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Joined: 15 Oct 2005 Posts: 11

I just ordered 5 bags of the BP Sporting 16 gauge wads for 1 ounce reloads. Will these fit into Federal hulls without any buffer/fillers? I also have 4 bags of the Multihull from BP, how do these fit in those?

On the good side, was just cleaning out the garage and I found 4 bags of WW16 wads! Was a great supprise for me, thought I had used them all up! Made my day!

I also have several bags of the Remington SP16. But according to what I have found, these can only be used for 1 1/8 loads.

I'm having real trouble finding componets for the 16 gauge. I purchased 500 Federal hulls off of ebay and now I find that they are dangerous because of the base wad comming loose. I'm shooting these reloads out of my Sweet 16, going to be hard to check the barrel after every shot.

Anyone want to trade a Sweet 16 for a decent comparable O/U?

Bob

Joined: 26 Dec 2005 Posts: 79 Location: Round Rock, TX

I make 1 oz loads in the Federal hulls with the SG16 wad without using any filler. You can use the SP16 wads for loads lighter than 1-1/8 oz if you use some filler. Using the advice of others on this board, I've been putting 28 gauge 1/8" nitro cards in the bottom of the shot cups of these wads; each card displaces 1/8 oz of shot. I bought my cards from www.circlefly.com. I have also used puffed wheat as a filler, but this gets messy (crumbs) and leads to inconsistent and messy crimps.

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

I have used 28 guage felt wads (.125" or 1/8") as filler in the 1-1/8 oz. wads (SP16) and they provide a good spacer without being hard on the shot.

I have also used them in the bottom of WinAA16 blue wads for very light loads.

C Man

Bob, if you are careful to check the base wad of each Federal hull before loading it, then you probably won't get into any trouble. I've used them for hunting loads and have had to resort to them for target loads in the past. In fact, at one time, all you could get to reload were hulls with fiber or paper base wads.

Try this. Get a flat bottomed dowel that fits into the hull and sits level on the face of the base wad. Take a half dozen once fired Federal hulls and insert the dowel. Mark the dowel at the mouth of the case. Note any big dfference in the length of the cases and use the mark that fits the majority of them. Then, after each firing, check to see that the base wad has not moved up in the case and is still firm feeling. You will know instantly if a hull has a bad base wad.

Don't reload these hulls more than three times either. In fact, two reloadings used to be the guideline back in the old days.

Joined: 11 Jan 2006 Posts: 311

Opinions, and personal experience, with fiber base wad hulls are all over the map. I have loaded thousands of 12 gage Federal paper base wad hulls with nary a problem. I normally get about 4 or 5 reloads before I toss the case. I prefer to reload 12 gage with the STS hull but the Federals are so common (and FREE!) that I find myself using them often. I would not use fiber base wad hulls picked up off the ground at the local range unless I saw them hit the ground. Hulls lying on the ground for a few days may have picked up moisture that would contaminate the base wad.

ClayFT, one of the guns I've seen burst a barrel was a trap gun. it happened at one of the clubs I used to regularly shoot at. the guy was using Federal all purpose sport load hulls, the ones that used to come very reasonably from Walmart in short cases of 200, 4 boxes, about 10 years back. These hulls were identical to all the other federal 12 ga hulls with the paper base wad. He was one of those guys that reloaded his hulls until they looked like they had been passed through a weed eater. He had one of his occasional weak sounding reports but the clay target broke in a normal fashion. We all saw the wad fly out too. the next shot, his barrel on his K-80 unsingle let go about 6 -8 inches from the breech. When he looked through his empties later, he found one without the base wad inside the hull. Externally, the hull looked in better shape than some of the others in his shell bag. That was an expensive lesson in economics and safety.

Joined: 11 Jan 2006 Posts: 311

16ga,

In all my years of shooting that is the first time anyone has related a firsthand experience of a base wad lodging in the barrel to me. Shows that it CAN happen. I had always considered it more of an urban legend. However, I can't help but point out that this guy kinda brought it on himself by not taking a look down his barrel when it sounded funny!

A shotshell reloader also has the hazard of a blooper that leaves a wad stuck in the barrel. I have never experienced a blooper with one of my reloads but I did have a blooper once with a 3 inch steel shot factory load. When that shot sounded funny (plus the rather distracting fire that danced on my muzzle) you can bet I stopped shooting and took a peek down the barrel!

I may have to rethink the number of times I reload paper basewad hulls based on your info.

Thanks!

Member Joined: 28 Oct 2005 Posts: 665 Location: Louisiana

BOBSHOUSE--I load Federal hulls with either base wad with NO fillers using the BP wads over SR4756 powder. Makes for nice range or field loads as the 4756 can be safely varied over several grains---to suit you and your needs.
As to the safety of base wads: I inspect my hulls, listen to my gun report and follow what I feel are prudent safety proceedures. I have loaded (and continue to) many, many fiber base wad hulls. You should however, proceed as you feel is best.

There were five of us on the line when that gun burst. We all saw the target break and saw the plastic wad fly out into the field. None of us thought for a second that there was anything amiss. The report was weak but barely so. Most of us were too used to reloading one piece hulls. The repetition of shooting trap with them for years lulled us all into a false sense of security. Since that day, any time I get a weak sounding report, emerged wad or no, broken target or no, I check the barrel.

Checking your hulls before reloading them is always prudent. Paying heed to advice from older folks than me who regularly reloaded paper cases and paper base wadded hulls long before my reloading days began is prudent. Learning from the experiences of others and believing your own eyes is prudent. Listening to the advice of Mike Orlen, a very experienced barrelsmith who has seen more burst and damaged barrels than any 10 of us will ever see here is prudent. He says don't trust hulls with paper base wads without varifing them as sound each and every time. Taking it safe is prudent.

I listened and believe. So far, none of my guns has ever been damaged or destroyed. So I guess I'm doing something right. We all must do what we deem wise, and live with the results. 16GG.

Joined: 15 Oct 2005 Posts: 11

Appreciate everyone's help and advice. Thank you for the responses!

Bob

Member Joined: 08 Nov 2005 Posts: 3438 Location: Illinois

Bobshouse-my two cents worth as an auto shooter.I load the Federal hull and stick it in the mag for my second shot.When shooting skeet it is no big deal to check the barrel for an obstruction.The hulls are loaded once then tossed.I once had a basewad come loose on a 12ga. hull--but can't pin down where.I was shooting trap Embarassed

at the end of four rounds I went to dump my mesh bag-got to b.s.ing with the guys and dumped my empties on a table to look at 'em on a bet-that's when the basewad was found.Bottom line is it ain't worth blowing up a barrel over saving a few pennies Exclamation

Joined: 15 Oct 2004 Posts: 787 Location: Indiana

Just this morning we were shooting skeet at our small club and the guy next to me, a veteran reloader I know well, was shooting a Beretta 686 28 ga. and he had reloaded the Remington STS hulls. He had remarked to me on Saturday that he felt this particular lot of hulls was suspect....though he usually praises the STS hull. On Saturday, in my presence he had taken a spent 28 ga. hull and pulled the green plastic right out of the brass base.
Well, this morning, after his shot on Station 2 the brass separated from the hull and lodged so tightly in the chamber and forcing cone that, though we tried for about 45 minutes, we could not dislodge it. How he'll remove it, I can't say.
All of that having been said though, I have been shooting the Remington black Game Load and Heavy Game Load hulls for about 2 years now and to me, of all the 16 ga. hulls I can locate, they are the easiest to reload and have the longest case life. No complaints on them so far----other than the fact that the factory-new #8 Game Loads are getting harder to find. Meijer Stores have them here for about $3.79/box....

The only way I know to get a stuck or wedged case head out is with a 36" long, 5/16" dia. steel rod with flat ends with the edges smoothed to prevent cutting or gouging. Drop it down the barrel and into the case head. Give it a sharp wrap with a mallet. I'd use and old plastic shell body cut into a split tube and wrapped over the rod to keep it from damaging the muzzle. A few sharp raps will dislodge the head.

Fortunately, the STS heads are brass. Steel heads can be a real pain and can score the mouth of the chamber if they get wedged. That is why I advocate resizing steel headed hulls down each and every time I reload them. I also adjust my reloading collet to squeeze a tad more than on brass heads to make sure they are at minimum acceptable diameter. Those of you who do not have collet type sizing on your reloader should have a 20 ga ring machined to about .006" smaller than most 16 ga sizing rings come. These rings were designed for brass heads which just don't exist on 16 ga. hulls anymore. Most are steel with a brass wash or very thin plating to make them look like brass. A magnet will tell you what you are dealing with. 16GG

Member Joined: 16 Aug 2004 Posts: 317

Good point Russ. I tend to feel a lot safer with plastic base wads because they don't absorb moisture. However, moisture will damage steel case heads inside between the base wad and the hull tube where it can't be easily seen. Better safe than sorry. Check the base of the hulls with a dowel. It can't hurt and might save a lot of trouble.

We also never stop to think that the act of repriming requires us to push a new primer up into the base wad. This force can lift the base wad up a bit. after a couple of reloadings, that base wad might be too loose to be safe. again, the dowel test will varify this. thanks for reminding me Russ. 16GG