[tomk2]

I am halfway through my shot shell stash, and I came upon 5 flats of Federal Gold Medal Paper shotshells. Obviously, these were purchased years ago, before Federal switched over to the "Grand" shotshells. An interesting thing happened. I had shot a flat of Federal Gold Medal Paper shells years ago, and just could not understand all the talk about the Federal Paper smell. I even snorted a few right out of the barrel. It didn't smell like anything worth talking about. However, I am 2 boxes into this batch and suddenly, I noticed a very pleasant aroma. I wonder if I had a bad flat years ago, or something in my nose has changed.

But my question is, has anything changed with the Federal Grand Papers compared to the Federal Gold Medal Papers? I have not only been enjoying the aroma, my scores have been pretty good too. Lovely handicap breaks. I would consider buying some of the newer Grand Papers when the madness is over, yet I seem to remember gripes about Federal changing the paper shotshells when they discontinued the Gold Medal line?

 

[colonel klink]

Love papers. To me, if I reload them with Red Dot (or Promo) I get that same wonderful aroma. Brings back memories of my youth when paper shells were common for everything. Federal Papers and old Hoppe's #9 solvent. Nothing better.

 

[N Bare]

I am halfway through my shot shell stash, and I came upon 5 flats of Federal Gold Medal Paper shotshells. Obviously, these were purchased years ago, before Federal switched over to the "Grand" shotshells. An interesting thing happened. I had shot a flat of Federal Gold Medal Paper shells years ago, and just could not understand all the talk about the Federal Paper smell. I even snorted a few right out of the barrel. It didn't smell like anything worth talking about. However, I am 2 boxes into this batch and suddenly, I noticed a very pleasant aroma. I wonder if I had a bad flat years ago, or something in my nose has changed.

But my question is, has anything changed with the Federal Grand Papers compared to the Federal Gold Medal Papers? I have not only been enjoying the aroma, my scores have been pretty good too. Lovely handicap breaks. I would consider buying some of the newer Grand Papers when the madness is over, yet I seem to remember gripes about Federal changing the paper shotshells when they discontinued the Gold Medal line?

Earl Scripture sure sniffed a bunch of em.

Kerry Allor told me six or eight years that something had been changed with those shells, they weren't what they used to be.

 

[jimdh]

Oh the memories! Cases (real cases - not flats back then) of Federal papers! And remember AA Super Target papers?? Wow. Hadn’t thought about the smell forever. Wonderful. Thanks for the blast of nostalgia.

 

[cselzler]

From personal experience don’t sniff too quickly when pulling out of the chamber. Burnt some nose hairs doing so! Love papers

 

[bossbasl]

For performance, the WW Super Target papers had no peer. Would gladly pay whatever price needed for Olin to produce them again.

 

[6541]

I used to drive a 1983 Ford E250 Club Wagon van from 1983 to 2005 (331,000 miles). When I would visit the Grand in Vandalia, I would drive back to Louisville, KY with several target boxes of once fired Federal Papers. The pleasant smell of Federal Papers would penetrate the carpet and cloth seats and linger for a couple of weeks. It also kept flies and other bugs away.

When reloading Federal Papers, a Federal 209A primer, 12C1 wad, 18 grains of Alliant Red Dot and 1 1/8 oz of magnum 7 1/2's was a great load.

 

[6541]

Back in the 1960's, we had paper everything; Federal Champion, Winchester Xpert, Rem Sure Shot, etc. Sears, Western Auto, Montgomery Ward all sold shot shell under their own name. I think that Federal made most of these. Target and hunting shells were mostly paper and the paper was much thicker than today's paper.

Around 1966, Winchester high brass loads then came with a plastic collar (Mark 5) around the shot charge in their paper shells. Then came the Winchester AA plastic hull and almost everybody went to plastic hulls. Inside of the hulls, plastic wads replaced felt wads, shot became harder and pattern efficiency increased.

 

[Doc!]

Back in the 1960's, we had paper everything; Federal Champion, Winchester Xpert, Rem Sure Shot, etc. Sears, Western Auto, Montgomery Ward all sold shot shell under their own name. I think that Federal made most of these. Target and hunting shells were mostly paper and the paper was much thicker than today's paper.

Around 1966, Winchester high brass loads then came with a plastic collar (Mark 5) around the shot charge in their paper shells. Then came the Winchester AA plastic hull and almost everybody went to plastic hulls. Inside of the hulls, plastic wads replaced felt wads, shot became harder and pattern efficiency increased.

Man - growing up I loved the old Super X Mark 5 shells ....... to me they were the best store-bought hunting shells I have had the pleasure of shooting

 

[acorange]

I used to drive a 1983 Ford E250 Club Wagon van from 1983 to 2005 (331,000 miles). When I would visit the Grand in Vandalia, I would drive back to Louisville, KY with several target boxes of once fired Federal Papers. The pleasant smell of Federal Papers would penetrate the carpet and cloth seats and linger for a couple of weeks. It also kept flies and other bugs away.

When reloading Federal Papers, a Federal 209A primer, 12C1 wad, 18 grains of Alliant Red Dot and 1 1/8 oz of magnum 7 1/2's was a great load.

A few years ago I did the same thing. Driving from Tucson to Iowa with a target box full of once fired Fed. papers in the cab was better than any air freshener you could buy.
I would add that the 12S3 wad and 19 gr. of Green Dot load is good too.

 

[WisconsinBuckeye]

In around 1962 [I was 12-ish], we reloaded AAs with our Classic Lee Loader and a fiber mallet. I still have my nylon crimp starter and a black plastic wad guide. Having the plastic cases and AA wads was great. We were still loading field/duck loads with fiber wads and Alcan powders.

Back to the topic--When I wanted a treat 20 years ago I would buy a couple of cases of Fed papers and reload them one time with Red Dot or PB.

 

[sdive2]

You just woke up and started to smell the Roses. If you were hard core you would have some old bottles of #9 in your stash!

 

[LtElmer]

When I was young ,my Uncle reloaded papers with his Mec. When plastics came out he wouldn't shoot them in his gun let alone reload them. He is gone now and not sure if he ever did put a plastic in that Model 12.

 

[tomk2]

Anyone shooting the new Grand Papers? I see some posts in old threads that say they aren't as thick as the Gold Medal papers, or that they are more likely to split on the first fire. Others say papers have always done stuff like that.

 

[6541]

IMO, the pre-1980 Federal paper hulls were tough as a pig's nose.

 

[Nctrap]

Rookie question here. When you guys are talking about papers/plastics, I know you’re talking about the wads, but is there an advantage of one over the other (other than smell!)?

 

[K80Smoke]

Rookie question here. When you guys are talking about papers/plastics, I know you’re talking about the wads, but is there an advantage of one over the other (other than smell!)?

They're talking about the actual shell not the wad.. Federal Papers are indeed manufactured out of paper vs the plastic grand shells federal produces. The recoil from a paper shell vs plastic shell is different papers are lighter on the recoil. Also the smell of papers in the morning, cant describe it unless you find a box and shoot it, lovely aroma.

 

[Nctrap]

Thank you for explaining!

 

[6541]

IMO, paper hulls produce less felt recoil; upon firing, paper compresses plastic does not. According to science, a 1 1/8 oz of shot leaving the barrel of a 9 # shotgun at 1145 fps produces the exact amount of recoil for both a plastic hull and a paper hull. However, my shoulder knows the difference.

 

[RRisumshake a lrg]

Still have a burn mark from the Mec rewaxer iron that you would rewax the cases to extend the life of those paper hulls-