Case filler

[lost californian]

I have a need to load some .327 rounds down in the .32 long power range. I have W231 on hand. My research says 2.3 - 2.6 grs of W231 will be a good load. Not much powder to fill up that long case. Any suggestions on what I can add to the case to keep the powder in place?

Thanks!

 

[WIL TERRY]

That would NOT be necessary, Sir.

And so it goes...

 

[Jimbo357mag]

That would NOT be necessary, Sir.

And so it goes...

Agreed. If you are using a fast powder and the charge is listed in the loading data there is nothing to worry about. You might notice a little difference in velocity whether or nor you hold the gun up before shooting as that will keep the powder close to the primer. I have heard of using a small pinch of polyester fiber fill material, like for stuffing toy animals, to take up extra space in a cartridge but have not tried it myself. You may or may not want to use a felt card to separate the powder and any filler you add to the cartridge. Personally shooting very light loads in other cartridges with Universal and HP-38/W231 I have never used anything.

 

[contender]

Many years ago,,, when loading light 38 spl wadcutters,,, in 357 cases,,, I used pillow filler,,, (poly fiber fill,) as a means of keeping my powder secured over my primer. Pulled off a small piece,,, rolled it into a ball,,, used a flat steel punch head that fit neatly into the case to gently tamp it in place. My chrono allowed that I had very low Standard Deviations,,, and I had very consistent ammo. Just what I used,,, !

 

[Mobuck]

I use TiteGroup which is advertised as "position tolerant". This indicates it ignites/burns well even when not directly in front of the primer.

 

[Get Wood]

Over The Years When Needed We Used Corn Meal ... Never Had Any Problems.. When Loading Down 45 LC ...

 

[Clovishound]

Over The Years When Needed We Used Corn Meal ... Never Had Any Problems.. When Loading Down 45 LC ...

Add a little buttermilk and egg and presto, cornbread poppers at the range!

 

[Paul B]

Absolutely no need for a filler with W321.
Paul B.

 

[Cholo]

I remember gun writer, Bob Milek, used to recommend Dacron filler in reduced handgun loads, probably what contender used. I never felt the need. Bob was a great writer, RIP

 

[contender]

Yep,,, Dacron poly fill. Cheap & a small bag goes a LONG way!

 

[Johnnu2]

+1 on Dacron poly..... I only used this when my reloading manuals required it i.e. for .45-70's. Otherwise, I have been migrating to loads using Trail Boss powder whenever possible.... It FILLS the case, produces accurate loads (for me) and is gentle on my old bones.
J

 

[lost californian]

Alrighty then. I shall try some with no fill, see how that goes. Iffn I don't like it, I will find some of the poly fill or cornmeal...whichever sweetie has laying around.

Thanks, y'all!

 

[Paul B]

When I make gallery loads for one of my rifles, the load is usually 5.0 gr. of Unique and a 100 to 120 gr. bullet regardless if the cartridge is 30-30, .308 or 30-06 in the 30 calibers. All I use as a filler there is a quarter square of toilet paper lightly tamped down against the powder to hold it close to the primer. I do not recommend cereal fillers and properly used they can pack down to a solid mass. Might not be much of a problem in something like a 45-70 or 38-55 but in a bottleneck cartridge could spell disaster in one hell of a hurry. Case in point. I had some 45-70 rounds loaded using Cream of Wheat (COW) using a light load of SR4759 IIRC. One round failed to fire even after being tried several times. When I got home I pulled the bullet and the COW was packed and compacted so tightly that I have to dig it out with a screwdriver. Stuff was like a rock. Interesting fact, that load gave 150 FPS more velocity than the same load without the COW. It was slightly more accurate in a Ruger #1 than the load with no COW. Just something to think about.
Paul B.

 

[tsubaki]

Iffn I don't like it, I will find some of the poly fill

You ain't gotta find it, it's sitting on the shelf at WalMart for $3.68 for 16oz bag which is approximately 12" x 18" x 6".

One bag should last a couple of lifetimes.

 

[protoolman]

I haven't tried the poly fill but have heard warnings that it will ring the bore somehow. I would suggest more research prior to using it. As stated 231 seems to work well without a filler.