Puff-lon Range Results

[HEAD0001]

OK guys here goes:
Rifle: Browning High Wall 45-70
Case: WW
Powder: Red Dot
Bullet: .454 diameter round ball
Primer: CCI large rifle
Charge: 3.0 grains Red Dot
Filler: Puff-Lon

I loaded 3.0 grains of Red Dot. Filled case full of Puff-Lon. Compressed round ball onto Puff-Lon until top of round ball was level with end of case(slightly belled).
Load was completely silent, you could actually hear the ball hit the cardboard at 25 yards. Group size was just under 2 inches at 25 yards(off hand, leaning against post, with peep sights). You could hear the hammer drop, it actually scared me on the first shot. I did not chronograph yet, but I will.
Considerable residue left in the barrel. Three or four shots would not hang up in barrel, but then residue built up, and fourth or fifth ball had to be pushed out of barrel. Ball pushed out with very little resistance.
All of Puff-Lon did not burn, or push out of barrel. I am going to try a different filler. Someone suggested Dacron. I am going to order some today.
You guys probably think I am nuts, but I want a silent load. I love to hunt with my High Wall, so now I can shoot coyotes and squirrels while on my deer stand(reason behind the madness).
I am getting ready to cast some new bullets to try (300 grain). I hope they work as well. Tom

[44man]

Gunfire does not scare deer like you think it does. What scares them is a bullet passing them breaking the sound barrier or hitting something near them. I would not worry about a louder shot.
Then even your slow boolit hitting a squirrel will not leave much to eat unless you go for head shots only. Also something that slow might not be enough for coyotes. I would step up the load some and you will be happy. I have shot fox from my stand with my .475 and had deer come in shortly. I have watched a huge 10 point and 6 doe walk into a small woods (less then an acre) where the frustrated hunters were hammering bottles in a farmers dump. I seen all of the deer come out the other side, having slipped right by the nimrods. Never laughed so hard! I have shot too many deer that did not run off and the rest of the deer stayed too. I shot one once that dropped and the rest of the herd laid down too.

[35remington]

As you discovered, the fillers like Puff Lon and shotshell buffer shouldn't be used with the very light loads. Often not enough pressure is built up to blow all the buffer out of the case or barrel, which could cause problems. I discovered that light charges of powder would not blow all the buffer out of cases as small as the .22 K-Hornet. The gasses would simply tunnel past the buffer, leaving fused dirty grey buffer in the case. Sorta looked like a dirty snowdrift.

Not good.

[drinks]

For dacron, just go to Walmart, a fabric shop, or if you still have a variety store and get a bag of dacron quilt batting, should be enough for several years and will cost a great big $2 or so.