Shot in a rifle?

[Swamp Fox]

My .32 is out of commission right now so I've been playing with some light loads in my .50. I was thinking of loading some shot to blast squirrels and other pests with. Is there any danger to the rifling in my barrel from doing this? I would hate to ruin my nice barrel doing something dumb. I also thought of loading a cylinder in a cap and ball gun like this for snake shot.

[JSnover]

the rifling might create a donut shot pattern but lead shot won't hurt your rifling.

[rodwha]

It certainly will create a doughnut pattern, and it happens fairly quick.

Shot in a cap n ball pistol has been done, and works fairly well to maybe 7 ft.

There's a youtube video by Brushhippie who has worked on this.

[Outpost75]

The slow rates of twist used in muzzleloaders don't scatter the shot as badly as faster twist rates in modern rifles do. I load shot in 5 in 1 Blank cases and patterns at 25 feet using my .44-40 rifle with 38" twist of rifling are tighter than the same identical load fired from my .45 Colt rifle at 15 feet.

[Texantothecore]

Shotloads were issued to our troops during the time of the Trapdoor .45-70. For getting rabbits in the field.

They work but you have use a different technique because of the doughnut pattern. Apparently it is not difficult to do, just a bit different.

[Outpost75]

I find it helps if you don't aim directly at the game, but hold 6:00 under it, so that the target is hit with the dense outer edges of the pattern, while any low hits striking the ground have a chance to skip into the target. Ground sluicing!

[Swamp Fox]

Cool. Time to start experimenting.

[starmac]

I got to ask, what kind of varmints do you have, that a 50 cal round ball won't take care of. lol

[w5pv]

I use # 10 shot and 5.8 grains of Titegroup in my 45 Colt.I use a cut down 410 shot sleeve and have no problems out to 25 feet.Some of the birds that I shoot will fly off but drop a ways out.I haven't shot any squirrells or rabbits but would think if within 20 feet they would be harvested also.I have killid doves,redbirds,black birds and sparrows regulary with this load.They seem to do better than 7 1/2 shot because of shot denisty

[Swamp Fox]

Starmac you make a good point. But I figure a few #9s will make less mess in a smaller animal. I don't mind disposing of varmints, but I prefer they still be in one piece.
Thats one of the things I like about muzzleloaders. You can take one gun and vary your loads at a moments notice to do all kinds of fun stuff.

[fouronesix]

You want to kill them surely and cleanly- no matter the critter or method. I'd try some common shot size (easier to find and maybe cheaper) like 7 1/2, 8 or 9. Load 1/2 oz to 1 oz over maybe 30-50 gr of blackpowder and test the pattern on a large piece of paper or cardboard at two or three different ranges to see what the effective range REALLY is. I don't know that you'll find a donut shape or just a very large uneven pattern with a bunch of holes in the pattern. That's why the test.

No, it won't hurt the rifle. I've played around with shot loads in different rifled firearms and none were very good and definitely a short range proposition at best. By comparison, a shot load out of a .410 smoothbore is far superior to a shot load out of a .500 rifle (or any rifle or pistol).

[smilin jack]

Have loaded bird shot in my 50 Lyman GP and 58 Navy Hawken Hunter rifles.

Use a light powder charge (50 grains or less), a lubed felt over powder wad, shot charge and a card over shot wad. Works well but does throw a donut shaped pattern.

Not a problem, just aim so the center hole in the pattern with no shot is not centered on the bird etc. I just aim left or right a little. Works on rabbits, grouse and other small critters.

Shot loaded in rifled pistols works better, with less of a hole in the pattern. Load similar to rifle, but with proper powder charge.

Dave

[big bore 99]

I've used .410 shot cups in my .45. Seems to tighten it up a bit.