Speer shot capsules with #9 or 7 1/2 shot work great in 44 Mag. Spread is approx 1" per foot. 20 feet is about 20" spread. Even though you "lightly" crimp the case to hold the capsule you can not shoot a 44 mag round with a shot capsule in another chamber as it will unseat the capsule and lock up your cylinder. Like before, use the Speer data and instructions. Unique at 6.8 grains, Speer shot capsule, 7 1/2 shot, large pistol primer (not magnum), works well for me.
quote:Originally posted by rg1: ...you can not shoot a 44 mag round with a shot capsule in another chamber as it will unseat the capsule and lock up your cylinder...
Rg1,
Does a shot capsule round count as a 44 magnum round? In other words, can I load six of these in a cylinder and shoot them all?
How does the recoil and noise level compare to factory 44 magnum rounds?
I don't have my Speer manual in hand. Are these loads in the 44 Remington Magnum section or somewhere else?
H. C.
Posts: 3691 | Location: West Virginia | Registered: 23 May 2001
Yes you can load 6 shot capsules and shoot them all. Guess I wasn't clear. Don't try a regular load with a shotshell loaded in another chamber. Very little if any recoil and it sounds more like a 22 rimfire. The Speer manual I have (#10) has the info in the back on pages 401-403. You take the Speer shot capsule and dip it nearly full of shot. Then snap on the base wad. Seat the capsule into the brass for an overall length of 1.600" Most of the time you can seat the capsule with just finger pressure. Sometimes you may have to use your press and apply light pressure. After seating the capsule apply a roll crimp firmly enough to hold the capsule in place. The book says a firm roll crimp but do not crush the capsule. I've carried my .44 magnum with a shotshell in the cylinder when in snake country with five 240 grain regular loads behind it.
I guess 44 loads are different, because I often put 4 158gr JHP 357 Magnum loads and a shotshell in my SP-101, loaded with the hammer down on the shotshell. I figure that if I want the shotshell, I can open the cylinder and rotate it so the shotshell fires first. I have shot the 4 158 JHPs then the shotshell many times, and never had the capsule lock up the cylinder. All of the cartridges were factory loads. Sometimes I forget that the shotshell is #5 until there's "no" recoil on that last shot.
Bill
Posts: 1169 | Location: USA | Registered: 23 January 2002
Don't overfill the capsule or you can't get the base wad to seat all the way. FYI, the loaded capsule with #7 1/2 lead shot weighs approx. 143 grains and the shot that fills the capsule weighs about 124 grains. Advertised velocity from a 6" barrel is about 1100 f.p.s. There are about 100 pellets of 7 1/2 shot in a capsule. You'll have to test them in your gun to see what type of pattern it shoots. The book says that a 5-8% reduction in powder will sometimes give a better pattern and that increasing the charge does not help the pattern. You can shoot them in a rifle too but they may not feed and you will have to load one round into the chamber at a time.
Bill may be right about the .357 and .44 mag. It won't hurt to give it a try. Shoot 5 full-power loads and see if the capsule unseats enough to lock the cylinder. Maybe I just didn't crimp the capsule enough. I have had "one" unseat on me. It's no big deal though as you can fix the jam easily. Wouldn't recommend having a shotshell in the cylinder if you carry it for protection from big critters though unless it's the first shot.
