.444 cases for .45 Colt shotloads

[scattershot]

Anybody tried this? I cut down a .444 Marlin case to1 3/4” and ran the first 1/2” into a .44mag die. This resulted in a perfect fit in my Ruger Blackhawk. I was thinking I could use .45 load data, but wanted to check here first.

[RogerDat]

I'm also interested in this idea. But do wonder if there is any advantage to using the .444 cases over using the .410 brass cases which are about 20 cents more. But I would need to buy either one so the fellow who already had the 444 would calculate that cost differently.

[Outpost75]

Alot easier to just buy 5 in 1 Blank cases from Starline and use those.

206741

[scattershot]

What’s the length on those cases?

[Outpost75]

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1010093167/starline-reloading-brass-5-in-1-blank-box-of-100-bulk-packaged

5 in 1 Blank Brass (Large Rifle primer)
45 Colt Blank Brass, 44-40 Blank Brass, 38-40 Blank Brass, 44 Mag Blank Brass, 44 SPL Blank Brass.
1.545 - 1.553 O.A.L.

Be advised that flash hole is .140" diameter and loads must be kept light.

In my revolver shot loads I use 5 grains of Bullseye or TiteGroup with good results.

[scattershot]

Have you weighed your shot charge? 1/2 oz. is 212 grains, can you get that in the case? Sorry for all the questions, but shot loads in revolvers is new to me.


Edit: read your post on the Midway site above, very informative. Could these be loaded without the shotcup? Might get a few more pellets in the case.

[Outpost75]

You can load them without the shot cup, but then the rifling spins the shot and produces "doughnut" patterns with thin centers. I have fooled with these for many years and this is well plowed ground.
A heavier shot load also reduces velocity, so you lose double.

The pattern photos I posted are for 1/3 oz. of No.8 shot assembled in the Starline cases with 5 grains of Bullseye and a Buffalo Arms .45 card UNDER the shot cup. This is necessary to prevent powder from leaking past the plastic shotcup, which would cause "bloopers" because the shot cup is smaller in diameter than the interior of the case below the taper. The .410 shot cup is also smaller than bore diameter in the .44, and lots smaller than the .45. Therefore it does not upset enough upon firing to be rotated by the rifling. This enables the patterns, as shown in the photo to be uniformly distributed, as if they were shot from a smooth bore.

For reference the D1C repair center is 11 inches square. The inner circle is 4 inches, the outer circle is 8 inches. If you compare the center density of the 5 in 1 pattern with shot cup, compared to the Speer .44 shot capsule, the difference is quite apparent. More shot is not always better.

[scattershot]

Thanks!

[Outpost75]

Huntington Die Specialties used to sell dies for .44 Game Getter Long Shot, which do a professional-looking job roll crimping the 5 in 1 blank cases. If you have a set of the .45 ACP Shot dies they will also work.

If you are handy and have a lathe, take a Lee .308 Win. seater die, cut about 1" off at the bottom so that you can adjust the die body down for the shoulder to contact the case mouth, with some room to adjust deeper to control the amount of crimp. Use the bullet seating stem adjusted down into the shoulder angle to hold a .40 cal. GC or .410 overshot card in place in the case mouth as you bump the case mouth against the shoulder of the cutoff seating die to form the roll crimp.

[17nut]

I used 460S&W cases trimmed to slightly under cylinder length.
Sized the top part with a 44MAG sizer so it would fit the throats.