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Thread: Snake shooter 357 shot shells

  1. #1
    Boolit Master Drew P's Avatar
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    Snake shooter 357 shot shells

    I want to load up a few shot shells for the 357. Just basic nothing fancy. What I’m running into is finding a powder dense enough to allow any amount of pellets into the case before running out of room. I was trying 8gr red dot with about 50gr pellets on top. Does that seem reasonable? It’s a lot of red dot but given the load size it doesn’t seem like it would produce pressure.

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    You've come to the right place... Almost. Get some coffee and hit this link: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/foru...ds-For-Pistols
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  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master jmorris's Avatar
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    No matter how little charge you use you won’t get the payload you can with capsules.

    There’s load data on the box.

    https://www.midwayusa.com/product/10...cial-box-of-50

    You’ll get around 100gn on #9 shot that way.

  4. #4
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    I bought some 357 max brass to try loading 357 mag shot loads but the max brass is to long for a mag chamber, got put on back burner until this winter when I have time.
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    8 grns is way too hot. I loaded some of the capsules with 2 grns and the worked fine. Short barrels are better as well. You don't want to get the shot pattern spun up too much.

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    Boolit Grand Master Outpost75's Avatar
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    Handgun shot loads are used at short range, and you don't need high velocity. Here are some typical .38 Special shot loads I have patterned on D1C repair center, 11" square with 4" inner ring and 8" outer ring:

    Attachment 241263Attachment 241264
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  7. #7
    Boolit Master Drew P's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Finster101 View Post
    8 grns is way too hot. I loaded some of the capsules with 2 grns and the worked fine. Short barrels are better as well. You don't want to get the shot pattern spun up too much.
    that makes sense. Well I backed it off to 4gr and that gave me room for 100gr of shot. Think that’s still too hot? These will be used in an outhouse so the range will be, quite short lol.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master Drew P's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JSnover View Post
    You've come to the right place... Almost. Get some coffee and hit this link: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/foru...ds-For-Pistols
    ha! I knew I saw a special section for this. I couldn’t seem to find it earlier. Thanks.

  9. #9
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    Those are great patterns. What distance? My 6 inch barrel I believe would have a donut right out the barrel. I use the speer shot capsules and they work fine except in the rifle. The square corners hit the rifling too quick to close properly. I know I could seat them shorter but that will be for another time when I make some more.
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  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Outpost75 View Post
    Handgun shot loads are used at short range, and you don't need high velocity. Here are some typical .38 Special shot loads I have patterned on D1C repair center, 11" square with 4" inner ring and 8" outer ring:

    Attachment 241263Attachment 241264
    this is kind of an example of why commercial and most reloaded shot loads don't work on snakes very well. Look at your pattern area and think about the size of a snakes head. Even if you get a few pellets in it anyone that has ever dealt with snakes know that it wont kill it instantly unless you destroy the head, and a dead/wounded snake can still bite. Ive shot snakes with these loads and seen it happen.
    Mike Venturo wrote an article years ago about snaked loads for handguns and came to the same conclusion, that the #9 shot most handgun loads are made from is too big and patterns too sparse. He theorized that a small potato was about the size/toughness of a rattlesnake head and used that as a test medium. He found that #12 shot or dust either out of a capsule or gas check load was about the best think to destroy a potato up to about 8-9 feet, which is plenty of range for snake defense.
    I tried it out and found the same thing on cottonmouths and timber rattlers, busts the head wide open and snake just flops around a bit.
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  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by jmorris View Post
    No matter how little charge you use you won’t get the payload you can with capsules.

    There’s load data on the box.

    https://www.midwayusa.com/product/10...cial-box-of-50

    You’ll get around 100gn on #9 shot that way.
    Having made my own handgun shot shells over the years the Speer shot capsules are the best way to go for several reasons; more shot, denser pattern, proven load data, no leading in bore, etc. I now use them exclusively in 38/357, 44 PSL/Magnum, 45 ACP/AR/Colt.
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    An earlier post mentioned using 357 max brass that would have to be cut down I also wondered about 410 brass cut down to just fit 45 colt cylinder. Seemed to me like a thin wad and loose shot in the full length brass might allow for more shot load than the blue plastic capsules.
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  13. #13
    Boolit Grand Master jmorris's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Larry Gibson View Post
    Having made my own handgun shot shells over the years the Speer shot capsules are the best way to go for several reasons; more shot, denser pattern, proven load data, no leading in bore, etc. I now use them exclusively in 38/357, 44 PSL/Magnum, 45 ACP/AR/Colt.
    I use them for all of the above except 45 ACP. For them I use cut down 308 brass and .410 wads. The only way I have found to get them to work in semiautos since Remington quit selling their crimped brass shot rounds.



    The wads make a huge difference in the pattern.


  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by rancher1913 View Post
    I bought some 357 max brass to try loading 357 mag shot loads but the max brass is to long for a mag chamber, got put on back burner until this winter when I have time.
    Anneal those max brass real good down to the length of where a normal .357 would be. Lube them good (inside of cylinder too), and tap them into the cylinder out on the bench. It will size them right down. I did this converting .444 Marlin brass down to cylinder length .44 mag.

  15. #15
    Boolit Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by jmorris View Post
    I use them for all of the above except 45 ACP. For them I use cut down 308 brass and .410 wads. The only way I have found to get them to work in semiautos since Remington quit selling their crimped brass shot rounds.



    The wads make a huge difference in the pattern.

    I use the .410 wads also in my .44 mag cylinder length brass casings made from .444 marlin.

  16. #16
    Boolit Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by RogerDat View Post
    An earlier post mentioned using 357 max brass that would have to be cut down I also wondered about 410 brass cut down to just fit 45 colt cylinder. Seemed to me like a thin wad and loose shot in the full length brass might allow for more shot load than the blue plastic capsules.
    Yes. See my post #14.

  17. #17
    Boolit Master

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    akajun is right on with smaller shot size being needed. I load #10, and the count is way higher than #8. I have an American Derringer in .45 Colt / 2.5" .410. With #8 shot you have to get so close you are almost in striking distance from the snake.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master Drm50's Avatar
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    I have put a slight neck on 357max and 454s to fit 357 & 45colt cylinders. I don't remember what die I used but was FL sizing die for a bottle neck rifle cartridge. I also necked 45/70s slightly with 41mg die for a project to make a super 410 slug gun on a Brit 303. Ammo worked fine but got no accuracy from the smooth bore. Over all the shot capsule is the way to go. I have used 410 wads too, capsules beat them too. I gave up on shot shells and would rather have a hollow point. A near miss will usually splatter enought to hurt the snake anyway.

  19. #19
    Boolit Grand Master jmorris's Avatar
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    I use #12 in the ones I load.

  20. #20
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    Cream of wheat works great for the wood eating bees. In a 357 shot load.
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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