I'm just starting reloading and would like some suggestions on filler material. I'm loading for a .300 Sherwood with a straight case and also .380 Rifle (forming from .38 long colt). The starting load for the Sherwood is going to be 6.5 gr. of BLue Dot and I'll work up to around 7.5 grains where hopefully the velocity will be about 1450 fps with 145 gr. gas check bullets. Any reccomendation would be highly appreciated.

These are rook rifle rounds, correct? I would try working up loads w/o fillers, and only consider using fillers if you have problems with inconsitant velocities, or accuracy.

In my 350 Rigby, I load 15 gr of unique over a 200 gr cast bullet, and the case is less then 1/3 full. I use no filler, and velocities are within 20 fps for 10 shots. I imagine you won't have nearly as much empty space in your case.

Thanks Paul, the 380 rifle I'm not to worried about as the .38 Long Colt cases ar very short, I was concerned that the .300 would only be 1/3-1/2 full so I might need a filler, I'll try the first few with no filler and see how that works.

Browning guy
Used to use a 2 by 2 piece of toilet paper, nose wipe and tamp that down, with a wooden dowel, 13 grains of Unique in a 45-70 case, shooting a 255 gr pistol ball. Worked like a charm.
Now a question for you.
What the heck is a rook rifle?
Jim

Well a Rook Rifle was used for shooting rooks of course.

Actually it helps to know that in England Crows are called rooks. These are really light powered rounds, 297/230, 300 rook, 380 long and a host of others. Most were originally black powder rounds that dies shortly after nitro was introduced. The .300 Sherwood was considered a different animal though, it used a 140 gr. bullet at around 1450 FPS, invented by Westly Richards early 20th C. and was used for medium size game quite extensively. They even made the LT Capped bullet for this round, a very fancy early controlled expansion lead round with a copper cup on the front.

All three of mine are on Martini single shot actions, the one in 300 Sherwood is quite plain with a full length stock which is very utilitarion (called a Cadet model), the two in .380 are wonderous little rifles. They weigh about 4 1/2 pounds each, folding leaf sites, oval shaped barrel with the top sawn flat, case colored actions with extensive light engraving, very slender splinter forearms and very nicely checkered. All of these are commonly called 1/2 action Martinis because they used a much smaller action size than the 577/450 actions.

I use a tuft of Kapok, over my cast loads. I use between 13.6gr and 16 gr of Unique in a variety of millsurp guns with a lee 190gr .311 bullet. You can find reloading kapok on ebay if you can't find it local. I don't like using anything that can melt like the batting stuff people get from WallMart, I have not used toilet tissue paper but it strikes me as a good choice. JB

I at one time had a lot of H110 that I used to build plinking loads for my 444 marlin. 23 grains of this powder without filler gave me incredibly poor results. I used half a cotton ball to keep the powder positioned on top of the powder under a 240 grain cast keith desin and it was perfect till I ran out of the old powder. Every once in a while some of it would be smouldering on the ground in front of me so watch for fires.

Try fine bread crumbs the sort used for fishing ground bait.Works great for me .No fire risk no mess.