casting shot

[scrat]

Has anyone ever casted shot for shot gun. It seems like it would be so simple however the only machine i found runs for 375.00. it seems if you were to be able to get a mold you could make a whole bunch really quick

[madcaster]

I saw an article in Backwoodsman Magazine,a fella was doing it with a chunk of lead held with pliers,only an inch or two above a pan of water,you really need to read the article.
It was kinda swan shot-or primitive shot,not meant to replace modern shot.

[DLCTEX]

Lee has molds for buckshot sizes, but for regular shot there have been some home made shot makers posted. You might try a search of the archives. Dale

[HORNET]

scrat,
If you check down in the Casting for Shotguns topic, there are a few discussions on casting shot and it looks like somebody is trying to set up a group buy on Littleton shot makers.

[Pilgrim]

You can also make your own "shot maker". Shot size will be by trial and error at first. Get a flat aluminum or steel sheet. One of the broiler pans from a counter top oven would be near perfect. Use a small punch/nail/phillips screw driver whatever to put a whole bunch of small holes in the pan. Try to make 'em all the same as best you can. Here is the tricky part. You will need to be on a step ladder, or porch, or ?? so that the pan you just punctured is "feet" above a water container. I'd make sure the water container is fairly wide & long & wouldn't worry about depth much as long as its 5" or 6" deep. I've not figured out a stand for holding the punctured plate in place, but suspect you could simply make one out of a wooden frame and hold it in place with C-clamps. I don't think I'd want to hold the plate in one hand and pour molten lead out of a ladle in the other hand, but...I suspect the more height you can get, the better to get round shot. Roundness depends on surface tension, and that takes a bit to take effect, so the more time the shot has to achieve roundness before quenching, the better. IIRC, commercial shot towers are some 30' or more tall. Slowly pour the molten lead on your punctured pan and let the lead run through the holes to quench in the water pan below. If you pour too fast, you will get a steady stream and it will take longer for the droplets to form, so the shot will be elongated and larger. If you pour too slowly you will get lead freeze up on the plate. What you want is lead that almost immediately breaks up into droplets as soon as it flows through the pan. I've not made shot personally as lead shot is relatively inexpensive (or was the last I bought it a loonnggg time ago), and the effort didn't seem worth it for what I'd get. Anyway....FWIW Pilgrim

[mastercast.com]

pilgrim,

You are in for a real shock next time you price lead shot.

Dealer/wholesale price as of today for a 25 pound bag of regular Lawrence Brand lead shot is $45.75.................the harder Magnum Chilled shot is $46.25 for a 25 pound bag.

That would be at or near $60.00 per 25 pound bag at MSRP!!!!!!

Reloading shotgun shells is no longer worth it at the above shot prices. The price for just the shot is well over half the total cost of a box of shotgun shells at Wal-Mart.

[Pilgrim]

You're right re: shock. The prices of shot when I last bought was under $20/25# bag. I can even remember buying it as low as ~ $8/25# bag "back in the day". I also could buy shotshell primers for $6.99/1000 then as well. $60..sheesh. Glad I'm not shooting much shotgun anymore! Pilgrim

[hpdrifter]

Heck, I gotta an automatic shot dripper.

I got a 6' piece of aluminum channel and mounted my Lee 4-20 at about 6' and put a bucket of water underneath it. turn it on a a couple of hours later the pot is empty and the bucket is full o shot.[]

[mastercast.com]

Same quality as Lawrence Shot?

I seriously doubt it.

Show me.

[hpdrifter]

poking fun at Lee dripmaster. not seriously making shot.