16ga.com ~ View topic - What's Special about fiber wads and paper shells?

Joined: 22 Jan 2015 Posts: 345

I've noted a few comments over time by some shooters and reloaders that seem to indicate a preference for paper shell hulls and/or fiber wads. Why might that be?

The fiber wads typically used in the old roll crimped and later star crimped shells, work better in the older, forcing cones, past the chamber.
The short forcing cones of older, short chamber guns, were designed for fiber wads, not plastic wads. The advantage of the "new" one piece plastic, wad-shotcup, is actually defeated to a degree, by the short forcing cone.
That's why some folks have there older doubles, forcing cones lengthened, to take advantage of the plastic wads design.
Paper? I love the smell....
Laughing

Well . . . It is very "old-school" by now, but it does make guns manufactured before about 1965 shoot patterns a bit closer to what the manufacturer intended. Plastic unitized wad columns and shot protectors usually tighten things up -- from a little bit to a lot. Certainly paper hulls are less durable and a little less weatherproof, but what really trips the old-school shooter's switch is the lovely scent of a fresh smoking hot paper empty! Cool

Yes, paper and fibre are old tech shotshell materials, and in no way superior to modern plastic stuff performance-wise, except for maybe being more environmentally degradeable -- and that's even required in some shoots nowadays in some countries.

Thought I'd better hyphenate "old-school". Wouldn't want to be mistaken for an "old school-shooter". Yikes!! Shocked

Paper shells smell great after they are shot.
I load and shoot all brass hulls in gauges 28 (Parker Repro 2-barrel set), 20 (BSS), 16 #2 AYA and 12 (BSS). My best patterns for 28 and 16 gauge are from card and fiber wads and my best patterns from 20 and 12 gauge guns are derived from 1-piece plastic wads. The above was obtained from weeks of pattern testing at the distances that I shoot,

I had heard paper hulls and fibre wads cushion the recoil a bit but have never shot more than a few so do not know for certain.

I first hunted with my dad in 1949 , I used an old worn Hopkins and Allen 12 ga. never connected on a Grouse all season with that full choked dog leg stocked gun. However I did get some shots. I can still remember picking up the empty hulls and sniffing the aroma of burnt powder and wax. Dad always picked up his hulls, so as to not disclose where we had been hunting. He shot a 20 ga. using Peters blue paper 7 1/2 shot.
I still pick up my hunting shot hulls and sniff them (paper or plastic). A reminder of some good times gone by.

Art

Joined: 22 Dec 2004 Posts: 173 Location: S. E. Arizona

Paper hulls are cool.

Not leaving plastic wads scattered al over the ground is VERY cool.