Snake loads

IWAC

IWAC

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Joined
Sep 11, 2013
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The Great American Desert
Looking to load up some snake loads for my 357 Magnum. I'll use a gas check over the powder, and another over the shot. I think an unsized 357 check is too large to fit inside the 357 case, so what size shall I buy that will provide a good snug fit? .30 or .32?
Thanx!
 
IWAC said:
Looking to load up some snake loads for my 357 Magnum. I'll use a gas check over the powder, and another over the shot. I think an unsized 357 check is too large to fit inside the 357 case, so what size shall I buy that will provide a good snug fit? .30 or .32?
Thanx!
Click to expand...
From my notes for 38 special, using #9 shot, sageoutdoors/gator copper 338 gas-checks over powder and aluminum 357 over shot (bracketing the shot), That should work with an appropriate primer and powder load. I used nail polish to seal these.
 
NMexJim said:
Cut your own with another case. Cut an opening so’s you can get ‘em out. Cork, felt, paper, whatever.

Or

www.speer.com

Buy Shot Capsule for USD 14.99 | Speer

Shopping for the Shot Capsule - Learn more about the latest Shot Capsules and other hunting, shooting or reloading gear at Speer.
www.speer.com www.speer.com

I dig the red heels!
Click to expand...
Yep, I used plastic caps etc. Cut them with a sharpened (deburring tool etc) case.

Crimped right over them. Powder, paper disc, shot, plastic disc, roll crimp over it.
 
These with #12 are pretty good, up close.

coastalfirearmshop.com

Buy Speer Empty Shot Capsules 38 Special - Coastal Firearms

Buy Speer Empty Shot Capsules 38 Special. Speer Bullets has been known as a leader in innovative bullet technology since Vernon Speer started making bullets in 1943. Speer Empty Shot Capsules are one of those innovative products that Speer is known for. These capsules allow the reloader to...
coastalfirearmshop.com coastalfirearmshop.com
 
For nasty little things like copperheads or rattlers, outside of a 12 ga, I want all the shot I can get.
 
I find the home made snake shot holds more pellets and patterns better than the capsules. I have loaded 103 grains of #8 shot over 5.5 g of universal. I punch wads out of gasket material using a sharpened scrap case. one wad over the powder, one over the shot with a roll crimp and then a dab of Elmer's glue over the top. I have shot a lot of these over the years mostly at mice and they work well.

Edit to say this is in a 357 case.
 
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Here is the criteria I use when making shot shells. I just asked a local shotgunner, who reloads, if I could have a few ounces of shot, rather than cutting up a perfectly good shot shell.
 

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IWAC said:
Looking to load up some snake loads for my 357 Magnum. I'll use a gas check over the powder, and another over the shot. I think an unsized 357 check is too large to fit inside the 357 case, so what size shall I buy that will provide a good snug fit? .30 or .32?
Thanx!
Click to expand...
Some years ago I ordered a batch of copper and aluminum GC from Vulcanchecks (who doesn't seem to be in business anymore) and they were .35 which worked for me.
 
jmorris said:
The Speer ones generally allow for more shot because it all doesn’t need to be inside the case.

View attachment 1168323

My 45 ACP loads do pattern better than any factory Load I have ever tried but I think that’s due to the cut down .410 wads I use.

View attachment 1168322
Click to expand...
My experience is the Speer capsule will hold about 95 grains and a 357 case will hold 103 grains over the same powder load so that's not true in this case.
 
Interesting post on Castboolits re Speer capsules

Loading Speer Shot Capsules

Speer Shot Capsules are available in 38, 44 and 45. A big advantage of the capsules is the ability to load more shot without having to use special brass. The capsules also come with a cupped plastic gas seal wad which works better than a card wad. However they are not without problems. The...
castboolits.gunloads.com
 
The Speer capsules with #9 work well and usually pattern fine to 5yds. With snakes*, I figure if they’re more than 3 yds away and not in the immediate walkway or play area around the house, they get to go on about their business. I’m not going to eat the rats, so someone‘s got to do it.

*this is all about the venomous ones. Non-venomous snakes get picked up and moved for their own protection. King snakes get preferential treatment because they eat all the copperheads.
 
Funny, I answered this question on another popular forum he asked this on and my answer was also the Speer shot capsules.

I also told him what I loaded years ago so as to answer the original question lol.

It's probably not the same person but it is the same question lol.
 
REB said:
My experience is the Speer capsule will hold about 95 grains and a 357 case will hold 103 grains over the same powder load so that's not true in this case.
Click to expand...

I have to wonder if they make them differently now, than they used to. Even my larger than #12 shot are heavier than that.

These are .38 cal, #8 or 9 shot from before I made the switch to #12 Shot.

0C28237A-7CC8-440E-9933-1B73DCB5D679.jpeg

And with #12.

90003ACD-8E8C-4038-89FC-0B8F324D27FD.jpeg

45 cal one with #12 for comparison.

86E084CC-E6E6-4CD9-AD8E-A1BE98117200.jpeg
I have always found lighter loads to pattern better. The faster you push them, the worse the pattern gets. Most likely due to the rifling slinging them further and further from the center. My semiauto loads stop just after the firearm runs. I would slow them down further but a semiauto that is a single shot isn‘t something I am interested in.
 
I use the Speer shot capsules plus #8 shot to make my .45LC snakey-loads. Loaded up a couple dozen, shot maybe a dozen...bought two 50-rd boxes, so I doubt I will ever use a significant percentage of them. Our local ranges ban the use of "shotshells" even though there is no way that a .45LC with #8 shot is going to do any damage to their 25 yard range. Good luck arguing with Corporate...

Also have some of the factory-loaded .38/357 versions, probably with a bit smaller shot.

I have read enough threads where people used a home-made saw-tooth case and a styrofoam egg crate to cut undershot and overshot wads, sealed with a bit of Elmo's Glue.

If I were shy on resources, or loading a caliber that Speer capsules were not available, or I just wanted to experiment, I'd be tempted to try exactly this approach.
 
jmorris said:
My 45 ACP loads do pattern better than any factory Load I have ever tried but I think that’s due to the cut down .410 wads I use.
Click to expand...
Very cool! How do you star crimp your .45s (if that’s what it is) And what’s the load? I have to make some of those.
 
lordpaxman said:
Very cool! How do you star crimp your .45s (if that’s what it is) And what’s the load? I have to make some of those.
Click to expand...

I don’t star crimp the ones I make but there are die’s available that will.

Blank Crimping

Blank crimping
chtoolanddie.com

My first die, I made using an old steel die that wasn‘t useable. I annealed it so I could machine it to form my cases.

FAADB635-B9B0-4234-A766-9617B05904B1.jpeg

I also drilled and tapped it for the plunger that pushes the over shot card down and roll crimps it, in place.

67494180-CB73-4A1F-894A-FC609E4759EF.jpeg

I got up to 6.0 grains of W231 before my “beater” 1911 ran 100% with them. I had been making the case from 308 family brass with the necks cut off but my next batch, I am going to use these 45 ACP blank cases from starline.

8DE62A40-C4D1-4D30-AB0F-DF3D20369B31.jpeg

When I made another for .380, my brain started working and I just machined a piece of 3/4 bar stock, to form the case and dropped that into a Lee powder die, after I dumped the expander out.

54509797-48D2-45F9-8DBE-21BD15CEAADF.jpeg
I just use a .40 caliber round nose bullet seater to form the roll crimp on them. Left to right, ready to shoot, ready to crimp and fired.

9DA61361-3A96-44E5-95E7-4F48FB3D3495.jpeg
 
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No need to use expensive gas checks!
Go to harbor freight and get a punch set and cut your wads from corrugated cardboard. Or cereal boxes. I prefer to cut the over powder wads from wine boxes cardboard. I use the 3/8” punch to cut .38cal . (5/16 for.30-32, 7/16 for.44-45cal.)
I use a 5/16” hard wood dowel to seat the wads. Fill the cases to 1/8” below the case neck; set another wad over the shot, the crimp with a generous roll crimp. For a tighter seal, use a sealer of clear fingernail polish.
Gas checks are nearly as expensive as primers today.
For a .38/.357 I use 3.5gr of Bullseye or RedDot.
.44-.45 5.0gr of Bullseye or 4.8gr of RedDot or GreenDot, 5.0gr of Unique.
A .45Colt holds .4oz of shot, btw. You can use the .44/.45 shot shells in a .410ga chamber ….
I’ve used a .45c case and #6 to shoot squirrels in my front yard…
 
I’d use RCBS shot capsules, if available. They have larger shot capacities and good loading information.

I’ve dabble with 327 Fed Mag shot charges using a gas check for over snd under shot charge. It just never had real great performance. I don’t think scaling up to 38 caluber with gas checks would do much better even though the shot charge would be a bit larger.

But, the RCBS shot capsules can be hard to get at times.

Note, I have Pat Marlin’s aluminum gas check dies so the gas checks are cheap as dirt.
 
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