Reloading pistol cartridges using buckshot not bullets

dajowi · November 19, 2013, 01:22 PM

Just curious if anyone has ever worked out a loading and sourcing for components to reload .45 acp in this manner? Or 9mm? Or .44 mag? Not for any particular use mind you. Just for fun. And if so what were the results?

madmo44mag · November 19, 2013, 01:40 PM

I've loaded #8 shot in 44mag sealed with wax for snakes and such.
Works good but ya have to work load up depending on barrel length.
Used mag primer, powder, topped with a piece of cardboard followed by shot and wax plug to seal the round.

res45 · November 19, 2013, 06:40 PM

Round Ball loads

My old Speer #10 manual has RB loads for some pistol calibers,you can find several here.

http://www.castpics.net/LoadData/Rou...ll%20Loads.pdf

griz · November 20, 2013, 12:42 PM

If I understand what you are looking for, you're wondering if you can use commercial buckshot instead of a bullet. The problem is the biggest size you can get is 000 (triple ought) and that's only about .350 inches in diameter. So it's really just a hair undersized for even a 9mm.

I've used buckshot in rifles for close range plinking. I think it was #4 buck that ran about .240 inches. They worked OK in a 243 when loaded about to 22LR speeds, but you end up with a finicky round.

Your best bet if you are looking for the cheapest thing to buy that can be used as a bullet is to find roundballs made for muzzleloading.

Clark · November 20, 2013, 12:55 PM

If I put a round Lead ball in a 45acp with no powder, it is still a loud bang.
If I put a round Lead ball in a 45acp case mouth with no powder, it will bounce off cardboard and still makes a loud bang.
If I put a round Lead ball in a 45acp case, seated so deep it touches the case web, it will go through 3 layers of cardboard, but still makes the same loud bang.

If I put a 38 Super +P load with 158 gr JHP in an antique 38 S&W break top revolver, the latch will stretch and make the action loose.
If I put a 2 gr Unique and a round lead ball in an antique 38 S&W break top revolver, the latch will NOT stretch.

tangolima · November 20, 2013, 01:32 PM

You must be looking for this one

http://hunters-supply.com/shop/produ...roducts_id=971

-TL

gwalchmai · November 20, 2013, 02:47 PM

I've loaded double-ball .38 SPL and triple-ball .357 MAG rounds with 000 buck. The trick is to roll-crimp the case over the top ball. It works fine but a solid bullet is more effective.

FrankenMauser · November 20, 2013, 02:55 PM

I've done it with .32 S&W, .32 Auto, .32 S&W Long, .327 Federal (double ball) .44 Mag (single and double ball), and .30-30 Win (and maybe .444 Marlin). Others in my family have done it with .32 S&W Long, .38 Special, and .41 Mag.
I haven't really chased after impressive velocities, though. I've done it for 'pip squeak' loads.

Seating depth and powder charge (if any) may require some experimentation.
'Pip squeak' loads often don't respond in the way you may expect. In my experience, the smaller the case, the more temperamental it will be.

As Clark mentioned -
Small differences in the load can cause a substantial change in performance. With one of the .32 S&W Long experiments, we had round balls bouncing off corrugated cardboard, with standard small pistol primers, the ball seated with the 'ogive' just inside the case mouth, and a mild crimp. (.32 S&W, with the same 'load', just kept squibbing.)

Increasing the crimp, with no other changes, yielded penetration through 6 layers of cardboard.
Adding a 1 gr powder charge (may have been Bullseye) gave us squibs and bore obstructions.
No powder charge and magnum primers yielded no penetration.
Magnum primers, no powder charge, and a really heavy crimp penetrated something like 12 layers of cardboard, before before ricocheting off the backstop and around the walls of the concrete test facility ...hitting me in the chest, behind the shooter.

(It didn't hurt much.

)

Using primers alone, there are a lot of different performance levels that can be found just by varying crimp and seating depth.
Adding powder just complicates things.
There's a point where the powder will act as a cushion, and slow the projectile's acceleration (from the primer), without burning much. With a little more powder, they turn to squibs. The squibs will actually get worse and worse, until you reach the threshold where the powder can maintain enough pressure for a proper burn. Then, you suddenly jump from squibs to the equivalent of turn-of-the-century police loads.

Hammerhead · November 21, 2013, 02:50 AM

I love .454" round balls in my .45 Colt carbine.
Seat them deep in the case over 3 grains of Trail Boss, makes for a very quiet load that shoots well out to 50 yards in my single shot carbine.

Salmoneye · November 21, 2013, 06:15 AM

As pointed out, for round ball loads in .45 ACP you will need at least .452 round balls, but I suggest going .002" over groove diameter for accuracy...

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Item.aspx/127/2

I shoot a lot of .310" round balls in .30-30 and .30-06 with low doses of Red Dot...

I have also fired .360" in .357 mags, and .35 Rem...

http://www.ballisticproducts.com/Lea...t/products/65/

TimSr · November 21, 2013, 07:57 AM

I'm not understanding if you are talking about a single ball or shot loads. I've shot both. Neither work well at magnum velocities.

I've shot .454 balls in 45LC. They are soft lead, and are accurrate enough for fun at very low velocities.

Speer used to make shot capsules for 38/44/45. I used them in .44 filled with #9. They work best at .44 spl target velocities. Same with the .38/357 ones. A guy bought several hundred 38s from me as he loved them for Texas snakes from a 6" barrel. The pattern spreads very quickly for each step away from your target though.

November 19, 2013, 01:40 PM	#2
madmo44mag Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2008 Location: Ft.Worth, Texas Posts: 1,522	I've loaded #8 shot in 44mag sealed with wax for snakes and such. Works good but ya have to work load up depending on barrel length. Used mag primer, powder, topped with a piece of cardboard followed by shot and wax plug to seal the round. __________________ Texas - Not just a state but an attitude! For monthly shooting events in DFW visit http://www.meetup.com/TexasGunOwner-DFW

November 19, 2013, 01:22 PM	#1
dajowi Senior Member Join Date: November 2, 2005 Posts: 1,196	Reloading pistol cartridges using buckshot not bullets Just curious if anyone has ever worked out a loading and sourcing for components to reload .45 acp in this manner? Or 9mm? Or .44 mag? Not for any particular use mind you. Just for fun. And if so what were the results?

November 19, 2013, 06:40 PM	#3
res45 Senior Member Join Date: September 15, 2007 Location: NC Posts: 753	Round Ball loads My old Speer #10 manual has RB loads for some pistol calibers,you can find several here. http://www.castpics.net/LoadData/Rou...ll%20Loads.pdf

November 20, 2013, 12:42 PM	#4
griz Senior Member Join Date: July 31, 2000 Location: Middle Peninsula, VA Posts: 1,588	If I understand what you are looking for, you're wondering if you can use commercial buckshot instead of a bullet. The problem is the biggest size you can get is 000 (triple ought) and that's only about .350 inches in diameter. So it's really just a hair undersized for even a 9mm. I've used buckshot in rifles for close range plinking. I think it was #4 buck that ran about .240 inches. They worked OK in a 243 when loaded about to 22LR speeds, but you end up with a finicky round. Your best bet if you are looking for the cheapest thing to buy that can be used as a bullet is to find roundballs made for muzzleloading.

November 20, 2013, 01:32 PM	#6
tangolima Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2013 Posts: 3,825	You must be looking for this one http://hunters-supply.com/shop/produ...roducts_id=971 -TL

November 20, 2013, 02:47 PM	#7
gwalchmai Senior Member Join Date: December 7, 2001 Location: outside the perimeter Posts: 333	I've loaded double-ball .38 SPL and triple-ball .357 MAG rounds with 000 buck. The trick is to roll-crimp the case over the top ball. It works fine but a solid bullet is more effective.

November 20, 2013, 02:55 PM	#8
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	I've done it with .32 S&W, .32 Auto, .32 S&W Long, .327 Federal (double ball) .44 Mag (single and double ball), and .30-30 Win (and maybe .444 Marlin). Others in my family have done it with .32 S&W Long, .38 Special, and .41 Mag. I haven't really chased after impressive velocities, though. I've done it for 'pip squeak' loads. Seating depth and powder charge (if any) may require some experimentation. 'Pip squeak' loads often don't respond in the way you may expect. In my experience, the smaller the case, the more temperamental it will be. As Clark mentioned - Small differences in the load can cause a substantial change in performance. With one of the .32 S&W Long experiments, we had round balls bouncing off corrugated cardboard, with standard small pistol primers, the ball seated with the 'ogive' just inside the case mouth, and a mild crimp. (.32 S&W, with the same 'load', just kept squibbing.) Increasing the crimp, with no other changes, yielded penetration through 6 layers of cardboard. Adding a 1 gr powder charge (may have been Bullseye) gave us squibs and bore obstructions. No powder charge and magnum primers yielded no penetration. Magnum primers, no powder charge, and a really heavy crimp penetrated something like 12 layers of cardboard, before before ricocheting off the backstop and around the walls of the concrete test facility ...hitting me in the chest, behind the shooter. (It didn't hurt much. ) Using primers alone, there are a lot of different performance levels that can be found just by varying crimp and seating depth. Adding powder just complicates things. There's a point where the powder will act as a cushion, and slow the projectile's acceleration (from the primer), without burning much. With a little more powder, they turn to squibs. The squibs will actually get worse and worse, until you reach the threshold where the powder can maintain enough pressure for a proper burn. Then, you suddenly jump from squibs to the equivalent of turn-of-the-century police loads. __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

November 21, 2013, 02:50 AM	#9
Hammerhead Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2004 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,432	I love .454" round balls in my .45 Colt carbine. Seat them deep in the case over 3 grains of Trail Boss, makes for a very quiet load that shoots well out to 50 yards in my single shot carbine.

November 21, 2013, 06:15 AM	#10
Salmoneye Senior Member Join Date: December 31, 2011 Location: Vermont Posts: 2,076	As pointed out, for round ball loads in .45 ACP you will need at least .452 round balls, but I suggest going .002" over groove diameter for accuracy... http://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Item.aspx/127/2 I shoot a lot of .310" round balls in .30-30 and .30-06 with low doses of Red Dot... I have also fired .360" in .357 mags, and .35 Rem... http://www.ballisticproducts.com/Lea...t/products/65/

November 21, 2013, 07:57 AM	#11
TimSr Senior Member Join Date: March 8, 2013 Location: Rittman, Ohio Posts: 2,074	I'm not understanding if you are talking about a single ball or shot loads. I've shot both. Neither work well at magnum velocities. I've shot .454 balls in 45LC. They are soft lead, and are accurrate enough for fun at very low velocities. Speer used to make shot capsules for 38/44/45. I used them in .44 filled with #9. They work best at .44 spl target velocities. Same with the .38/357 ones. A guy bought several hundred 38s from me as he loved them for Texas snakes from a 6" barrel. The pattern spreads very quickly for each step away from your target though.