That looks like some mighty fine craftsmanship, I am very curious how accurate they are. Think you could post a field report after you try them out? Inguiring minds would like to know.
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That looks like some mighty fine craftsmanship, I am very curious how accurate they are. Think you could post a field report after you try them out? Inguiring minds would like to know.
I agree with Grumpa that your work looks good. It will be interesting to learn how they pattern and how the round ball performs. I am also still experimenting. I am using a 410 plastic wad and it limits my shot load to about 80 grains. I think I get better results using an over-powder card with out the plastic wad column. I doing it with the card I can increase my payload to about 120 grains. I believe I also have at least as good pattern but with more shot. I'm curious if anyone else has experienced that as well? Thanks. This is an interesting project.
Well, thank you guys very much. I don't expect much in the way of accuracy from the ball, I don't imagine I would even attampt to try it at more than a couple yards away.
I'll try to remember my camera that day.
I'd have to try and find this one, but C.E. Harris did an article in "The American Rifleman" about this a long time ago. They did cycle and function properly although he's normally a wheelgunner. It could be done again, but the reality is that these are commercially made.
PM me if you want me to try and find the article, it's around here somewhere. I could scan the article.
I have loaded these with a 45cal. felt Wonderwad from Ox yoke. I got better patterns with 410 wads & no leading.
Very true, but from what users say about the commercial ones, they don't cycle the action. The article I have from Harris says they will and have a little more reach.
And to be quite honest, bullets are commercially made, but we choose to make our own...that is what this entire forum is all about.
Well, the mini buck & ball (.358" ball & #8 shot) load turned out to be basically a poor mans Glaser safety slug, that only works sometimes.
I was a little concerned about the amount of powder to start off with using the RB, so I backed off to 4.2grs of unique. This was Winchester nickeled .308 Win brass, cut to around 1.180", after sizing first with the seater die from a 41 mag die set (it had a flared opening), then using the 41 mag seater die. I crushed the wall on a few cases until I spotted the seater die flare & used it first. Win Large Pistol primer - careful not to seat too deep (if it would). A Claybuster replacement (red color) AA410HS wad seated down on top of the powder & rammed down. Then the wad was trimmed off. A Lee .7cc dipper of #8 shot (which came from several old rusted 20ga shells) was dumped in. A .358" RB (from a mold I got from someone here) was dropped on top of the shot - which is a fairly good fit into the cut off wad. Crimped using a Hornady 32 S&W/Mag seater die to crimp the ball in place (that die has a nice big chamfered opening).
Ok, range time:
4.2 grs of Unique / 130 grs of #8 shot / RB / 7 yds
First shot - RB hit pretty close to point of aim. Wad went left, as did the shot. Not too good if you are looking for patterns. The load DID cycle & loaded the next round.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9480007...in/photostream
Two more rounds fired into the same target. Not too good as patterns go, BUT all 3 RBs in the black. Doesn't look like much of the other 2 loads of shot even came out of the wad.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9480007...in/photostream
Another target, same 4.2gr load of Unique / 7yds. Confirms the shot staying with the wad - very little shot impact on the target. One RB went a little high.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9480007...in/photostream
Next load, all the same except 4.9grs Unique - 1 shot at 10yds. RB in the 7 ring at 8:00. You can about fly a B52 through that pattern.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9480007...in/photostream
More later - sorry, but my grandson came over with his parents last night, which is a much higher priority.
New target, 2 more shots 4.9gr Unique, both RBs at 6:00. One wad hit the paper, the other - who knows. Wide patterns.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/94800071@N08/86261772236/in/photostream
Tried another target, 2 more shots, Rb at 12:00 just out of the black, 9:00 just out of the black. One wad hit at 12:00, one wad missing. JUST 2 pellets of shot hit the paper.
All these loads cycled the 1911 action & loaded the next round.
Next were loads with 5.5grs of Unique with conventional GC on top, crimped in. These started life as RB loads, but I second guessed the load & pulled the RB, didn't think I started low enough on the powder load. I couldn't get the wads out, so just loaded the shot on top w/GC. None of these cycled the action - too light. First 3 shots, 2nd pic has 2 shots. What looks like a RB hit in the paper, is a GC impact.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9480007...in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9480007...in/photostream
Looks like the RB is not going to work too good for a combo shot/RB load, unless you like inconsistancy.
OBXPilgrim thanks for sharing your .45 shotshell "research". I was interested in knowing how it would work. Looks like from your targets for whatever reason, when adding the roundball, it is causing the shot pattern to go to the left. Perhaps you will find that magic bullet formula. I have a question for you. I am using a Federal 410SC plastic wad column in mine. I do use a little more powder than you with about 6.0 gr unique. I only have room for about 80 grs of #9shot. I wonder if your Claybuster AA410HS has a shorter over powder section than mine? I have preferred to shoot without a plastic wad column since I can get about 125 grs of shot over my 1/16" cardboard over powder wad. My pattern density was fairly good too at about 75% by calculation after counting my "hits". Thanks for your helpful report.
Added more to my post (#88).
Smoked, over powder section with this CB AA410HS wad has a .070"/.072" thickness - the bottom of the wad has an .080" deep cavity. Cross section would look like an "H". No crush piston, figure "8" or anything. The wad doesn't split until .300" up the cup.
Here are my results with a picture of:
Winchester WAA41 wad seated, filled with #9, topped with 35 cal gas check, crimped...
Attachment 69526
I still need to shoot and test these.
And how much shot you figure you were able to shove in there?
After scooping it in and letting it overflow, I measured a few to be around 86 grains.
cheese1566, those look like some good .45 acp shotshells. I will be interested in seeing how they pattern for you. I am going to say they will do a fine job. I almost feel sorry for any poisonous snake that crosses your path on the way to your favorite fishin hole. What is your powder and charge if you don't mind my asking. I am full of questions but I also would like to know if it cycles OK. So far I have not hit on the magic formula to get it all. Thanks!
Hey guys new to the forum. I've been researching this topic as well. Saw on another site where they were looking at using a set of .400 Corbon dies to form the shoulder on .308 cases. Thoughts?
Something like that I would have to have it in my hot little hands and play with it for awhile to determine if it will work or not.
Their thought is you can take a .45 acp and neck it down to .400 corbon in those dies, so it would assist necking down a .308 in order to make a shotshell. I ordered a die set for 30.00 and will be experimenting in forming cases out of a box of 7mm-08 that i've reloaded 5 times already.
On something like that when you get them and use them I think pictures would be in order. I use RCBS 40/10mm sizer die in just 1 operation without so much as a hic-up and they work and perform just fine. If you go to the vendor sponsor section and go to my name and click it there's a thread for the shot shell brass and look at the picture, that's what mine look like in 1 forming operation.
I'll go there and check it out.
I just ordered the dies last night. I will post pictures once I get them in and setup.