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Thread: Shot Shells for 45 ACP

  1. #21
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Char-Gar View Post
    I have to confess, I just get the whole handgun shotshell thing. If you are close enough for a handgun shotshell to be effect, you are close enough to put a bullet just where you want it with great precision.

    I have been tramping around in snake country for a very long time and never wished I had shotshells in my handgun.
    In cover a moving snake that is fleeing can be had to hit with a single bullet. I recalled one that got away from me that way. About a month later what I believe from the makings was the same water moccasin I spotted from the tractor moving away. I had a .38 3 inch barrel gun with commercial shotshells; ran the snake down and from maybe 10 feet fired at it to stop it. Got a little closer and put some in the head. And then got really close like a few feet and really peppered the head well.

  2. #22
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    Still working on this occasionally with the brass and wads provided by a generous member here(Thanks!)
    I modified a home built .375" sizer to roll the case mouth over. I used .410 card wads over the powder and shot.
    Ten feet with #9 shot- decent pattern but not enough to eject the brass or lock the slide back.
    More work to do.

    Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

  3. #23
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    Just five minutes ago I shot a water moccasin. Commercial speer shot cartridge in .38 cal 3 inch barrel gun

    Been raining hard for days now in northwest Florida and that makes the snakes start moving. I was looking for a chain saw and out of the high uncut grass it started moving and ran into a large plastic pot. Got the gun to within 5-7 feet of it fired where I thought its head was and hurt it badly and got the gun within 3 feet and fired where I thought its head was and ripped open the abdomen with fluids and visceral leaving. Still not dead. I did not want to fire anymore because of the neighbors. Got a long piece of molding and fished it out of the large planting pot that now had two 3 inch holes in. Tried to smash the snakes head, but the ground was too soft. Took the stick and carried to the fence next to the flooded creek and tossed it there.
    I think the load needs larger shot, but the snake was neutralized anyway. A 45 shot round would be more lethal but a small frame short barrel 38 fits better in my pocket.
    Click image for larger version. 

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  4. #24
    Boolit Buddy
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    About 1970, dump shooting rats was a pressure relief for college kids. The rats required 7 1/2 shot. Not as dense patterns, but good enough with a couple of shots from a 38 or one from a 44. Shorter barrels gave less of a doughnut effect on the pattern. Loads were Bullseye, gas checks, shot, and a gas check over shot wad. Not sure we would have used 9 shot, even if we could have found it.

  5. #25
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    I shoot a 2 or 3 inches behind the head. More shot in the snake including the head.

  6. #26
    Boolit Buddy Bwana John's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Texas by God View Post
    I modified a home built .375" sizer to roll the case mouth over. I used .410 card wads over the powder and shot.
    I found the beveled bottom of a 38/357 seating die works well to roll the case mouth over.

    I use a 11mm hole punch to create 3 over powder wads, and stack them cardboard/bleach bottle plastic/cardboard.

    For the overshot card I use a upside down .375" gas check.

    After applying the roll crimp over the gas check I fill the remaining space up with fingernail polish.

    feeds, fires, extracts, ejects, and holds open slide when empty using M1911 with 16 lb recoil spring.

    I "think" (?) the extra wads, gas check, and nail polish helps build up enough pressure to work the action.

    But the "pattern" really sucks at more than ~ 12-15 ft away.

  7. #27
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    Ok, I'll preface this by saying I don't have iron clad data from extensive testing to back this up. I learned about 45ACP shotshells and how to make them many years ago from a mentor of mine. He suggested using a cut down plastic .410 wad. I do know that I get better patterns at greater distances than in the illustrations in this thread. I know that the wad is smaller than .45 and thus reduces the available shot charge space. But it also holds the shot column together better and is also less affected negatively by the rifling. It works for me.

  8. #28
    Boolit Buddy Bwana John's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by high standard 40 View Post
    Ok, I'll preface this by saying I don't have iron clad data from extensive testing to back this up. I learned about 45ACP shotshells and how to make them many years ago from a mentor of mine. He suggested using a cut down plastic .410 wad. I do know that I get better patterns at greater distances than in the illustrations in this thread. I know that the wad is smaller than .45 and thus reduces the available shot charge space. But it also holds the shot column together better and is also less affected negatively by the rifling. It works for me.
    Do you add the powder and 410 wad before you neck down the brass (I use a 41 mag sizing die) to create the artificial case mouth to headspace on and payload compartment?

    I can't insert the 410 wad after necking down, the wads diameter is just too large. Do you use wad finger guides?

  9. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bwana John View Post
    Do you add the powder and 410 wad before you neck down the brass (I use a 41 mag sizing die) to create the artificial case mouth to headspace on and payload compartment?

    I can't insert the 410 wad after necking down, the wads diameter is just too large. Do you use wad finger guides?
    I fully form the cases first, then primer, powder charge, wad, and shot. If you're using military 308 cases they may have thicker case walls. perhaps flaring the case mouth may help.

  10. #30
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    Quote Originally Posted by besk View Post
    I shoot a 2 or 3 inches behind the head. More shot in the snake including the head.
    More often than not the water moccasins are at least semicoiled and I try to angle the shot so that the body is behind the head and will likely catch some of the shot. I think think I need to go to a 8s or 7.5s number shot. Water moccasins have tough skin.

  11. #31
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    A Charter Arms Bulldog .44 Special is pretty close to perfect with Speer plastic shells filled with #9 shot. The barrel is not long enough to blow holes in the pattern, and I can drop it in a hip pocket without having to walk like a peg leg pirate. Keeps going bang until the cylinder is empty.

    I’ve tried #12 pellets and they obviously yield a denser pattern but #9 will shred a snake at any reasonable range.

  12. #32
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    If this baby soda can was a fat snake it would be kaput from six feet away.
    I think that I like the manual operation- it makes finding the special brass easy.

    Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

  13. #33
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    The best part, you can probably still recycle the can for 5 cents!

    Sheesh...! I hate poisonous snakes! A generous friend of mine sent me some of the cutdown .308 cases for making snake loads, and I will, but I'm still very much with the .410 idea.

    DG

  14. #34
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    During the summer I carry two pistols. One with speer .38 shot rounds in a J frame 38 in my pocket and a 9mm pistol in a bandoleer holster. The revolver for the shot loads and the full size semi-automatic pistol for bigger problems. It is not practical to use one pistol for both tasks. If I had a charter's arm in 44 I would carry that instead of a .38 for snakes since it is more effective.

  15. #35
    Boolit Buddy jessdigs's Avatar
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    There is a complete set of rcbs 45 shotshell dies on eBay right now. $300 but they don't make them anymore.
    Still. I have two sets and I paid $75 for one and around 200 for the other.

    Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

  16. #36
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    Try using a .444 marlin case.
    In some .45 colt cyls. You can only load every other chamber because the rims interfere when loaded side by each.
    But then chuck up the case and peel off a thousandth from the rim till you are clear by holding spinning case against a fine flat file.

  17. #37
    Boolit Buddy

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    Years ago i got very wound up about being able to make 45 ACP shot loads. I really wanted the RCBS die set...but it was not in the cards, or rather, the paycheck.
    Of course, there are other ways such as the aforementioned 41 mag, 44 mag dies with cut 308 brass.
    Using the CCI rounds, i was able to go to war with invading camp squirrels without blowing holes in the siding. Handy.

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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