Hello
This is for those that have loaded shotgun shells using the older technique.

I want to experiment with 1.25 1.375 and 1.5 ounce loadings in 2 3/4" 12 gauge shells

I have not yet, with the exception of the Ballistic Products wad, found any 12 gauge plastic wads that will work well in that length with those loadings.

I am thinking of reverting to 50 years ago, and going to the seperate wads over the powder like they did then. I found a local supplier of these, reasonable.

My question is, did anybody back then use any kind of wrapping material between the shot column and the hull? If so, what?

Joe, I have been reloading since I was 15 years old and have had the same problems as you. I found that Winchester wads "WAAF 114" work great with 1 1/4 oz loads and the "WAA 12R" (red wads) work well with 1 3/8 oz, but you have to compress the wad a bit for 1 1/2 oz loads. I use the 1 1/2 oz loads for late season pheasants up here in the frozen north. #5's really reach out and touch them. Hope this helps.

I started loading shot shells with paper/felt wads. Plastic is much easier. I never used a around the shot wrap. I belive winchester adverised that in there Mark V shells. If you go away from plastic wads you well get more open pattrens thats not all bad. I load 1.5 oz loads all the time in 2.75 shells I use a remington wad.

Like Sniper58, I have used WW AA Reds for 1.375 and 1.5 ounce loads in 2.75 inch AA hulls. However, the powder I used was the now extinct (and rather dense) WW 571. Hodgdon HS-7 is very similar to WW 571 (and maybe made to the same specs, who knows?), but I would advise looking for data specific to HS-7 if you were going to try it. I seem to recall also using Blue Dot for some 1.375 oz loads.

Actually, unless you are using very large shot for some reason, I have found little use for more than 1.25 oz loads for tough upland birds like pheasants. Like Sniper58, I've used #5's for late and long pheasants, but I prefer the higher velocity of the 1.375 oz load to the density of the 1.5 ouncer.

JoeM, There was no wrapping used between the shot column and the hull. When the shot goes out the barrel and the shot is in contact with the barrel, the shot pellet is deformed and leaves the pattern.