Lee PrecisionWidenersTitan ReloadingInline Fabrication
Reloading EverythingLoad DataMidSouth Shooters SupplyRepackbox
RotoMetals2
Results 1 to 14 of 14

Thread: Looking for ideas for homemade snake rounds

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Posts
    294

    Looking for ideas for homemade snake rounds

    So looking for information on making my own snake rounds in different calibers. Can you make rifle rounds also?

    Mostly looking at wheel gun rounds but would like to know if you can do it for 45 ACP.

    I was told there are ways to make your own and would like to know ideas. From making snake shot to #4 shot.

    What's best to use for the overshot cap and nitro cap. Do you seal your shot and of so with what? Please teach me thanks!

  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master GhostHawk's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Fargo ND
    Posts
    7,075
    You need to learn to use the search function here.

    Yes .45acp works, yes there are recipes.

    Some use gas checks for overshot. Others use other things.
    You can punch out thin cardboard for overpowder wads.
    I truly believe we need to get back to basics.

    Get right with the Lord.
    Get back to the land.
    Get back to thinking like our forefathers thought.


    May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you
    and give you His peace. Let all of the earth – all of His creation – worship and praise His name! Make His
    praise glorious!

  3. #3
    Moderator


    Minerat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Jefferson County, CO
    Posts
    9,545
    Try this

    https://castboolits.gunloads.com/for...ds-For-Pistols

    May have the info you are looking for.
    Steve,

    Life Member NRA
    Colorado Rifle Club member
    Rocky Mtn Gun Owners member
    NAGR member

  4. #4
    Boolit Master Ole Joe Clarke's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    Alabama
    Posts
    808
    I posted to a thread here several years ago on (.38 special) this subject. If you can't find what you are looking for I can repost if necessary.

    They work.

    Have a blessed day,

    Leon

  5. #5
    Boolit Master

    Electrod47's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    Mississippi
    Posts
    638
    Go to the home page. There's a whole section for threads on "Shotshell for Pistol"
    “You should tell someone what you know. There should be a history, so that men can learn from it.

    He smiled. “Men do not learn from history. Each generation believes itself brighter than the last, each believes it can survive the mistakes of the older ones. Each discovers each old thing and they throw up their hands and say ‘See! Look what I have found! Look upon what I know!’ And each believes it is something new.

    Louis L’Amour

    The Californios

  6. #6
    Moderator


    Minerat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Jefferson County, CO
    Posts
    9,545
    Look up this post is not in the "Shotshell for Pistol section" Some other Mod did that for us.
    Steve,

    Life Member NRA
    Colorado Rifle Club member
    Rocky Mtn Gun Owners member
    NAGR member

  7. #7
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Location
    Mansfield, PA
    Posts
    725
    Quote Originally Posted by tayous1 View Post
    So looking for information on making my own snake rounds in different calibers. Can you make rifle rounds also?

    Mostly looking at wheel gun rounds but would like to know if you can do it for 45 ACP.

    I was told there are ways to make your own and would like to know ideas. From making snake shot to #4 shot.

    What's best to use for the overshot cap and nitro cap. Do you seal your shot and of so with what? Please teach me thanks!
    tayous1,

    In what state do you live and what snakes are the problem? You state you prefer wheelguns and that is good as semi-autos have issues hard to make work, in my experience. Further, #4 is a poor choice for handgun snake loads. Here in rattler and Copperhead country, I find #6 or 7.5 will do the job.

    Revolvers of .38,.357 and .44 will do well with #6 or #7.5 and gas checks as bottom and top wads. I prefer Unique powder and the snakes tie themselves in knots when I shoot them. Revolvers are much more reliable than any automatic pistols and snake loads in my 30 year farm experience.

    Rifled arms SCATTER shot loads dismally! Any rifled arm disperses all shot loads before any long range is attained.
    Adam
    Last edited by Adam Helmer; 10-12-2021 at 01:58 PM.

  8. #8
    Boolit Grand Master
    Mk42gunner's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Butler, MO
    Posts
    9,021
    For revolvers read this: https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...oads-that-WORK!

    For the .45 ACP, there are numerous ways to form a bottle necked case from one from the .308 Win family and get it to work.

    Shot loads from any rifled arm are a very short range proposition. I prefer to use #12 shot for pattern density. A ten pound bag of shot will last most people three lifetimes, even with playing around developing loads.

    Robert

  9. #9
    Boolit Buddy gnappi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2020
    Location
    South east Florida
    Posts
    446
    I live in one of the "snakiest" places in the U.S, South Florida. I've shot AT snakes with .357 and 44 mag revolvers with shot capsules, A TC Contender in .44 mag with the old snake capsules (after screwing in the choke) and never killed a snake from any distance, and I mean 3-5 feet away. OTOH a straight .44 mag dispatches them instantly every time.

    The "patterns" on handguns are ridiculously wide and scattered. I've read that some have killed dozens of snakes, I'd have to see the powder burns on the skin to believe it.
    Regards,

    Gary

  10. #10
    Boolit Grand Master
    Mk42gunner's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Butler, MO
    Posts
    9,021
    Gary,
    I've only killed one snake with a CCI .38 special shot load. I was not impressed. For years I thought they were loaded with #7˝ shot, but now all I can find is #9.

    I have killed or at least stopped dozens with the CCI .22 LR shot shell. It is loaded with #12 shot and seems to me to do a better job. It really doesn't take much damage to get a snake to curl up into a ball, giving you time to get another shot at it, or to load a standard round for a shot at a semi stationary target. Most snakes were 1˝" diameter or smaller.

    Consequently, all my home brewed loads use #12 shot. I have not seen a snake while carrying one of my loads, I got a bunch of cats that take care of them around the house.

    Once you get up to a ˝oz payload, (2˝" .410 or bigger) most fine shot from #6 on down seems to work.

    Truthfully, my Grandma's garden hoe worked just as well, but I don't like getting that close to a venomous snake that is still lively.

    Robert

  11. #11
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    NC
    Posts
    2,863
    I have all the stuff to make them, just need time. In the meantime a suppressed 22lr is as effective as a 44mag for anything native to my area. You guys in FL may need a 45-70 or a 12gauge with a slug to deal with the invasive species.

  12. #12
    Boolit Master
    triggerhappy243's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Albuquerque N.M.
    Posts
    2,145
    Quote Originally Posted by tayous1 View Post
    So looking for information on making my own snake rounds in different calibers. Can you make rifle rounds also?

    Mostly looking at wheel gun rounds but would like to know if you can do it for 45 ACP.

    I was told there are ways to make your own and would like to know ideas. From making snake shot to #4 shot.

    What's best to use for the overshot cap and nitro cap. Do you seal your shot and of so with what? Please teach me thanks!
    LOOK FOR THIS THREAD..............Stretching that 44 mag case.

  13. #13
    Boolit Grand Master jmorris's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Posts
    5,269
    Quote Originally Posted by tayous1 View Post
    Mostly looking at wheel gun rounds but would like to know if you can do it for 45 ACP.
    https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...-shotshell-die

  14. #14
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Posts
    760
    If you say you can't kill snakes or rats with a pistol shell, 38, or 44, 45 caliber, then you are plainly loading them too dang HOT.
    It will blow your pattern and never hit anything with shot.
    First try 2 grains of bullseye under any shot load.
    Then 2.5 grains, then 3.0 grains of Bullseye.
    Try 3.0 grains of unique under a shotload.
    Using an over powder wad and fine shot, you will shred the target.

    The only shotshells that I have found #12 shot loaded in were RIO brand in one and one and one eighth 12 ga. loads.
    One box of these will give you enough shot to load pistol shells for a lifetime of snake or rat shooting.
    Graf and Sons used to sell RIO shotshells.
    Last edited by Alferd Packer; 02-13-2022 at 05:26 AM.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check