.45 shot shell question?

CDFingers said:
I began to think it would be fun to shoot clays with my Vaquero.
Question: has anyone made shot shells for the .45 Long Colt? What happened? Loads? What size shot? How far are they effective at breaking clays?
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Available from MidwayUSA, among others.

Let's just say that I'm skeptical about the practicality of this idea. :shock:

Please promise me that you'll post video to Youtube. :roll: :twisted:
 
Back in the 60s Skeeter Skelton wrote articles dsescribing how to cobble up shot loads for revolvers. Being in serious cottonmouth water moccasin country, I followed his instructions and rolled my own for a lot of years (until the CCI shot caps were readily available).

The CCI caps work well, and firing one or two will NOT foul your shooter. I have them in 22 mag, 38/357, 44/44mag, 45 Colt, and 45 ACP. The 45 ACPs will cycle flawlessly through my Kimber and my ParaOrdnance 45s mixed in a magazine.

Shot caps do work, and they work well, but only out to around 15 or 20 FEET (not yards). IMO, they're all but useless on game or clays... but YMMV.

These days I prospect in serious rattlesnake country so, I still use them (though more often, I have a shotgun handy). Having said that, I've not needed to fire a shot round at a snake in close to 15 years IIRC.

Midway USA sells the Speer plastic capsule that you can fill with shot and thus easily roll your own. I have them in my cabinet but have never used them.
 
I have been loading shot shells in .38, .357, .44spc.,44mag, and .45 LC for a great many years.
Loaded right any .44 or .45 will and does kill rats or squirrels at 20 feet. You mst taylor your load to the intended target. I have used shot from #4 to #12 and combinations.

Shot shells are alot of fun!
 
I make my .45 shotshells out of .444 Marlin cases cut to cylinder length, about six grains of unique, and overpowder/overshot wads cut from a styrofoam meat tray, then sealed with Elmers glue.
For .44 mag I use 30-40 Krag or .303 Brit cases with the same load.
 
nvbirdman said:
I make my .45 shotshells out of .444 Marlin cases cut to cylinder length, about six grains of unique, and overpowder/overshot wads cut from a styrofoam meat tray, then sealed with Elmers glue........
.......

Yep, me too.
If I remember right, I learned about using .444 cases from you.

DGW
 
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Wish I could CD but your talking about 30 yards instead of feet. I am not sure any size shot from a pistol velocity would fit your need, but it is a very intresting question as I don't think it can be done so you have given me a project to play with. I know it can be done with hand thrown clays and large cal. rounds.

Rick
 
There is a thread on Castboolits about making your own shot capsules from old milk jugs....?.... If you are motivated, and have time on your hands.

You could always call Bowen and get a Paradox revolver made :D . I remember Ross Seyfried's writeup on his, it sounded like fun.
 
I also make up .444 shotshells for my .45 Colt blackhawk. An old paperback book Handloading for Handgunners by Nonte has all the info.
 
For 45 Colt I use 5 grs Unique with an OxYoke Wonder Wad over the powder then the shot charge with another Wonder Wad on top with a slight crimp . Works great out of a 4.75" Colt SAA .

I made these up because at the time CCI didn't load 45 Colt shot shells .
 
I use the speer shot capsules in 44. The pattern is to big over 15ft for anything with #9. I think it amounts to about 1" a foot for pattern IIRC.
Baloons at 25yrds were safe from my m36 last year. Course thats 38 with a 1.75 bbl. The pattern was just to big.
Rattlers at 6ft with eitjer dont stand a chance.
 
Here's the thread I was referring to http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=77286&highlight=pistol+shotshells . He really has some good ideas.
 
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