35 Whelen
04-29-2014, 01:40 AM
Thought you guys that roam around the woods inhabited by venomous snakes might be interested in this.
It's rattlesnake season around here and lately I've been carrying my NM Vaquero 45 Colt for which I have no shot loads. Years ago I loaded them for a S&W 25-5 using cardboard for over powder/over shot tasks. This year, I tried a different twist. Using an empty 45 Colt case, I cut over powder discs out of a plastic coffee can lid...
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h6/308Scout/Cast%20bullets/20140424_165600_zps2a23c943.jpg (http://s60.photobucket.com/user/308Scout/media/Cast%20bullets/20140424_165600_zps2a23c943.jpg.html)
...and instead of using the same for over shot, I seated a .451" pure lead ball over the #9 shot and crimped it in to place. The ball weighs about 140 grs. and the shot 120, so I loaded it over 8.5 grs. of Unique. I didn't chrono the load, but it should be running in the 850 fps range.
The round looks like this:
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h6/308Scout/Cast%20bullets/Vaqueroshotandball2_zps0654ce19.jpg (http://s60.photobucket.com/user/308Scout/media/Cast%20bullets/Vaqueroshotandball2_zps0654ce19.jpg.html)
I shot the load a few times at 15', PLENTY far away for rattlers, and the ball pretty much hit to the sights if I was careful. Too, there was plenty of shot in the pattern (Point of aim was the letter "B"):
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h6/308Scout/Cast%20bullets/20140424_171621_zps4e53b2cc.jpg (http://s60.photobucket.com/user/308Scout/media/Cast%20bullets/20140424_171621_zps4e53b2cc.jpg.html)
In reality I'd likely use it at half that distance and I'd imagine the ball would be doing the work and the shot would just be added insurance.
35W
It's rattlesnake season around here and lately I've been carrying my NM Vaquero 45 Colt for which I have no shot loads. Years ago I loaded them for a S&W 25-5 using cardboard for over powder/over shot tasks. This year, I tried a different twist. Using an empty 45 Colt case, I cut over powder discs out of a plastic coffee can lid...
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h6/308Scout/Cast%20bullets/20140424_165600_zps2a23c943.jpg (http://s60.photobucket.com/user/308Scout/media/Cast%20bullets/20140424_165600_zps2a23c943.jpg.html)
...and instead of using the same for over shot, I seated a .451" pure lead ball over the #9 shot and crimped it in to place. The ball weighs about 140 grs. and the shot 120, so I loaded it over 8.5 grs. of Unique. I didn't chrono the load, but it should be running in the 850 fps range.
The round looks like this:
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h6/308Scout/Cast%20bullets/Vaqueroshotandball2_zps0654ce19.jpg (http://s60.photobucket.com/user/308Scout/media/Cast%20bullets/Vaqueroshotandball2_zps0654ce19.jpg.html)
I shot the load a few times at 15', PLENTY far away for rattlers, and the ball pretty much hit to the sights if I was careful. Too, there was plenty of shot in the pattern (Point of aim was the letter "B"):
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h6/308Scout/Cast%20bullets/20140424_171621_zps4e53b2cc.jpg (http://s60.photobucket.com/user/308Scout/media/Cast%20bullets/20140424_171621_zps4e53b2cc.jpg.html)
In reality I'd likely use it at half that distance and I'd imagine the ball would be doing the work and the shot would just be added insurance.
35W