I have cast bullets in .224 that I have cast for plinking in my 22 hornet.

The reloading manual says to use Dacron fiber (matting) to keep the powder at the bottom of the cartridge where it belongs, which I have no problem with.

My problem is finding Dacron. I have checked at fabric stores in my area and all they have is polyester. Polyester melts quickly, so I don't want to mess with that in my barrel.

Is there a problem with using cotton, toilet paper, paper towels or napkins?

I have never used reduced loads and have not been faced with doing this before.

The powder I purchased to try this is Green Dot.
According to the manual, pressure will be around 16,000 with 4.5 grains, which is less than half of that with jacketed bullets, so I'm not too concerned about pressure with the loads they publish.

Any advise will be greatly appreciated.


HL

I wouldn't use a filler, they can cause problems. The Hornet case is so small that the primer will well and goodly light off any and all powder in the case, no matter where it resides.

I've used relatively light charges of pistol powders in much larger rifle cases with no fillers, and they have always performed well.

The reason for fillers is to get consistant performance, but I'd be concerned that in the hornet you'd have the opposite result. It's hard enough to consistantly meter powder charges in the really small cases, and you'll increase the difficulty by having to consistantly weigh and locate your filler.

If you don't get consistant velocities or good accuracy, I'd change powders vs trying fillers. Unique and Blue dot are good choices for reduced loads.

Thanks for the reply.

The only reason I did not go with Unique is in the past is seemed to be a fairly dirty burning powder, whereas Green, Blue and REd Dot were a considerably cleaner.

Maybe I should not worry so much about the powder burn residue with such a small cartridge.

HL. As small as your cartridge case is, probably you don't need a filler. I've used Unique for the most part in my very light cast bullet loads, but in much larger cartridges. In 30-30, .308 and 30-06, my plinker/small game/gallery load is 5.0 gr. of Unique with a one-quarter square of toilet paper to hold the powder in place. Heavier mid range loads get a one grain tuft of dacron, which BTW, is polyester. Brass used for mid range loads is kept separate from brass for normal loads for two reasons. The rimless cases develope shoulders that are pushed back cause headspace problems and two, the dacron that melt sticks to the inside of the shoulder reducing powder space.
I've been shooting a 55 gr. cast bullet in my .223 Rem. with some fair results, but I think the bullet I have is a bit too heavy for use in a Hornet. I just found a mold at the last gun show that might prove better for that rifle. I'm trying to work up loads suitable for the rifle season for turkey. I didn't draw a tag this year so I've got plenty of time.
Spring turkey here is shotgun only, but the fall hunt is rifle or shotgun. I've never much cared for shotguns.
Paul B.

I purchased some Kapok filler off of Ebay.
It doesn't leave a residue in the cases.It burns up completely.
My reduced 'Cowboy' loads are very accurate.

A cheap sourse of kapok is one of those flotation seat cushions they sell for boats. I bought four for my boat and one got ripped up somehow. Inside were four bags of kapok.
I find dacron easier to work with. Dacron batting one-quarter inch thick cut into half inch squares weighs right at one grain. Beats the heck out of guessing the weight of each pinch of kapok. Makes a big difference time wise when loading up 500 rounds at a time. I do shoot a lot of cast bullets witht he light loads. Keeps me in good practice come hunting season.
Paul B.