Bird shot loads for revolvers
As always…..
**Take great caution when working up hand loads. What is safe for my guns/equipment isn’t necessarily safe with yours**
Just thought I would sit down and tap out my method for putting together revolver birdshot loads. I started doing this almost 25 years ago, but I’m sure I’m not the first to figure this out. I’ve loaded these for .44 mag and .41 mag, but I would think it would work well for most any large caliber revolver.
1. Prepare brass just as you would for loading boolits to include flaring the case mouth.
2. Run gas checks though a sizer at bore diameter or slightly smaller (2 checks per cartridge). A Lee push through sizer works well for this.
https://i.postimg.cc/SN6f1Wc5/Gas-check.jpg
3. Powder selection: Many fast burning powders can work well. Look at published cast boolit data and choose a starting load for light bullets. Currently for my .41 mag I am using 8.0 gns of Salute (Russian Unique). The lead shot and 2 gas checks come to about 110 gns.
4. After charging the primed case with powder, gently rest a dowel or fat punch on top of the powder and make a mark even with the case mouth. This will ensure you won’t be trying to compress the powder in the next step and will get consistent seating depth.
5. Using the punch, press a pre-sized gas check (cup up) to rest on top of the powder. Stop when you reach the mark on the punch.
https://i.postimg.cc/DyrS36jr/Cup-up.jpg
https://s20.postimg.org/4l2b36pfx/Punch.jpg
6. Fill the case almost full with lead shot (I use #7 ½).
https://i.postimg.cc/Ghvxg6Wd/Shot.jpg
7. Place the 2nd pre-sized gas check cup down on the shot and apply a standard roll crimp.
https://i.postimg.cc/nc4JhPtL/Crimped.jpg
Sometimes the top gas check will buckle somewhat. This is ugly, but usually holds. When loading .44 mag shot loads you can use an UNSIZED .416 cal gas check on top as the outside diameter on Gator checks is about .423” and seats well without buckling.
This year I have taken 5 spruce grouse, 4 ptarmigan and a snowshoe hare with my Ruger BH .41 mag. Ranges varied from 5 to 15 yds (Yes, the birds up here are dumb and let you get that close). At 15 yds the load has enough energy, but the shot pattern is getting rather thin and it’s easy to miss at that distance. Under 10 yds it’s pretty deadly.
https://i.postimg.cc/J4NS3H07/Ptarmigan.jpghttps://i.postimg.cc/ncqNKRTQ/Spruce-grouse.jpg