Fillers

[Doc Cuervo]

ffg or fffg!

A frikkin men to that!!

[Montana Slim]

Not to be contrary..but, it is common practice for the C&B TARGET shooters...such as you'll find at Friendship, etc to use about a 10 grain charge of 3F in their 44s (NM Remingtons for the most part - note I didn't say "1858") folled by a healthy dose of cornmeal to seat the ball just below flush of the chamber mouth....Least those that are the top shooters (I know a former top BP revolver & SS handgun shooter).

For me...no I do not use filler other than more powder...but normally use 25 grain loads for CAS, plinking, etc. in my 44 Colt Army's..I do beef up the load for my Dragoons..which can pack as much punch as my yellowboy rifle in 44-40.

Yes, I've seen folks using filler in their 44-40, 45 Colt/Schofield and even 44 Russian to get down to the SASS minimum. Easy to spot when you've shot full loads...& a sensitive nostril can detect the smell of burning grain. To each their own.

Regards,
Slim

[Crow Choker]

Tried the use of fillers back in the early days when I first started (1972+), but gave it up for three reasons. 1) Saw no advantage or increase in accruacy. 2) There's enough steps in loading up a cap and baller without adding another which didn't seem to do anything mentioned in reason #1. 3) I do alot of walking along a river area shooting (a/k/a 'river bankin') and I didn't need to pack an extra container of unneeded shooting materials (take to much anyway). That's why I'll leave the creral in the kitchen.

[Advertising]

[Noz]

I have a problem in that I cannot leave well enough alone. I HAVE TO mess with my guns.
I did a bit of experimenting a couple of years ago with FFFg and cornmeal in a 44-40.

All of the following are volume measurements.
I loaded 12 rounds with a 200 gr bullet and 30 grs of FFFg, no filler.
I loaded 12 rounds with the same bullet and 28 grs of FFFg, 2 grs of cornmeal.
I loaded 12 rounds with the same bullet and 25 grs of FFFg, 5 grs of cornmeal.
I loaded 12 rounds with the same bullet and 22 grs of FFFg, 8 grs of cornmeal
I loaded 12 rounds with the same bullet and 20 grs of FFFg, 10 grs of cornmeal.

In all cases the fill level was visually the same.

I took these to the range with sandbags and an Uberti 1866 rifle.

I fired all rounds at paper at 30 yards off of the sand bags.

All group sizes were within the shooters ability to hold with Uberti furnished sights.  Roughly as I remember, 2.5 inches
I saw no difference in POI.
I saw no difference in amount of visible smoke.
I saw no difference in the noise level.
I felt no difference in recoil.

Granted 30 yards is not a distance to prove accuracy or to establish a hunting zero but for the game we play it is certainly within reason.
The conclusion is: The filler in the above amounts does not affect the visual, physical, aural or olfactory experience.

The only possible benefit is in the economy. This in my opinion is a spurious argument in that in the lightest load you are saving .2¢ per load.

If you want to stretch the volume of powder then add a little filler on the top of your powder before you seat the bullet. No other argument will work.

My conclusion is that adding filler is a pain in the butt and certainly not worth the effort.

[Percussion Pete]

You need to check if you have any feeling in your shoulder if you can't feel the difference between 20 and 30 grs.