Load Data For Snakeshot ????

[10 Spot Terminator]

Livin in snake country and am wanting to load some snakeshot for my S&W model 66 4in. as have had a few run ins with them ol "buzzworms" the last couple of summers. I have my CCI capsules loaded with #12 shot and not one of my 9 loading manuals shows a load for any snakeshot . Would also appreciate any "hands on" feedback as to how much crimp to use, how much seating depth, do the capsule disentigrate cleanly leaving no debris when fired ? Gotta be some of you out there who live amongst these damn things and put their skins on the wall for messin with you . Drop us a line . I want some of those skins too while saving my own . 10 Spot

 

[rcmodel]

If you have CCI capsules, you have the load data printed right on the box they came in.

With .38 Spl. cases:
Seating depth should be an OAL of 1.500", with a light crimp to prevent breaking the capsules.

Powder charge:
Unique = 5.5
700-X = 4.5
HP-38 = 4.5
Bullseye = 4.5
W-231 = 5.0

They work very nicely on buzz-tails, especially with #12 shot.
Range is not too great, and the capsule will break up, although the base-wad will make a hole at typical shotshell range.

rcmodel

 

[tasco 74]

rc is right on... i have loaded some shot loads for .357-.38 spl with the speer shot capsules... i have used 12 shot,6-7 shot,and 2 shot for them... you really can't get much #2 shot into a .38 cal capsule but it holds quite a bit of #12 shot.... i have used the #2 shot to take out critters as big as coons (took 4 rounds) but it did do the job without colateral damage... i used 4 grs of bullseye in all my shot loads with a standard small pistol primer... sometimes it's handy to have a 6" shotgun around for different little threats......

 

[critter]

I, too, use 4.0 grains of Bullseye. I found that more powder simply blew the patterns even worse.

I used #12 shot and as large as #8's but didn't try any bigger shot.

Use JUST enough crimp to hold the shot capsules firm.

Good luck.

 

[rg1]

I found from patterning that the spread is close to inches per foot. 4ft-4", 6ft-6" etc. The twist of the rifling tends to have higher pellet density on the outside of the pattern. Also, I tested 2 cylinders with shot capsules and fired a full house .357 magnum round and the shot capsules moved forward and locked up the cylinder. Maybe I didn't crimp enough but that is something to watch out for when firing a .357 mag round with shot capsules in other cylinders. CCI tested using #9 shot and standard not magnum primers. Overall length for .38 or 357 is the same, 1.5". Velocity dropped 150fps with a 4" barrel and about 300 in a 2".
Velocity with a 6" barrel in .38/357 is 1111 with Unique
996 with 231
1021 with BE
1060 with 700x
1054 with HP38 with the above posted loads

 

[Eb1]

search on gunblast.com.

there is a good article on this.

 

[Uncle Chan]

This is a wonderful idea that I've been thinking about doing for ages. In the article linked to, the author mentions that there is considerable fouling due to the lead.

So, why not use copper BBs instead of lead shot?

Anyone?

 

[rcmodel]

Because you can only get 6 BB's in a .38 Spl. case?

Seriously, BB-gun BB's are just too big for pistol shotshells.
They are also steel, not lead, with a copper wash on them.
Not good to be shooting steel BB shot through your fine revolver barrel!

Copper plated lead shot is also available, but it is just a very thin coating that does nothing much to prevent leading.

If you want the best performance with no leading, the CCI shot-cap's are the best & only way to do it.

rcmodel

 

[Bailey Boat]

The lead shot should never touch the rifling of the barrel, that's a function of the capsule...... The rifling will impart a degree of spin to the capsule, hence the irregular pattern at distance.
Try #9 shot, good balance of shot number and terminal performance.....

 

[Uncle Chan]

If a person didn't have a plastic capsule, could a paper capsule be created and used? I would imagine that a person could:

Load powder. Place a card on the powder and compress it lightly. install a paper sleeve. Load shot. Put another card on top. Crimp lightly and glue or wax seal it shut.

Hmmmm........

Plastic capsules haven't been around forever. There must have been other options.

 

[Snapping Twig]

I use a gas check over the powder, then # 7 1/2 shot, and finally a gas check over the shot - crimp. I do this for .357, .44 and .45LC.

Field tested and shown to be effective on buzztails.

 

[Uncle Chan]

Snapping Twig,

How's the leading problem in the barrel?

Uncle Chan

 

[suemarkp]

Also, when using the Speer shot cups, you most likely do not need to expand the case mouth at all. These capsules are smaller than bullet diameter -- they are intended to ride the rifling and not engage it. It is hard enough to hold these in place without neck expanding (but seating deeper does help). If you neck expand, you'll really be working the brass when you crimp it down.

I wish these capsules were just a little longer (another quarter inch). You could have more payload and the deeper seating isn't an issue in most rounds since so little powder is used.

 

[tasco 74]

uncle chan when i make what i call multi-ball loads i use wads cut from plastic as you mentioned.. i sharpened up a .38 spl case with my deburring tool and use a nylon hammer to and a piece of wood and whack the case though the plastic for the wad... i use a lid off of a butter container or the like... in this case i put in 2 .32 cal lead balls over a plastic wad then put in another plastic wad and crimp it in place... it's kinda cool to have two holes made in the target with every trigger pull!

 

[rg1]

Just saw this site with snake load tests: Note it's 3 pages
http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot30.htm

 

[Floppy_D]

Great article there.

 

[Bailey Boat]

I probably shouldn't admit this but their also good for the station 8 shots on a skeet field. It's a lot easier than you might think......

 

[David Wile]

Hey folks,

Like Snapping Twig, I use a gas check on top of the powder, then fill the case with #9 shot, and finish it off by topping the shot with a second gas check slightly crimped. A side view of the placement of the gas checks in the case would look like this: powder(shot-------------shot) with the "(" and the ")" indicating the directional placement of the gas checks in the case.

When first working up a snakeshot load, I would start with a fast powder charge like Bullseye and put about four grains of it in a case that was full length sized - but it did not have the spent primer removed. Then I would seat a gas check right on top of the powder with the open sides of the gas check up. Next I would fill the case with #9 shot, and then I would dump the shot in the scale pan and weigh the load of shot. If the shot weighed 150 grains or whatever, I would look in my loading manuals for a loading for that weight or something a little more than that weight. Then I would check to see what a safe charge weight of my chosen powder would be. If it would turn out that four grains of XYZ powder was a reasonable load for the weight of my shot load plus two gas checks, then I would make shot loads with those weights of powder and shot. If the powder and shot would have to be adjusted, I would use the inertia bullet puller to empty my test shell of the gas check and powder and start again. After one or two tries, you should be able to get a safe combination of powder and shot.

I liked Bullseye powder because it took less space in the case and left more room for shot. At fifteen feet, I could not see the doughnut type of dispersion in the shot that many folks report. My loads seemed to be pretty well dispersed. As far as leading the barrel, I never shot enough rounds to find any leading problem. I doubt if I ever shot more than ten or twelve rounds at one time for testing purposes, and routine cleaning left a clean barrel.

With the plastic cups, you can get a little more shot in them, but I also found they sometimes moved in the case. The twin gas check method works pretty well in .357 and .44 Mag.

Best wishes,
Dave Wile

 

[Quickdraw McGraw]

I'm pretty much understanding everything here execpt how and what you are using to crimp. Can you folks post a few pics. I'd really like to put together a few snake loads for my P345.

 

[David Wile]

Hey Quickdraw,

For my gas check topped loads, I just use my 38/357 or 44/44mag bullet seating die to roll crimp the end of case over the edge of the gas check.

Best wishes,
Dave Wile

 

[Uncle Chan]

So, if you aren't using the Speer capsules, do you have any problems with leading?

 

[Hook686]

Take a look at:

http://www.jamescalhoon.com/

Pick 'Informative Articles' on the left, then scroll down to 'Snake Loads For Handguns'.

Good luck and happy shooting those buggers.

 

[David Wile]

Hey Uncle Chan,

No, I never had any problems with fouling the barrel from lead shot. Then again, I never shot more than ten or twelve snake load rounds at one time. Normal cleaning took care of the barrel each time I tested loads, so I suspect it would take a good many more rounds before lead would build up in the barrel.

Best wishes,
Dave Wile

 

[Uncle Chan]

Hi David,

That's what I wanted to hear. Thanks much.

U.C.

 

[Quickdraw McGraw]

Anything new on this?

I am going to try and make a few for my 45 auto with cut down rifle brass. I am going to use heavy cardboard for wads and probably Unique. All I need to do is get some shot and old rifle brass then I can work up a load per Dave Wile's 4/1/08 post.

Only rifle brass I currently have is brand new Remington 270. Does anyone have a few old 30-06, 308, 270, 7mm-08 pieces of brass I could buy or trade for. I have a batch of really nice 45acp brass (RP, WW, WCC, etc.) for trade. Trade or buy, I'd appreciate some of your old rifle brass.

Thanks
Chunky Monkey