32 S&W long shot cartridges

47knuckle · #1 06-28-2016, 04:37 PM

We are blessed with copper heads,water moccasin, timber and diamonback rattlers in the low country of SC,so when I'm working at our deer club, or fishing our low country creeks I carry a kit gun or body guard with at least 2 shot cartridges loaded. I have a pre-30 with some serious finish issues that would be ideal for this duty, but 32 shot cartridges aren't available. I decided I would work around that situation.
I sharpened the mouth of a fired 32 cartridge, cut the petals off of some shotshell plastic wads, and punched out some wads. I tried 1.5, 1.7, and 1.9 grains of 231, placed a plastic wad over the powder, added 58 grains of number 12 shot, then another plastic wad, and a heavy roll crimp. 1.7 gr of 231 gave the best pattern. Shots were 6 ft from the muzzle to the target, and that middle 5.5 inch target has 144 holes in it. Looks like good snake medicine for my little 2" pre-30.

kcwheel · #2 06-28-2016, 05:52 PM

I tried that, but my results were nowhere as good as yours. I had to use #9 shot and Lyman gas checks. May have to revisit this with some #11 or #12 shot.

crsides · #3 06-29-2016, 02:12 AM

Looks like that would tear up an ole copper head.

I have been loading 45acp shot shells made from 308 brass cut to cylinder link for a 1917 snubbie. You need to run the case into a 44 mag resizing die about 1/3 of the way to clear the chamber shoulder. I like your wads. I have used 410 plastic wads with the pedals cut down to length, #9 shot, topped off with an upside down 41 cal gas check, crimp to taste. I have been gluing the gas checks in place lately as some have turn sideways in my pocket, dumping the load of shot.

Charlie

Green Frog · #4 07-01-2016, 08:11 AM

Now all I've got to do is find a bag of #12 shot. I wonder how those rounds would pattern through my 6" Regulation Police??
Froggie

PS I wonder what a little rattlesnake meat would do for a low country boil? "It tastes like chicken."

47knuckle · #5 07-01-2016, 09:20 AM

Don't mess up a good low country boil. I've had rattlesnake 3 times. I'm gonna have to be awfully hungry to try it a fourth time,

Mike, SC Hunter · #6 07-01-2016, 09:24 AM

47.......That was my bee load until I went to .38 spl. to throw more shot...I use cardboard(cut from primer sleeves) for wads in both.

47knuckle · #7 07-12-2016, 02:04 PM

The home made shot cartridges do work. Two copper heads in a three day period in my yard. Sent them on to the happy hunting grounds with one shot each.

Magload · #8 07-12-2016, 04:30 PM

I don't want to be with in 6 foot of that snake. I know they can only strike 2/3 of their length and copperheads and not a long snake. Our rattles here in Florida can be petty big so a 410 load sounds better to me. Nice loads and they work way to go.

I shot some CCI 22 mag shot shells in the back yard and a few days later I turned on the water hose and it had turned into a sprinkler hose.

kcwheel · #9 07-12-2016, 06:13 PM

At least with .38 special shot loads, it seem to me that the shorter the barrel, the better they worked. Couldn't say why that is.

H Richard · #10 07-12-2016, 08:07 PM

The shorter barrel works best, as the barrels are rifled, and when you "spin" the load the more it spins the more scattered the shot will be. The shorter the barrel the better it works as it spins less.