Worlds slowest shot maker

[Marvin S]

Here is a shot mold I made for my Flintlock smoothbores. Kind of a swan shot, I searched all over to find lead shot with any size to it other than #4 buck (To large) or the SUPER expensive tungsten matrix/bismuth type shot. It may be slow but its works well. The linesman pliers have to nose thinned and bent 90 deg to make a double nipper. Shot size is around .190 dia.

[leadman]

Marvin S, you have to have alot of patience to cast shot with a mould. Since it is for a flintlock you I am assuming you only fire when you are sure of hitting your target.
Suppose this is why many people don't use a flintlock with their own shot much anymore.

How much shot goes in each load?

[Mk42gunner]

Good looking mold Marvin, my question is- Do the blocks ever get hot?

Robert

[shotman]

The flint lock says it all. Way too much time LOL

[Buckshot]

.............Way long years ago, my grandfather gave me his dad's Wm Moore 12 ga double bbl ML'er shotgun. It's a wonder I didn't hurt myself with it I guess I was about 15 years old at the time. My dad was a pressman for ACME colorprint and they printed almost all the color funnies for major papers in 5 western states. As a consequence I had access to literally TONS of linotype. Wish I knew then what I know now!!!

Buying powder and caps was an issue, but shot? Heck I made all my own shot. Checking the Encyclopedia Brittanica I found out about shot towers. My melting utensils at the time consisted of a gasoline blowtorch and some old iron or steel ladle dad had. Once I had a ladle full I'd climb up his step ladder and hold the ladle up higher, then slowly pour the molten led out into a bucket full of water.

Most the shot was shaped like a teardrop. I learned if I poured too fast they looked like icicles. It all got used regardless. Back then there were these mail order Spanish single barrel MLing shotguns in rather odd sizes, but you could buy one for like $29, and my buddy Steve had one, and it was something like a 32 ga. Every now and then we could talk one of our moms into driving us out to the grape vineyards and we'd go hunting

Lemme tell ya, a load of that ho-made drop shot would simply de-foliate a grape vine. We didn't know anyhting about patterning, and couldn't have done anything about improving what we were accomplishing anyway. I'm sure my patterns had holes big enough to drop an elephant through, but we did get some rabbits now and then. They'd be a bit raggedly after a blizzard of that shot went past, but we were the big proud hunters none the less.

Heck, the big boomy boom and the cloud of smoke was payment enough. We used newsprint for both wads and had to stomp them out sometimes. Wouldn't do to burn down the grape vineyards. I still have G-grandpa's powder flask with the adjustable charger tube. And yes, I'd dump the powder down the barrels right from that flask (YIKES!) but didn't know any better. My shot bag was a back pocket from one of grandpa's old Pay-Day overalls, and had a cord attached to the top 2 corners.

Those were some fun times!

.................Buckshot

[Marvin S]

This would be mainly for hunting, maybe Turkey, Squirrel or blast a Opossum. My idea of a few large pellets are easier to pick out than a bunch of small ones. The blocks get warm just the same as boolit types but there are handles on them (Lyman type). That story reminds me of things we would do as kids that would make any parent of the modern world gasp with disbelief and shock. But some how we all survived.

[mazo kid]

Here is a photo of my shot mold, purchased at the RMNR at Polebridge, Mt. around 2001 or so. The large singe ball is a .690 to give you a size perspective.

[Marvin S]

What size are the little guys? Who made it?

[gnoahhh]

I've been playing with ML shotguns for many years now. Currently use a modern Pedersoli 12ga. and an antique W. Moore 16ga. Normally, when shooting Skeet or hunting a few birds, I use regular old #8 shot. An ounce of that stuff out of either gun will do the job. I guess I'm wondering why y'all feel the need for for such large shot. Heck, even when goose hunting over on the Eastern Shore we use #4 Bismuth, sometimes #2s. (Switching to Nice shot in all of our guns as the supply of Bismuth dissapears.) Clean kills.

[mazo kid]

Correction on the large single ball....it is .600". As near as I can measure, the little guys are .250" and .150"; about #3 Buck and a #2 shot. I don't have any left that I cast; I do know that the #2 shot is a PITA to make. The maker of the mold is Cannon Mike:
http://www.users.qwest.net/~cannonmike/

[Marvin S]

This is mainly for use in French Fusil's and North West trade gun types. 62cal smooth bore flintlocks. I just find it easier to pick out a few large pellets than a hundred itty bitty ones. Also this is some what period correct, like swan shot was. Leadman, I use about an ounce of it.

[Southern Son]

I cannot remember where I got it, but I got a mold for 00 buckshot. It has no handles or any way to attach any handles. I normally have to lock the halves together with 2 handvices. The mold is double sided, like Mazo Kid's, 9 pellets on each side. I have used it twice and burnt myself twice. I reckon I will need to be gagging for buckshot pretty bad before I will dig that thing out and use it again. Although it is just right for sling shot ammo, maybe another burnt finger will be OK.

[Freebore]

I've been playing with ML shotguns for many years now. Currently use a modern Pedersoli 12ga. and an antique W. Moore 16ga. Normally, when shooting Skeet or hunting a few birds, I use regular old #8 shot. An ounce of that stuff out of either gun will do the job. I guess I'm wondering why y'all feel the need for for such large shot. Heck, even when goose hunting over on the Eastern Shore we use #4 Bismuth, sometimes #2s. (Switching to Nice shot in all of our guns as the supply of Bismuth dissapears.) Clean kills.

Medium sized shot offers better killing power for a varying chance of prey. Remember, it's only one shot.