Case Fillers

[Jeffreytooker]

I have found a number of loads on this list which have dacron fillers. I have come to the fact that I need to try a few of these loads. Not having used fillers much before I started to work on fillers. I asked my wife who is a quilter if we had any old dacron filled pillows. She said no. Then she asked me what I needed dacron for. I told her. She said she had polyester (looks like dacron) quilt batting scraps that I might use. I thought about how I was going to weigh the filler without spending all day at the scale. The batting is about .5" thick and comes as roll goods. I cut a 1" square piece it weighs about 1.6 gr. I got some batting scraps and asked my wife to cut the batting in 1/2X1" pieces. She did it with her rotary cutter and a template she has. She cut 100 in about 5 minutes. I weighed a few they weigh about .6 to .8 gr. I will try the pieces in some 30 cal loads and see how they work. I think I may have to cut them in half for .222 and .223.

Once the pieces are cut you have to leave them together as cut. This is because if you put them loosly in a container they all ball up. I cut a piece of paper to fit a Sees 1# candy box and slid it under the cut pieces and laid them in the bottom of the candy box. When I get more I will make another paper and put it and more of the fillers on top of what is in the box. I find if you pull off one piece at a time they stay pretty well seperated.

It is a lot faster than weighing fillers.

Jeffrey

[swheeler]

Jeffery; when you start using filler in 223 be advised that it can make dramatic increases in press and velocity/300+fps with certain powders/same load

[Jeffreytooker]

Jeffery; when you start using filler in 223 be advised that it can make dramatic increases in press and velocity/300+fps with certain powders/same load

Swheeler:

I will keep that in mind. I was advised by Felix. If I put in 1gr dacron to take out 1 or 2 of powder. You confirm his advice.

Thank you.

Jeffrey

[Larry Gibson]

Be advised the clothing stores up here are selling sheet polyester (dacron) batting prepackaged instead of on the big roles. Read the package carefully! Some of it has an adhesive that makes it stick to cloth with just iron heat. I have not tried it but it may glue to the inside of the barrel or stay stuck to the base of the bullet instead of blowing free just outside the muzzle. Again, I've not tried it (anyone want to?) so not really sure if there is a problem there.

I use the sheet batting for .30 cal and larger. I cut them into roughly 5/8ths or 1" squares. I use the bulk polyester (dacron) for the smaller cases like the .223 as I can eye ball the right amount for a filler.

My experience too is that the use of the dacron filler increases the burning efficiency of the powder and a lessor amount of powder is needed to achive the same pressure/velocity as without the filler.

Larry Gibson

[Buckshot]

.................Jeff I used to buy the stuff in a roll. I didn't intentionaly change it's just that when I went to get more it was just big wads in plastic bags. However I now prefer the 'bulk' type stuff over the sheet stuff.

BTW, Dacron is Du Pont's trade name for the stuff and it is in fact merely spun polyester, so I got blank looks from the ladies in the fabric store too when I asked for Dacron.

I have the charged cartridge cases in an MTM 50 round holder. I hold the wad of stuff in my left hand and in my right the dowel I'll use to push it in. I pluck off a likely looking amount with the fingers of my right hand and stick it over the casemouth, then push it and any stringers and hairs in. Then on to the next case.

Using the stuff doesn' talways make a load group better. It does often enough for me to use it with powders and loads I feel would benefit. BTW, when I push it into the case I push the dowel down till it touches the powder, then withdraw it. The dacron is free then to do whatever. I do not pack or tamp it in. Others have other methods.

Off the use subject but I really consider dacron or kapok or TP as not really a 'filler' in the true sense as the amount used really doesn't fill anything. I would imagine the amount I use, as a solid, only represents maybe a 10% reduction or less in actual volumn filled. Kind of like saying oxygen fills a room. It does in one way. A real filler is like Grex or Super Sam, which are both ground poly granuals. Also any of the cereal grains used, like Cream of Wheat, etc.

.....................Buckshot

[Jeffreytooker]

Buckshot:

I think I will use the roll stuff for a while. As I said my wife quilts and the stuff is just scraps she will throw away. So the price is right. Also she can and will cut the pieces 1/2X1. She can cut a hundred or two in five minutes, so I can get enough for a long time in very short order. I put them in layers in candy boxes with a sheet of paper between.

The pieces I am using for ~30 cal are as I said 1/2X1. I push one end in with the dowel then push in the rest. I push the piece down to where the filler is at the bottom of the case neck.

I for a long time have maintained that HP smokeless cases are too big for Boolits. My general feeling is (YMMV) for boolits many would need a filler. The faster the the powder the more need for filler.

I have loaded 314299 for the 30-30 (788) and 214 gr Egans for the 7.65. Both with AA2495 and dacron. Will go to the range on Wednesday and see what happens.

These are probably the rifles I will take to Winnemucca. I am leaving the high dollar equipment home. I hope when I get there I dont find out that this is an equipment game.

If I can get these two rifles to shoot for Winnemucca then I will bring them home and try to figure out this Vectan A0 powder that I have. If I know the rifles will shoot their boolits well, then I should be able to work something out with the A0.

If nothing else it will keep me busy.

Jeffrey

[Jeffreytooker]

Some of it has an adhesive that makes it stick to cloth with just iron heat. Larry:

I know where this stuff came from and it is not sticky. However thank you for the caution.

Jeffrey

[chuebner]

I've tried 1/4 sheets of 2-ply TP rolled lightly in a ball then inserted and set with a 1/4" dowel. Seems to works OK but sometimes gets funny looks with confetti floating on the breeze. I'm trying loads now with less positive sensitive powders like Unique and 2400. It would be nice to eliminate one step in the reloading process.

Charlie