16ga.com ~ View topic - You didn't tell me.......powder migration

It seems the Italians and Kevin @ Downrange Manufacturing are the only ones smart enough to size wads to large enough diameters and include easy and innovating things to their mold designs like anti-migration rings molded into the wad!
American wads historically have been designed for the wad manufacturer (molding ease) and for the ease of loading. To work well in all hulls without powder migration with all powders is not in their thoughts!

It's comical to me this was never a problem in the card and fiber wad days!

Slidehammer

Dads A-5,
Ballistic Products "The Sixteen Gauge Manual" on longshot powder, pg.21 one paragraph says "Longshot appears to have been heavily treated with graphite to ease the grain flow and reduce static "cling". Many powders can cling to the side of the hull during the loading process. A reduction of static cling assist to make loads more consistent . Because of its reistance to static,successive volumetrice drops of LONGSHOT powder demonstrate uniformity of weight. "
Could be the reason for easy migration of powder.
The next parapraph in part reads,"Avoid the use of wads with soft,yielding gas seals or recoil-reducing features such as "teeth". These are sometimes found on the base of certain gas seals on target wads. Seal teeth serve to lengthen the powder burn rate of high speed powders. LONGSHOT is already a slow burn rate powder and it doesn't require any further assistance."
It also states that " the reloader should apply strong wad pressure and make sure that crimps are deep and solid."
Hope this helps.

Griff

Joined: 10 Nov 2007 Posts: 90 Location: SE USA

Stack 16, many thanks

I worked the problem a little more this afternoon.

I have been stuffing hulls for many years and I have seen and read a ton on a lot of subjects, I am quite amazed at the horrible fit between a REMINGTON hull and a REMINGTON wad.

I tried to come up with a homemade over powder wad but it didn't work to well. It pushed the wad up in the case and, just as I figured, it made the wad too close to the mouth end and crimps are not as good.

Your info on Longshot makes sense to me. I know it has NO trouble flowing by the wad base to the wad compression area.

On to my next idea Idea

I've had problems with some finer grained ball powders migrating past even snug fitting wad/case combos in the past. it's one of the reasons I'm not keen on ball powers for shotshell reloading except for 296/H110 in the .410.

However, try this simple solution. Cut some 1 inch square patches from a plastic lawn and leaf bag. Place one evenly over the base of the wad before you put it in the wad guide. Then seat it normally. The patch will help seal things up and simply blow out the end of your barrel with the rest of the wad. It does not up pressure one bit. Works like a charm and is far easier and cheaper to use than extra card wads. Hope this helps.

Member Joined: 02 Oct 2007 Posts: 1975

16gauge guy.

That's probably a very good fix.
After this was brought to my attention , I cut open a remington hull. Then tried different SP-16 wads. I have three wads sitting here now with different sizes. One fits fairly good, one is just a little loose and one is looser then hell. Pardon the french. Seems to me this is another case of quality control. I wanted the wads just to load some 1 1/8oz loads for pheasants.
Actually I don't need the 1 1/8oz. load. My 7/8oz and 1oz load with clays and universal clays hits the birds just as hard and I can save on shot. I use BPI's wads and have no problems.
Another thing is that the felt recoil with longshot is way more then universal or clays. I hope the wads from Downrange get out soon as I feel I can get by with 3/4oz even for pheasants.
The garbage bag is good for those that want to use the SP-16 wad, but I'll stick with BPI wads.

I think Remington has gone offshore for quite a bit of their stuff. With few exceptions, Third World and Asian Rim countries just do not have the same attitude toward QC as our domestic ammo companies used to have. the only folks as serious about QC as Americans used to be are the Japanese.

The problem will probably get worse before it gets better. These new emerging industrial entities do not have the consumer protection and product liability laws and policies America has. They do not have the American legal system to enforce them either.

They are out to make as much profit as they can, so until they suffer a few setbacks due to poor quality like the Japanese did, they will not learn the lessons the Japanese have. Only time will solve the problem.

Member Joined: 02 Oct 2007 Posts: 1975