Can you load your own pistol shotshells?

[2DaMtns]

I see these for sale locally, and they are pretty high. About the only use I see for them is snake and other small pest control, at least in my routines. I have often thought about buying some to take fishing with me, but they are pretty steep in price and I have yet to buy any. But last night I got to thinking about them again and wondered if it's possible to make your own.

[Randy 1911]

Yes. You can get them at a lot of reloading stores. They are made by Speer. I know that www.midwayusa.com carries them. I am sure others do too. I reccommend you use #9 shot. They come in 38/357 and 44 and 45 cal. They come 50 to a box for 38's and 25 for the others. My Speer #12 loading manual has instructions in the rear of the book.

Edit: Here's a link but they are out right now. http://www.midwayusa.com/Search/Defa..._1-2-4_8-16-32

[glokmunkee]

Get some horse pellet sized antibiotics that come in a capsule. Find one that fits your case somehow. Take it apart, lose the meds and fill half with the shot, make a styrofoam wad maybe use bulllet lube to seal it. Hand press it into the case. Vualah. Yeah that wont work. Gotcha! :P But I would like to know my self though if something like that exists.

[Randy 1911]

GlokMunkee

The ones made by Speer are made of a brittle plastic and etched on the end so they will shatter when they come out of the barrel. If you want load data just PM me and I will send it your way.

[F. Guffey]

http://www.castbullet.com/reload/44shot.htm

F. Guffey

[45Marlin carbine]

RCBS makes a die set to convert .308 or .45 Win Mag brass to the correct length for a .45acp shotshell.
I have the dies and could supply anyone interested with formed, sized and expanded cases if you wish to buy only the seating/crimping die.

[sundog]

+1 for the link F. Guffey posted. Works just as well in 45 Colt, and .357.

[Randy 1911]

45 Marlin carbine

CCI Blazer makes a factory loaded 45 acp shotshell. Midway is out right now, but you can buy them.
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=653594

[madmo44mag]

F. Guffey post is the bee knees
I make them in 44, 357 and for real light use 38 spl.
You can adjust the powder and shot weights to suite your needs.

[oneounceload]

All the time - CCI makes the plastic cases and caps - I load 38 shotshells with either #8 or #8-1/2 shot - works great to about 7-10 FEET, not yards - but good enough for snakes

[Doodlebugger45]

I've seen those plastic cups but I haven't tried loading any of them yet. I have bought them already loaded from CCI for my 357 and 44 mag before. They work great for snakes at 6' away, pretty useless for anything else. But it did get me to wondering...

Has anyone tried bigger shot in them? Say 0 or BB maybe? I was just curious how fast the shot pattern would spread out with different shot sizes, possibly as a very short range personal defense round in a 45 Colt.

[darkgael]

Mr. Guffey: Thanks. That is a great link.
Pete

[GP100man]

what caliber???? i have notes on 38& 357 & full length for a 625
i use shot cards cut from cereal boxes& build shotshells this way .
i even form 357max brass to make full length shotshells for my GPs.

the speer capsules are very limiting on pay load & must be pushed hard to break the capsule upon exiting the barrel, thus opening patterns even faster + magnifying the doughnut effect of the rifling.
for these reasons people have little faith or use the factory stuff , not to mention$$$$

GP100man

[RamSlammer]

I load the "Guffey Specials" as well. Just use cardboard to cap the end and apply a bit of roll crimp instead of the glue. Works well in .357. #9 shot from "sacrificial" dove shotgun loads here.

[oneounceload]

I will disagree on the velocity - the CCI box shows the same load I use for standard 158 LSWC loads as being the ideal loading. These aren't target loads, but they will dispatch a snake if you do your part at about 7-10 feet

[armsmaster270]

I bought 5 pounds of #12 shot, for snakes close up its great.

[Randy 1911]

I was just curious how fast the shot pattern would spread out with different shot sizes, possibly as a very short range personal defense round in a 45 Colt.

According to my Speer #12 manual the shot spreads at a rate of 1" a foot out of a 6" barrel. So at 10 feet you would have a 10" pattern.

[2DaMtns]

GP100man, primarily interested in 357, as that's my main fishing companion. I have a 44 that I might load some up for once in a while too though.

[FrankenMauser]

The Speer shotshell capsules work great. If you don't think you'll ever use a full bag of shot in your snake killing duties, pick up a box of 12 ga shotshells loaded with the shot size of your choice (I would suggest 9.5-12). It'll be cheaper than wasting shot, and you can shoot the rest of the box. (Assuming you own a 12 ga)

[.45 COLT]

A little different approach, kind of a hybrid. I’ve loaded these with a .360” Ball instead of a .375”, and different powders. Works about as depicted.

http://www.gunblast.com/Snake_Stopper.htm

Speer capsules and Venturino's method both work pretty good also. Just depends on what you're wanting to try out.

DC

[45Marlin carbine]

Randy 1911 45 Marlin carbine

CCI Blazer makes a factory loaded 45 acp shotshell. Midway is out right now, but you can buy them.
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=653594


I've never tryed those nor know anyone that has but don't doubt they'll do well, should at that price.

the shotshells formed from .45 Win Mag cases use a cut-down .410 shot cup and can be reloaded many times and feed from a magazine, lots of fun to shoot carpenter bees, june bugs and such 'on the wing' not to mention small game and grouse. 20' is about max effective range after that the shot is spread way out.
they are time consuming to load though.

[Randy 1911]

Time consuming was what I was thinking about. I know a guy that shot some of the 45 acp shotshells. He said they worked well and cycled the slide.

[GP100man]

theres a direct affect of fps & patterns the slower ya can go the denser the pattern, but ya can`t ignore power or penatration all together.the gas checks are a garruuutteee of a doughnut pattern.

it`s a balancing act & alot of fun to "research" i use pizza boxes & soda pop cans to test for power .


GP100man

[sundog]

btw, the link in F Guffey's post is Junior's web site with lots of other stuff on it. If anyone wants to talk to Junior about his shot shell loads, he hangs out on http://castboolits.gunloads.com/

[Dingoboyx]

Very similar to in the cast boolit link. I used a felt wad cut with a 12mm was punch (like auto mechanics use to cut bolt holes in gaskets) picked up the wad with a pair of tweezers (yup, in trouble again! SWMBO couldn't find her tweezers) & dipped it in some melted candle wax, let the wax set a bit then put the waxed wad onto the powder in the 44 mag case and push it down firm and square on. I then filled the rest of the case to a mm or so below the case mouth with #9 shot, pressed that down a little, then poured some of the melted wax on top of the shot and leveled off with the top of the case.

They worked well, by the time the shot fires, the wax melts and you end up with a fairly good spread