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Cream of Wheat Vs. Grits for filler


Nickel City Dude

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I was making Black Powder loads using Cream of Wheat as a filler and ran out of COW.  So I went to the store but could only find a box of COW with 12 packets in it instead of just a box full of COW.  I remember reading on one of my BP boards that lots of shooters use Grits.  So I got a container of grits but when I went to use them in my Lee disk powder throw I could not get consistent drops and sometimes I only got a tiny bit of grits.  If I tapped the side of the hopper most of the time I would get a full drop but not always.  Did I use the wrong kind of grits (Quaker, Quick 5-minute)?

Any way I went on line and found the old standard box of COW and bought that.  Interestingly I found it at Wall mart in the kosher section.  I never knew there was such a thing as Kosher Cream of Wheat.

1652351156_creamofwheat.jpeg.2fe4ee1bb1a998636f35f7d368e09132.jpeg

Grits.jpeg

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Compare the grain size of you grits to the grain size of your Cream of Wheat.

 

Not all grits are ground to the same coarseness, and, if your grits are not ground fine enough, I suspect they could be bridging or just not flowing well through your measure.

 

Personally, I'm an oatmeal guy myself.

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25 minutes ago, Nickel City Dude said:

I was making Black Powder loads using Cream of Wheat as a filler and ran out of COW.  So I went to the store but could only find a box of COW with 12 packets in it instead of just a box full of COW.  I remember reading on one of my BP boards that lots of shooters use Grits.  So I got a container of grits but when I went to use them in my Lee disk powder throw I could not get consistent drops and sometimes I only got a tiny bit of grits.  If I tapped the side of the hopper most of the time I would get a full drop but not always.  Did I use the wrong kind of grits (Quaker, Quick 5-minute)?

Any way I went on line and found the old standard box of COW and bought that.  Interestingly I found it at Wall mart in the kosher section.  I never knew there was such a thing as Kosher Cream of Wheat.

1652351156_creamofwheat.jpeg.2fe4ee1bb1a998636f35f7d368e09132.jpeg

Grits.jpeg

There is a interesting book called "Skin in the Game"  I highly recommend it.  It talks about the dictatorship of the minority and speaks to Kosher foods as an example.  In summary it says something to the effect that Kosher is important to a small set of individuals and most couldn't care less so if a company makes the product kosher then no one is offended or cannot use the product.  If my summary isn't clear, I recommend reading the book. 

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I've never had great success with either of those especially when using a powder drop like the lee auto disk. Another thing is the slightest amount of moister and your filler clumps.  I use crushed walnut hulls aka lizard litter. I probably have a life time supply of it as i'd get broken bags of it for free from work. 

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I have used grits in some large calibers for a long time.  But I have always dipped. 

 

People used to use corn meal, too.  Seems like that might meter okay of it doesn't clump.

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I have always used fine ground cornmeal. It never clumped and meters jusT fine out of my lee powder measure. You can find it at any Asian or international food store.

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8 hours ago, Turkey Flats Jack said:

I've never had great success with either of those especially when using a powder drop like the lee auto disk. Another thing is the slightest amount of moister and your filler clumps.  I use crushed walnut hulls aka lizard litter. I probably have a life time supply of it as i'd get broken bags of it for free from work. 

 

I also use walnut Lizard bedding.

 

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I just use More Black Powder !

Screenshot_20191219-064955_Photos.thumb.jpg.88849d073d3763d8e0ddf9ff3309ecd8.jpg

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I have used finely ground corncob that I bought from Powder Inc.
They put it in their BP loads, when they still made them.

--Dawg

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OP here.  Thanks for all the reply's.  Now that I have some more COW and know I can find more in the Kosher section of the grocery, I will soldier on and make some more black powder cartridges.  When I run out of COW I may try some of the other recommendations you have made.

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9 hours ago, Joe LaFives #5481 said:

There is a interesting book called "Skin in the Game"  I highly recommend it.  It talks about the dictatorship of the minority and speaks to Kosher foods as an example.  In summary it says something to the effect that Kosher is important to a small set of individuals and most couldn't care less so if a company makes the product kosher then no one is offended or cannot use the product.  If my summary isn't clear, I recommend reading the book. 

But what makes it Kosher?

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38 minutes ago, Nickel City Dude said:

But what makes it Kosher?

 

A Rabbi

 

 

 

 

 :P

 

Actually it can be rather complicated.  Food dies are used in a lot of processed foods. Depending on the source of the die it may or may not be Kosher.

 

What Is Kosher Food?

 

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45 minutes ago, Sedalia Dave said:

 

A Rabbi

 

 

 

 

 :P

 

Actually it can be rather complicated.  Food dies are used in a lot of processed foods. Depending on the source of the die it may or may not be Kosher.

 

What Is Kosher Food?

 

 

A Rabbi, a wheat miller, and a pet store owner walked into a reloading supply mercantile.....

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8 hours ago, Prairie Dawg, SASS #50329 said:

I have used finely ground corncob that I bought from Powder Inc.
They put it in their BP loads, when they still made them.

--Dawg

Dad used to always say, “ grits are for breakfast “ :lol:

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Has anyone tried using Activated Charcoal (Activated Carbon) Granules as filler?

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I recall hearing some time back that if you use grits you should use the original, not the instant type. Not sure why but that’s what I use in some of my big bore BPCR ammo.  I load it with a Lee Dipper. 
 

Seamus

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8 hours ago, Diamond Jake said:

 

A Rabbi, a wheat miller, and a pet store owner walked into a reloading supply mercantile.....

 

bar.jpg

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1 hour ago, Joe LaFives #5481 said:

Mr. Dude - Google is your friend :)https://kabbalahcenter.net/kosher/

Joe, thanks for the link.  I am not Jewish so I did not know much of what was in the link.  It was interesting. 

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3 hours ago, Branchwater Jack SASS #88854 said:

 

Yes, in bottleneck cases.

Luckily, I shoot 44-40.

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I have used grits, COW, cornmeal, farina, whatever I had along those lines.  But I only use it in my 50/70 for Plainsman.  :D

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Bless y'alls HEARTS!  Y'all that use GRITS for filler and not for EATIN' haven't had GRITS prepared properly! :D

 

Hugs!

Scarlett

 

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I use Cream of Wheat, over grits, or corn-meal. 

I have used all three, and, for me, I prefer the Cream of Wheat. To keep my type 2 diabetes in remission, I can't eat any of them, but I can sure use them in my blackpowder cartridges, unless I am loading up a maximum load. I shoot 55 grains of blackpowder in my trapdoor carbine, so I use filler in that one. 

 

Others will have different opinions, of what they prefer.

 

Some cut and use a Wonder-Wad, as a filler, instead of a loose granule filler, like Cream of Wheat, or grits, or corn-meal. Anything to eliminate any gaps between the powder and the bullet, and to have a little compression, that blackpowder seems to prefer.   

 

 

 

 

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