Make a Big Game Gun from a Shotgun

[Joe Gunns]

From George & Jacques Herter's PROFESSIONAL GUIDE'S MANUAL (1963 5th edition) p. 210:

"If you ever run out of rifle ammunition and have a shotgun and shotshells around you can quickly convert the shotgun into a powerful big game weapon for short range."

"Take the shotgun shells and open up the star crimp or take out the overshot wads in the case of a rolled crimp. Pour luke warm paraffin down into the shot charge. Do not have the paraffin too hot. Have it just nice and liquid. The paraffin will hold the shot together in a lump when it is fired. Put the crimp back in place, and seal it in place with liquid paraffin."

"At ranges up to 25 yards such a shotgun charge will kill anything it hits with ease including an elephant. It will bowl over a lion like a jack rabbit. It will knock down deer or bear as quick as the most powerful rifle. Teddy Roosevelt used such a weapon in Africa with very good results many, many years ago."

Anybody have any experience, direct or hearsay, with this?

 

[Oldnamvet]

Wouldn't it be easier to just buy some slugs? I used to have one of Herter's guide manuals from the same time frame. It used to be good for laughs. I remember one item where the way to repel a bear attack was to spit into its mouth. That one was always good for a grin. somehow, I don't think you'd be able to work up enough saliva under those conditions. They said it worked if you were calm enough. LOL

 

[Jim Watson]

Or you could try the Depression Era trick of cutting the shell. That is, cutting most of the way through the tube at the base of the wad column. Shoot and the whole front end of the shell goes down the barrel as a unit; to act as a slug at deer-jacklighting range.

Both are emergency measures. Just buy some slugs.

 

[CNYCacher]

slug?

I got a better idea!!

Instead of wax between the lead pellets. . .

how about. . .

more. . . lead.


Actually, who knows. perhaps the wax keeps it together just enough to penetrate, and then the shot spreads inside the animal. Imagine 200 bird pellets entering your body at one point and then dispersing in different directions. OUCH!


Regarding the idea about cutting the tube: My friend told me about that idea a couple months ago. I dont't think it will work because the bore of the gun is smaller than the chamber. We compared the muzzle to a shell and there's no way it would go down. this was a slug barrel, no choke.

 

[Amish_Bill]

The bullet is often slightly bigger than the bore too, but the metal gets reshaped to fit upon firing. I don't think the plastic of the shell will pose much of a problem, beyond some basic fouling, and maybe cycling in a repeater.

 

[444]

I think the point is that you are some place where you can't just buy slugs. Otherwise you would just buy more rifle ammo.
This is a field expedient type of thing.

Interesting. I would love to have someone try it.

Why try to put the crimp back ?

 

[Quo Vadis]

Twelve Gauge Whoppin

I got a better idea!!….Imagine 200 bird pellets entering your body…

That shot is called -PolyShok- www.polyshok.com acts like a liquid, 6 inch entry, 12 inch temporary wound cavity. Bang! Your dead..

 

[CSA 357]

i have seen shot gun shells ringed, cut it almost into at edge of the brass yes it works, no i wouldnt do it

 

[redneck2]

I dont't think it will work because the bore of the gun is smaller than the chamber. We compared the muzzle to a shell and there's no way it would go down. this was a slug barrel, no choke.

Guarantee you this will work, at least with the old paper shells.

Don't ask...

 

[Joe Gunns]

Yeah, slugs obviously would be the way to go. I assumed the suggestion was for in case you are out in the woods and happen to run out of centerfire ammo and only have shotshells. Although I have no plans to run out and try it, my curiosity was piqued. Had not heard the cut shell trick either. I would think that would be easier than the wax trick and more likely to be effective. I'll have to check roosevelt's AFRICAN GAME TRAILS again to see if he mentions the waxed charge, as I don't recollect that he did. Don't think I'd wanna try elephant or lion at 25 yrds with it, even if TR did.

 

[Fred Fuller]

"Don't think I'd wanna try elephant or lion at 25 yrds with it, even if TR did."
========================================================

I sure wouldn't suggest it. Sounds like a bad idea to me. ANY improvised load- waxed charge, rung shell or whatever- is at best a poor substitute for a good hard lead alloy, sharp-shouldered slug like a Brenneke. With Kent/Brenneke KO slugs available at less than $3 per box of five (and less than $2/box on sale) there is little excuse for anyone not to have an ample supply of the real thing. That said, I would hate to have to tackle anything more dangerous than homo sapiens at close range even with a shotgun loaded with Brennekes... .

lpl/nc

 

[ball3006]

For many years....

in Michigan it was illegal to possess a "cut shell" at times other than deer season.....I don't know if it is still in the hunting regs now......chris3

 

[ArmedBear]

Hmmm...

So you have a crimping press but no access to anything but a birdshot shell?

This was probably a more practical tip back when roll-crimped paper shells were more common. You can carry a vintage roll crimp tool in a coat pocket and clamp it on a tree branch. It includes a crank. Modern tools generally attach to a drill, so they're less portable.

Modern plastic star crimps are a lot faster and easier, and they don't require a separate overshot card, but they do require a relatively heavy, large press. And they're not so easy to "uncrimp" without damaging the hull.

I guess with paraffin holding the shot in, you don't need a good crimp, but I wouldn't try feeding a hull with the crimp hanging half open through a repeater. You could end up with a mess of paraffin and shot jamming your receiver.

Maybe I'm wrong, though. Never tried it.

All of that said, a wax-and-shot load is tried and true. I'm just not sure how easy it would be to make clean shells in the field without tools.

 

[ACP230]

If I didn't have my deer rifle, I'd be even more unlikely to have paraffin.

Herter's Catalog was always fun though.
The company put out a cookbook that was written the same way too.
Everything was described in the most glowing terms possible.

 

[Amish_Bill]

Think to when this was probably written. Think of the Surefire or Streamlight to Candle ratio of an expedition camp...

 

[Quo Vadis]

fly boy

What's the point of Decadence
if you can't set back and enjoy it?
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http://1000aircraftphotos.com/
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[redneck2]

With the old paper hull shells....take a knife and cut around the hull until it's almost cut off. Load in the more open barrel (of a 12 gauge sxs). Blow hole thru both sides of a deer. Food getter during the depression.

Also, if have a hawk stealing chickens, follow the flight path to the nest and use above to blow the nest out of the tree (while the adult is in it). Not condoning it, but this was common practice in the early 1900's. If you were depending on the chickens to feed your family, the hawk had to go.