Daryl,

No I don't use any kind of wad between the powder and whatever filler is used. That includes dacron, foam wads I cut myself, Kynoch foam wads, this new backer rod, or felt.

I can't take credit for thinking of using backer rod. Somebody else on the forums mentioned it - I think "srose". As soon as I saw mention of it I snatched the idea.

I have only seen backer rod in sizes 3/8", 1/2", and 5/8". The 1/2" is perfect for the .500 straight case. It might work in a .450 straight. The 5/8" works in the .577.

Backer rod is not suited to a bottle neck case, because it is closed-cell foam. It won't compress down and spring back like Kynoch foam or foam wads cut out of sheets.

So far the extent of my experience with it is the 14 rounds of .500BPE you see in the photo above.

Curl