I am thinking of loading some homemade shot shells for 38 special. I have watched some you tubes on it and it looks reasonably simple. When I say homemade I mean without the plastic shot holders. Anyone have any experience with these in any calibre?
I did it for 45acp.
I goofed and used cci rifle primers and got a lot of primer dinks and No kaboom.. pistol primers will solve that.
https://www.okshooters.com/threads/45-acp-shot-shells-my-homemade-brass.191476/
You may be able to use 357 mag cases and place a leather wad or cardboard wad/ disc over the pellets and apply a slight roll crimp to the case mouth.
I would also place tissue paper or a leather wad between powder and shot.
It is not really hard to do.
But know it is a close range deal with a rifled barrel. smooth bore the pattern would hold tighter.
Rifled and the pattern wants to go into a donut shape. not much in the middle.
I goofed and used cci rifle primers and got a lot of primer dinks and No kaboom.. pistol primers will solve that.
https://www.okshooters.com/threads/45-acp-shot-shells-my-homemade-brass.191476/
You may be able to use 357 mag cases and place a leather wad or cardboard wad/ disc over the pellets and apply a slight roll crimp to the case mouth.
I would also place tissue paper or a leather wad between powder and shot.
It is not really hard to do.
But know it is a close range deal with a rifled barrel. smooth bore the pattern would hold tighter.
Rifled and the pattern wants to go into a donut shape. not much in the middle.
Clean shot powder dosed at combined charge weight of shot and gas checks, aluminum gas check on top of powder cup up, filled with shot, topped with copper gas check cup down and a little roll crimp. 15feet and all shot hits a 12x12 target with 1 perfect round hole for a gas check. Tested development out of a 6" gp100, felt light enough so shot several out of my ria 38spl boat gun. Have yet to get the opportunity to test on a snake.
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Some have mentioned that rifling will cause shot to sling out in a wider pattern sooner than you may expect (as compared to a smooth-bore).
Just something to keep in mind.
Just something to keep in mind.
VERY wide pattern!
I bought the speer capsule for 38/357. Cut a few cheap 12g shells open for some 9 shot and loaded like 20 or so for mother to use at the lake house when they had it. I used a few but never at a range more than 10 foot. Worked good when can’t get a garden hoe after them
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I’ve got the Speer capsules for .45, .44, and .38.
The .45 holds a tighter shot pattern. About 12” at 5 paces. Surprisingly uniform. The .44 and .38 are bigger and have holes.
The .45 holds a tighter shot pattern. About 12” at 5 paces. Surprisingly uniform. The .44 and .38 are bigger and have holes.
I started looking at loading 38 spl. with size 7.5 shot. The normal powder charge I use for 105 grain lead bullets is 3.4 grains of titegroup. A 1cc scoop gives me 88 grains of pellets which will easily fit into the case. The next size scoop is too large. Should I have any concerns about shooting that weight with that powder charge? I know it is best to match up the powder charge and bullet weight but this would be a good round to test. Any comments or suggestions are appreciated. Thanks.
I feel it does not matter much as the load with a bullet will have air space and this shot load will not.
Load data on solid lead projectiles does not apply either as the lead pellets do not seal the bore like a solid lead slug.
You may in fact find better accuracy with shot shells by reducing the load.
But that is something you need to try.
With fast pistol powders I am not worried about reducing loads.
I am Speaking of powders like like Bullseye and Red Dot.
I have ran 2gr loads of both in .308 and 30-06 and 32-20.
I have not used Tightgroup but it is not far from Bullseye on the burn rate chart.
Load data on solid lead projectiles does not apply either as the lead pellets do not seal the bore like a solid lead slug.
You may in fact find better accuracy with shot shells by reducing the load.
But that is something you need to try.
With fast pistol powders I am not worried about reducing loads.
I am Speaking of powders like like Bullseye and Red Dot.
I have ran 2gr loads of both in .308 and 30-06 and 32-20.
I have not used Tightgroup but it is not far from Bullseye on the burn rate chart.
Exactly what Speer told me when I was loading shot shell capsules in .38 He said if you run them too hot, not only will the rifling spread the shot but the pellets getting flattened by banging against each other at the shot will cause the pattern to be bigger.
For Unique, he recommended 6 grains of powder.
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