Watched a video of a guy making these. He sharpened the open end of a cartridge and used it to cut out powder wads from a Tyvek scrap. For the shot wad he sliced off a bit of a large hot glue stick, put it in his press and squooshed it down and then trimmed off the excess.
I liked the process up to the glue stick finish which looked very tedious. Got me to thinking why not just put a blob of hothot glue in the end? I calc'd my hot glue gun at 195 degrees.
Any risk of setting off the powder at that temp? Dumb (hold my beer) idea? Thanks!

I use a sharpened shell to cut two pieces from a styrofoam plate.The piece holding the shot in is sealed with silicon caulk

Shot loads using Speer shot capsules are very easy to put together and they work well.

I used to load shotshells for my revolvers. Thin cardboard wad over powder, followed by shot size of your choice and anther thin cardboard wad on top. Used a heavy crimp to hold it all together. If I knew the weather might be damp I would seal the top wad with candle wax. Upon firing, the pattern of shot left a lot to be desired and in my case I didn't want to be dependent on them to do the job. A normally loaded cartridge aimed at the snake would do the job. Even if the bullet missed him the debris flying around him would send him high tailing.

Not finding the Speer capsules anywhere locally and at 8-9 dollars per 50 plus shipping that adds considerable cost to this fool's errand. I have shot, powder, primers and cartridges. Looking for a DIY. The foam plate idea sounds good. I'm just fooling around. I use a .410 on snakes.

I second the Speer capsules. I'm all about DIY. I've used them but long ago. They were easy and worked well. I suspect they hold more shot than using the case and wads. $9 for 50 aint bad unless youre fighting a varmint apocalypse.
PS when stationed at Ft Steward GA. We often went snake hunting with these loads. Never found a snake. When fishing on post and unarmed it was rattle snakes, watter moccasins etc. Aint that the way

I use a wax milk carton to cut my wads out of. I drill and tap the flash hole on a case and I made me a handle with a 10x32 stud sticking out of it to screw into the case. Then I ream the inside of the case mouth to sharpen it and cut the wad out with that case.

I use a bolt of the proper diameter to push the wad down on the powder and put a lock nut on the bolt to adjust my depth so I don't compress the powder charge.

Make sure to flare the case mouth pretty good on the case you are loading, then scoop the case full of shot and put a wad on top and give it a good crimp to hold in on.

I have tried it with several different shot sizes. Funny thing is, different cases seem to pattern better with different shot sizes. My 32 H&R mag seems to like #8 shot but the 45 LC and 41 mag prefer #11 shot. On a side note. I weighed out 10 pieces of #11 shot then weighed my 45 LC shot charge. After doing the math, it comes out to about 950 pieces of shot in the case if memory serves me right. I know it will make a snake look like you threw him in the blender when you shoot them with it..

I would go the Capsule route. However shot shells can be made using gas checks as well. One on bottom and one on top.

__________________
A Snider squibbed n the Jungle

Gas checks FTW!

One gas check over the powder cup side up, shot, gas check over shot, cup side up, crimp.

Been making them like this for 30 years.

I use the speer shot capsules loaded with #12 shot. I never was able to get them to crimp without busting the capsules and spilling shot everywhere. I found what works best for me is putting a good dab of gorilla super glue on the side of the capsule about 180 degrees apart. I have a spacer machined for the case to slide into that allows me to push the capsule into the correct
depth with a small arbor press. Works great on snakes. So does the judge!!

We used gas checks , charge the case, seat a check over powder, fill it with shot , settle and drop in pellets until almost to the top , seat top gas check over shot and roll crimp. I tried the top check seated both ways , cup side up and cup side down...I liked cup side down, just for looks. Both ways work.
You could use a cardboard over powder wad , we just used checks...
they were cheap back then.
Gary

While it's good to know how and it's fun to make brass snakeshot shells the Speer capsules are much easier to make. I use them in 38/357 w/#9 shot and they work...

You didn't say which caliber you are looking to make. Midway has 45 Colt capsules in stock. The others seem to be on backorder everywhere as you said. They usually show up fairly soon. I usually set up an email reminder for when they get them back in stock with a few suppliers I usually deal with.

__________________
Freedom is never free!!
SWCA #3437

I made several of the homemade versions. That got old fast. Bought some of the clear capsules and broke those, Finally loaded a few and gave up. More trouble then they are worth/

Bought a box of factory shot shells fired 2 of them and have the rest around here somewhere.

No real mean snakes ever seen around here I guess if it's a Python or Rattler I need a 12 gauge anyway.

No don't shoot wasps either.

__________________
Still Running Against the Wind

Former AMERICAN RIFLEMAN technical staff member (back when they had a technical staff) and gunwriter C.E. Harris probably made the most practical "homemade" handgun shotshells, but it was still a lot of work as I recall from reading his article some years ago. I believe it was published in either GUN DIGEST or AMERICAN RIFLEMAN. Someone on this forum may have a better memory and quick access to the writeup.

Just curious, but why do you put the one on top of the shot CUP side up? I'm sure there is a good reason, but it seems to me that you could get several more shot pellets in there if you put the second one cup side down.
I saw another thread about making gas checks from pop cans. This seems like it might be a good time/place to use gas checks made from aluminum pop cans - at least for the one on top of the shot.

EDIT: I see Gary already answered the question...
One other thing, the copper gas checks themselves seem like they'd be pretty significant projectiles - though not ones that would fly very straight or true...

I made 45 Colt shot shells from 460 S&W cases, trimmed to the cartridge overall length (COAL) 1.61". FL sized, then ran into a 44-40 sizer die until they chamber all the way (about .4"). I used 5.7 gr of WW231 with a cork/fiber card of the powder. These cases hold 1/2 ounce of shot, I used 7.5's and place another cork/fiber card over the shot and seal. I use Gutter seam sealer from Lowe's and let cure for 3 weeks. This load is about 750 fps and patterns 12" at 15' from 5 1/2 revolver. One West Virginia Copperhead, was almost vaporized with this load!

Midway sell these 44-45 over the powder cards for Black Powder cartridge reloading by the thousand.

I have about 70-357 Max. cases I've been thinking about making 357 shot shells with, using the same process with. I just haven't figured what die to bottle neck the case with.

Ivan

ETA: for 357 Mag shot shells full length 357 Max don't need trimmed for most revolvers (.010" maximum trimming needed). Some revolvers don't require any bottle necking, but if necessary use a 380 or 9mm taper crimp die until case fit in chamber (around 3/8").

Yep, works good. Found the recipe in the American Rifleman back in the 70's. Sometimes the gas check will cut the head off of a rattlesnake.

I've used candle wax dripped over the shot in .38 to hold it all in place. Here's a tip: don't test them on a paper target backed with plywood if you don't want a face full.

Here's a whole section devoted to shotshell loads for pistols. >Lots of loads and loading info.
Shot Shell Loads For Pistols

About the only home made ones I ever got into much were cut off 410 cases,,the split end ones from my skeet shooting, that I used in a 45Colt cal SA. They'll fit full length in the cylinder with a little effort so you can get quite a payload in there.
Fun for a while but tedious to load.

Cup side up and a clean crimp looks best to me. Nice and even. Factory finish.

I load & shoot several 100 38 spl shotshells each spring.......At carpenter bees.....I load 1.5 grs of powder under a card board wad cut from primer sleeve boxes with an arch punch.......Then fill the case to almost full with #9 shot and use a flat punch to tap & seat another card board wad on top. The case is sitting in an old Lee open bottom hull holder while I do this... No crimp needed..Makes a great bee load....Like a miniature dove around my barn in the spring.....I prefer bullets for snakes.....

Attached Images

100_1090.jpg (100.0 KB, 40 views)

__________________
S&W Accumulator

A 357 case works better in a 38, holds more shot. I just cut the cards from a cereal box with a reamed 38 case to sharpen it. One card over the powder and one over the shot. Rolled crimped to hold the card over the shot. Melted wax to seal case. 7 1/2 shot and bullseye powder. No need for store bought capsules. Made some for the neighbor. He killed a rat with it, said it worked just fine.

__________________
That's just somebody talkin.

Been doing the same as SnappingTwig since 1969. I use # 9 shot stolen from the hoppers of my skeet reloaders. CHEAP and they work pretty well.

Back in the 70s when I owned a gun shop one of my customers was a vetranerian, who brought me some 2 pc. capsules for a horse, dumped the med out and replaced with #12 shot; worked great because you could crimp them and they wouldn't crack. You had to use them one at a time in a revolver cause the recoil would pull the others out.

The Speer capules can be crimped to lessen or eliminate capsule movement from recoil, but it may take a little experimentation to get it right. I've used a slight taper crimp, though a minimal roll crimp might also work without damaging the capsule.

IMHO, hot glue stick is something I would avoid in making these shells. It's designed to get gooy and sticky with heat. Not a good fit for this application.
FWIW, I used to use plain cardboard for my wads and end plug. These days, I've gone to plugging the case with a lead ball as described here. Works well and adds utility to the round IMHO.

Snake Stopper

__________________
Dave

Sure takes a lot to make a meal. Do you fry them and smother them in gravy