Making .38 special shotshells?

[victorfox]

Never loaded for 38 but I like this approach.

http://www.gunblast.com/Snake_Stopper.htm

We rarely shoot snakes we carry 5 or 6 ft sticks and hit them hard in the middle then smash the head when they slithe over the boundaries. In case I ever shoot one I have a Judge... LOL

[trapper9260]

I load 44mag,357,38spl and 327 and use cracker boxes for my over shot and over powder. But I use 2 cards over the powder.I use 7 1/2 shot but that is just me.but use what ever you like. I use it for small varmits and anything else.I have use the shot caps load in a 38spl. but with over the amount of powder then it say to use and can only use it in a 357 because the cap extend further and at about 10 yrds my brother had shot a pigion with it .It did not drop right away but it did drop. That is usen 7 1/2 shot. but with just the case load I do dip them in wax that way do not have to worry about water or damp get into it.I dip them 2 times first time I remove all the heavy wax and the 2nd time I just remove the wax on the case.

[gwpercle]

I just use foam meat trays for overpowder and primer boxes for over-shot. I set the bullet seater to lightly compress/seat the over-shot card and a light roll crimp locks the card in place. Wax or glue would give extra insurance.

The foam from the top of an egg carton will work for a thinner foam wad. Some of the meat trays are quite thick.

[RogerDat]

Sage's Outdoors has these nice shot wad & gas check kits for making pistol shot loads in several calibers. Inexpensive.
http://www.sagesoutdoors.com/shotwad...-shotwad-kits/

[Rattlesnake Charlie]

I've used wads from the back of writing tablets cut with an empty case. At least two over the powder. One over the shot. A roll crimp keeps things in place. Never had any problem with leading. You might want to use a .357 case to get more shot in the load. If you can find them, .357 max would be even better.

[phonejack]

Whatever method you choose, try it out first. What works great in my 4" .357 leaves a 2" donut hole in a 6" barreled pistol.

[victorfox]

Unfortunately no. I was thinking maybe 2 grains of 700x, a paper card, Shot up close to the top, another paper card, then some type of glue. Is this unreasonable?

I skipped this post. If you're using a 357 you could raise your load a bit, like some WC load like 2.7-3 gr.

I load brass shotshells for the judge like this: powder, over powder card punched from whatever thick cardstock I have, even toilet paper cores will do if you put more than one but I prefer notepad and notebooks hardcovers, shot (sometimes with a paper sleeve , optional,) then one or two depending on thickness card overshots secured with white glue. Let dry overnight. They stand the recoil very well. A 357 should get about 100-130gr of shot and having no true crimp it would be lower pressure. Test a few before you go to see the behavoir, pattern and penetration.

[35 Whelen]

Cardboard wads work fine, but bear in mind they're prone to come loose under reoil. So if you're planning on shooting romper-stomper 357 loads with a shot load or two in the cylinder, there's a really good chance recoil will dislodge your wads. I know this from first hand experience.
Regarding shot size, I've used 7.5, 8 and 9 just because that's what I had laying around. Ive killed several dozen rattlesnakes and honestly Can't see a nickels worth of difference but I prefer #9. The simplest way to get the shot is to buy a box of shotgun shells and cut open what you need.

35W

[nekshot]

I always used the speer cups and did not like them. I checked out that Gear method and that is slick!!!! Gear should get an award for that one. I always could use these loads in revolvers but they would not eject out of my rifle without breaking. This is great. Thanks Gear!!

[trapper9260]

I use cardboard from cracker box and use a gasket hole punch to cut them out and I put 2 over the powder and then the shot and then one over the shot and just crimp alittle and then I dip the end in hot wax and clean out all heavy wax off and then I dip again and just take the wax off the case and have not had any problems with all I load that is 357mag,38spl. ,44mag,327mag.I use the spree caps. but do not like how they get lose .Even when you use some supper glue.but have load some to take out a bird of meduim size about 7 yards. But that was in a 38spl but will only be able to use it in a 357mag because the OAL is not for what it was for .For what the data was given for it in the first place.

[Ole Joe Clarke]

I've loaded "snake loads" for .38 Special for 30 years or more. I got the information from the American Rifleman. I use Unique powder, drop powder in a primed hull, seat a gas check, cup up, over the powder, fill hull to within about 1/16" of top, seat another gas check cup up over shot, use a nice roll crimp. I've killed many a copperhead, rattlers, and other poisonous snakes with them. Never had a problem.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

[yman]

I have loaded a lot of the speer shot caps in38, I keep them around for snakes and use them for shooting rats when I bushhog the fields. I use a mixure of 6 & 7 1/2 shot and a few grains of bullseye. Its surprising how far you can kill a running rat with them. I shot a possum that was getting into the cat food the other day and he went down quick.
If you don't have shot caps, and your worried about leading, I read somewhere, a guy used soda straws, he put in powder, cardboard wad, then split 2 soda straws to fill the case, fill with shot and cut the top off, then top with another cardboard wad, something like that. He even mentioned finding some large soda straws one time that filled a 38case. I can see some people tweaking this, maybe even making some soda straw capsules up for loading just like the little speer caps. If you just cut the head off a case the correct length, then make up a capsule and push it out with a pencil.
If you go to youtube, 22plinkster has a review of some new shot caps from speer. They are red and contain #4 shot for larger critters like possums or raccoons. He found out what some of us already knew, the longer the barrel, the more spin the rifling imparts on the shot, causing the shot patterns to open up. In days gone by, Remington and others I am sure, made 22rilfes without rifling's just to shoot shot shells,but government know all's put a stop go that. Because, as we all know, so many criminals rob stores with 22rifles.