Shotshell loading for 44 Special

[Chris M]

I'm not new to reloading, but I am new to handloading shotshells for handguns. I recently moved from the Central valley up into the foothills, in rattlesnake country. I bought a house on 20 acres and since I didn't have an appropriate firearm to easily carry with me to deal with rattlesnakes, I picked up a Charter Arms Bulldog 2.5" 44 Spl revolver.

Since the Speer shotshell capsules are essentially impossible to find, I'm planning on just using gas checks and/or paper wads. I don't have a wide variety of pistol powder, but I do have quite a bit of Hodgdon Universal.

Since there will be no bullet protruding from the end of the brass, I don't see why I couldn't use some of my 44 Mag brass in this handgun, to carry a bit more 9 shot pellets, but please correct me if I'm wrong.

If you have any recipes, warnings, or advice, please feel free to send them my way!

[pacrat]

I'm not new to reloading, but I am new to handloading shotshells for handguns. I recently moved from the Central valley up into the foothills, in rattlesnake country. I bought a house on 20 acres and since I didn't have an appropriate firearm to easily carry with me to deal with rattlesnakes, I picked up a Charter Arms Bulldog 2.5" 44 Spl revolver.

Since the Speer shotshell capsules are essentially impossible to find, I'm planning on just using gas checks and/or paper wads. I don't have a wide variety of pistol powder, but I do have quite a bit of Hodgdon Universal.

Since there will be no bullet protruding from the end of the brass, I don't see why I couldn't use some of my 44 Mag brass in this handgun, to carry a bit more 9 shot pellets, but please correct me if I'm wrong.

If you have any recipes, warnings, or advice, please feel free to send them my way!

If 44 mag cases will chamber in your 44 spl. That option is viable.

Years ago I made a set of "simple hand tools" to make 38 spl shot shells.

I initially used GC, top and bottom. But then GC prices skyrocketed back in the 80s. And I switched to a simple DIY "card wad" to retain the load.

Right now 44 cal GC are north of $50 a Thou.

MY PROCESS;

Size/Prime/Flare/Charge. I used 3 gr RedDot for 38 spl.

I seat the over powder GC, cup down, using a simple wooden handle with a dowel glued into one end.

Fill with #9 shot, to just shy of case mouth.

Over shot wad made from any stiff, thin cardboard. Beer 12 pack boxes as example.

Wad making cutter, is a 38 S&W case with the rim filed off. And a 1/4" hole drilling out the primer pocket all the way to interior. To push out wads after cutting.

Use a chamfer tool inside neck until a sharp edge is achieved around case mouth.

Chuck the "cutter" into a drill motor or press. Push and spin. Only takes a second or two. Don't cut more than 4 or 5 at a time before you clear the cutter. They get damn tight in there. I use a variable speed hand drill, with a QR chuck for convenience.

Keep your chamfer tool handy. Cutter is made of brass and dulls quick. I sharpen about every 50 wads.

Roll crimp .......... and Done.

SAME PROCESS can be used for BLANKS;

Use cutter to make wads out of styrofoam coffee cups or food containers. I use 2 over powder, and a tuft of polyester cotton ball for filler. And another at the mouth.

Made those for dog training. Both retrieving and conditioning "gun shy" dogs to accept noise as "Not a Bad Thing".

[Chris M]

If 44 mag cases will chamber in your 44 spl. That option is viable.

Years ago I made a set of "simple hand tools" to make 38 spl shot shells.

I initially used GC, top and bottom. But then GC prices skyrocketed back in the 80s. And I switched to a simple DIY "card wad" to retain the load.

Right now 44 cal GC are north of $50 a Thou.

Thanks for confirming, and for the advice on other stuff - including making blanks. I'm not so concerned about the cost of gas checks at this point - If I need to buy 500 of them to make 250 rounds, that'll likely last a lifetime for me, since these will only be used to occasionally pattern the shot and to dispatch rattlers that get too close for comfort.

I've heard different advice regarding the over-shot wad - some saying to use glue to hold it in place and waterproof it. Other saying to put a light crimp at the opening. Any thoughts on that? I'll likely try a little of both, and see how they perform.

[sofbak]

I don't think a .44 Mag case will fit a .44 special cylinder. The Mag case is about 0.125" or so longer than a .44 special case. So I doubt the case will fit into the throat section your cylinder. So u may have to swage down the front end of .44 mag cases to fit. A .40 S&W case sizing die will definitely get you there.

A copper gas check is a colossal waste of $$ for shot shell applications.

I never loaded .44 mag or .44 special shot shells, but have loaded tons of .45 colt, and .45 "magnum colt" shot shells. The magnum cases were cut and formed from S&W .460 mag cases for me.

In the thousands of loaded shells, cardboard wads have worked perfectly for me in a New Model Ruger Vaquero.

I cut the wads to have a slight interference fit with the ID of the case. For you, simply sharpen a .44 case from the inside to the outside of the case diameter(s). This will give you a good tight fit between wad od and case id.

For a powder charge, I found that in .45 colt loads, 7.0 gr of Unique over a case fill of #8 shot worked best. For the .45 colt magnum loads, 9.0 gr of Unique over a case fill of #8 shot worked best.

In filling the case with shot, I left enough room to install a cardboard wad over the shot and stay just below (about .032") the case rim. The over shot wad was sealed in place with a bead of wood glue around the entire circumference of the case mouth....

Other shot shell loaders have simply used a blob of latex caulk over the shot, and smeared it entirely around the case mouth circumference to totally seal the load and keep the shot in place.

YMMV.

[pacrat]

Thanks for confirming, and for the advice on other stuff - including making blanks. I'm not so concerned about the cost of gas checks at this point - If I need to buy 500 of them to make 250 rounds, that'll likely last a lifetime for me, since these will only be used to occasionally pattern the shot and to dispatch rattlers that get too close for comfort.

I've heard different advice regarding the over-shot wad - some saying to use glue to hold it in place and waterproof it. Other saying to put a light crimp at the opening. Any thoughts on that? I'll likely try a little of both, and see how they perform.

They are sold by the "K".

When using a GC over shot wad. I inverted it "cup down". And just roll crimped.

Senior brain fart moment, Forgot to mention with the BEER Box over shot wads. I dripped a bit of candle wax to assure the wad stayed put. Just in case they got dropped and jarred the wad loose. Never happened. But cheap insurance.

I found out long ago that the best gun to dispatch snakes with. IS A STICK.

Prior to having the best damn bird dog the world has ever known. I used the bird shot pistol rounds, to dispatch crippled dove and quail.

Because chasing crippled birds, while wearing game bags, and carrying a shotgun. Across fields, and or open desert, down in the IV, in 100+ degree heat.

AIN'T NO FUN!

[Sandspider500]

At sages you can get them in bags of 250.

[pacrat]

At sages you can get them in bags of 250.

Good to know. Now if I just knew what a "sages" is? And where to find one?

[Cheep]

I've used Hornady gas checks for 44 shot shells, I've switched to 357 and use Sage's gas checks above and below the shot and using #12 shot works very well.

[Sandspider500]

Sages outdoors

[Sandspider500]

Also has plain based checks, but it's been a while since they had any.