Question on fiber wads

[Matt Valinsky]

For the folks who reload with fiber wads. How does using fiber wads effect pressures generated, higher, lower or about the same? Has anyone had reloads tested using fiber wads?

[Matt Stolley]

This is how I do it.

https://www.doublegunshop.com/forums...29b3f069eaf438

[Carl G. Bachhuber]

A good question. The first edition of the 'Lyman Shotshell Handbook' has loads using both single piece plastic wads and fiber wads. Unfortunately, even their fiber wad loads use plastic over-powder wads rather than the older hard fiber over-powder wads. So, from their data it is hard to come up with any sort of general rule. I do know that the old Alcan Flite-Max wads raise pressures and so do the very hard one piece steel shot wads. I believe ( could be wrong) that the card over-powder wads do not seal as well as the plastic cups thus giving lower velocities, larger shot-shot velocity variation, and lower pressures. I expect that someone in the mid '60s must have done side by side comparisons but I don't ever remember seeing any. Maybe someone here will be able to come up with data??
C.G.B.

[Woodcock survey]

I started re-loading in 1963 with a Lee loader in 16 ga. and i still have complete with instructions. Went and dug it out and read the booklet which says to decrease powder charge by 10% when using the new plastic over powder wads. I can remember doing that when i bought some Alcan plastic wads with no change in how they felt to shoot.
This does not answer your question but gives an indication that current data will give lower pressure when using all fiber wads.

[charlie cleveland]

I use 2 1/8 inch card wads over my 8 ga loads no problems with duds or off sounds....charlie

[Paul Harm]

I agree 100% with Daniel. I usually up my load by 1 grain when loading 12ga light target loads and subing in fiber wads. Never had a problem.