Ultra Low Velocity Shot Loads

[wildflilghts]

Is there any resource or recipe for very low speed shot shell loads? Would like something in 3-400 fps. Any load weight from 1/4 to 1-1/4 oz (110 gr. to 546 gr.).

Looking for in the shop rodent control whacker loads similar to the pistol rounds with shot.
My thought is that in a full bore 28/20/12 gauge it should be possible to make something much quieter and more effective than the .22 shot loads.

I've been using a combination of traps and shooting with an air rifle or .22 shot shells. I just had a "run off" from putting some #12's in the south end of a large north bound rat.

Anyhow, my thought is/was that 40 #4's moving a 300-400 fps ought to put a wallop on said critters at 3-4 paces and should not be moving fast enough to knock holes in the metal siding. Also, it should be reasonably quiet because of the volume of space inside the barrel after the powder is consumed.

How would you work up (or work down) a BP load for this application?

From my limited reading on black powder, it's normal to use the same volume of shot to volume of powder.
In order to get such low starting speeds, might it not be better to have heavy shot to powder volume?

[Nobade]

I would think that starting with maybe 10 grains of BP and a normal amount of shot would be a good start. Just shoot it at a metal can or something to see how hard it hits and keep adding powder until it penetrates like you want. You would of course have to cut your hulls shorter or use some sort of fillers to be able to crimp the shell. Or better yet use a muzzle loader that doesn't have a patent breech so you can load it however you want. My smoothbore Patriot pistol works great at short range with shot loads, though it is certainly not quiet or what I would want to fire indoors. But the patent breech needs at least 30 gr. of powder to have the wads sitting on the powder and not leave any air space. Something like a sea service pistol would be perfect for this.

-Nobade

[Squeeze]

just get a small garbage can, (for mice I use a 5 gal bucket) fill it 1/3 -1/2 with water (deep enough so they cant touch bottom, but still cant reach the top. place a stick or board from the outside to the top, and throw a handfull of corn meal in the water. theyll just dive right in, you can get several at a time.

[dondiego]

If you do develop a low velocity shot load, be sure to wear safety glasses while shooting indoors. There might be some bounce back of shot larger than # 12..............at least there was for me!

[John Taylor]

Brings back memories of my brother trying to dispatch a rat with a 38 snub nose charter arms. He had 4 rounds of bird shot and one hardball. Every shot he hit the rat and it spun around and went in the opposite direction. His forth shot the rat ran between his legs and the plastic shot capsule killed the rat. The shot was just bouncing off the hide. This all took place in town and there were no calls to the police.

[Junior1942]

If you do develop a low velocity shot load, be sure to wear safety glasses while shooting indoors. There might be some bounce back of shot larger than # 12..............at least there was for me!And so will #12. And make that "will be," not "might be."

[rodwha]

A fellow who goes by the name Brushhippie made a couple of videos where he used shot out of his .36 cal revolver.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19EP9ZgygHc

[johnson1942]

how about letting a big nasty tom cat sleep in your shop a night, or if you live out west catch a 5 foot bull snake and put him in their, either one would clean them out. just a spontaneous thought. not long ago i watched a 6 foot bull snake chase a 4 foot garder snake under my gun shop and he came out later a lot fatter.

[Dean D.]

Do a search for "Bucket Mouse Trap" on YouTube. I've used one of these very successfully in our chicken coop where we didn't want to use snap traps or poison.