Home Forums Reloading Bullet Casting Wad between bullet/powder

What have you used with successs as a wad between a very soft cast plainbase bullet and the powder?.
I am shooting 40:1 alloy 480 grainer for hunting over SMOKELESS in a 45-70 Shilo.
I am looking for something that is guaranteed safe meaning something that will not cause a bulged chamber, something that can be done consistently the same from load to load.
Please give some suggestions,
Thank you guys.
Shrike

a upside down gas check has been used many times placed in the case cup down and the plain base bullet seated over it

Shrike

If the wad is resting on the powder and the bullet resting on the wad there's little chance of barrel bulging.
What I've used in the past for 45-70 with light charges of smokeless was a square of Kleenex, toilet paper tamped down tight on the powder. The paper burns up long before exiting the barrel.
Jim

Why do you need the wad? I assume leading?

Dittos on the above except I use Dacron. Using small amounts of filler with an air space between powder and bullet is what I feel causes ringing (you might as well put a small bullet in the case).

Use enough to MILDLY compress between powder and bullet and weigh it like your powder. (this will give your repeatability and help accuracy).

Don't forget to work back up as adding filler/gas check is akin to using a longer bullet or adding powder and will increase pressures a tad.

Try melting a bit of bullet lube and pour it out onto something smooth and flat so you get a sheet of lube about 1/16in. thick. Peel it off and press it over the case mouth (like an upside down cookie cutter) before seating the bullet. It'll stay snugged up against the base of the bullet when seated.

This works too. Wax checks are popular.

Beware of grease/alox lubes and anything that may contaminate your powder/primer.

A buddy has alox loads that phfffft on hot days! (misfire)

I ringed the chamber on a pristine 03A3 using dacron as a case filler when shooting cast bullets and ball pistol powder in the 30-06.

The Cast Bullet Association has listed numerous accounts of ringed chambers from using filler and there's many theories on what causes it.

I don't know what causes it,.. but I found out the hard way that it definitely will happen under certain conditions.

I use reduced loads of rifle powder with the tuft of dacron. I do not use pistol powders in my rifles. Do you think I have a chance of a ringed chamber using reduced loads of rifle powder and the dacron?

years ago I switched to AA5744. filler or wad isn't needed with this powder.with my cast bullets and AA5744 has turned some very good groups in my 45/70,38-55 and 375 win.
pete

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/

I finally picked up some AA5744 for use in my Marlin 1895 Cowboy, but have yet to give it any testing.

But, I digress - I have only been shooting cast bullets in my BPCR rifles using black powder until I got my Marlin 1895. I was always under the impression (implied or not) that a wad was under the bullet to keep the base of the bullet from being distorted under the pressure and heat of the ignited propellant. That's basically what a gas check does, too. A wad, whether it be fiber, card stock, felt, LDPE or whatever, is - a gas check. I have never used fillers, so can't comment on their use. I use a wad whether I use BP or smokeless. I suppose you could NOT use a wad if you are using pretty hard cast bullets, but I think they have some demonstrated (most all BPCR shooters use them) value with soft cast bullets. Just my rambling, take it for what you paid for it.

Beat's me,... bit I ain't gonna use it again.

If I wanted to work up some reduced rifle loads, I'd give 4198 or 4759 a try and forget about fillers.