handgun shot shell recipes ?

[beanflip]

Since a lot of you cast your own boolits is there any info about handgun shot shell recipes.

[Glen]

The Speer shot capsules work really well. I've tried making my own shot shells from scratch and it worked but it was a lot of work and the results weren't any better than what I could get using the Speer shot capsules (which were much easier to use).

[Junior1942]

Here's mine for 44 mag: http://www.castbullet.com/reload/44shot.htm

[DLCTEX]

What caliber or calibers?

[Kraschenbirn]

For .38/.357 or .44s use the Speer Shot Capsules (I don't think they make them for .40 or .45 cals) filled with #9 or smaller shot over either Bullseye or Unique. Fired from my 3" M24, my #12 "snake loads" pretty thoroughly saturate a 9" paper plate from 10'-12' out.

For .45 LC, I've cut cardboard wads from a legal-pad backer and loaded the cases just like an old-fashioned brass shotgun shell: 6 1/2 grains Unique, double wad seated against powder, fill case with #12 shot, top with a single cardboard wad, seal with carpenter's glue. These don't seem to pattern as well as .44s using the shot capsules but still suffice nicely at snake-killing ranges.

Bill

[Alchemist]

Speer capsules for .45 Colt are available. I got some from midwayusa a coupla months ago...still haven't got to test them yet.

[Lead melter]

http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/...ad.php?t=30536

Some more info here.

[HABCAN]

Light charge of dense powder, like Bullseye or WW #231. Gas check, seated down to lightly compress powder. Shot, #9 or maybe #7-1/2. Gas check, seated upside down. Heavy crimp. Load in handgun. BANG! Satisfactory patterns at practical ranges, with two dirty great slashes in the target. YMMV.

If your bore leads badly from shot scraping the rifling, load as above with an overpowder wad cut from a supermarket styrofoam meat tray, substitute seed tapioca for the shot load, and top it off with a cardboard wad. A cylinder full will de-lead your bore in a hurry.

Just my two cents.

[JBL]

I saw once a long time ago that someone used cut down 30.06 cases and used a cardboard wad, top and bottom of the shot charge and then used a smaller die to “step” the case down so it looked like the CCI 45 ACP shot shells. It might of even been some sort of forming die. Has any one got any more info an home made 45ACP shot shells?

[Thin Man]

I used #9 shot for a long time in revolver shot capsules, then was "gifted" with a small supply of #12 shot. After using the #12 shot, I will not switch back to anything larger. While #9s will eventually do the deed on snakes, the smaller shot gets the job finished before the sound of the shot fades off into the distance. Results are instant, like the classic "bang-flop". One of the writers on either Handloader or Rifle magazine found the same experience with #12s. He had a theory about better penetration through the skin with the smaller size shot. My supply of #12 is getting low, but Ballistic Products sells this size shot in 5 pound bags. When I re-stock, half of that purchase will go to a friend who moved to Georgia about 8 years ago. When I asked him whether he had a snake problem where he lives, he only answered "yeah, and BIG ones, too." I haven't visited him there yet, and may not until he reports having cleaned out the snake population. He makes the area shoud like a target-rich environment!

[mtnman31]

RCBS used to make some specialty dies that used trimmed down rifle brass to make 45 acp shotshells. It had a die that formed them like the CCI shells. They looked like a longer 45 ACP brass with a tapered front that aided feeding and crimped a gas check that sealed the round. There was a good article in Handloader Magazine about 45 shotshells, although I don't recall which magazine (it was in 1978 or 1979 - sorry that isn't much help). Yes, it's an old article, but very well written and presents a very good method to make pistol shot shells. It also suggested using .410 shot wads to prevent leading and had some tests to check effectiveness and patterns.

Another article can be found here.
http://www.surplusrifle.com/articles...egun/index.asp
It uses trimmed down rifle brass and a 44 magnum sizer to form the cases. This author did not use shot wads, instead used over powder wads and lubed patches to fight leading and "control" pattern. The article focused on making shotshells for a 45 ACP revolver but the basics could be applied to other pistol calibers as well.

Honestly, I think the toughest part of a shot shell project would be finding a reasonable source for #12 shot.


Edit - Checked my old Handloader Magazines
Handloader #80 July-Aug 1979 Making and loading .45 ACP shotshells
Handloader #83 Jan-Feb 1980 .41 Magnum Shot cartridges

[nighthunter]

I'm not 100% certain but years ago there was an article in a shooting rag about shot shells in the 44 mag. The writer used .303 british or a similar case cut off to the approximate over all length of a loaded 44 mag cartridge. He then ran it through the 44 mag sizeing die and then used the 2 gascheck method of filling the case with #12 shot. The resulting case held twice the shot and patterned quite well at snake distances. I tried it when I read about it but again I am not certain about the parent case used for this load. It did work quite well. Can anyone here jog my memory? This had to be close to 30 years ago.
Nighthunter

[Kraschenbirn]

Nighthunter...

I vaguely recall that same article and it seems to me the author used 30-40 Krag for his brass but, judging from the published nominal case dimensions, .303 Brit ought work, too.

Bill

[Scrounger]

Nighthunter, .445 SuperMagnum cases should work for that, or cut off .444 Marlin cases.

[DLCTEX]

I make shotshells for 45 ACP from 30-06, 308, 243, etc. cases that have split the necks. I also have some 308 machine gun blank cases that I use. I cut the case to length with a tubing cutter, chamfer the mouth inside and out, and then size in a 41 Mag. carbide die until it will chamber and headspace correctly. Once the correct length is set up, you can do a lot of cases in a hurry. I use Bullseye, 3 gr. or more, a styrofoam wad from a takeout tray, shot to just below the case mouth, another wad sealed with Dap Tub and Tile Caulk. Let the caulk dry overnight, it helps build pressure. I use a 223 case to ram the wad, compressing it firmly. I also use a 45 case that has serrations filed on the mouth for a wad cutter, and the flash hole drilled out to allow a push rod to push the wads out. I have cut the cases short enough to feed from the magazine, and long enough to barely clear for extraction. The longest ones will hold 1/2 oz. shot(#9). I find that too much powder will blow holes in the center of the pattern, but none have cycled the slide. Hand cycle the slide and shoot the longer ones single shot. One drawback to loading the long ones directly to the chamber is that the extracter has to override the rim, which is supposed to be a no no, but I have not broken an extracter in hundreds of such cycles. The long ones fired into a water puddle at 20 ft is very impressive. DALE

[JBL]

Dale, you wouldn’t happen to have some pictures would you?
JBL

[hunter64]

For the .44 Mag I use a .303 brit case that I cut off to about 1/8" short of the cylinder length. I use Unique powder then a felt wad that I use for my .44 C&B revolver, fill the case with NO.9 shot (easier to find in my area) then a cardboard top cap and glue as the other articles say. When you shoot this the case will be fire formed and the next time you reload it, it is much easier because there is no tapper to the brass case. To reload I just use a punch and sit the case over an open vise and punch the spent primer out and re seat a new primer and away you go, no need for any dies. The benefits of this method is the .303 brass will last forever (have some that are at least 25 years old) and you can pack a lot more shot into one.

[DLCTEX]

JBL: I took some pictures, but am having trouble loading them up. Maybe I can get my teenager to help tonight. DALE

[happy7]

30-40 works better than 303 in my 44 redhawk. The 303 is a little narrower at the base, and fireforming gave me an hour glass shape with only the front of the case fireforming to full diameter. Maybe I needed a hotter load. I don't know. So I use only 30-40 now. However, the problem I have is that the shoulder formed on the case causes the case not to chamber properly on the next loading. It will not enter the chamber far enough and the head drags when the cylider is rotated. I have a 41 mag die that I am going to try to shape to bump back that shoulder for subsequent loadings. Any one else have this problem?

[Bret4207]

Just as an added bit of info- Years ago when we still used real Trooper guns of the 357 mag + S+W persuasion the Speer shot loads were just the ticket for dispatching critters at real close range. When you are in touching distance of Bambi or Rover or Mittens and you pop them in the head with a full house 357 SP the bullet tends to go through and either pepper your shins with shrapnel or glance off into the radiator of your car. Both undesirable results. By using the shot capsules at contact or near contact range the danger was eliminated, the noise relatively non-existent and the trauma to by standers lessened. Just in case anyone wanted to know.