Brass Shotshell Load Question

[Bob Valdez]

Hey ya'll. Just started hand loading black powder brass shot shells for an old twist steel 12 gauge double (Dumoulin Interchangeable) I was gifted. My first foray was with 7-1/2" lead shot and it worked out fine. I have Suisse FFFG and Pyrodex R/S. I would like to load buckshot, but have not been able to find anything bigger than #6 lead shot locally. So I got the idea to try copper plated steel BBs (Crossman Copperheads). Not the buckshot I want, but bigger than #6 shot (#6 at 0.11 and BBs at 0.177). Looking for more of a defensive type load. Questions:

1. Have any of you tried this?
2. If so what powder charge (either Suisse or Pyrodex)?
3. Where can I obtain lead buckshot (No. 4 up to 00)?

I should mention that I have modified the gun from 26" barrels to a coach gun configuration at 18-1/4". I'll attach some photos soon.

[Barry54]

https://www.ballisticproducts.com/Bu...ducts/65/0/14/

https://www.precisionreloading.com/c...=Buckshot&s=in

[Bob Valdez]

Great info Barry! Thanks.

Any ideas on the copper bb load?

Attempting to attach photos as promised.

After Length Mod.jpg. Finished Look.jpgOriginal Length.jpgReplacement of Bead.jpg

[Barry54]

The copper washed STEEL air gun BBs? Go find a magnet. I won’t shoot steel shot through anything I value…

[jim 44-40]

I have used Pyrodex,but would prefer 2F or 1 1/2F if it was available .

[jim 44-40]

Did you save the cut down barrel piece? Trade barrel cut off for #4 buck or #00 buck?

[grayscale]

Those copper plated BB are STEEL. They are even harder than steel shot which is actually soft annealed iron. They will score your twist barrel right away. Steel BB are even too hard for a modern steel shot barrel and will tear that old barrel up. Look into a Lee mold for T or #4 buck a much better investment and you can make as much as you'll ever need.

[Bob Valdez]

Thanks guys. All good info. I figured the copper plated BBs would be better than raw steel BBs, but I will take the advice and save them for my boy's BB gun not the old Belgian double.

I did save the barrel cut off, but I robbed the brass bead and reinstalled it on the end of the now "coach gun". Is it really worth anything in trade? What would it be used for?

[K43]

Someone just posted a PIF today for 000 buck (.366 balls).

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...lets-from-JimB

[Barry54]

000 might load into 12 gauge brass hulls in stacks of three vs stacks of two in the more narrow plastic hulls. I’m curious to see.

In my experience, stacks of two patterned the tightest. Other load configurations spread sooner, which may, or may not be desirable in a coach gun, where the chokes have been cut off. Some paper rolled into a coil making a shot cup for the buckshot could be used to adjust the fitment while loading though.

[Bob Valdez]

Thanks again for the responses. Just so you know, I have been experimenting with 12 gauge plastic wads with the bottom shock buffer cut off to use as a shot cup of sorts on top of the nitro card and fiber wad to hopefully keep the shot spread tighter (see photos). I'll let you know the results as the experiment progresses.

What is a PIF? And how does it work?

Shot Cup 001.jpg Shot Cup 002.jpg

[Barry54]

What is a PIF? How does it work?

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...lay-Rules-quot

[armoredman]

I've shot #4 Buck out of my Stoeger Coach Gun with 80 grains of Olde Eynsford 3F, worked OK with the Magtech all brass shells. Those were loaded without shot cups, just fiber wads. Mostly though I've been doing #8 with 40 grains for Cowboy loads, gonna drop that down to 35 grains, don't need all that much oomph at close range with falling plate style targets.

[Bob Valdez]

Thanks again for the responses. You guys are great. Glad I joined the forum.

I understand the "oomph" factor armoredman. For myself, if I want oomph, I get out my 458 Lott with 500 gr bullets and sling them down range! No more than 5 at a time; that's all my shoulder can take in one sitting. LOL.

[toot]

I have two old original BHI & an UH,from the 1890's, adjustable powder/shot measures /dippers. I leave them on the lowest setting and load 12 gauge brass hulls, with wads or hornets nest. I have had no problems with pressure. I use 2fg black, AMERICAM PIONEER, AND T-7, TRIPPLE SEVEN. this is volume to volume, a square load.works for me. jmho.

[Hamish]

Thanks again for the responses. Just so you know, I have been experimenting with 12 gauge plastic wads with the bottom shock buffer cut off to use as a shot cup of sorts on top of the nitro card and fiber wad to hopefully keep the shot spread tighter (see photos). I'll let you know the results as the experiment progresses.

What is a PIF? And how does it work?

Shot Cup 001.jpg Shot Cup 002.jpg

Bob,

If you’re wanting the shot charge to shoot a tighter pattern, those Windjammer’s are the exact opposite of what you want your wad to do. They are designed to separate from the shot charge faster, allowing the charge to spread sooner, for close range targets.

If that’s all youve got and not going to do many of them, so be it, but, if it’s going to more than a few, it might be worth looking at unslit shot cups over your fiber wads.

https://www.ballisticproducts.com/Fi...s/products/87/

[grog]

BP has 10 gauge Decimax wads that fit MAGTEC brass hulls perfectly. They are 11 gauge. If you use a Mylar wrap you may be ok. Without a steel wad though, you risk damaging the bore though. I would’t do it. Use lead or bismuth. Those BP wads work perfect though in the hulls without any fooling around. I put base wads glued in to use smokeless powder in my pumps.


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[15meter]

Thanks again for the responses. You guys are great. Glad I joined the forum.

I understand the "oomph" factor armoredman. For myself, if I want oomph, I get out my 458 Lott with 500 gr bullets and sling them down range! No more than 5 at a time; that's all my shoulder can take in one sitting. LOL.

Old posting, but cast boolits out of virtually any boomer makes them fun to shoot. I've loaded .416 Rigby, 470 Nitro Express and probably two dozen others that are absolutely awesome hunting cartridges with full house loads, just brutal to shoot more than half a handful before it was time to repair to the bar.

With cast loads, 50+ plus shots and you're just getting warmed up.

[grayscale]

I'm with you there 15meter, my .458 win mag is a handful with full house j-word loads and expensive as all get out to load for, but with cast it's a pussycat to shoot, darn near free to load for and surprisingly accurate too.