I read here that Tasco 74 laods his own shotshells for a handgun.

What do you use as in place of the little plastic capsule?

Can you buy the actual caps of use something else?

Hey Express, They are called Shotshell Capsules and you can get tham from Speer for the 38Spl/357Mag and 44Spl/44Mag. Load info is in your Speer Manual.

You can also make cartridges to shoot shot by using "Cardboard" disks to separate the shot from the powder. Then add one more disk above the shot and Roll Crimp the case mouth onto the disk. Add a drop or two of glue to maintain the integrity of the Load when other cartridges are fired in adjacent cylinders. This method does not work nearly as well as the Capsules.

I've used the Capsules loaded from an old sack of #7 shot for many years with excellent results on our Southeastern USA Snakes.

Thanks HC.
Do you seat these caps in the dies as you would a slug or do it by hand?
They look pretty delicate.

EXPRESS YOU SURELY CAN GET AMERICAN RELOADING CATALOGS THERE. THE CAPSULES ARE MADE BY SPEER,THE SHOT I USE IS SALVAGED FROM OLD SHOT SHELLS. I HAVE SHARPENED UP A .38 SPL CASE WITH A DEBURRING TOOL AND CUT WADS OUT OF PLASTIC COFFEE CAN LIDS. I USE THAT SETUP TO BUILD A LOAD WITH 2 .32 CAL. ROUND BALLS TO MAKE A MULTI-BALL LOAD. THEY ARE FUN TOO. YOU CAN DO THE SAME WITH SHOT BUT YOU HAVE MORE ROOM FOR SHOT IN THE CAPSULES.

FOLLOW HC'S DIRECTIONS AND LOAD THEM BY HAND WITHOUT A PRESS. A .22 MAG CASE CAN BE USED FOR A TOOL TO PUSH THE WADS INTO PLACE OVER THE POWDER.I'D STILL OPT FOR THE SPEER CAPSULES THOUGH.

HC WHAT DOES THE SPEER MANUAL RECOMEND FOR A POWDER CHARGE IN THE .38 SPL LOAD??

UNDERSTOOD H C IS THERE A WEIGHT LISTED FOR THE PAyload in there?? thanks for the info......

Hey Tasco 74, Yes.

Speer lists one load amount for each of the Powders. I thought about this when I first began using the Shotshell Capsules and decided that since they had millions of dollars of Pressure Equipment, I'd go by their recommendations.

If you load it too low, then you would not get the optimum performance and penetration desired.

On the other hand, if you load it too high, you could exceed the SAAMI MAX Pressure limit for the 38Spl, or end up creating a "Blown Pattern" with the small amount of shot.

...

Another way to create the Shotshells is to seat a "Gas Check" in the Expanded case, load it with shot, seat another Gas Check(upsidedown) and Roll Crimp.

Both the Cardboard Wad and Gas Check methods end up with the shot making contact with the rifling as they go through the barrel. This creates a lot of fliers, or "Opens the Group" very quickly. And it Leads the barrel.

If I didn't have a 39Spl, 357Mag, 44Spl, or a 44Mag and intended to be in places where a lot of Snakes hang out, I'd go on and get one. The Speer Capsules just work to well not to use them.

Some folks like smaller shot(#8or#9) in them than what I like. But, the Capsules allow you to choose what you want to use.

[ 09-27-2003, 17:50: Message edited by: Hot Core ]