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Thread: DDPP bullet finning

  1. #61
    Boolit Master
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    Years ago Dan Theodore did some experiments with wads and finning. Basically he posted that he found fins were common with veg wads, less pronounced with LDPE, and eliminated with HDPE.

    I've never tried HDPE because LDPE has worked extremely well for me.

    Chris.

  2. #62
    Boolit Master semtav's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gunlaker View Post
    Years ago Dan Theodore did some experiments with wads and finning. Basically he posted that he found fins were common with veg wads, less pronounced with LDPE, and eliminated with HDPE.

    I've never tried HDPE because LDPE has worked extremely well for me.

    Chris.
    That would explain a lot. My go to wads for my loads has always been a .030 veg under a .030 ldpe. once in a while I'll start a load out on .060 ldpe just cause I got so many and need to use them up.

    when I ordered wads for my .429 cal rifle, I accidently pushed the button for the 44 cal rifle ldpe wads, so all I have is .429 veg wads, and I haven't been real happy with the results yet. I need to get the right ldpe wads ordered for it before I continue.

    Also, I've noticed Don recommending the .060 veg wad to people in their load development, so if that's his go to wad, could be why he has a negative experience with larger bullets.

  3. #63
    Boolit Grand Master Don McDowell's Avatar
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    Brian if you're going to make statements and quotes about people you might want to get things straight.
    Will give you a hint, but that's all I'll do. The .060 fiber wad is the starting recommendation I make for greasers in cartridges longer than the 2.1.
    Long range rules, the rest drool.

  4. #64
    Boolit Master semtav's Avatar
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    That was not a slam Don. It was a simple observation. Nothing wrong with the .060 veggie. But if that is where you start loads it could be why the .451 works but the .454 doesn't for you.
    That was all. I'm done with your chest thumping. All I'm trying to do is figure out why people have such different experiences.

    You were the one that came on here and insinuated that gong shooters were too stupid to know what an accurate load was!?
    Last edited by semtav; 03-20-2023 at 11:35 AM.

  5. #65
    Boolit Grand Master Don McDowell's Avatar
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    Brian did it ever occur to you that I came to the conclusions my rifles and the target told me, after 100's if not 1000's of rounds looking for a match quality load with "groove" diameter patched bullets from a variety of different moulds, and nothing came up with anything good enough?
    Chest thumping? Not hardly.
    And yes you may want to try and take in a paper match just to see what the accuracy needs in both load and spotting abilities need to be to come out in good position. As you well know I have shot a ton of gong matches in the past and still continue to do several. But it wasn't until I jumped into target rifle that I found stuff that seemed great for gongs fell way short of the requirements for target rifle, and even to a great extent silhouette.
    Long range rules, the rest drool.

  6. #66
    Boolit Man
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    Quote Originally Posted by semtav View Post
    Jim,
    I looked at your numbers again.
    I find it interesting that you are taking a bullet .003 over bore and patching it to .003 over groove Dia. Even I woulda thought " well that will never work" !!! Interesting.

    I'm still patiently waiting for my ice bank to melt to see what my bullets look like.
    Brian,
    The numbers are correct. I double checked this morning. However, lately I’ve been experimenting with a .376 push through sizer. Early indications are that sized bullets may show a slight increase in accuracy. This morning’s shooting produced an .82” 5 shot group at 100 yards. Load was 44 grains of GOEX Cartridge with ..060” P wad.
    I can’t speak the the finning subject at this time. When the snow finally melts it will be interesting to see. However, this rifle will be used for one and two hundred yard shooting. For long range I use a bore sized patched bullet and 45 caliber rifle.
    Jim

  7. #67
    Boolit Master Lead pot's Avatar
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    I cut my wads from 1/16"X18"X10 Yard roll of Napa Karropak fiber gasket material and a wad cut from one gallon ice cream buckets the Kids save for me and I have no problems with finning.
    The fiber wad is under the bullet and the soft resin wad cut from the bucket is over the powder.
    I think the heat from the powder softens the wad that helps seal the gas back and the fiber wad is also good sealing the bore plus protects the bullet base.

    A roll of this material is a little pricy but 10 yards will many-many thousand wads.
    If I dont have the ice cream bucket I use the OJ carton with the NAPA wad.

  8. #68
    Boolit Master semtav's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JKR View Post
    Brian,
    The numbers are correct. I double checked this morning. However, lately I’ve been experimenting with a .376 push through sizer. Early indications are that sized bullets may show a slight increase in accuracy. This morning’s shooting produced an .82” 5 shot group at 100 yards. Load was 44 grains of GOEX Cartridge with ..060 P wad.
    Jim
    Thanks.
    I think I'm going to try switching some of my current loads to .060 ldpe and see if it works as well. I have 2 currently using them.

  9. #69
    Boolit Master
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    Wads, and alloy.

    The right type and combination will prevent finning, proven from recovered bullets at one mile.

    I always use a .060 veg wad to compress with, then a LDPE or HDPE wad, lastly a Sagebrush Felt wad last, this is in the 110, my wad stack. A single .060 HDPE wad works well in the 40-70 SS. Poly has always given the very best accuracy for me. Especially so in the 40-70.

    As for heat softening the wad, I have examined many ldpe and HDPE wads, out in front of the firing line, they never show any signs of heat, or melting or softening, if they did there would be plastic residue in the bore. Never found any signs of that either. Think on it, the amount of time that heat is exposed to the plastic wad is infinitesimal.

    Think what you want, but you’re wrong, just like a host of other things.

    Kenny Wasserburger
    Last edited by Kenny Wasserburger; 03-20-2023 at 04:34 PM.

  10. #70
    Boolit Master Lead pot's Avatar
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    No, you wont see any signs of heat alterations with the LDPE polly wads or even the thinner wads cut from the Ice cream buckets and they ate even softer than the .060" but they soften. Just run a couple quick passes with a torch over the wad and you will see it gets pliable.

  11. #71
    Boolit Grand Master Don McDowell's Avatar
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    Most of the poly wads I've recovered look like if you were inclined to you could use them over again.
    Long range rules, the rest drool.

  12. #72
    Boolit Master Lead pot's Avatar
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    The bucket wads are .037" thick mostly and the only sign I see on them is the land cuts on the edges and a few dents from the powder granules sometimes.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check