Claybuster shot shell wads

Yes, the are a perfect substitute....IF...you get the proper one.

The bag will say on it what the sub is. They are great wads. I don't buy "name brand" anymore at all. BPI sells a bunch of the Claybuster wads, and it's where I get mine. I use them for bird, buck, and slug and they are great.

For all intents... 1-for-1
or... if you're OCD, see https://www.hodgdonreloading.com/reloading-data-center?rdc=true&type=55

I’ve used lots of Claybuster wads. Generally, I load WW hulls and WW wads are specified for many loads.

Claybuster make exact replacement for them.

Claybuster make exact replacements for other brands as well. As already said, you need to use the Claybuster wad that says it is an exact replacement for the wad specified in the load data.

I've never noticed any pressure difference, but I'm absolutely not set up to test for it. Strictly qualitative, they go bang, break targets, and seem to go bang with recoil and sound comparable to OEM. I have noticed slight crimping differences vs OEM, particularly with the Winchester clones, easily fixed with slight press adjustment.

Ok in 12 ga.
In the 410, never tried Claybusters. There is very little room inside the WW case to get all the components inside, with a proper crimp. Skeet load with 296 & 1/2 oz.

"The reloader must treat each wad individually and never substitute one wad for another as this can affect ballistics substantially." (Lyman 5th ed Shotshell Reloading Handbook, p.57, right bottom para). If this is to what you are referring I believe that means to not substitute one for one for particular load data. I run CB wads in my AAHS hulls because there's published loads, they're cheaper, and work just as well as Win HS wads / loads. If there's data for the primer, wad, hull, powder, and shot combo there's no problem.

243Win said:

In the 410, never tried Claybusters.

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One-for-One.... (Trust me)
410 & 12 (Left & Right)

http://www.claybusterwads.com/

I don’t use anything else, and it’s the same for all of my fellow skeet and sporting clay shooters. Follow the recommendations and you’re good to go.

I use a lot of Hodgdon powder and have printed off all their info for 7/8, 1, and 1 1/8 oz of shot for all hulls types and gauges that I use. That makes for a book about the size of Lyman’s 5th edition (a good book bty - I wish they’d update).

If the info calls for a WW12L then I use a CB012-12. A 12SO (Federal) then a CB2100-12. Same down through sub-gauges. I’ve never had a problem whatsoever.

After 10s of 1,000s personally used, I just don’t think you can go wrong.

If you look at an Alliant or Hodgdon powder manuals you will find dozens of generic wad combinations that are acceptable. And to that extent, the wads are safe.
But, I have found that some generic wads to be less than efficient in developing good patterns. Some Claybuster wads are very good and some are not. I've found deformed petals in some bags. There are many trap events that have been won or lost by one target. So if you are happy to shoot a poor quality wad just to save a couple of pennies, good luck.

Claybusters work for me. There are caveats as Thomasss describes, but at my level of shooting, they get the job done.

I think that 80% of the wads I have and use are Claybusters. They have always worked well for me. Hodgdon lists loads using Claybuster wads and I use there data most of the time.

243winxb said:

Ok in 12 ga.
In the 410, never tried Claybusters. There is very little room inside the WW case to get all the components inside, with a proper crimp. Skeet load with 296 & 1/2 oz.

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Claybusters is all I use for reloading 410 shells. You have to remember that the 410 does not use a cushion wad like bigger gauges do. In the 410 it is more of a shot cup.

Here's one wad substitution list. There are others available. wad-substitution-chart.pdf (hodgdon.com)

I have no idea how many bags of 500 Claybusters I've used. I've always felt them to be of very high quality. In fact, I can't tell the difference between one and the OEM it replaces. None except that they are near 1/2 the price. I've never found a defective wad either.

I'll mention Ballistic Products Shotshell reloading supplies, components, & accessories: Ballistic Products as the other producer of after-market, high-quality wads. A bit more expensive ($9 per 250 for BP as opposed to $13 per 500 with Claybuster), and I think, more complicated as you'll need their reloading manual for their use. Too, they offer all the Claybuster products plus all the OEM.

I've used them all, and I like Claybuster.

Claybusters is all I ever used, my shells don't know the difference.

Pretty much all I use too. Claybuster in 12,20, 410. They work as good as factory with how I shoot so why spend more.

elktrout said:

My Lyman shot shell reloading manual warns against using "substitute" wads when reloading shotgun shells. It seems that currently Claybuster wads are more easily obtained than Remington or Winchester. Are they really a one for one substitution that I can use without causing pressure issues?

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Perfectly substitutable and I would NEVER buy Winchester or Remington as they are twice the price. Downrange also makes great clones

Yes, the Claybusters are a good substitute for the corresponding Winchester wads. No pressure problems with the substitute. I have used both and would prefer the Winchester if they were the same price. But the difference in price sure is not worth it to me. The Win wads are just a little stiffer and go through the wad guide a tad better and maybe leave less plastic residue in the bore. But ....not worth the price increase for those small differences. So I buy Claybusters. I never really tried to compare patterns between the Claybuster and the Win. But in testing guns for POI and in setting the adjustable comb and other tests I have shot a lot of patterns with the Claybuster wads and I can say that they pattern just fine.

Claybusters, Downrange, WW, Rem, Feds. I use them all. Most, but not all, have equivalents. I'm a book loader but have no problem subbing the Claybusters equiv for the name brand wad.

Haven’t mass loaded shot cells in decades but back when I did all else being equal, powder charge weight and shot weight being correct, the biggest concern for the right wad was the column height and it’s effect on crimping.

Used them exclusively for years,just choose the correct replacement.