I have read about shooting muzzel loader round balls and buckshot out of modern cartridge handguns and rifle calibers. anyone try this?

buckshot cannot be had so cheaply that it makes surplus .223 look expensive.

IT is about 11 cents /shot for .223 deliverec to your door.

.223 sounds like a good future endeavor if you can shoot for $.11 a shot. is this the kind of ammno you better clean the gun soon after you shoot or face corrosion problems?
I like your idea but i have to buy a new gun to try it. in the mean time have you shot any .433 round balls out of a .44 magnum or any buckshot close to .308 out of any .308 rifle?

Leadbottom - Do NOT shoot lead balls for muzzle loaders in your rifles or pistols. The lead balls are cast from nearly pure lead and are very soft, plus there is no bullet lubricant! All you are going to do by this practice is lead the living hell out of your rifle/pistol barrel. Plus they would shoot like crap at any rate.

Shoot the right bullet in your guns! It you want to reduce cost, buy your bullets in bulk, jacketed or cast, and go from there.

I don't relaod 308 because you can buy the milsurp 7.62x51 so cheap

1000 rounds of non corrosive NATO headstamp 146 gr FMJ manufactured in the '80's for $140 at Aim Surplus...

Shoots about 2 MOA off the bench in my rifle, (much better than I can do offhand with open sites...)

Leadbottom
Get yourself a copy of George Nonte's book on reloading. He gives all sorts of ideas on how to us cast lead balls and buckshot, alternative projectiles, for shooting on the cheap.
Jim

Leadbottom, I've used buckshot in 8X57JR drilling rounds for potting squirrels, etc. With mild loads, buckshot is hard enough to shoot without leading, BUT, buckshot is not pure lead like muzzleloader balls are.

The cheapest way to shoot is...(in descending order):

.22 rimfire

Dart guns

Toy guns ("Bang Bang" yer dead!)

7.62x39 $66 per thousand, 8x57 $66 per 1050rds including bandoliers and stripper clips!

I shoot a 30/06 gallery load from time to time and they are a hoot. I use a 22. lr empty as a dipper. one dip of Bullseye is the charge. I stuff some kapok in for filler. toilet paper wad will do as well. I place a 00 buck on top of the primed and unsixed brass and put a piece of wood on top and gently tap the ball into the mouth. the lead is shaved slightly. tap them in gently or you could drive them to the bottom. I pull off the excess lead and lube them at the range before shooting. Nonte used vasoline, ugh, a mess, I use a little bore butter for my muzzle loader. They fire at between 850 and 1000 fps. they are accurate, I can place a 10 shots in a 2" circle at 50 yards with open sights '03. Great fun, My .308 doesn't feed well, it misses a pointed bullet. My Springfields have no problem. You won't get leading at these low speeds. just subsonic fun. JB

Yeah, 8mm Mauser.

I have two, an M-48 and an M- 98/22. Each gun was less then $100. The Turk Mauser is going for about $50 these days.

Turk ammo in 70 rd bandoliers runs me $6.50 each out the door. 700 rd case at $62.

These are circa 150 gr. bullets running some 2500 fps. The recoil is substantial. (I like recoil, makes me feel like I'm shooting something.) The guns typically shoot very accurately out to ranges of 700 - 800 yds.

Cheap shooting. And Mausers are fine, fine rifles.

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.223 Ackley Improved Wildcat Forum:
http://www.hotboards.com/plus/plus.mirage?who=223ackleyimproved

Hey Leadbottom -

Don't be such a cheap bas**ard and go buy some bullets ! Jeez ! :-)

I think what you're trying to do here is tone down that .44 mag cannon so you can shoot a relatively slow, low-recoil bullet with some degree of accuracy and repeatability, right?

By keeping the charge mild and the bullet slow, you probably won't be melting that soft lead ball too much and not lead your barrel too badly, eh?

Brilliant. Hope it works !

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-Dino
IHMSA #56176
A man said to the universe: "Sir, I exist!" "However," replied the universe, "That fact has not created in me a sense of obligation." - Stephen Crane