plastic wads

[Warrick Hunter]

Do plastic wads rot over time ?
Just wondering because I don`t like leaving rubbish in the countryside.
I hope farm animals don`t try and eat them, think I`ll change to fibre wads next time. I forgot to ask for them the last time.

[Born Again]

Plaswads don't rot and animals do eat them. Some shoots specify fibre wads only.

[Foxy]

Most makes are supost to be bio degradable but over a long period of time .
Somthing like 25 years and so a bit of a joke.

[mr smith]

I know from other forums that there often a big thing about plastic wads and there use,but i've never had any landowners mention any worries about them.That said any i come across get picked up along with the empty cases.

[Beer Hunter]

I only use fibre wads and don't like plastic being used on my land. Forgetting the whole animal welfare and biodegradable aspects, they just look untidy!
The BASC did good research a couple years back and found that the fibre wads performed better than plastic - same velocity but better patterns.

Kev.

[Warrick Hunter]

Back again
Thanks for the info lads, think I`ll ask for fibre wads unless I`m at a clay shooting ground which will not be that often.

[Judge Ali]

Back again
Thanks for the info lads, think I`ll ask for fibre wads unless I`m at a clay shooting ground which will not be that often.

even some clay grounds will insist on no plastic wads now as well.

i prefer fibre - but in my webley .410 the junk that spits out the end of the barrel with a fibre wad makes it look like a confetti cannon!

[Clubshot]

Lea Valley is a corperate Clay Ground

The Ground is covered in White / discoloured Wad Cases

They have tried many way's to clear up the wads

Used to shoot Sporting Clay's - before the prices went over the top
Many Grounds required you to use Fibre Wads Only

Understand that they take years to break down

BOB/R

[Chris St. MH]

I've had one farmer specifically request me not to use plaswads - as a result I've written it into all my permissions.

[johns]

I never quite understood this, but aren't fibre wads made of plastic fibre? If so, they're just a likely to get stuck in a cow's gut as a regular plastic wad. However, plastic wads are just plain untidy.

[AuldNick]

I have read various drivel regarding fibre V plastic, the old school and the greens tend to favour the the plastic fibre bung yet more now tend to use the more "high tech" plastic case / launcher / carrier...... Why should "fibre" cost more when it is obviousy cheaper to manufacture = tweeds and greens!

Take a close look at any plastic carrier, it's designed to produce less recoil thanks to the clever use the shock absorbing plastic memory, cleaner on the gun by pushing the shot through the barrels NOT rattling up them, a better seal on the cartridge wall thanks to pressure expansion, you might find some left lying from last seasons shoot but even after only one year daylight will have turned them brittle and complete breakdown will follow shortly, all clever engineering designed by clever geezers.

Fibre is flintlock without the ramrod. It is poo, the old school like it but they judge guns by wood and scroll quality IE they like old, the "greens" hold the secret of the wad = it's invisable, nowt else.

As for plastic wads or just plastic killing coo's, NEVER HEARD OF IT, do we have a vet in the house?

[Beer Hunter]

I have read various drivel regarding fibre V plastic, the old school and the greens tend to favour the the plastic fibre bung yet more now tend to use the more "high tech" plastic case / launcher / carrier...... Why should "fibre" cost more when it is obviousy cheaper to manufacture = tweeds and greens!

Take a close look at any plastic carrier, it's designed to produce less recoil thanks to the clever use the shock absorbing plastic memory, cleaner on the gun by pushing the shot through the barrels NOT rattling up them, a better seal on the cartridge wall thanks to pressure expansion, you might find some left lying from last seasons shoot but even after only one year daylight will have turned them brittle and complete breakdown will follow shortly, all clever engineering designed by clever geezers.

Fibre is flintlock without the ramrod. It is poo, the old school like it but they judge guns by wood and scroll quality IE they like old, the "greens" hold the secret of the wad = it's invisable, nowt else.

As for plastic wads or just plastic killing coo's, NEVER HEARD OF IT, do we have a vet in the house?

All very good, but you theory flies in the face of extensive research done by the BASC and Game Conservancy Trust who both had independent testing done on the performance of fibre v plastic. In both cases the fibre wads performed better with supperior patterns every time (fewer holes) and equal or higher muzzle velocity.
As for cleaning - lead comes out with much less effort than melted plastic! At days when I shoot pigeon I can go through 300 cartridges and the fibre wads clean up much easier!
Cows - well I have a herd of a rare breed and they will eat absolutely anything - especially if they find it unusual. To be honest, I've no idea if it would kill them or not, but I'm not taking the chance.

Kev.

[Bluelungbutter]

Our dairy cattle have been known to get stomach problems with little bits of plastic silage bale wrap that haven't been removed when putting silage in for feeding. Can't imagine a plastic wad would do them any good either. Saying that, it's possible they won't eat them as believe it or not they are not hoovers.

Some of the foreign workers that prep the sprouts manage to let their knives land in the sprout waste which we then find in the troughs. It's quite bizzare to see a licked clean trough with a knife sitting in it.

DunK

[Beer Hunter]

It's quite bizzare to see a licked clean trough with a knife sitting in it.

Mine would eat it

Kev.

[David]

I have always used fibre wads for game shooting and most of my clay shooting. I am anything but green although maybe a bit of a traditionalist in my shooting/fishing/hunting habits
Long before BASC & The Game Conservancy did their tests it was a widely held belief that plastic wads would show a 25% tighter pattern - if your shooting is anywhere near bad as mine then that wider pattern is worth a lot of birds in the bag and a lot more points on the score card. Smoked clays are nice but you get the same points for big bits