Shot Loads

[sixshot]

I've always used gas checks to make my shot loads for the 44 & 45 Colt but I'm out, anyone using a card wad of some sort?

Dick

[Larry Gibson]

I use shot capsules in the .44 but use either GCs or card wads in the 45 Colt. I use a steel 45 ACP case with the mouth chamfered sharp on the outside. I've drilled the flash hole out so a rod can be inserted to push out the cut wads. I use either the cardboard primer tray covers or a piece of cardboard from a 12 pac soda case. I suppose milk carton would also work as well. I use a chunk of hard wood to set the cardboard on it then set the 45 ACP case mouth on the cardboard and tap the 45 ACP case a whack with a plastic mallet. I cut 3 or 4 wads and push them out of the case with a rod then cut 3-4 more, etc. In short order you'll have enough wads cut to last a long time.

I put a couple coats of cheap red finger nail polish on the over shot wad after seating and crimping to seat it in place and water proof it.

Larry Gibson

[Pb2au]

Larry,
That is the ticket right there. I have been considering making up some shot loads for my 45 colt, due to the area me and Dad are scouting for deer appears to be a holiday land for timber rattlesnakes....
I've read where it seems people prefer #11 shot for these loads. For powder charge data, is it enough to weight the payload of shot and cross reference to a similar weight in boolit, then work up?
Many thanks for the info!

[littlejack]

I the past (years ago) I made shot loads for my .41 magnum cartridges. I used a .045 card wad, cut with the proper bridge punch. I also found at work (also years ago) some .060 nylon sheeting. I punched some of those for wads also. They also worked good. I used a thin card wad over the shot, with some Elmers glue to seal. I used #9 shot, with lethal results.
More recently (the last few months) I made a set of 45 acp shot shell dies to form cases to use in my 45 acp pistol. Still in the R&D stage. 45 magnum brass being the best to resize for these cartridges.
The first testing was quite encouraging. The powder charge recommended in the NRA article was/is 6 grains of 231, which I used. I used the same wad punch for these loads as I did the .41 loads. As the inside of the 45 case tapers. The .410 wad works well.
As for the shot, I used #10/11. The shot, I got from one of our other members, seemed to vary in size from one to the other. When fired at a reasonable snake attack distance, say 6 feet, the results were devastating on a soda pop can. These loads turned the can into a heap of shrapnel. No snake would have survived.
I also tested them at a further 20" range, and they would make a great survival small game/bird round.
Jack

[owejia]

I cut mine out of clear plastic gal. ice cream bucket tops, then you can see the shot in the shell.So years later if I forget, I can still see the bird shot in the shell.

[Larry Gibson]

Larry,
That is the ticket right there. I have been considering making up some shot loads for my 45 colt, due to the area me and Dad are scouting for deer appears to be a holiday land for timber rattlesnakes....
I've read where it seems people prefer #11 shot for these loads. For powder charge data, is it enough to weight the payload of shot and cross reference to a similar weight in boolit, then work up?
Many thanks for the info!

I most often use #12 shot which can be had from BPE. Using the weight of the shot compared to a cast bullet certainly works.....that's how I did it. I use a fast powder (Bullseye) and found it works better than Unique. I worked my load up using aluminum soda cans full of water at 5 feet. Worked up until the shot would perforated through both sides of the can and the water in between. Jack is correct; they do shred a regular can kill snakes. I don't shoot a lot of handgun shot loads but one is loaded to come under the hammer 1st in revolvers (.32, .38 & .357s, .41, .44s and .45s) and one is up the spout when carrying my M1911s. However, Murphy is always there 'cause the one time I didn't have the shot load..........

Larry Gibson

103865

[Pb2au]

Thanks for the information Larry!
I appreciate the help. Looks like I've got gainful employment in the lab this weekend. :-D
Nice snake btw! Most people in Ohio don't know we have timber rattlers, but we do. I've seen a good handful along the limestone ridges where I hunt, and in the deep briars in drainages. Rather startling sometimes.

[mannyCA]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUfcZn7Vcn4

I use an over powder wad from a cereal box cut with a sharpened piece of brass. I have a video I did detailing the procedure if you're interested.

[DLCTEX]

I use wads cut from styrofoam take out trays for over powder and overshot loads with no problems. I glue the over shot wads in place with tub and tile caulk. For 45 acp I cut 308 blank brass to the length of a loaded hardball round with a tubing cutter, chamfer the mouth inside and out, and size the neck in a 41 mag die to pass the plunk test. This gives a good volume of #9 shot load. 3 gr. BE will not cycle the slide, but it operates by hand easily and feeds from the magazine OK. The cases do not expand and can be reloaded as fired. I have taken birds out of the air at short yardage with them. Higher pressure made
donut holes in the pattern.