birdshot in a .357

[HelterSkelter]

i have seen birdshot in .38 special and .357 cartridges and i was thinking man that would be fun to shoot some squirrels with, but i have a few questions first:

1 are they safe to shoot in my gun? it's a ruger so i imagine so but i wanna know for sure.

2 are they effective? i don't want any squirrels to escape.

3 if they are effective, in a 2 and a 3 inch barrel how far?

 

[Turn Key]

Mine in Bold

TK

birdshot in a .357
i have seen birdshot in .38 special and .357 cartridges and i was thinking man that would be fun to shoot some squirrels with, but i have a few questions first:

1. are they safe to shoot in my gun? it's a ruger so i imagine so but i wanna know for sure.
Yes they are safe to shoot.

2. are they effective? i don't want any squirrels to escape.
Only for close range. i.e. Snakes...Not for squirrels.

3. if they are effective, in a 2 and a 3 inch barrel how far?
Try shooting it at your range at paper first. Start at 7 yards and you will be surprised how wide it patterns out of a pistol.

 

[ChristopherG]

I've never shot birdshot from a revolver, so what I'm giving you is hearsay, but it's sensible and hence the reason I've never shot birdshot from a revolver.

The rifling of a barrel that isn't intended primarily for shot creates centrifugal force in your shot load--i.e. it throws it apart and creates either just a scattershot pattern or, according to some, a distinct 'donut' pattern. Obviously the only way to find out how it patterns in your gun is to try it on paper, as suggested above, at different distances. I certainly wouldn't plan on shooting anything living with it before I knew how it would throw a pattern, or how far.

And I'm quite sure you'll find squirrels are waaaay out of its league.

 

[Rustinthewheel]

The Box of Truth addressed the shot pattern from rifled bores issue here.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Squirrels are tough critters so I really don't recommend snakeshot for hunting them BUT, rabbits die fairly easily so I'm thinking it will be fine for them...

 

[HelterSkelter]

i just wanted to take my little brother out shooting..... i mean hunting squirrel. lol. i guess we will have to stick to our .22's (possibly my .308 for laughs).

also i now remember watching shot come out of a rifled barrel. shot a circle in the target, all around the bullseye but not hitting it XD

 

[DPris]

If you can get close enough to a rabbit to kill it with a .357 shotshell, you have totally different rabbits than where I live.
That size shot charge & pellets would have to be not much more than about 10 feet away to do anything more than wound.
Denis

 

[n5odj]

I load my own using #8 shot. I carry this when mowing the yard because I sometimes chase up mice & rats that are easier to hit with the shot. Gotta be pretty close though - about 8 feet.

Robert

 

[atlctyslkr]

I found those shotshells cost more than .410 shells. They work but if you can get a cheap single shot .410 you'll be more accurate and can shoot cheapr. Might even be worth reloading, shotshells aren't hard.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

If you can get close enough to a rabbit to kill it with a .357 shotshell, you have totally different rabbits than where I live.
That size shot charge & pellets would have to be not much more than about 10 feet away to do anything more than wound.
Denis

Yeah, you have a very good point there Denis...

I load my own using #8 shot. I carry this when mowing the yard because I sometimes chase up mice & rats that are easier to hit with the shot. Gotta be pretty close though - about 8 feet.
Robert

Robert,
I've been loading Speer shot caplets with #9 shot and they seem to work very well on mice. I couldn't find any #9 shot other than 25lb bags so I took apart a box of #9 12 gauge shotshells... (I definitely don't need 25 lbs of shot for making .38 Special shotshells)

 

[n5odj]

Yeah, I got my shot by busting up some shotgun shells too. Looked at buying some shot, but it is too $$$$ for my purposes. That's why I used #8 shot.... because that's the shotgun shells I had. I'd like to get some of those store-bought shot cups, but now I just put in the powder (Bullseye), place a thin cardboard disc over the powder, pour in the shot, cover that w/ another disc, & then place a drop of elmer's glue on top. When the glue is dry, it's ready to go. The shot cups would allow for a larger charge of shot, I reckon.
Robert

Edited to add: Oh-yeah, I do a light crimp over the final cardboard, before adding the glue.

 

[Joe in fla]

As others have pointed out, when fired from a rifled barrel shot QUICKLY spreads and is useless beyond a very few yards. But the shooters in the old wild west shows used the trick of putting a paper tube inside their barrels to simulate a smooth bore. Apparently it worked pretty well for them. I've never tried it so I can't say how well it stays in the barrel or how long it lasts but it might be worth a try. Just be sure that it doesn't crumple up and block the barrel!! I THINK it was just one or two turns of paper and not a thick piece of pasteboard or anything like that.

 

[gofastman]

-Yes
-NO!, not for squirrels, unless its only a few feet
-they spread very quick, really only good for a few feet

 

[Guillermo]

I concur with the advise that you have received

It is simply impossible to get close enough to a squirrel in the wild to kill it with a 357/38 shot shell.

At the park while feeding them peanuts it could work pretty well