Wad Manufacturers

Who all makes wads and which are best to deal with? I have been looking around and found a couple myself. MEC seems to be very expensive from my research, so most likely, I won't be getting any from them.

Others I have found include Down Range as well as Duster Wads. These seems to make clones of others. I have sent an email to Duster Wads as they have a wad listed for both Remington STS and Gun Club, 1 1/8 called Blue Duster. I am hoping to get some free samples to check it out...

Who else makes wads, who do you personally deal with?

Also, I found a website that is running a sale on new, unfired, primed hulls. They have white Cheddites bags of 100 for around IIRC, 8 bucks, may be 11.00. I do know that for 2200, they are selling for 132.00. I can link it up here..


Question, are cheddite hulls good to load? Worth the price? Can they use American standard primers? Reason I ask, companies like Rio, from what I have read, their primer pockets are of Europe measurements causing the American standards to be loose. A primer reconditioning tool can be bought to fix that problem....

Ok, your up lol... school me please....

Also, hull identification, probably be better in a seperate post......

Cheddite and Fiocci hulls are ok hulls straight walled. European Mfred I use them in 10 ga because thats all I can find. For 12 STS and AAs are your easiest bet and probably the cheapest. I got my hulls or the most of them from the Local VFW where they had a lot of meat shoots. Or if there is a local trap/skeet / Sporting Clays club around usually they sell once fired and multi/fired hulls. I am not a huge fan of Lymans Shotshell book but it is the best in terms of hull identification.
For the most part ClayBuster and other generic Wad manufacturers make a very close wad that usually interchanges ok for Shot loading ... for SLug loading I am told they do not.

I like the Winchester White AA wads or the equivalent claybuster wad. I get them for about $7.00 a bag at the local big 'R" store...I don't remember if they are 250 or 500 count.

Never bought anything from this place but looks like a great lifetime supply
http://oncefiredhulls.com/asp-bin/Detail.asp?ID=205

this is the wad i use mostly
http://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/product/productId/2344

I prefer Claybuster

Thanks for the links. I am still sorting through these bags. Well, I have one bag left but pretty sure it is the same hulls I have.

Seems like the most I have, which comes out to 2 walmart size bags, is the dark maroon colord Federals. Looks like I may have some hulls to barter with since I read these are the hardest to deal with. The last thing I want is to be turned away from this.

That link to the hulls you gave reload, I only have about 5 of those that I have found.

Duster Wads emailed me this morning, she said that she would send me some samples of their blue duster wad on their next ups shipment out.

http://www.dusterwads.com/ says all of their wads are AA replacement. They just don't have that figure 8 like the ones reload showed me from grafs and sons.

You guys are alot of help. I did order the lyman shotshell book, it just hasn't got here yet. I am going to look at some other books as well. Also, MEC sent me a book with the press, but they don't list Alliant Powders. I believe I am going to start with Alliant,s DOT powder as the local gun dealer here carries those in stock at the moment.

don't forget to cross reference your powder....many powders serve dual purposes for shotgun and pistol.

I noticed Unique was also used for shotgun. Just waiting on a few books to come in to read.

The other thread on Hulls, I have another question pending as far as hull usage....

yes unique is a shotgun powder a lot slower than red dot. it would be good for medium field loads.

The orange wads are the best substitute for Win.AA. And you get twice as many for the same price. They are exact dimensions. All the Rem. wads are ausome to load for alot of different Shells. If your loading Federals use ethier Fed. or Cheddite.

I use Alliant Red Dot Green Dot and Unique so far for my target and field loads in 2and 3quarter 12 Ga. Those orange wads I mentioned are made by a company called Western. All my load data comes from the Lyman 4th edition. For Win. Rem. and Fed.