Home Forums Reloading Handgun Reloading Help 45 LC Shotshell

I saw the thread a couple years back, can't seem to find it. I have some #11 shot, disc, etc. Anybody care to share their load for snakeshot. Not much data running around on that. I have several different powders available.

Here is some Speer data. I’ve never loaded handgun shotshells. My buddy use to but he used the plastic capsules.

That is about what I loaded in my 44 mag. &gr Universal Clays or 6 gr W231. I think it was JB that published an article on it years ago and said you don't want to hot rod shot shells because the pattern gets erratic and spreads to much. Also #12 shot was recommended, but the smallest I had was # 9 and it worked fine on grouse

I have used Speer shot cups or two gas checks. Both work.Also used some cut down.410 shot cups in my 45-70 with a cork was on top and a paraffin sealant. I can't find my notes on the powder or charge for that though

You remember how much shot you used?

Here's the old thread. Lots of good info here:

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/6386432/2QUOTE=Ferrum;13268293

With the Speer shot cups and the.410 shot cups, those pretty much determined it. I have note on the side of my safe that says 7gr W231, 120 gr of shot. I don't know if that was #7, #8, or #9 shot.I have since sold all my 44's. Probably the above reference by John Harvard is better info than mine.

Following the Doc Rocket thread John Havard posted, I use .445 SuperMag brass, .410 shot cups and 6 grains of Universal to make shot shells for my .44's (both Magnum and Special). How much shot? All that will fit in the case.

The first loading I used a 7x57 sizer to get the front half of the cases small enough to fit in the cylinder throats, all subsequent loadings I've used a 10mm sizer and push the "shoulder" back enough to fit Special chambers. .41 Mag sizer might work as well.

Whether these work better than the Speer Shot Capsules I don't know, but they are certainly less fragile.

Thanks fellas, gonna find out tomorrow.

Took 6 grains of W231 and covered it with a shot card.



Roughly 190 grains of #11 shot



Lightly crimped a gas check over the shot.



Post results in a few.

5 yards, wouldn't wanna catch a load of it.

Did it lead your barrel much? Also, was this a .45 Colt or .44 Magnum? I don't guess it really makes any difference. I'm thinking of making a batch for my .44 out of .445 Supermag brass using either a 10mm or .40 cal. sizing die. I'll have to order both items, the reason I have not experimented with this yet. The smallest quantity of .445 Supermag brass that I have seen to order is 100 pieces. I can see 25 or maybe a stretch to 50, but 100 is really way too many for me to justify for something I will never have any use for.

I made some of these some time back for a .357 Magnum, using .357 Maximum brass. So, I have plenty of shot available. Also have some .357 Maximum brass to trade for some .445 Supermag brass if anyone is interested. They shoot good into paper. Never shot a snake with one, though.

I've been making shotshells for my .44 magnum pistols for about 40 years.

I make the cases from .303 Savage or British or .30-40 Krag cases. The rim diameter and thickness has to be cut down to .44 pistol specs which I do with a file and an electric drill to spin the cases. I then cut the cases just short of the length of the pistol cylinder.

I use large pistol primers, and 7 grains of Unique or 6.5 grains of Clays Universal powder. To keep the shot from contacting the rifling, l use a .410 shotshell wad that is cut 1/4" shorter. I then fill the shot cup with #8 or 9 shot, and press a paper "hole" from a large hole paper punch, over the shot and seal it with a drop of white glue.

The cases are straight tapered before being shot, and are bottlenecked after. Many years ago I bought a ".44 magnum shotshell" size die from RCBS. Luckily the first pistol that I made these shotshells for was a Ruger so my size die was made for the longer neck for the bottleneck from a Ruger cylinder. Cases shot in a S&W cylinder have a shorter neck, but cases sized in my die will fit both Ruger and S&W pistols.

These shotshells will easily kill a grouse at 5 yards, and I have fun breaking station 8 Skeet targets with them.

This was for 45 Colt, only fired one, didn't see any leading, not sure what it'd do if you continously ran a bunch through it though.

There is an article in Handloader's Digest #11 about making full cylinder length pistol shotshells. Shortened 444 Marlin brass can be used for 45 Colt says the author. The following is my experience with the 44 Magnum. Process is the same except for the parent case.

Before there was a 445 Supermag I had to use either 30-40 Krag or 303 British brass cut to length with the rims thinned & rim diameter reduced then fireformed to the cylinder. After rim thinning, primer pockets also had to be cut deeper so pistol primers would seat flush. The fireform leading was so bad I bought a Lewis lead remover because mercury was getting hard to find. I found a set of cheap used 41 mag dies to size the case mouths. The final load was around 6-8gr. of Unique (sometimes less is better) with a 410 wad trimmed to just below the case mouth then filled with #8 shot. I sacrificed a case for a top wad punch & with deburring tool in hand sharpened the mouth so a tap with a hammer would cut thru cardboard. Thinking it was from the back of a yellow lined school issue tablet but any single ply cardboard will work. Top wads are held in place with enough 5 minute epoxy to cover it fully. Never had a need for an over powder wad, the 410 wad fits snugly all the way down. Pressure is low, so the brass will last for a long time.

Back when I'd still climb around on a roof I had just finished a new one on the garage so had some aluminum flashing scrap handy. The shot penetrated the flashing at 10 ft & most of the shot was in a pattern around 6 or 7". These things are hell on snakes. Out of the original 25 from the mid 80s, there were still a few loaded & they all worked perfectly last summer. Thinking it may have taken 45 minutes to reload them but they're ready to go again.

It looks like 445 S/mag brass is shorter than cylinder length on a 44 Special, but not by much. They may be easier than doing all the rim surgery & fireforming/deleading with the rifle brass for my Special.

Edit... Aw geeze I stopped for lunch & to find the original article & the info is posted already.

Turn those gas checks over and you can get a few more shot under them. 😊 At least that’s what I did when I used the same method but the easiest way is to use the Speer shot capsules.

Good tip, thanks.