reload snake loads

beech18 · Mar 4, 2013

LAST EDITED ON Mar-04-13 AT 03:04PM (MST)[p]I was searching the internet the other night at gun stuff. Was looking at Calhoons web site. I read an article wrote about making a snake load from pistol rounds. So I decided to give it a try. Had some brass for my 357 Mag laying around. I had some old shotgun shells laying around so pulled the shot out of them for my test run since I dont have any shot right at the moment. Made some homemade wads and loaded acouple up. Did a test run and worked perfect. Warning to all rattlers or skunks or any other unwanted small critter in my yard this year. I just balanced the scales with doing battle with you with a handy pistol.

I realize you can buy factory ammo to do the same thing, but still fun to reload your own.

REDDOG · Mar 4, 2013

LAST EDITED ON Mar-04-13 AT 04:12PM (MST)[p]What did you make your wads out of?

FWIW, speer sells shot capsules as a loading component.they really work well, even feed thru my glock.

beech18 · Mar 4, 2013

I took a piece of old poster board, it messured at 50 thoa.

From Calhoon that I read this from called for using the back of like a notebook measuring 30-40 thoas. I deburred a case mouth inside and out to where it was sharp, put the case in a drill and starting drilling away on the poster board. Took a small punch through the primer hole to push out the pieces once the case filled up.
Heres a link where I read this from Calhoon.
http://www.jamescalhoon.com/
Click on the sidebar the articles and scroll down to snake loads.

I used this load through a revolver.
Honestly, I hesitated slightly testing the first shot wondering if this was a good idea or not as I had to alter his instructions to the supplies I had on hand.
The loads are not exactly to what he loaded them at.
I didnt have the powder he called for either, looked up the burn rate tables and found one near the powder he used to sub with what I had. Used HP-38 instead. My wads where of diffent thickness so just used 1 instead of 2 like he called for. And I couldnt fit the amount of shot in the case as he said, I can get only 80-85 grains instead of the 90 he used.

RELH · Mar 4, 2013

I have used 44 cal brass gas checks. one over powder, then shot then another over the shot charge in a 44 mag. The one over powder has the cup facing the powder and so does the one on top of shot. Very good pattern at 10-12 feet.

RELH

whitwell_56 · Mar 4, 2013

I have used the speer capsules. they work very well. they come with load data.

beech18 · Mar 5, 2013

Relh, What size of pattern approx where you getting? Mine is about 12-18 inches using 7 1/2 shot at approx 10 feet.
If I did want a differnt size pattern, any idea if it can be done by changing up the load or what it is, is what it is due to shooting out of a pistol? Just wondering.

I did find some 38 special brass hiding within my reloading area. Loaded afew of them up too for my bodyguard to expirement with. Test shots showed about the same as the 357.