What is the white stuff.

[Prof Young]

So I cut open two shotgun shells to show the grandsons how they were constructed. In the 20 ga, regular shell I found what I expected. Shot, wad, powder. In the slug I found the slug, some-kind of white powdery stuff, then a thick wad, a thin plastic wad, and then the gun powder. What is the white stuff?

Life is good?

Prof Young

[HiBC]

Yeah,life is good.

I'm thinking its probably powdered polyethylene buffer material.

They put buffer powder in premium birdshot/buckshot loads to cushion the shot to keep it round. It flies straighter when its round. Better patterns.

Another use for buffer is about constrictions,such as forcing cones and chokes.

The buffer is there to be compressable. It gets more interesting with hard steel shot.Something has to give. Best its buffer powder and a sleeve around the shot.

I was unaware of buffer powder in slugs,but it makes sense shooting slugs through a choke.

[Mike38]

The white powder is buffering that is commonly mixed in with the shot, but I have no idea about it being in a slug shell.

[74A95]

A google search would produce this:

https://www.stu-offroad.com/firearms...st/buck1-3.htm

[Unclenick]

Buffer also is used as a filler to consume extra space. If the slug were too short for the wad, taking up the extra space with buffer would be reasonable to do. If the slug has a hollow base, the buffer might protect the skirt from blowing out too much at the muzzle.

[Prof Young]

Thanks, that all makes sense. And yes, unclenick, the slug is hollow so that makes sense too.

So much to learn.

Life is good.
Prof Young

[RMcL]

Remington 20 gauge and .410 bore rifled slugs use a thick layer of buffer between the slug and wad column.

This can be readily seen through the translucent yellow plastic of the 20 gauge rifled slug round:

https://www.sportsmansguide.com/prod...unds?a=1585802

And through the translucent green plastic of the .410 bore rifled slug round:

https://www.sportsmansguide.com/prod...unds?a=1585799