Case Half Full

[BulletFactory]

I want to try some Unique in the .308, and the manual calls for 10-15 grains of powder for a 175 grain cast bullet.

Well, the case is maybe half full. That can't be good. Is this normal? And is there a way to keep the powder where it belongs, like a bit of polyfill maybe?

[Larry Gibson]

Under normal shooting positions/conditions, using a .308W rifle, a filler or a wad especially is not needed with that range of powder charges of Unique and that weight cast bullet.

Larry Gibson

[BulletFactory]

Thanks. I was picturing what the powder must be doing in the case, and wondered if it would light off consistently, and or correctly.

Seems like if you were shooting downwards, like out of a tree stand, or down a ridge, would it be good to have a filler?

[runfiverun]

yeah it can help.
I like powder positioners in my hunting loads for that very reason.
but use a much slower powder than unique.
unique seems to do pretty well without a filler until you get down to the 8-10gr or below area in a case like the 30-30 and 308.
and faster powders will do just as well with even lower amounts.
fillers are most helpful if you see velocity variations [manifest as vertical stringing on the target]

[oldfart1956]

BF, I'm loading 12 grains of Unique in a 45/70 under a 320gr. boolit. No filler. I don't always remember to tip the barrel up before shooting (bench) and so far I haven't seen any difference at 100 yds. Now mind ye I ain't sayin' it would hurt to use a filler..I'm just sayin' is all. I don't think putting a little something soft in there just to keep the powder against the primer would hurt but make sure it's not going to become an obstruction or act like a piston compressing air between the powder and boolit. Dacron might poof back up once it goes thru that neck an help as you mentioned. I do that on the 30/30 using 2400. (slow powder) Just some thoughts. Audie...the Oldfart..

[Moonie]

Unique is, well unique, it is not normally position sensitive.

[str8shot426]

I experimented with a 10 grain unique load in my .243. One with filler and one without. Better accuracy was achieved without filler.

[rsrocket1]

No need for fillers with pistol powders in rifle cartridges. This past fall I experimented with Dacron pillow stuffing with 800-X and Unique with .308. Didn't make any difference in consistency between the Dacron and non-Dacron loads when tilting the barrel up or down before the shots. Now if you were using a reduced load of a slow rifle powder, maybe the Dacron would make a difference, but I would rather use a lower charge of a faster powder like Reloader 7 for slower .308.

[BulletFactory]

Bullets are odd ducks.