Homemade snake shot

Going to make some homemade snake shot reloads without the Speer capsules for 38/357 anyone fooled with this or gave a good recipe? I'm going to make some with what I've got on hand that I know will work just wondering if y'all have fooled around with this...yes I know cci snake shot is cheap but I can make some here for free plus it's fun

I have can’t remember recipe off the top of my head but I think it was on the box the capsules came in.

28 years ago we used #9 or #12 shot between two cardboard "wads" in .357 cases and Bullseye or W231. Mike Venturino wrote of using crimped .44/.45 lc cases. We would use marine expoxy to hold the shot together which lead to a marine expoxy BB inside a reversed wadcutters..good memories.

I have done those, dixiepatriot is correct. The shotshell capsuls have the recipe inside the box. I used unique in mine, seems like its 5gr or so. Only bad part is you have to buy a big bag of little bitty shot to make em. Almost not worth it, I would do it again but dollar for dollar its a loss. FYI getting those things crimped without busting the plastic is a touchy game, a small drop of superglue on ONE SPOT makes it easier to deal with.

Jason

Q

Pretty cool.yeah this is basically what I'm doing.coffee can lids as wads then crimp the end and seal with something?not sure what I'll use on the sealing at the crimp yet.i would just use .357 gas checks but don't want to pay $35 for 1000 of them

Take a sized but not expanded .38/.357 case and chamfer the inner and outer edge of the case mouth, then use it as a die to punch out overshot cards using a plastic milk jug for material.

Awesome idea thanks I appreciate it. was trying to figure out a easy way to punch out the overshot spacers

Haha pretty cool

I made about 50 or so a few years ago. Used the CCI plastic shot shell like above. I just cut open some #8 lead shotgun shells and used that for my shot. Worked fine.

Do you mean a gas check ?

You mean for the snake load or the reversed wadcutter?

I have heard of people using gas checks.

I have used the Unique load with a capsule, but replaced the shot with 3 #1 buck pellets. It would hold a pattern the size of my palm at 10 yards or so. The recoil from the first shot would bust the end out of the rest of the capsules in the cylinder. Has potential to be a pretty neat load. I'll figure it out one day.

I load my own 45 shotshells and use the reversed gas checks. It works well and is very durable.

I will take some photos of them over the weekend and post.

Sweet thanks.maybe my best bet is buy gas checks atleast I'll have a lifetime worth.

Did you bother to seal the crimped end? if so what did you use to seal it?

Let me see if I can post this image... if I can't, you may have to click.

On the left is the CCI shotshell we all know. Middle is a remake of the WWII .45 shotshell with an inverted gas check (RCBS sells the dies to make these -- you use .308 Win brass, commercial is best). The gas check makes a durable package. These feed just fine out of a magazine and the #9 shot is perfect on snakes. On the right is a USGI WWII M15 shotshell by Remington. I can't tell for sure what they used to seal the cartridge, but it looks like lacquered cardboard.

Nice to know thanks alot.

Bringing this back up, ran across this article today :

Load Data

The Remington is lacquered cardboard.

Looking over notes I see it was 5.2 Unique in .357 6.0 in .44 SPL.

Thanks for all the good ideas.i was in Simmons sporting goods and they had Speer capsules for snake shot so I just bought those for $12.
I'm sure I'll give the over shot idea a try at some point but using the capsules for now. luckily I've got just enough unique left for some snakeshot loads.

Hopefully get to test them soon

I absolutely melted about a 3' rattler at one of my hog traps. Handloaded with #8 shot.

Man I've got a little Sub compact xd9 that I'm 4 for 4 on water moccasin head shots with jacketed hollow points.i surprised myself.on the first couple my son was was saying yeah you just got lucky by the last two he was telling my buddies watch this.lol I better start shooting snake shot before my luck runs out

I really enjoy shooting water moccasin and copper heads.one of those four was in road when I drove by coiled up striking at my truck tire nasty little bastards.it was close to one of my bow stands so definitely wanted to kill it

Pro tip: if you walk up on a water moccasin without your xd9, cut a thin flexible sapling. Took the steam out of one Friday that I walked up on.

Hahahaha

3%, this is what I use for sealing every need I have in the reloading world. From sealing the brass fire forming of my wildcats to shotshell. I buy it in the gallon size cause it only takes a few drops to seal and a overnight dry. It's called water glass.

Here's some 9.3 x 74R I'm fire forming into 3" brass forever 410 shotshells. All wads sealed with water glass.

I just got 50 Hornady .444 Marlin brass for loading for a .410.

I’d like to know how you do this.

I havent tried it yet,,,,but google it. Its supposed to work.

Well this is how I do it. Everyone has there own method, so this is kinda like a "cliff notes version."

The basic tools. Drill with socket adapter to hold brass while spinning in front of torch. For those new at this I suggest you use some temp tape so you don't over heat the brass and make it too soft.
I then have a turkey aluminum liner from Wally filled with water to drop the hot brass into.
After cooling I let the brass dry completely.




I then prime the case, now I use a standard primer in most cases, but in some I use a magnum. In the case of making the 3" 410 shells I'm using a very robust brass case that's made to contain very high pressure, so it's a magnum primed case and it does have a little more powder than usual. It's the last bit of some cases closest to the rim that is hardest to fill out properly.But for most fire forming I load in about 8 grains of unique, fill the rest of the case up with cream of wheat, but be sure to leave about a 3/8th of an inch at the top for the wad and the glue seal that's needed at the top. As you can see in this image , I opted to use a bit of foam to keep the powder and the cream of wheat separate. I used it because it was easier to set straight and flat against the powder.





I've used cork, cardboard, pasteboard, tissue paper for wads but the best for me was a stiff pasteboard.


For shooting I just load from the data books. Primer, powder, a cardboard wad over powder than a few cardboard wads or cork to cushion the shot. Pop in the over shot wad and seal with water glass and let dry overnight. By playing around with powders and wads you should have an acceptable load recipe
that should give success in the field. If you don't mind shooting the 2-1/2" length shotshell, than use the off the shelf 444 Marlin brass. It's a basic prime, powder, wad, shot, wad, seal and shoot. Now go and have fun.

Sweet man that's awesome.heck we use liquid glass at work as a seperator film.nitro it looks like your the man on reloading for sure.
Great post.this the crap my dad does.lol but it works love it!

Thanks to all for sharing this. Keeps the tradition alive.

And I'm sure all the others feel the same. We got to stick together, and be as helpful as we can to all.

You guys are a wealth of knowledge