Home Forums Reloading Shotshells Reloading Copperhead copper plated BB's in shotshells???

Is it safe for the shotgun barrel and chokes to load Copperhead brand copper coated BB's using steel reloading components and reloading data? I've spent the last two hours online looking for information and my old and new Lyman manuals haven't anything to say on the subject that I can find. I don't know how "hard" the steel is in the BB's for BB guns in relation to steel shot.

I haven't loaded anything for shotgun but lead and not much at that in the past 15-20 years. Now I got a wild hair to do some slug testing, dug out my older "stuff", bought a cheap used Rem 870, then decided I needed something a bit larger than the #8 shot I've been using as ballast in my sidecar No one in town has anything larger than #6 lead and I don't want to order #25 for just to load up a couple dozen shells for crow and varmints.

Any help out there from those who know?

Thanks

'Njoy

No, it's not, unless these are steel BB's, instead of the usual lead BB's. If they are copper coated STEEL, use steel data, if they are copper coated lead, use lead data.

As an aside, where are you located? If you're close, I've got a bunch of copper coated lead bb's I'd be happy to sell you. FWIW, Dutch.

I live in Oregon...long ways away, but thanks.

I'm talking about STEEL BB's used to shoot in BB guns, the old Daisy Red Rider lever and pump BB guns...Copperhead brand or Crosman BB's. I don't know if the steel shot used in shotshell reloading is "softer" or a different hardness than the steel used to make BB for BB guns.

I wouldn't hesitate for a minute to shoot them using steel data. HTH, Dutch.

Thanks again Dutch. The consensus on several shotgun related sites seems to be "err on the conservative side and don't". Airgun BB's are "harder" compared to shotshell steel shot being "softer". I was hoping to use the BB's but I will just wait for the shipment of components to arrive and return the BB's to Big R. I don't hunt "things" that are regulated to steel shot use, so it won't be an issue for me.

'Njoy

NFG - I've heard the same thing. So better safe than sorry, atleast for me...might be a bunch of Whoo'ee though ~

I saw those posts, but I'm skeptical. Just taking a quick glance, it appeared most of the problems were reported from shooting steel bb's before barrels were rated for shooting steel. I suspect the problem was shooting steel, not shooting hard steel.

Hevi shot is far harder than steel, too, and it doesn't hurt barrels. JMO, Dutch.

I'm from Missouri...I gotta seeeee. I don't know of any way to test the hardness of the airgun BB's, steel shot or Hevi shot for that matter, against the hardness of barrel steel and be certain. Mostly we take the word of the makers. There are many grades of steel, just look at ASTM manual for metals for a real headache. 10 bucks against the cost of a ruined barrel doesn't compute for me. Even though a few scratches won't make much difference in the pattern, blowing off the choke tube could put a crimp in my pocket book. And even though my favorite 'smith only charges 50 bucks to bob a barrel and add a choke receiver...plus the cost of a choke...that's still more than I want to pay for "the possibility". I will let someone else do the destructive testing while I watch and wait.

i met a couple LAPINE reloaders experimenting with reloading. they where shooting bb gun bb's. they where also doing several other dangerous things. with steel shot being as cheep as it is in 10lb sacks i would just use it in steel shot approved wads

DON"T use steel BB's (ala Red Rider) in your shotgun. You WILL ruin the barrel.

You must trust me on this.

W