Buckshot Mold

I've been contemplating buying a nice gang mold for buckshot. I already have shotguns so a steady supply of 00 buck would be a very practical thing to have. I could load BP and roundballs in the .32 S&W and eventually balls for a pocket remmy.

Go for it. As long as you load the sprue down or up you shouldn't have any problems. As long as the balls swage into the chambers you should be alright.

That shouldn't be too much of a problem being that the clean sides of the ball will be touching the bore, the ranges won't be all that great fore a pocket pistol either. I don't see why you shouldn't play around with this.

The only weak link I can see is if the buckshot are too large and put undue stress on the loading lever. I could make you a loader for this if they prove to be too large for the factory lever.

"0" Buck is .320

Yes, but you will probably have issues with feeding, the nose is longer, so you have a blunt and short round, lacking the longer taper of the APC round....

So, what I'm saying is you will have the HP feed issue in droves, I know that all 3 pistols that I tried this with had issues feeding a mock up, but others have ran them very successfully, with just a little Red Dot to make a 25yard light load plinking round

That said, you can also use shot in rifle rounds with a few grains of red dot for a powder puff load

Some sources list single aught as .321 and some as .323 and the salvaged from shells shot I have been using in both a repro Colt '49 and a repro Remmie '63 mic-ed at .323.

SOme sorces list 00 as .33 and triple aught as .36.

Several folks have said they use 00 in .31s but I am reluctant to use on the gun loading with the remmie with balls that size and possible hadness.....maybe off the gun though.

Come to think of it if I run into another 25 cents a shell box at a show I may get some ratty old 00 to salvage.

-kBob

Jeeze, I had not even thought of doing something like this to solve my "I can't find buckshot" problem!
Is the powder load in high brass turkey load the same as in a buckshot load? If so, It should be possible to open the end of the turkey load and then refill it with buckshot.

Jim

I basically cast a 00 in my brass .31 cal. mold, along with a 60 grain conical. They fit my .31 pocket Remmy. I've been known to take a 00 buck 12 gauge load sitting on the shelf and cut it open, though, for the ball inside. I do the same thing with 3 buck in a 20 gauge (I keep my coach gun loaded with it for unwanted guests) to fire out of my NAA Supercompanion. However, I don't think 000 will work, too small for a .36. Why not just get a .375" (I think, don't have a .36) RB mold? You could just CALL it buckshot.

I like the way my Lee mold in .44 cuts the sprue right off flat, no stub. They do make a .36 mold.

Jeeze, I had not even thought of doing something like this to solve my "I can't find buckshot" problem!
Is the powder load in high brass turkey load the same as in a buckshot load? If so, It should be possible to open the end of the turkey load and then refill it with buckshot.

Click to expand...

Wouldn't do that. Shotgun loading, unlike metallic cartridge loading, you work from and stick by recipes developed by the component and equipment manufacturers. There's no room for experimenting. Load with the exact components recommended and you're safe. Try a different wad, even, and the load ain't gonna be right. Also, I'd buffer a buckshot load, myself. The factory loads are buffered, works through the choke better.

According to Wikipedia 0000 buck is .380 which is just the right size for my 36 cal. Uberti 62 colt police.

Here ya go boys: http://www.buckshotmold.com/
for the answer to your problem. I have the 0000 (.380" diameter) mold and it casts 10 (TEN!) balls per throw. Now, you have to snip the sprue from them but you can't beat the price. The balls aren't absolutely, completely, perfectly round but they shoot just fine for 90% of your C&B shooting. There is a thin flat band around the middle of each ball (maybe .03"-.05" wide) where the mold is trued up but unless you are trying to break accuracy records it isn't a significant defect. The balls get sheared when seated anyway. I also have a dual size mold that throws #4 buck for 4 legged varmints (coyotes) and #00 for two legged varmints. The molds are very economical and you can cast a ton of ammo. Also you can tumble the balls to peen out any imperfections. You can get flush cutting nippers from Harbor Freight for about $3. They are a great little mold. I love mine.

I think I have a 00 and a #4 buck mold I got off da Bay for da Howdah.
I could use da 00 for me 63 pocket Rem.
Now, I need a 000 and 0000 mold.

MCgunner said:

Wouldn't do that. Shotgun loading, unlike metallic cartridge loading, you work from and stick by recipes developed by the component and equipment manufacturers. There's no room for experimenting. Load with the exact components recommended and you're safe. Try a different wad, even, and the load ain't gonna be right. Also, I'd buffer a buckshot load, myself. The factory loads are buffered, works through the choke better.

Click to expand...

Thanks, I'll just wait it out with 20 GA, 3", #4 turkey shot as my HD load. Better than birdshot #7-1/2!

Jim

I ordered the .380/#0000 buckshot mold today, and I'll order the .22 roundball [.224] for my BP .22 Companions when I get my next paycheck. I'll be able to use the .380's in my .410 [four to a shell]and the .22's as shot in my 20 ga. flintlock, too.

Hellgate, Thanks for the link. They offer a .310 shot mold which is just what I need. It will give me patched round balls for the 32 MLs and I use .310 balls in gallery loads for 30-06 and 30-30.

Jeff

Those are the buckshot molds I have. I'm thinking about making longer handles for them.
I need to get 0, 000, and 0000 molds from them.

Keep in mind, the balls aren't perfect spheres so I'd say they are best suited for actually loading buckshot shot shells (cast of hard lead) or informal shooting in muzzle loaders cast of soft lead. I doubt you would see any difference in accuracy in a shotgun or C&B revolver but you might from a long gun using a PRB at 50 or 100 yds.

In 2005 the National record in the pistol championship was set by a friend of
mine using, guess what? Yep, buckshot that measures .004 out of round.
The total score is so high, I believe it will never be broken. He only dropped
22 points out of 600!!! So out of round balls "Buckshot" will shoot. That's
all we shoot here and have for the past 20 years. Good luck on your molds.

I had a buckshot mold. Zeasorb.
; )