter boredom too...

-Nobade

[Gunlaker]

You might also post on the ASSRA forum. There is a lot of combined experience there with respect to wads and breech seating. You might also want to dig up Charlie Dell's research on chamber ringing. I do a fair bit of breech seating, but always with black powder which is a different animal altogether.

Chris.

[rhbrink]

gnoahhh do go over to the ASSRA site there is tons of info there on breech seating and over powder wads. There are also some guys breech seating 22 rim fire. There was a time a while back when unloaded primed 22 rimfire cases were available. With some fanstatic results.

RB