I did a search hear and did not find anything on this but somewhere I thought I read that Cream of Wheat was not a good filler. Cannot recall why though. I have also read Cornmeal and tissue paper. Any other suggestions?
I have found a way to make a sturdy cartridge and get a little compression on the powder. After making the paper tube and glueing in cig paper at one end I next fill the tube with powder. I bounce the cartridge a little to settle powder then place a 45 cal card wad, same as I use for my 45-70, over the powder. The fit is lightly snug. I use a dowel to press down on the wad and that gives the powder a slight compression. Can't give it too much or the cartridge will tear. Next I fill the remainder of the space with a filler and again use a card wad before glueing the bullet in. A lot of steps but as I have gotten older I want more from my guns than a bang.
It's funny, when I was kid and had no money, I slapped cartridges togther and as long as I heard a bang I was happy. Now I have more money but don't want to waste powder, ball, and cap. I expect to see good results on the target, hearing a bang is not even noticed anymore
Another filler question
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HvyMtl
- Posts: 256
- Joined: Tue May 25, 2004 6:44 pm
- Location: Soviet state of New Jersey
Filler ?
Why not just add a little more powder ? When and if I make PC's I first roll and glue the paper cylinder then glue it to the bullet. I then fill it up to a certian point and then cut and fold the extra length of paper and glue the ends shut. I always make sure the whole cartridge is a little longer than the breech. When I load a cartridge I keep a wooden dowel and use it to push the excess cartridge into the chamber there by compressing the powder a little.
Most of the time I just drop the bullet in followed by the powder, this way I pretty much always get the same amount of powder.
Ken
Most of the time I just drop the bullet in followed by the powder, this way I pretty much always get the same amount of powder.
Ken
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HvyMtl
- Posts: 256
- Joined: Tue May 25, 2004 6:44 pm
- Location: Soviet state of New Jersey
Filler ?
Why not just add a little more powder ? When and if I make PC's I first roll and glue the paper cylinder then glue it to the bullet. I then fill it up to a certian point and then cut and fold the extra length of paper and glue the ends shut. I always make sure the whole cartridge is a little longer than the breech. When I load a cartridge I keep a wooden dowel and use it to push the excess cartridge into the chamber there by compressing the powder a little.
Most of the time I just drop the bullet in followed by the powder, this way I pretty much always get the same amount of powder.
Ken
Most of the time I just drop the bullet in followed by the powder, this way I pretty much always get the same amount of powder.
Ken
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JMLange
- Posts: 37
- Joined: Thu Jun 05, 2003 3:08 pm
- Location: Wisconsin
Another filler question
Personally, I could never understand the use of fillers. To what end, save powder, reduce recoil? I do not think that any black powder gun was originally designed to use fillers. I don't think the old timers sat around having a discussion as to what worked best, cream of wheat, corn meal or grits or that fuzzy stuff from milk weed. You just fill it up with powder to the recomended charge. 
Having put in my two cents worth, I do recall reading somewhere that the use of any filler changes the burning characteristics of black powder and you don't know if whatever compound is coming out of the end of your gun is in any way harmful to the barrel.
Having put in my two cents worth, I do recall reading somewhere that the use of any filler changes the burning characteristics of black powder and you don't know if whatever compound is coming out of the end of your gun is in any way harmful to the barrel.
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Rich Siegel
- Posts: 610
- Joined: Thu Sep 26, 2002 7:53 am
- Location: Maine
I don't use a filler with my '63 Shiloh carbine. Just 50 grains of GOEX FFG powder and glue on an end cap. No compression, no drop tube. The guns shoots 3" at 100 yards or better with military sights and a 3 1/2 pound trigger pull.
That said, if your gun shoots better with a lighter load, by all means, use a filler. In my 36 cal Remington Revolver repro, I use 15 grains of FFFG with a corn meal filler (corn meal is said not to compress when you compress the combine load, thus you are actually just compressing the powder). The only reason I use the light powder load and the filler is that the gun likes the load and shoots honest 1" groups at 25 yards. If your rifle/carbine likes a lighter load, by all means use the smaller amount of powder and a filler. Once the powder and filler are loaded into a cartridge, paper or metal, and the bullet is seated without any air space, the filler and powder will not mix. They are held separate by even slight compression.
Rich
That said, if your gun shoots better with a lighter load, by all means, use a filler. In my 36 cal Remington Revolver repro, I use 15 grains of FFFG with a corn meal filler (corn meal is said not to compress when you compress the combine load, thus you are actually just compressing the powder). The only reason I use the light powder load and the filler is that the gun likes the load and shoots honest 1" groups at 25 yards. If your rifle/carbine likes a lighter load, by all means use the smaller amount of powder and a filler. Once the powder and filler are loaded into a cartridge, paper or metal, and the bullet is seated without any air space, the filler and powder will not mix. They are held separate by even slight compression.
Rich