ArchAngelCD
Moderator, SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
I'm just too lazy to do all that work. I bought those Speer shot capsules in both .38 Special and .45 Colt and called it good. I use lead #9 shot in both along with W231 as a powder...
OK, here is my crazy question of the day, anyone make their own 38Spl shot shells?
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OP
sheriffoconee
Member
I bought one of those plastic boxes of 10 to keep in my patrol car for those pesky no legged varmints we get called about at times. I have 9 of them left.
I 'spect I am getting my money's worth. I guess if you shoot a lot of them, or just like rolling your own, it's all good. I just don't need that many of them
I 'spect I am getting my money's worth. I guess if you shoot a lot of them, or just like rolling your own, it's all good. I just don't need that many of them
OP
Yep, what started out as one of my "brilliant" ideas, soon turned to a lot of work with little reward. Probably would never use them and if you only used one, my odds are less.
I first read about the Speer shot loads back in the 70s when I started my first police job. Several magazine writers at the time said they were good for police officers, claiming you could load a few in the first chambers so you didn't have to aim that well, then load the last chambers with regular hollow points. A dealer gave me a box of 10 when I bought a gun off of him, but I thought I'd better try them out before I carried them. One night a car hit a stray dog, which was messed up pretty bad, and I thought this would be a good test. Long story short, I never carried them.
After extensive research and developement and getting them the best I could, Rats, mice and chipmunks are about the only things I will even attempt to shoot with shot loads. And I'm thinking about developing something else in their place.
After extensive research and developement and getting them the best I could, Rats, mice and chipmunks are about the only things I will even attempt to shoot with shot loads. And I'm thinking about developing something else in their place.
As I have stated in other posts, back in the day, I loaded my own using Speer shot capsules, but since they became factory avialable I have bought them.
I have used them in 9mm, 38, 44, and 45 ACP.
They all work great on snakes, my wife kills snakes all the time with her 2" 38, here on our place.
The 44 and 45 ACP are a step up in effectiveness, especially for small game.
The wife and I have killed MANY rabbits, squirrels, quail, a few dove, and a bunch of mountain grouse.
I have killed Ptmargin in Alaska as well.
I like to eat small game.
We never go into the field with out some CCI/Speer shotshells.
I have used them in 9mm, 38, 44, and 45 ACP.
They all work great on snakes, my wife kills snakes all the time with her 2" 38, here on our place.
The 44 and 45 ACP are a step up in effectiveness, especially for small game.
The wife and I have killed MANY rabbits, squirrels, quail, a few dove, and a bunch of mountain grouse.
I have killed Ptmargin in Alaska as well.
I like to eat small game.
We never go into the field with out some CCI/Speer shotshells.
ArchAngelCD
Moderator, SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
I don't need many either but they do cost ~$12/10 rounds. I'm alreadt set up to reload for the .38 Special so buying a box of 50 shot capsules to load .38 shotshells sounded like the thing to do. I'll probably not need to buy more.
sheriffoconee
Member
I didn't pay that for mine.....but you are right, you could probably load a lifetime supply for very little $$ if you were of a mind to
DoubleAdobe
Member
.38 shot loads
I have been experimenting with these also. I ground off the rim on a nickeled case 38, drilled out the primer hole a bit and chucked it in a drill.The primer hole enlargement is to stick a nail or something to push out the accumulated wads. I sharpened up the leading edge a bit too. I then cut out some thin but tough cardboard wads. The recipe I found said to use 3 grains of Bullseye, put in a wad with the eraser end of wooden pencil. Then put in your shot, the smallest I had was #8, within a little bit of the top and then put in two wads in the top. You can then run a crimp, or just Elmer's glue, wax or whatever the top. Seems to work alright, but it will put some lead in your barrel. Apparently, some guys go to the trouble of putting some liquid Alox on their shot to help with leading. Anyhow, kinda fun to play with.
I have been experimenting with these also. I ground off the rim on a nickeled case 38, drilled out the primer hole a bit and chucked it in a drill.The primer hole enlargement is to stick a nail or something to push out the accumulated wads. I sharpened up the leading edge a bit too. I then cut out some thin but tough cardboard wads. The recipe I found said to use 3 grains of Bullseye, put in a wad with the eraser end of wooden pencil. Then put in your shot, the smallest I had was #8, within a little bit of the top and then put in two wads in the top. You can then run a crimp, or just Elmer's glue, wax or whatever the top. Seems to work alright, but it will put some lead in your barrel. Apparently, some guys go to the trouble of putting some liquid Alox on their shot to help with leading. Anyhow, kinda fun to play with.
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OP
So for "wads", you are just using card stock punched out with the sharpened case? What type of cardboard?
Sounds easy enough.
DoubleAdobe
Member
What I used was the cardboard that some Feibing's Saddle Soap came in, another time I remember I picked up the box that a Lee turret came in. Some guys reportedly use the styrofoam food container stuff, apparently a lot easier to cut, but using the drill, the cardboard cuts easily enough. I shot these out of a Mod 60 snub, and they're pretty wicked out to about 10 feet or so, much farther and the shot spreads fast. I need some littler shot, but smaller than #8 is hard to get, without buying a 25 lb. sack.
OP
Thanks!. I was just going to empty some old 12 gauge field loads, I think they are #9. Have to find them first. We used to get mail order prescriptions that came in a Mylar shipping bag, now its some plastic. I might have one of those old ones to wrap the shot in as mentioned in either this thread or the link to they guy that made the expert versions.
