Packing Peanuts as Wadding?

wiscoaster · Aug 24, 2024

Anybody ever try these typical styrofoam packing "peanuts" as smoothbore wadding? Seems to that cut in half they're about the right size and easily compress with no muss and no fuss, they're only mildly flammable, and if memory serves, they're even biodegradable. Compared to what typical shotgun shooters are discharging into the environment these packing peanuts are nothing. Opinions? Comments? Actual usage?

Tom A Hawk · Aug 24, 2024

They are usually low density poly ethylene. If used as an OP wad I'm concerned they would melt and coat the bore.

wiscoaster · Aug 24, 2024

Tom A Hawk said:
They are usually low density poly ethylene. If used as an OP wad I'm concerned they would melt and coat the bore.

Ahhhhh .... hadn't considered that at all. I think that's a great cautionary observation. Makes perfect sense. And I think based on that I'll just forget the whole thing. Thanks!! :thumb:

SDSmlf · Aug 24, 2024

Take a flame to some. Then try cleaning up the mess.

Tom A Hawk · Aug 24, 2024

wiscoaster said:
Ahhhhh .... hadn't considered that at all. I think that's a great cautionary observation. Makes perfect sense. And I think based on that I'll just forget the whole thing. Thanks!!

Glad to help. I was 33 years in the plastics industry.

Beaverman2 · Aug 24, 2024

Tom A Hawk said:
They are usually low density poly ethylene. If used as an OP wad I'm concerned they would melt and coat the bore.

That's the first thing I thought.

snakebit · Aug 24, 2024

Agree with Hawk, and Beaver. Might be a nightmare getting it out of your bore. I know where a fat, juicy hornets nest is. Not cold enough to go get yet. And nobody has triple dog dared me either.

RiverRat · Aug 24, 2024

I try to keep my loading stuff as period correct as possible.

Clark Badgett · Aug 25, 2024

snakebit said:
Agree with Hawk, and Beaver. Might be a nightmare getting it out of your bore. I know where a fat, juicy hornets nest is. Not cold enough to go get yet. And nobody has triple dog dared me either.

I triple dog dare you to go get that nest right now

Banjoman · Aug 25, 2024

When experimenting with wadding, I like to think about what would have been available to 18th and 19th century hunters.

Smokey Plainsman · Aug 25, 2024

Most packing peanuts are made from food starch these days. You can lick them and stick them together to make cute animal shapes.

deGheyn · Aug 25, 2024

If you have the cornstarch peanuts, you should be ok. Cowboy action shooters use these in their cartridges. It would be worth testing what you have. Polystyrene peanuts are soluble in acetone, starch-based peanuts dissolve in water.

Mogadishu Meanderer · Aug 25, 2024

Aren’t plastics based on petroleum byproducts?? As we know according to some if you get any petroleum based product near black powder, the world will instantly end and the culprit will burn on the pits of hell for eternity!! Give it a try and see how the smoke, no pun intended!!

On the other end you can get a lifetime supply of nitro or fiber wads for about $20!!

wiscoaster · Aug 25, 2024

Mogadishu Meanderer said:
....

On the other end you can get a lifetime supply of nitro or fiber wads for about $20!!

Packing peanuts are free.

That's why that wild and crazy thought came to mind.

Daryl Crawford · Aug 25, 2024

Trying the corn starch ones might be an interesting experiment, but the polystyrene ones...nope, not in my gun.

Packing Peanuts as Wadding?

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