rifle shotshells

[oklahoma caveman]

has anybody ever tried to reload rifle cartridges as shot shells? i realize it woudnt work with brass that is necked down, but maybe with a straight walled cartridge like a 45/70?

i know its common practice with straight walled pistol cartridges so what about rifles?

i could see it being handy to have a handful of 45/70 shotshells in certain situations, or to maybe attempt to shoot skeet lol

 

[rcmodel]

I suppose you could do it.
(Load them, not shoot skeet)

CCI makes .45 caliber shot capsules that would prevent bore leading.
http://www.huntingtons.com/cases_cci.html

The problem would be getting them to feed in a lever-action 45-70.
I don't think they would.

rc

 

[Randy1911]

The biggest problem I would see is the rifling. It would put a spin on the shot and make it spread very quick. In my 357 loads with a 6" barrel I get about 1" of spread per foot of travel. That is 12 inches of spread at 12 feet. Anything farther than that the load would be almost useless.

 

[GP100man]

i made some 444 4grs clays , lee alox/ mineral spirits 50/50 the # 8 shot , cut cards for over powder & shot, fill case, little crimp & seal with water proof carpenters glue .

GP100man

 

[highorder]

You can just use .410 shells in the .45-70, no need to make up a handload.

 

[MMCSRET]

I load 444 Marlin brass just as I would a 2.5" 410. 410 shot cup and paper over shot card crimped to stay in place. They won't feed thru any of my pump 410s or the 9410 Winchester, but work great in single shot and double guns. Haven't tried them in my Mossberg bolt gun yet.

 

[rcmodel]

You can just use .410 shells in the .45-70, no need to make up a handload.

That sounds like risky business.

A 45-70 chamber is a lot bigger around then a .410 shot-shell.

About .024" to be exact.

It's also tapered by the same amount.

rc

 

[fireman 9731]

From Wikipedia:

Also issued was the .45-70 "Forager" round, which contained a thin wooden bullet filled with birdshot, intended for use hunting small game to supplement the soldiers' rations[9]. This round in effect made the .45-70 rifle into a 49 gauge shotgun.

It used to be done.... It would be interesting if it still could be...

 

[jmorris]

You can get a contender barrel in 45LC/.410 with removable choke tubes. Years ago they also sold "hot shot" loads that held more shot than could be used in revolvers for 44 and I think even 357.

http://www.tcarms.com/firearms/g2ContenderPistols.php

I doubt you would come up with something "usefull" for anything over 15'

 

[highorder]

You can just use .410 shells in the .45-70, no need to make up a handload.

That sounds like risky business.

A 45-70 chamber is a lot bigger around then a .410 shot-shell.

About .024" to be exact.

It's also tapered by the same amount.

rc

rc,

I got the info from an old salt, and confirmed it with Cartridges Of The World.

Personal testing with 2.5" #6 shells in an old trapdoor carbine shows no issues.

No split hulls, typical doughnut pattern. I'd imagine the relatively low pressure makes it a non-issue.

YMMV

 

[MMCSRET]

I've got a Ruger #1 in 45-70, never thought about .410 in it; Think I'll try it.

 

[Eb1]

your pattern will look like a donut.

 

[Borg]

Annie Oakly used shot in her 38-40 for exibition shooting. How do you think she shot so many glass balls out of the air.
Borg

 

[MMCSRET]

I've spent the last couple of hours playing with a 410 shot cup in a 45-70 case. I'm thinking maybe an over powder card under the shot cup and then a card wad over the shot maybe worth a try. The shot cup being soft should obturate when fired, did I say that right? Maybe a BP substitute for powder volume. Just thinking out loud.

 

[fireman 9731]

I think if you really wanted to go the 45-70 route, had some time and money, you could make it work with longer crimped 45-90 brass.

Just like the the little 22 shotshells.

Use a .410 wad and powders, could be pretty easy...

Then comes the hard part though... crimping the 45-90 case...I dont know if a .410 shotshell crimp would be able to do it....

Then once fired it may not want to extract at all though... who knows.... I'd say its worth a try....

 

[jim147]

Maybe it's just me but I'm a lot more accurate with any rifle bullet at shot gun ranges then I have found any of the pistol shotshells. I bought a box of .45 for my SAA. I went back to shooting the snakes with lead. Cheaper and I was sure I got them.
Maybe I never had a good .410 but I never was able to hit very many clays with one. Even in the days that I could hit 23-25 out of 25 with the 12 gauge.
Might have very limited use but I'm not seeing it on my place.

jim

 

[MMCSRET]

Yeah, but its fun to play with different concepts. Even if it is only a new twist on an old configuration.

 

[fireman 9731]

hmmmm... I keep thinking on this....

Sticking with BP for volume.... maybe about 50 grains-cardstock cookie-shot-cardstock cookie-heavy roll crimp.

Once I get home to my bench, I'm going to start tinkering

 

[MMCSRET]

fireman: that the attitude!!!!!!!!! I like it, maybe down the road we can compare notes. I'm also working on shot in 41 Mag. Saw an article on it but haven't found it yet.

 

[Randy1911]

I use to know a guy that shot 41 mag out of a 410 shotgun. I guess that it is possible.

 

[jmorris]

I use to know a guy that shot 41 mag out of a 410 shotgun. I guess that it is possible.

It's possible to clamp a 30-06 round in your teeth and set the primer off with a center punch. Come to think of it, I wouldn't do that either.

Watch what you post you never know who's reading.

 

[jordan1948]

I use to know a guy that shot 41 mag out of a 410 shotgun. I guess that it is possible.

Doubt if it was the same guy but I knew somebody who use to do that to.
But back on topic, didn't buffalo bill supossedly use .44-40 shotshells in a Winchester?

 

[rcmodel]

Back then, UMC, Winchester used to load shotshells in lever-gun calibers using hollow wood or hard cardboard "bullet" shot capsules. Had to be, or they wouldn't feed through a lever-action.

These were black-powder loads with a case full of powder up to the shot capsule. It would be very difficult to get a paper over-powder wad on top of a small charge of smokeless powder to seal in the tapered & slightly bottlenecked 44-40 case. Or the tapered 45-70 case for that matter.

rc