Home Forums Reloading Shotshells grex filler

"The best magnum loads are usually buffered, that is, ground plastic called "grex" is loaded in with the shot. The grex cushions the pellets during firing the way plastic peanuts protect your fine china in a box when you move. " Does anyone know where I can buy grex? Thanks, Rufous.

Sure. www.ballisticproducts.com but be aware that grex is only part of the solution and it is used almost exclusively for lead shot. It might be used with bismuth but I have never loaded any, so am not sure. It is unnecessary with steel and tungsten type shot since they are so hard initially. Therefore if you are thinking waterfowl it is probably not applicable. As has been said elsewhere to get a maximum performance lead load, you MUST use shot with a relatively high antimony content to resist deformation.
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<br>Finally, grex is basically finely ground plastic and is kind of messy to fool with and loading with it is pretty much a single stage effort since you have to settle the grex around the shot before crimping.

Thanks. I am actually thinking about using it to fill sandbags instead of using sand. The sand compacts so much, especially in my front rest sandbag and becomes very hard, causing the relatively lightweight 300 Win Mag to bounce and give fliers. Rufous.

Rufous,
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<br>IMO grex is too light for that use and would make for some fairly expensive filler. The benchrest guys look for heavier sand for theirs, if that means anything. I doubt that the hardness of the bags is your problem, possibly you might try some talcum powder to let your foreend slip when you shoot, if you are not holding it. May not be true benchrest technique but I prefer to hold my harder recoiling and/or hunting guns when I sight them in. After all, how often do you shoot them in the field withou your hand on the foreend? However, to each is own, said the man as he kissed the cow.

I have tried a softer bag on the front rest and I am getting fewer fliers. That softer bag is filled with sand also but not as tightly and it is not compacting like the other one. I am using my left hand to firmly hold and pull the rifle into my shoulder. I have found that by using the softer bag up front and firmly holding the stock that I am getting more consistent groups. How much does grex cost? Why do you think that the grex would be too light? Some guys I have corresponded with are using plastic beads instead of sand. They too are finding that the sand compacts too much. I know that the benchresters are using sand but they also have heavier rifles that recoil much less due to the weight and small case. Rufous.

Rufous,
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<br>The cheapest shot buffer that Ballistic Products has is $5.99 plus shipping for 500cc. I don't know if that would fill a front bag or not.
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<br>I still don't think it is the hardness of your bags that is your problem, for various reasons, such as the recoil of the rifle holding it as you describe would tend to lift it off of the bag, not bounce it. Where do you hold you left hand if not between the bag and the foreend? Perhaps you are pulling down on the gun and causing this problem. Maybe you should try it without so much pressure or some variation of what you are doing. Not being critical, just trying to help.

That is expensive. I guess I will try the small plastic beads. I am also wanting to make up a bag for prone shooting that will be used to fine tune elevation by squeezing the bag placed under the toe of the stock. I am finding that I am shooting better from the bench with a softer sandbag and holding stock with my left hand. In the past I would just squeeze the rear bag with my left hand, allowing the rifle to recoil freely. This gave me more fliers. Now I am holding the stock firmly between action and front rest, pulling the rifle back into my shoulder. I watched two videos by G. David Tubb and he also said that he has found that method to be more consistent when shooting fairly light magnums from the bench. I have tried many variations and this method is proving to be best for me when shooting my 9.5# 300 Win Mag from the bench. Rufous.

Yes rufous, recoiling rifles bounce up off hard fore end supports. My 338WM groups well off hard sandbag rests, but the point of impact is 6" higher than it is handheld at 100 yards. My 30-06 differs about 3" at 100 yards.
Rest the fore end of your recoiling rifle on a rolled-up sleeping bag, nothing harder than a carpet roll.
We've all read how rifles recoil upward off hard objects like tree limbs and rock, and how we should pad the fore end with a hat or pack. Why is there so much faith in firm sandbags?