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Post by bula on May 3, 2020 9:16:19 GMT -5
The thread of Elmer's hatred for spades has got me thinking. I am fond of playing fast and loose with the variety of projectiles I launch. The larger the bore/cartridge you play with, the greater the variety of things, and amounts of things can be sent downrange. The thread on shooting out the black spade though, got me to understand something. A few times over the years now I've annoyed you folks, have seen a older member, older in time here, not age, voice the opinion that he sees no need for shotshells, snakeloads. Yes, if you can put your shots into a spade on a card, shot shell not needed for snakes. Also,if you hear them, spot them, one slow step away and you are safe. True. I just keep finding myself in other scenarios. Mom-n-law screaming and go around back to find a water snake 5 ft up a tree with the upper half of a robin the just died protecting her nest. Due to a not at the ground shot, shot shell preferred. Wasp in the outhouse with you, giving the stink eye ? Rice load time. I need to work on precision again, and I'll keep a shotshell and a couple rice loads in my pocket.
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Post by flyingzebra on May 3, 2020 10:21:20 GMT -5
I use a lot of shotshells here on my ranch.
I have a NAA Mini that's had hundreds of shotshells through it. That little sucker carries nicely in the coin pocket of my Carhartt trousers and is the ideal "always there" solution for rodents or other pests (wasps included) around the place. The barrel is short enough where whatever rifling that's in there doesn't seem to affect the pattern in a negative way.
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Post by bula on May 3, 2020 10:36:34 GMT -5
Thank you.
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Post by x101airborne on May 3, 2020 12:38:23 GMT -5
We had a "rodent" hole under our pumphouse. Annoyed I could never find the culprit, one afternoon I poured about 6 ounces of gasoline down a hose into the hole. That evening I killed 22 Copperhead snakes. The next night, 17. The next night, 8. The first night, I had many snake loads for my handgun. I ran out on night 2 and had to go to regular bullets. My kill rate went from 100% with the snake shot loads to "maybe" 50% with the solids even at close range. The snakes were all moving and trying to hit those small heads was a real challenge one handed while holding a light. And yes, I know that proves I cant hardly hit shh-tuff with a handgun.
A friend of mine regularly shoots carpenter bees with cream of wheat. Point is, a weapon is useful to different people for different reasons. If you have found your uses for a weapon, ignore the nay-sayers and clean often.
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Post by sixshot on May 3, 2020 14:22:40 GMT -5
Geez, that's a lot of Copperheads! I'd use snake loads too & I do but not just for snakes. I load them in my 44's & 45's using #12 shot that I have a lot of, maybe 75 lbs. Don't have the exact figures with me but I load about 4 grs powder, then a card wad cut out of a empty primer box with a sharpened case of the same caliber pushed down over the powder. Then enough shot to almost fill the case, then a plastic wad cut from an plastic lid using that same sharpened case placed on top & crimped & then a light seal coat to hold the wad in place. I've showed them before & also a paper plate at 15 feet with LOTS of holes in it, works great. Shorts barreled guns work best! You can make them with GC's also. Every year I teach a ladies only handgun class & I usually sneak in a few water filled balloons about the size of an orange. It sure impresses those ladies when I can shoot balloons out of the air with a six gun. Later I have to confess & let a couple of them try it!!! It's easy with these "snake" loads!!! Dick
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Post by bula on May 7, 2020 16:25:14 GMT -5
Now that's snakey, um, sneaky. Re-reading this reminds, someone here sent me some 480(475) size gas checks to try. These would be for shotshells. Need to remember the rice loads still have to have cardboard, plastic. I like the Walters Wads in 44, wonder if they have anything in the 475-ish range ?
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Post by bula on May 7, 2020 16:32:23 GMT -5
OK, Walters has wads to .452", then jumps all the way to .512". So you folks with a 500L are in luck.
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lws
.30 Stingray
Spokane Valley, Washington
Posts: 229
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Post by lws on May 7, 2020 18:37:03 GMT -5
Geez, that's a lot of Copperheads! I'd use snake loads too & I do but not just for snakes. I load them in my 44's & 45's using #12 shot that I have a lot of, maybe 75 lbs. Don't have the exact figures with me but I load about 4 grs powder, then a card wad cut out of a empty primer box with a sharpened case of the same caliber pushed down over the powder. Then enough shot to almost fill the case, then a plastic wad cut from an plastic lid using that same sharpened case placed on top & crimped & then a light seal coat to hold the wad in place. I've showed them before & also a paper plate at 15 feet with LOTS of holes in it, works great. Shorts barreled guns work best! You can make them with GC's also. Every year I teach a ladies only handgun class & I usually sneak in a few water filled balloons about the size of an orange. It sure impresses those ladies when I can shoot balloons out of the air with a six gun. Later I have to confess & let a couple of them try it!!! It's easy with these "snake" loads!!! Dick I make mine about the same as six shot does,only use 7.5 shot in the 44 magnum cases. Good grouse getters.
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Post by matt56 on May 7, 2020 21:12:40 GMT -5
This thread and a guy at work got me thinking about making shotshells for some of my small revolvers. He expressed interest if I decided to make any 38 special loads so I’m going to experiment with that first. I had a few pieces of loose 357 max handloads I got with a blackhawk I bought a few years ago. Tonight I broke them down and tried to come up with a plan to resize these so they’ll fit an entire 38 special chamber and throat. I found a 327 case and it’s not perfect but close to a 357 throat. I wasn’t sure I could jam a 357 case into a 32 die so I tried to crimp the case mouth first and what I found was I can start the neck down process with a Redding profile crimp die. It put a small bottle neck on the case allowing it to ease into the 32 die a lot smoother. Here’s what I came up with. Now to find some shot, make some wads and get to testing Max brass is just long enough to fit in a K frame but would need trimmed for a J
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Post by bula on May 8, 2020 6:39:33 GMT -5
That's purty darn slick ! Nice. What are you folks using for the sealant on top ? I've just used plain Elmer's glue. Not likely needed if using gas checks.
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Post by x101airborne on May 8, 2020 6:55:27 GMT -5
Buy a box of the cheapest shotshells you can find at someplace like Wal-mart and there is your shot supply. RJM brought me a box of 41 magnum shotshells when he came to visit. They look exactly like the 357 cases shown above. I think he used 414 cases but will have to double check that. When I carry on the ranch, the first two loads in my revolver are shot loads and the rest are solids. Just seems to work best for me. If I come across a hog I cycle the revolver twice and go to work. If Mister No-shoulders is under my feet I am ready with the first shot.
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Post by bigbrowndog on May 8, 2020 9:10:24 GMT -5
Matt, trying to shove a card wad or any stiff wad past the necked down portion and still have it hold powder sufficiently is tough, actually try and do the swaging after I’ve powdered and placed an over powder wad. Or you can use a flexible material for your over powder wad, thin leather does a good job.
Trapr
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Post by magman on May 8, 2020 9:34:30 GMT -5
Bought a bunch of stuff to load shotshells for my 44s. Haven't loaded any yet. Forgot the name of the place I got them from
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Post by boolitdesigner on May 8, 2020 13:44:21 GMT -5
Most heavy loaded shotshells that a full cylinder length will stick when you try to eject them. Take something along as a helper to get them to come out. BTDT!
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Post by matt56 on May 8, 2020 20:31:36 GMT -5
I didn’t realize it but I don’t have any 30 caliber gas checks which is what I intended on using to keep the shot in place at the case mouth. I’ll have to order some but in the meantime I sealed it with carnuaba blue. I’m not sure it’ll keep the shot in place but I will probably only test these one at a time The only shells I had to steal shot from were 7 1/2 trap loads. I managed to fit 110gr of shot which comes out to 88 pieces over 5 grains of unique. I’m not sure if this load is a little heavy but I’ll have to try it and see. I won’t shoot it in a J frame yet I just loaded them into my 60-3 for a picture. I used the primer box cardboard for the wads.
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