Making "snake loads" in a .41 mag.

[Hardcast416taylor]

I stopped by a friends house last week to catch up on things. He was loading shells for his favorite pistol round, the .41 Rem. Mag. The load he was making was shot loads for snakes and any other close in varmits. He was using .410 shotshell AA style plastic wads. He would cut the petals off almost at the wad base. One wad would be seated on the powder then the #9 shot that weighed 220 gr. on a scale then the 2nd wad seated on top - but upside down to the other wad. A crimp to hold it in place and you have a snake load for the .41 mag.Robert

[WARD O]

If you used 30-30 brass to start with you could make them longer and they would hold more shot.

[thetrainman]

Has anyone here actually made 41 mag shot shells from 30-30 brass ? I cut several to cylinder length, turned the rims downs but have no idea of safe forming loads.

[Scharfschuetze]

I have. Not much of an issue. Just cut them to the length of the cylinder and then trim the rim down so that they will fit in the star. The body of the 30/30 case is a bit smaller than the 41 Magnum case so the cases will expand above the web area to fit the charge hole. Looks odd, but the 30/30 brass is strong enough for such abuse.

I didn't try using a 410 plastic wad in 'em, but just used over powder and over shot wads. I haven't made them in years and I can't find the data on them now (probably long lost in a military move) but I recall using Winchester 231 to propel the shot. they were much more potent than the 38/357 or 45 ACP shot loads that I still make. Without a plastic wad, there was some minor leading in the barrel, but it brushed out easily enough.

[WARD O]

Weigh the shot charge and check the loading manuals for a light target load and extrapolate. Or compare to shot charge data for other pistol calibers and go with a similar charge.

[enfieldphile]

There is an article www.surplusrifle.com for making .45 caliber snake loads for use in a .45 ACP revolver.

The author used cut-down, cylinder-length 30/06 cases, w/ moon clips for snake loads. He used cards and lubed, felt .45 muzzle-loader wads w/ shot. I think his charge was 5 grains of Herco.

There is usually some kind of brass that can be cut & formed to fit a revolver cylinder full length. The brass will need partial forming to be reduced for the spot where the joint of the chamber narrows to form the reduced portion @ the front of the cylinder.

[thetrainman]

Scharf and WARD O thank you for the help. I look forward to finally trying this.

[Larry in MT]

I stopped by a friends house last week to catch up on things. He was loading shells for his favorite pistol round, the .41 Rem. Mag. The load he was making was shot loads for snakes and any other close in varmits. He was using .410 shotshell AA style plastic wads. He would cut the petals off almost at the wad base. One wad would be seated on the powder then the #9 shot that weighed 220 gr. on a scale then the 2nd wad seated on top - but upside down to the other wad. A crimp to hold it in place and you have a snake load for the .41 mag.Robert

That 220 grain figure sounds a bit high. I load 44 Special in CCI shot cups === 140 grains.

A 2 1/2" 410 shell holds about 220 grains

[Salmoneye]

I agree 220gr is high for a .41 mag...

WIth just over-shot and over-powder wads I get 150gr of #8 in a .44 Mag...

[McLintock]

For my 44 Special snake loads I use gas checks, they're thinner than any wad you can use, and there's two pieces of shapenel going at the snake as well as the shot. Put one with the cup up, over the powder, and one with the cup down, over the shot and crimp it into place; read about doing it that way in Handloader Magazine way back in the '70's.
McLintock

[brasshog]

I know that this is an old thread but here it goes
https://loaddata.com/articles/PDF/LD-35%20Haviland%20LR1.pdf

[osteodoc08]

For my 44 Special snake loads I use gas checks, they're thinner than any wad you can use, and there's two pieces of shapenel going at the snake as well as the shot. Put one with the cup up, over the powder, and one with the cup down, over the shot and crimp it into place; read about doing it that way in Handloader Magazine way back in the '70's.
McLintock



Zombie thread but still a good one. I use the above method with 231.

[Texas by God]

I made a wad punch from a steel 8x57 case that cuts .415" discs from milk cartons or rimfire "bricks". I place one over the powder, pour in a .38 Special case full of #12 shot, put another in blank side up(with 12 printed on it), then roll crimp and some LLA for sealant. They are excellent and cost very little to make.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[ddixie884]

Kewl..............

[RJM52]

I use the gascheck method mentioned above with 5.0 graains of Unique. Have also instead used a .410 round ball crimped over the top of the shot... Need to make some more up as I just did a few and didn't have a very good place to test them at the time.

I also have some .414 SuperMag brass that I would like to try. Hopefully a 10mm/.40 S&W die would reduce the neck diameter enough to get the shell into the cylinder throat...

Bob

[RJM52]

Funny story about shotshells...

Friend in Texas was hunting with his wife. Both carried 629 Mountain Guns for snakes and finishing off deer if necessary.

My friend heard his wife shoot and after he joined her asked what she had shot..."a squirrel"...."where?"...."over there"...about 35 yards away...so my friend goes over and checks the area and sure enough there is a dead squirrel...who was probably the unluckiest squirrel in the world as all he had was one pellet in his head...