Shotgun Shells Without Wads

stuckon308

stuckon308

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What did people use before plastic wads? Was it just a small paper disc? What would happen if someone would load a current 12G 1 1/8 shell with 1 1/8 shot and only a 1 ounce wad? Would it just be a bad pattern or would the pressures screw with the hull?

I'm just starting to amass my reloading equipment and I usually like to learn certain physics of things.
 
They used fiber wads. I use them in .444 brass and shot them in my .410 shotgun. Plastic wads are cheap, easy to load, and generally give a better pattern, depending on which ones you use.
 
Since even before shotshells existed and up until the late 50s, card, fibre, and felt wads were used, card for "overpowder" and "over shot", fibre for filler and cushion, and felt for cushioning. When used in combination(to make up the required height) a fair bit of wad pressure was required, esp. with smokeless charges. Patterns were not as good as today, because nothing protected the pellets from rubbing the barrel on the trip down the bore.
 
Plastic wads are supposed to hold the shot together for a wee bit longer after exiting the barrel. Shooting without one just wouldn't pattern the same.
 
stuckon308 said:
What did people use before plastic wads? Was it just a small paper disc? What would happen if someone would load a current 12G 1 1/8 shell with 1 1/8 shot and only a 1 ounce wad? Would it just be a bad pattern or would the pressures screw with the hull?

I'm just starting to amass my reloading equipment and I usually like to learn certain physics of things.
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1-1/8 oz. of shot in a 1 oz. shotcup probably won't work. You may have to compress the wad pretty hard to be able to crimp it, and it may not hold the crimp. If all you have are 1 oz. wads, just load 1 oz. The patterns will be beautiful.
 
I was shooting off some old ammo last weekend, and some of it was packed with horse hair. The boxes were priced less than $2 per 25 so I don't know how old it was. It was given to me by a friend that didn't have any need for shot greater than 7.5's.
 
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Grouse Man said:
1-1/8 oz. of shot in a 1 oz. shotcup probably won't work. You may have to compress the wad pretty hard to be able to crimp it, and it may not hold the crimp. If all you have are 1 oz. wads, just load 1 oz. The patterns will be beautiful.
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If the hull/powder/shot are all "made" for 1-1/8oz and the only thing different is the wad would it still be a problem crimping it?

Basically what I also want to know is would it be dangerous to shoot that type of shell? I was guessing no, but I wanted to get some professional advice.
 
yes, still a problem. The total height of the shot column (powder, wads, shot) has to fit into the shell properly, not too tall, not too short. With plastic wads, you have to change between wad models to do that every time you change something else. short can be made up with a cork card in the shot cup (and worse patterns). Tall, you are SOL and it won't crimp worth s.
 
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