38 Specials and carpenter bees

[BC38]

If you buy them off GB,, they are more like $1 to $2 a pop,,
but, I am shooting stuff I had,, for a LONG time,,

AMMOSEEK.com! That's where I got the "50 cents per round" price.
NOS at yesteryear prices would be even better - if you are lucky enough to have laid in a good supply way "back in the day"!
I didn't - 'cause I never anticipated having any need for 22 shotshells.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

The CCI shot shells aren't expensive if you load them yourself.

Buy the capsule and load then with #9 shot like the factory stuff. I prefer #12 shot but didn't want to buy a bag since I would only used it in the snake shot. I bought a cheap box of #12 12ga shotgun shells and removed the shot. (cheap as in before the crunch, $3.25) If you buy 1 1/8oz shells you yield just over 2 lbs of shot, plenty for loading .38 shotshells for a long time.
Speer Empty Shot Capsules 38 Special Box of 50

 

[BC38]

The CCI shot shells aren't expensive if you load them yourself.

Buy the capsule and load then with #9 shot like the factory stuff. I prefer #12 shot but didn't want to buy a bag since I would only used it in the snake shot. I bought a cheap box of #12 12ga shotgun shells and removed the shot. (cheap as in before the crunch, $3.25) If you buy 1 1/8oz shells you yield just over 2 lbs of shot, plenty for loading .38 shotshells for a long time.
Speer Empty Shot Capsules 38 Special Box of 50

That works - for 38 specials.
Unfortunately the more harmless 22LR shot shells (like in the video) aren't so easily reloadable.
Though more to your point, you can probably reload 38 specials for less than the 50 cents apiece cost of the CCI 22LR shotshells.
The posted video makes shooting them look like so much fun that it ALMOST makes me wish I had carpenter bees to shoot.
Almost...

 

[WR Moore]

I bought 4 bee traps a year or so ago. Need to buy some more. While no fun involved, all I have to do is empty the catch tube once in awhile.

 

[rosewood]

The capsules are about .30 each + primer, shot and powder, so u are looking at .40-.50 per. Now if you use home made wads from cardboard and Elmer's glue to seal, u can get away with maybe .20 per rough est.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

24 pack! I'm using magnum primers because I'm afraid a standard primer won't light all that hard to ignite powder .

I made my dipper using a piece of 1/4" Plexiglas and drilling a 1/4" hole almost all the way through. Dumps right at 1 grain of BE. You'll probably need to drill out the flash hole on the casings to keep the primers from backing out and jamming up the gun. I drill mine with a 1/8" bit. Be sure to mark the drilled casing in some fashion, so you won't use them for regular loads.

I made my dipper out of a filed to measure .22 LR hull glued to a narrow popsicle stick. I've never drilled out a flash hole and have never had a primer back out. I load 3-400 of these every year.......Pic of my dedicated 38 spl bee reloading kit.

 

[rosewood]

I made my dipper out of a filed to measure .22 LR hull glued to a narrow popsicle stick. I've never drilled out a flash hole and have never had a primer back out. I load 3-400 of these every year.......Pic of my dedicated 38 spl bee reloading kit.

How fast? Have you ever chronographed them?

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

How fast? Have you ever chronographed them?

No. But safe to shoot against the underside tin roof of my shed.

 

[BC38]

How fast? Have you ever chronographed them?

Could you even chrono such a small charge of such small shot? Would it even register?

 

[SweetMK]

I loaded some #9 shot shells last night for the 629,,,

Before I opened the 25 pound bag of #9 shot, I loaded three shells with the shot out of a 12 gauge #8 shell.
I did that to make sure the concept would work.
The 1 and 1/8 ounce of lead was just a little too much for 3 cartridges of 44MAG.

The 44MAG shell was primed, then 2 grains of Unique, a .430" wad,,
then the brass was filled 90% with lead shot, and another wad.

Rather than gluing the wad, I stuck the finished round in the Dillon 550B that was set up.
I used the crimp die for 44MAG, and put a slight crimp on the finished case.

I fired several,, (no bees were out today, it has been cold)

Two were shot at cardboard, one at a plastic COKE bottle.

The pattern looks perfect at 12 feet, normal range for a bee.
At 7 yards, the pattern looks to have opened enough that hitting a bee would be luck.

At 12 feet, the pellets simply "smeared" on the Coke plastic bottle (filled with water)

The shot did hit the bottle hard enough to knock over the bottle.
If you look at the pic with the gun to the right, you can see the lead smear marks on the Coke bottle.

Included are the two pics,, Coke bottle, and 629 included for scale.

I ended up using my 4" 629,, this is my "beater" 44 MAG,,
The gun has to have WAY north of 20,000 rounds through it.
It shoots great,, but, if I am gonna damage a gun, I would rather it be this one,,,

As far as noise, this round is quieter than simply firing a primer in an unloaded brass cartridge. It is quiet.
Hopefully, tomorrow will be warm enough to bring out some bees,,,

 

[Sarge9]

Fighting the bees in my garage for yrs.
The solution with the hot sauce, dawn soap and another
item has worked this yr. Yeah !! But this will kill insects
you might not want to kill, take care.
The electric badminton from HF will work as well.
Ammo cost too much, IMO
73,
Sarge

 

[rosewood]

Could you even chrono such a small charge of such small shot? Would it even register?

Yes. You shoot about 2-3' from chronograph. Works on shotguns also. Muzzle pressure is so low, the chronograph is unaffected by the blast

 

[BC38]

I loaded some #9 shot shells last night for the 629,,,

Before I opened the 25 pound bag of #9 shot, I loaded three shells with the shot out of a 12 gauge #8 shell.
I did that to make sure the concept would work.
The 1 and 1/8 ounce of lead was just a little too much for 3 cartridges of 44MAG.

The 44MAG shell was primed, then 2 grains of Unique, a .430" wad,,
then the brass was filled 90% with lead shot, and another wad.

Rather than gluing the wad, I stuck the finished round in the Dillon 550B that was set up.
I used the crimp die for 44MAG, and put a slight crimp on the finished case.

I fired several,, (no bees were out today, it has been cold)

Two were shot at cardboard, one at a plastic COKE bottle.

The pattern looks perfect at 12 feet, normal range for a bee.
At 7 yards, the pattern looks to have opened enough that hitting a bee would be luck.

At 12 feet, the pellets simply "smeared" on the Coke plastic bottle (filled with water)

The shot did hit the bottle hard enough to knock over the bottle.
If you look at the pic with the gun to the right, you can see the lead smear marks on the Coke bottle.

Included are the two pics,, Coke bottle, and 629 included for scale.

I ended up using my 4" 629,, this is my "beater" 44 MAG,,
The gun has to have WAY north of 20,000 rounds through it.
It shoots great,, but, if I am gonna damage a gun, I would rather it be this one,,,

As far as noise, this round is quieter than simply firing a primer in an unloaded brass cartridge. It is quiet.
Hopefully, tomorrow will be warm enough to bring out some bees,,,

Yeah, that's the biggest problem with shotshells in a revolver.
The rifling puts enough "spin" on the charge of shot that it starts to spread out and scatter after just a few feet.

 

[BC38]

Yes. You shoot about 2-3' from chronograph. Works on shotguns also. Muzzle pressure is so low, the chronograph is unaffected by the blast

Good to know. I've never tried using my chrono for a shotgun round...

 

[.38SuperMan]

I'm wondering how millet bird seed would work in a primed 38 case? Shoot it out of a snub nose which might reduce the spin.The birds would love it and what they didn't eat would grow like grass in my yard.

I've been sitting on my deck with a Bearcat and using CCI bird shot. It's pretty cool when you hit one. When I get tired of shooting them down I take a 4' piece of 1x4 pine and use it like bat. The make a nice crack when you hit one.

 

[rosewood]

Good to know. I've never tried using my chrono for a shotgun round...

I read the manual with my Chrony and it gives instructions on how to do it.

Rosewood

 

[BC38]

I read the manual with my Chrony and it gives instructions on how to do it.

Rosewood

Manual? MANUAL? We don't need no steeenking MANUAL!

Oh, wait...

Seriously though, I didn't read mine that far 'cause I never even thought about the need to chrono a shotgun. I probably read about how to set up for rifles and handguns and no further.

 

[ChattCat]

When I was a kid 19 I would take a slab of paraffin wax and push a .45 colt shell with primer into the wax block making a nice slug. Worked great in the basement and empty snuff tins for target's. Had to clean the bore afterwards though.