Please Help! Homemade lead shot dripper...

[Kev18]

I just made lead ingots today. Il make more shot along with trying different methods mentioned above.

Un-related but what would be a solid load for a 10 gauge Damascus barrel? I have loads but not sure if they're good for damascus... if anyone knows? Not anything super insane that blows the barrel and me apart but not a light load like I did.

[EVR]

Great stuff OP.

Funny thing about very simple and basic setups is that...in truth...much of what can be shot with a shotgun can be killed with what compared to factory stuff is just plain crude kit. Your pattern proved that for sure.


Watching that long angled ramp got me thinking a guy could pour into a troughs of sorts to whatever depth he wanted thus making long "wires" of lead and then cut them into chunks. Shoot them as-is or tumble the shot to round off the edges. I've done it with copper grounding wire. The only downside would be the time it would take to cut the wire into pellets....

[mic]

Great stuff OP.

Funny thing about very simple and basic setups is that...in truth...much of what can be shot with a shotgun can be killed with what compared to factory stuff is just plain crude kit. Your pattern proved that for sure.


Watching that long angled ramp got me thinking a guy could pour into a troughs of sorts to whatever depth he wanted thus making long "wires" of lead and then cut them into chunks. Shoot them as-is or tumble the shot to round off the edges. I've done it with copper grounding wire. The only downside would be the time it would take to cut the wire into pellets....

i like your thinking, it would work and put food on the table.

[Kev18]

Great stuff OP.

Funny thing about very simple and basic setups is that...in truth...much of what can be shot with a shotgun can be killed with what compared to factory stuff is just plain crude kit. Your pattern proved that for sure.


Watching that long angled ramp got me thinking a guy could pour into a troughs of sorts to whatever depth he wanted thus making long "wires" of lead and then cut them into chunks. Shoot them as-is or tumble the shot to round off the edges. I've done it with copper grounding wire. The only downside would be the time it would take to cut the wire into pellets....

Well long strands of lead are actually a type of shot in muzzle loading. Theres videos about it or people melting round shot and making strands like me. They are called goose shot or something like that. I dont remember.

A man's problem, is another's solution it seems.

[EVR]

Well long strands of lead are actually a type of shot in muzzle loading. Theres videos about it or people melting round shot and making strands like me. They are called goose shot or something like that. I dont remember.

A man's problem, is another's solution it seems.

Indeed!

Here's some "Nontoxic" Enviro-sound copper wire chunk shot...

[Kev18]

[QUOTE=EVR;4625051]Indeed!

Here's some "Nontoxic" Enviro-sound copper wire chunk shot...

You just cut wire up? And stick it down the barrel?

[EVR]

[QUOTE=Kev18;4626707]

Indeed!

Here's some "Nontoxic" Enviro-sound copper wire chunk shot...

You just cut wire up? And stick it down the barrel?

Yup.

Just as you see there. Used a 1 oz load and components. The total weight, being copper, was less than one oz.

This was the idea behind my suggestion above for making lead shot by simply pouring it along the fold of a piece of sheet metal to a suitable depth, then taking that more-or-less triangular strand and cutting it up into chunks and loading it. External ballistics would be terrible and it would be time consuming to make, but at close range I reckon it would do just fine. A fold in sheet metal came to mind, but any "trench shaped" groove in or formed in sheet steel would work.

[Kev18]

[QUOTE=EVR;4626731]

Yup.

Just as you see there. Used a 1 oz load and components. The total weight, being copper, was less than one oz.

This was the idea behind my suggestion above for making lead shot by simply pouring it along the fold of a piece of sheet metal to a suitable depth, then taking that more-or-less triangular strand and cutting it up into chunks and loading it. External ballistics would be terrible and it would be time consuming to make, but at close range I reckon it would do just fine. A fold in sheet metal came to mind, but any "trench shaped" groove in or formed in sheet steel would work.

Thats what I was doing at first. Pouring lead down a right angle piece of metal and everyone said it wouldnt work. To be honest it wasnt great.

[Kev18]

Alright so after alot of testing and trial, and error. I think I finally got it. With the same setup and a few changes. I made some almsot perfect shot. Depending on the amount of lead in the pot, the shot will be bigger or smaller. More lead= bigger drop.

The shot is round, barely any hollow ones, and none with tails. I only did alittle bit though since I was testing it out. Il make more soon since I know what im doing now.
This isnt my final batch. They look alot better then this but just for size reference.

[dsh1106]

looks good man !!

I ran some pure Pb shot this weekend, must be that time of year to play ....

[Kev18]

looks good man !!

I ran some pure Pb shot this weekend, must be that time of year to play ....

What are you using? You seem to have the same shot as me, with hollow ones and not perfectly round. I look at videos and people are using super expensive drippers and they say they are all round.

[dsh1106]

What are you using? You seem to have the same shot as me, with hollow ones and not perfectly round. I look at videos and people are using super expensive drippers and they say they are all round.

I have an old Shannon shotmaker, two dripper.

The shot I posted pictures of is pure lead, that's the reason it is not round. Pure lead doesn't have enough surface tension to be dripped using one of these machines and stay round. The holes/divots you see are because, 1) I had to run the lead HOT (above 825 F) to keep it moving, 2) My coolant was to "cold", the ambient temperature was only 55 F when I was making the shot.

I can make near perfect round shot with the machine I have, but everything has to be spot on to do it.
- Polished drip ramp coated with high temp graphite
- Clip on wheel weight alloy
- Coolant temp constant between 85 F and 95 F degrees - I use a circulating pump

All things said and done, I started down this path because I wanted to learn how to drip shot. I've made well over 125 lbs of good round shot, loaded it, shot clay pigeons with it, took a few pheasants with it and gave some of it away to someone here at CB. As it stands right now the machine has paid for itself, but ..... when I can buy 100 rounds of 12 gauge at Walmart for $23 or less, that's what I do. I can't reload shot shells cheaper than that, especially if I consider my time worth anything.

Keep up the good work, you're doing much better than I thought you would with a homemade setup. When I started, I read all ghosthawks threads on this subject, I purchased all the stuff from ebay and started playing..... really long story short, I found a Shannon Shot maker for sale, bought it, figured out how to use it, with the help from some on here a lot smarter than I, and sold off the items I bought online.

[Kev18]

I have an old Shannon shotmaker, two dripper.

The shot I posted pictures of is pure lead, that's the reason it is not round. Pure lead doesn't have enough surface tension to be dripped using one of these machines and stay round. The holes/divots you see are because, 1) I had to run the lead HOT (above 825 F) to keep it moving, 2) My coolant was to "cold", the ambient temperature was only 55 F when I was making the shot.

I can make near perfect round shot with the machine I have, but everything has to be spot on to do it.
- Polished drip ramp coated with high temp graphite
- Clip on wheel weight alloy
- Coolant temp constant between 85 F and 95 F degrees - I use a circulating pump

All things said and done, I started down this path because I wanted to learn how to drip shot. I've made well over 125 lbs of good round shot, loaded it, shot clay pigeons with it, took a few pheasants with it and gave some of it away to someone here at CB. As it stands right now the machine has paid for itself, but ..... when I can buy 100 rounds of 12 gauge at Walmart for $23 or less, that's what I do. I can't reload shot shells cheaper than that, especially if I consider my time worth anything.

Keep up the good work, you're doing much better than I thought you would with a homemade setup. When I started, I read all ghosthawks threads on this subject, I purchased all the stuff from ebay and started playing..... really long story short, I found a Shannon Shot maker for sale, bought it, figured out how to use it, with the help from some on here a lot smarter than I, and sold off the items I bought online.

Shot makers are so expensive for me these days. I already had a lee pot though so I thought id give it a shot. Do the pellets need to be perfect or is that just a plus?

[dsh1106]

Round shot patterns better, more consistent.

[EVR]

Round shot patterns better, more consistent.

And provides more consistent and better penetration.

[Kev18]

Anyone know what I can use to seal the over shot card? I use hot glue and it works, but it looks bad. Anything I can buy at a store? Like home depot or something...

[dsh1106]

Anyone know what I can use to seal the over shot card? I use hot glue and it works, but it looks bad. Anything I can buy at a store? Like home depot or something...

Elmer's glue

[Kev18]

Elmer's glue

Alright, it will be strong enough to withstand the recoil?

[dsh1106]

Alright, it will be strong enough to withstand the recoil?

I used it for my SxS, no issues. Never use it in a pump or sa

[gpidaho]

Kev18: I've used Titebond II Premium wood glue to seal the overshot cards in 410 shells made from 444 Marlin brass and have used super glue to hold the cards in my Short Line Blackout black powder 12ga adapter. Both of these glues held the card in very well. Gp