here is a link to them...click here

I'm looking to shoot them in a 38 special and am wondering what the experience is from those that have done it?

What charge is used?....do we load the white cap up or down?....do we crimp over the end of the capsule.....

Help me out here folks....it's rattlesnake season here.

When I tested Speer shot cups about half the time the shot and cup stayed together in one piece.
I developed my own paper cups that worked better. the pattern was about 1" per foot of distance from the target.
I don't have my records with me But I used HP-38 for about 1000 fps with 150 grains of #9 shot.
The cups were made from the coated paper backing of shipping labels. I made them as long as the case length from the rim of the cartridge to the mouth. I then folded the end into the crimped end of the cup and taped it. I then cut a wad from the same paper using a belled and inside chamfered case. After Priming the case and charging it with powder the wad was placed snugly over the powder. The cup is filled with 150 grains of #9 shot and the cartridge is placed over the open end. The case is then crimped with the folded end protruding from the case and resting on the wad.

Start with low charges and work it up to get the best pattern - high velocities do not make good patterns at all.

PaulS
what caliber are you shooting with 150 grains of #9 shot?.....is this .38/.357 rounds?

years ago I made shotshells for my .44 mag.....I placed a gas check over the powder charge.....filled with #9 shot and them crimped another gas check over the shot.

There was nothing protruding from the end of the case as there might be from speer's plactic capsules....but the .44 mag held enough shot to take care of snakes and other small pests regardless.

fwiw

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:
PaulS
what caliber are you shooting with 150 grains of #9 shot?.....is this .38/.357 rounds?

I was using 357 mag but at 38 +p pressures.

The Speer .38 shot capsules have worked fine for me for years. I've killed snakes and other small pests, usually at a distance of ten feet or less.

The cap turns toward the powder, with the solid end forward. The box they came in (an old one and data has probably been updated since then) says to use either 5.0 grains of SR 7625 or 5.5 grains of Unique with a full capsule of #9 shot (if you can obtain smaller shot it would probably be better). I have only loaded them in .38 Special cases. About .375" of the capsule protrudes from the case.

I mostly shoot them in an appropriately-named Colt "Diamondback" revolver.

I have some and reloaded a few I just don't shoot enough of them to make it worth while.

I just buy factory ones they last me for years.

quote:

Originally posted by Stonecreek:
The Speer .38 shot capsules have worked fine for me for years. I've killed snakes and other small pests, usually at a distance of ten feet or less.

The cap turns toward the powder, with the solid end forward. The box they came in (an old one and data has probably been updated since then) says to use either 5.0 grains of SR 7625 or 5.5 grains of Unique with a full capsule of #9 shot (if you can obtain smaller shot it would probably be better). I have only loaded them in .38 Special cases. About .375" of the capsule protrudes from the case.

I mostly shoot them in an appropriately-named Colt "Diamondback" revolver.

an excellent reply.....thank you stonecreek!

I load them as Stonecreek mentioned. Since I don't want to buy a full 25# bag of shot, I usually just buy the cheapest box of 12 ga #9 I can find and disassemble them. For $6 in 12 ga shells, I get planty of shot.

I have also loaded 357 shells without the Speer cups, but I don't gain enough to do it any more. I just use a spent shell as a cookie cutter and make "wads" out of the fast food styrofoam containers. One goes over the powder and one over the shot column. Then crimp and a dab of superglue and you are good to go. You can use whatever powder you like based on the weight of the shot. Just go to a book and use X grains of powder for Y grains of shot just like it was a regular bullet. I still do this for my .41 Mag.

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
#12 better

I looked at that earlier.....thought $40 was a bit much for the gain over #9 shot....but if there is interest, I'll buy a bag and split it with folks here...five guys and two pounds each....roughly $10 each....what say you?

I will take some. If you come to DSC...I will wait and get min there in Jan.

I loaded them back in the 1970's when the shot capsules were yellow. I still have some of them loaded, for the 44 Mag. I have used No9 and No6 shot, and I am fixing to load some in the 45 ACP case using the 45 Colt CCI shot cups, so I can have shotshells for a 45 ACP revolver.

The CCI's made for the ACP work great in a 1911, but they will lock up a revolver.

However now since CCI loads them from the factory I usually just buy the factory loaded ones.

I have used them in 22LR, 22 Mag, 38 Special, 9mm luger, 44 Mag, 45 ACP and 45 Colt.

They work great on snakes, even the 22LR.

The 44/45's work great on small game including mountain grouse.

I always carry a bunch of them when I hunt/fish.

I have dies from RCBS to make 45's from 308 brass etc. Kind of neat as they will feed in a well tuned 1911. I got over it awhile ago though, and havnt made any in years.

speer warns against using their shot capsule in a ported barrel....just wondering if anyone has done this and what were the results.....

Speer's warning is subtle but direct.....

I'll go Speer one better and warn against using any kind of ammunition in a ported barrel . Guns were intended to spit their ejecta out the front, not the top or the sides.

fired one shot today from an unported 6" barrel....got a very pleasing 10" group at ten feet distance.

#9 shot was used and it seems like a finer shot might be defeating.....

I used 3.5 grains of tightgroup.....worked like a charm.

I would think the cup would still be intact in the barrel. I will have to try some in my Taurus Tracker to see how it does.

I have a tracker as well and will test fire some to see what happens.....I suspect some plastic to be frayed upwards but can't see much else.....but still will use precautions in shooting these loads.

te capsules worked well in a 4" ported tracker and no ill effects from the porting was noticed.

The pattern was about a foot in diameter at 6 feet however....much larger than from my 6" model

More BBs would have improved the pattern but was still adequate for small pests