Reloading Using Fibre Wads

[funkysimmo]

Hello,

 

I'm trying to reload some 28gram No6 12 gauge with red dot powder and fibre wads. All of the recipes I've come across state plastic wads of a specific type. Can I simply substitute fibre wads for the plastic ones or will this alter the pressures etc and make the cartridge dangerous?

 

If I can simply substitute the wads do I just make up the height to match the hull so that it will crimp properly, I have some softer fibre wads with shiny paper at either end which are about 14mm high and some hard compressed card that are about 4mm, can they be mixed and matched or are they only to be used in specific circumstances.

 

I have some 65mm hulls, and some 70mm ones are they interchangeable with recipes using fibre wads?

 

Sorry if these are really stupid questions but I've tried searching the net and cant come up with the answers.

 

Thanks,

 

Peter

[sitsinhedges]

For simplicity just use 70mm cases with 70mm recipes.

The hard compressed cards that you have are overpowder cards and are meant to go between the powder and the fibre wad.

For a 28gram load you would normally use 21mm fibre wads so maybe you could cut some of the 14mm ones you have and use 1 and a 1/2 to use them up.

You can generally substitute fibre for plastic wads because the sealing properties aren't as good so the pressures produced are generally lower. It's not unusual for comparable recipes to add a grain or two extra to the fibre recipe to make up for this.

Have the paper end facing the shot if you do cut them up as it stops the shot embedding.

Edited November 6, 2011 by sitsinhedges

[funkysimmo]

Thanks sitsinhedges,

Just looked and my hulls are 65mm long, will that make a massive difference. I have some 70 mm but no primers for them, I got the 65mm ones pre primed from kranks.

I'm using a lee loadall junior and find it hard to get the unfired hulls to crimp, is that usual?

 

Thanks,

Peter

[sitsinhedges]

Thanks sitsinhedges,

Just looked and my hulls are 65mm long, will that make a massive difference. I have some 70 mm but no primers for them, I got the 65mm ones pre primed from kranks.

I'm using a lee loadall junior and find it hard to get the unfired hulls to crimp, is that usual?

 

Thanks,

Peter

 

You're better to just go to a clay club and have a rummage in the bins for once used 70mm cases. You'll learn which ones crimp well. You can also de-prime the primed cases and put those primers back into a different case. Use once and throw.

 

Using a case that is smaller than specified may increase pressures but I'm not really sure to be honest, maybe someone who does know can pipe in. A lot of recipes are just a set of components that fill a case efficiently.

[funkysimmo]

Cheers for the info, there's a lot of helpful people on this forum and you're definately one of them,

Peter.

[Andy H]

You will probably find that the cases you got from kranks are not skived and are for roll turn over crimp and not star crimp ,Also the data for a longer cartridge case should not be used in a shorter case as per Ian Charlton who used to be Clay and Game supplies.

[Guest cookoff013]

what i did is pick a 10000psi load, replace with fibre wad