Reloading Snake Shot???

[tsafa]

I found a new game I like. The idea is busting hand thrown clay-birds with a revolver drawn from the holster. Kind of like the old cowbow movies where you see them shoot bottles in the air with a .44... but more practical with snake shot and clay birds. A good way to practice a fast-draw and quick sight-alignment. Lot of fun. I tried it with store CCI .22 snakeshot and want to more it up a level.


Has anyone tried to reload bird-shot into a .38 spl or .357 cartridge? Finding something to use as a cushion between the powder and shot is easy enough. The question is what to use to hold the shot in. My first though is the same material used for muzzleloading shotguns, just cut down. Any ideas or suggestions is appreciated.

[Guns N'at]

CCI shot capsules? I have reloaded them in .44 Special/.44 Mag, and they work fine; as fine as can be expected considering the shot weight and launching platform.

[tsafa]

CCI shot capsules? I have reloaded them in .44 Special/.44 Mag, and they work fine; as fine as can be expected considering the shot weight and launching platform.

What do you use as a cushion and for keeping the shot in the case? Thanks.

[Guns N'at]

From CCI Speer:



You fill them, then install the plastic plug and load plug side down. They even have a faux crimp on top.

http://www.speer-bullets.com/product..._capsules.aspx

I don't know how much the .38 capsules hold, but the .44 ones hold about 130 grains of very hard target grade #8's, which is just about 1/3 of an oz.

[tsafa]

From CCI Speer:



You fill them, then install the plastic plug and load plug side down. They even have a faux crimp on top.

http://www.speer-bullets.com/product..._capsules.aspx

I don't know how much the .38 capsules hold, but the .44 ones hold about 130 grains of very hard target grade #8's, which is just about 1/3 of an oz.

I did not know they sold these components. Thanks.

[Azzy]

CCI shot capsules? I have reloaded them in .44 Special/.44 Mag, and they work fine; as fine as can be expected considering the shot weight and launching platform.

They also sell these loaded retail. Not too bad of a price, but not great either.

[Guns N'at]

They also sell these loaded retail. Not too bad of a price, but not great either.

Yeah, I remember the gun store I was working in at the time, had loaded shotshells in several handgun calibers. When I bought these capsules (circa 1994), I think they were about $3.50/50 with discount, and since it's 100% reloads for me, and I had a ton (not quiet literally) of shot for my 12 gauge reloading, I bought the empty capsules. Cost for completed rounds was maybe .05/ea, which was considerably less than I recall the loaded rounds were.

Still have 35 left, and maybe I'll try a few more soon for S&G's. Anyone remember in the late 70's I believe, when T/C sold a .45 Contender with a choked barrel that had screw in chokes, and sold extra long shot capsule shell for use in it?

[tsafa]

I was reading over the Speer website and I noticed something significant. It says that I should not use snake shot with ported barrels. I guess the shot can get stuck up in there. Something I though would be worth pointing out in case anybody else is thinking about shooting shot out of revolvers.

[Guns N'at]

I was reading over the Speer website and I noticed something significant. It says that I should not use snake shot with ported barrels. I guess the shot can get stuck up in there. Something I though would be worth pointing out in case anybody else is thinking about shooting shot out of revolvers.

Good to note, thanks. Went over to youtube, and there are some interesting videos concerning these capsules FWIW.

[Ivan Inkling]

Has anyone tried to reload bird-shot into a .38 spl or .357 cartridge? Finding something to use as a cushion between the powder and shot is easy enough. The question is what to use to hold the shot in. My first though is the same material used for muzzleloading shotguns, just cut down. Any ideas or suggestions is appreciated.[/QUOTE]



I load shot in 38 shells. I filled a shell with shot and weighed it. It was about 100 grains, so I used a load for 125 gr projectiles. I use a fast powder(Clays) and I used 3 grains. Wads are cut using a drill press and a 38 shell with the primer drilled out and the rim filed off. I chuck the shell in the drill press and drill cereal box cardboard. After five or six I remove the shell and punch out the wads through the primer hole.

The load is powder ,two wads, seated firmly with a pencil, and the shot to the top. I allow enough room for one wad on top of the shot and a roll crimp to hold the wad.I seal the top wad with old nail polish. It helps identify the load as something special.

Number 9 shot load is about 98-100 grains but # 7 is only about 85-90 grains. It doesn't pack as tight. It is effective on snakes out to about 10 feet. Patterns on cardboard at 20 feet are very open, but it penetrates brown cardboard boxes with no problem.

I've used them in a 2" snub-nosed revolver and a 4" revolver with similar accuracy. I've never shot that many that I had any leading problems and neither revolver is ported.


Ivan