Actually, yes - they are referring to the cereal. Some loads do not take up enough space in the hull and sometimes a cheerio will help with that. One dropped on top of the shot charge in a 'deep' load will help the crimp come out flat - or at least, not leaking shot.
A lot of loads are tested and published that are perfectly safe - but they are not an optimum load combination.

 

Yep, honey nut gives an interesting aroma in the air. This usually becomes needed when using the wrong wad for the job and you cannot adjust the precrimp or final crimp any more to get better results. It DOES work well, I know from personal experience.

 

rice puffs too!

 

Thanks guys. Good to know.

 

Personally I find that a pinto bean works just as well or better as filler. It punches a nice hole in the pattern paper at 30 yards and you are not tempted to munch on them while you are at the loading bench!

 

and of course the old standby..........toilet paper!

 

When I lived out West we had this "eccentric" gent who was in US military intelligence during WWII and then spent the post war years in Europe doing the cleanup and transition and even teaching at Oxford. ALL of the Euro gun makers were hurting, and he had dozens and dozens of custom guns made from the British best to the small Austrian one man shop. Hundreds of thousands, if not a few million in today's money. BUT, he would scrounge up any hull and use the same wad/powder/primer recipe regardless of the proper fit. And yes, to hit what Bob said, he would stuff bits of toilet paper in the top. He brought this ammo to the club in an old Tide detergent cardboard box. It was always amusing, especially at night under the lights, to see this flame and confetti coming out of the barrel of a H&H Royal or similar high-end gun.................

 

I've always been partial to airsoft pellets.

 

{I've always been partial to airsoft pellets.}
I think that is a good idea, I need to try it..

 

They're almost free as they're so cheap and, unlike cheerios, they don't go bad.

 

They don't taste as good as Cheerios, though!

 

airsoft pellets

So where do you buy a small amount of airsoft pellets.?

 

So where do you buy a small amount of airsoft pellets.?

Nowhere I'm aware of but Walmart sells a 2,000 pack for a little over $3.00

If you know anyone with male children over around 6 years old they've probably got 5,000 packs and would give you 50 or so for nothing.

 

I have no idea why, with the amount of wads available, folks are inclined to put anything in a shotshell load that isn't meant to be there. Does a Cheerio help? Nope, all you have done is put something that easily crushes in the payload. This does nothing to improve, internal or external ballistics, it just makes the crimp look pretty. Kinda like putting new dress on an old..........

If a load doesn't fit, with the correct amount of wad column height it isn't a good load. Find the correct wad for the job.

 

the purpose of a rice puff or toilet paper is to keep loose pellets from dribbling out.
if you put in a cheerio, it breaks and ruins the purpose of having something in there.
in some cases, i prefer wax dripped in myself.

 

Except that, until, recently, there weren't wads for 3/4oz in 12 or 20; so you had to use a 7/8oz wad and add something to get the proper crimp. There's more to that crimp than looking pretty. .....

 

oneounceload,

I agree that there is more to a crimp than looking pretty, that is why you add card or felt wads to a load. You need something that doesn't turn to dust upon primer ignition.

Ever notice that none of the powder manufacturers suggest Cheerio's but they do suggest card wads?

 

oneounceload,

I agree that there is more to a crimp than looking pretty, that is why you add card or felt wads to a load. You need something that doesn't turn to dust upon primer ignition.

Ever notice that none of the powder manufacturers suggest Cheerio's but they do suggest card wads?

Because they sell those card wads and not Cheerios? And Cheerios are cheaper and I am cheap too!....

 

funny... i use cards over shot all the time and work fine.

 

Airsoft pellets don't turn to dust either, not that it matters as the pellets are on their way out the barrel when the cheerio turns to dust.

A number of reloading experts have recommended cheerios and others similar things in magazine articles in periodicals as prominent as Handloader Magazine.

Handloader also had an article that contained the fact that the writer occasionally used duct tape to hold his crimps shut, something that my wife thought only I did.