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Thread: Bird shot loads for revolvers

  1. #21
    Boolit Master dkf's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by RugerFan View Post
    I was wondering how those worked. Let us know if you kill anything with those loads.
    I was putting the fiber card on the powder and pushing it down with a rammer I made. The check was put on top of the shot. The check did move around a bit on top of the shot. I think I'm going to add some more shot so the check is a little higher in the case so the crimp holds it better. I was thinking of also trying to dripp on some paraffin wax to help hold the check in place and to ad somewhat of a seal.

  2. #22
    Boolit Master trapper9260's Avatar
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    I put 2 cards, I cut from a cracker box over the powder I take a wooden dow that fit in the case and push the cards in place and then I put one over the shot.and crimp it light and use wax I dip the case in to seal the card for the over shot. I dip it 2 times first time I dip and then remove all the heavy wax off with a small flat screw drive and then dip again and just remove off the case and then done.
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  3. #23
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    RugerFan,

    Good post and pictures. Thanks for the tip on sizing the gas checks. I started using the same method (without sizing the checks) 20+ years ago for snake loads. I lived in eastern WA at the time and the only handgun I had was a 41 mag. I remember I had a little difficulty seating the unsized checks. I'll give those a try with the sized checks. Thanks

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  4. #24
    Boolit Master
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    There isn't much danger in this kind of reloading. Long before pressures become dangerous, you would get unacceptable shot patterns, through excessive muzzle pressure or shot fusing together.

    The first gun I ever owned without air coming into it was the Webley 9mm. rimfire shotgun. It gave pretty good patterns with only a single-layer moulded cardboard cup wad, open end facing rearwards. I don't think calibers like this are nearly as sensitive to quality of wadding as larger shotguns.

    I'm doubtful about the use of gas-checks. The pattern is liable to pass around the one at the front, and the one at the rear won't be left behind as quickly as a lighter one. I'd be more inclined to use card or waxed felt. If a wad punch doesn't cut cleanly enough (which one sharpened to a thin edge should), spinning the punch in a lathe or a drill-press should do so. A lathe or a drill with a hole down the spindle would let you knock it out with a metal rod. Over the shot I would use a thinner, frangible card sealed with wax.

  5. #25
    Cast Hunter

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ballistics in Scotland View Post
    There isn't much danger in this kind of reloading. Long before pressures become dangerous, you would get unacceptable shot patterns, through excessive muzzle pressure or shot fusing together.

    The first gun I ever owned without air coming into it was the Webley 9mm. rimfire shotgun. It gave pretty good patterns with only a single-layer moulded cardboard cup wad, open end facing rearwards. I don't think calibers like this are nearly as sensitive to quality of wadding as larger shotguns.

    I'm doubtful about the use of gas-checks. The pattern is liable to pass around the one at the front, and the one at the rear won't be left behind as quickly as a lighter one. I'd be more inclined to use card or waxed felt. If a wad punch doesn't cut cleanly enough (which one sharpened to a thin edge should), spinning the punch in a lathe or a drill-press should do so. A lathe or a drill with a hole down the spindle would let you knock it out with a metal rod. Over the shot I would use a thinner, frangible card sealed with wax.
    Shooting paper to check patterns didn't reveal any issues. I even stacked up a bunch of empty pizza boxes and was surprised at the penetration achieved (at approx 10 yds). Interestingly enough, the gas checks even penetrated several layers. I thought the checks would have slowed down quicker. Many folks use other materials for the cups (cardboard, plastic, styrofoam, etc). I have used plastic disks as well. Easy to experiment and go with what works. These loads have been deadly on small game for me.
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  6. #26
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    I've used .357 mag cases with a wad of paper towel (about 1" square) pressed tight over the powder and then shot (or spent primer cups) filling the rest of the case, and some wax on the top to hold everything inside of it. Good enough for rats and such.

    I recently tried the same thing with a single-shot .22LR rifle using the .22 power loads (nail gun blanks). The base wad, shot, and front wad were shoved in from the muzzle after the power load had already been chambered.

  7. #27
    Boolit Master
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    Doesn't Speer still sell those blue plastic shot cylinders for handgun calibers? I loaded some in the past, but never came across a rattler in the field so didn't use them.

  8. #28
    Cast Hunter

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    Quote Originally Posted by Norske View Post
    Doesn't Speer still sell those blue plastic shot cylinders for handgun calibers? I loaded some in the past, but never came across a rattler in the field so didn't use them.
    Yes, but only in .357, .44 and .45 cal. Doesn't help if you have a .41 mag, .475 Linebaugh etc.

    Besides, gas checks and similar materials are much cheaper that the Speer capsules.
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  9. #29
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    Great post. I can't remember where I read it (maybe even here) but someone was making shot cups (similar to Speer) out of milk jug plastic. They even had instructions and pics.
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  10. #30
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    Here's the pattern I got with 55gr of shot muzzle loaded into a .22 rifle with the paper towel wad over the .22 power shot and over the top of the shot.



    I'm not sure what caused the large hole on the left side though. Maybe torn by something else? Maybe one of the paper towel wads?

  11. #31
    Boolit Buddy Cold Trigger Finger's Avatar
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    My problem is squirrels. The #9 shot CCI45 ACP isn't getting enough penetration at 30 feet. If it hit a bone close to the skin it would break it well . But , body hits lacked penetration. I'm gonna try #6 shot.
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  12. #32
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dryball View Post
    Great post. I can't remember where I read it (maybe even here) but someone was making shot cups (similar to Speer) out of milk jug plastic. They even had instructions and pics.
    See the sticky at the top of this subforum.
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  13. #33
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dryball View Post
    Great post. I can't remember where I read it (maybe even here) but someone was making shot cups (similar to Speer) out of milk jug plastic. They even had instructions and pics.
    You are right.
    Gearnasher here on cast bullets has a system for making the shot cylinders from plastic milk jug material.

  14. #34
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    I recently bought a couple of boxes of 357 Maximum brass to make snake loads for my 357 Magnum. (Bigger payload!)They are too long to chamber in 357 cylinders, and it is recomended to size the case mouths in a .222 Remington die, so the cases fit. I had planned to use Gas Checks for over-powder and over shot wads, but reality struck. Can't put a 35 caliber gas check into the resized case mouth! Drat! I figure full caliber soft plastic powder wads can be bent to fit into the case after it's sized and powdered, then case mouth size plastic over-shot wads can be glued in to secure the load. Am I on the right track here, or is there something I haven't thought of that will rise up and bite me in the hip? Orrr...My Speer shot capsules stick out of the case longer than the Maximum brass, so will the shot load be about the same?
    I haven't bought the .222 dies yet, so is this something that should be filed under "It seemed like a good idea at the time"?
    Last edited by sniper; 01-29-2022 at 02:40 AM.
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  15. #35
    Boolit Buddy

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    Have done full length shot loads for my 1937 Brazilian revolvers. The throats in your 357 mag cylinder should be about .357 so what ever sizing die will size them small enough to slide into the throats should work. For my 45 acp revolver loads I size down .308 LC brass to fit into the cylinder throats and cut them to almost the full length of the cylinder. I use a thin card board wad over my powder, but also use a 410 shot wad to hold the shot, the wad is cut just short enough for a clear plastic wad [cut from 1 gallon ice cream buckets] to seat over the shot and put a roll crimp to hold every thing in place. A cutter can be made from a 357 mag brass hull sharpened on the end and deprimed so you can use a paper clip or small nail to press the cut wad out of the brass. Have made bee killer loads out of the 357 maximum brass to use in a older s&w revolver that I bored the throats out so the Maximum brass would fit full length in the cylinder, these are loaded with walnut media and a card board over shot wad is glued in using clear finger nail polish. Could load these with lead shot also and clear plastic overshot wad and roll crimp to hold every thing together. I prefer to roll crimp over the lead shot to get enough resistance to get a full burn on my powder charge. With the clear plastic overshot wads you can see what is loaded in your cartridges.

  16. #36
    Boolit Bub
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    Been wanting to make birdshot loads fo a while . I bought 357 max brass to try. Was thinking of using .32 sizer for for clyinder lenght shells Also 444 brass, with a 41 sizer. Thought I would have time to do this since i retired. Mamma decided she need a new kitchen, No time now lol

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check