Not exactly cast boolits, but 38/357 shot loads

[sniper]

Digging through my reloading oddments today, I discovered about a half-box of Speer plastic shot capsules. I also found a Bandaid box with some #9 shot.(I think) It's been so many years since I did anything with those, I can't remember what I did, and my notes seem to have been lost in a half-dozen moves. Has anybody had any recent experience/success with those?

What would be a Max range for snakes, and would they be effective for larger game like rabbits, squirrels or those pesky Starlings?

The box says .38 brass, 5.5gr Unique. With 357 brass, the 5.5gr load gives me a 158gr swc at 850 fps from a 4" barrel. The shot capsule load is somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 gr. I'm figuring that 4.5 or 5gr Unique might also work well.

I notice the newer shot capsules are blue, and mine are red and yellow. Are there any dimensional changes I need to be aware of?

If I went to #7 or 8 shot for a little more penetration, would it also work? I notice that some say #12 shot is surprisingly deadly at 10-12 feet.

I have the faint recollection of roll crimping the capsules, but think my Dillon taper crimp die may be a better solution.

What say?

[Mica_Hiebert]

I dont recall the load I used last but I glued my capsules instead of crimping and I have killed starlings at around 10 feet w 6/9 duplex load the 9's helped fill in the voids between the 6's

[Forrest r]

Years ago when I was shooting allot of skeet I'd load up 38spl's with 5-shot (11 pellets) and shoot rounds of skeet with them with a 6" bbl'd 586. Never could break more than 6 birds in a round, but it was fun to try.

Used 5.5gr of hp-38 and a standard crimp on the blue speer shot capsules.

[Larry Gibson]

No dimensional changes I'm aware of either, just the color. Use the recommended 5.5 gr Unique load. It needs the psi to expand the plastic cup so the rifling will cut it.

Larry Gibson

[rancher1913]

I've killed birds at 50 plus feet with the #9 shot. they work really good on snakes too.

[Mica_Hiebert]

Ill add my 10 foot bord kill is w a 3 inch bbl your results may vary

[tsubaki]

I'm doing the 5.5gr of Unique in the 38spl with #8 shot, average capsule weight was 96.4gr.
From what I remember there was a pattern equivalent of 1" per foot of distance from the muzzle, so a 20' target averaged a 20" pattern.
I have yet to complete my experiments with 3 - #1 buckshot in the capsules with 3.5gr of Bullseye with an average capsule weight of 121.5gr.
The shot was busting the capsules from the recoil when the revolver had a full cylinder. So I installed a piece of paper punched Styrofoam plate in the capsule first to prevent the problem of the shot rattling around.
Maybe I'll get back to completing those tests soon.

[Mule]

I only carry shot loads when summertime woods walking. My load is a casefull of #9 shot between two gas checks in a 38 Special case.

I have also loaded a gas check, 70 gr #9 shot, topped with a 360 round ball. Similar to the civil war era buck and ball loading.

[nekshot]

from the tractor seat I can kill snakes about 15 feet away. I make my own shot using a drilled out 45-70 casing, works good for no more than I need.

[LAGS]

Armoredman can tell you that the Speer Shot Capsules filled with # 8 shot wont stop " Jack "
We were hunting one time, and we saw a Jack Rabbit at about 25 feet.
He had left his 9mm in the truck, so I handed him my 3" 38 Rossi that I was carrying.
He took a shot, and Jack just wiggled his ears.
He took a second shot and Jack just walked away.
See, Armoredman didnt know, that I always carry the Rossi with the first two chambers loaded with Snake Shot in case we run into a Rattlesnake, which we sometimes do.
So, Armoredman cant hit "Jack".