My bro didn't enjoy shooting 122gr. of 2f with a 500gr. to 560gr. bullets in his 3-1/4" .45 cal. Sharps, so he developed a load of 95gr. 2F, with something like 8 to 10 .1" card wads to slightly compress the charge underneath the bullet. Accuracy was MOA and it didn't pound him quite as hard.
: There is a place for fillers, but they must be used correctly. Some fillers are not useable for some jobs, while others work for most jobs.
; Good poke, 9.3. I found a 275gr. cast bullet from my H&H would also kill a gopher - if you hit him right. Nice Columbia Ground Squirrel. About 1/2 size of a PD. Wish we had those, but alas, only Columbia's.