12Ga. 23/4" Black Powder Buckshot Shotgun Shells

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It would be cool to load your own as many of our forefathers did as well...:D
But I ain't reloaded a day in my life and doubt I will start any time soon....
Brent
 
Lemme add...

I just spoke to a Mr. Eddie White with FWC and he did assure me that there is no regulation for rifle or shotgun reloads/handloads whatsoever so if you care to give the handloads a try it is fair game.
Brent
 
I don't reload shot shells from scratch but I do take smokeless loads and empty them out, cut the hulls off under the crimp and reload with bp minus the shot cup and power piston and then roll crimp. If you have a modern gun with long chambers you could just open it up and replace the shot and fold the crimp back down and glue it in place to keep it from opening back up.
 
hogdogs:
I agree i think it would be cheaper to buy them already made than to buy a reloader,shot, powder,primers,wads,shell hulls and time involved to make them. It's not like i'll be using the black powder shotgun it all the time that i hunt. It's just an adventure back to the past. :)

Semper Fi
 
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arcticap:
Thanks for the threads they were very helpful and interresting especialy when the brother shot 100gr. of powder out of his double barrel 12ga. at the range ha!ha!ha! that was cool!:)
 
I bought these brass 12 ga shells at Cabelas years ago and only load black powder in them ....they can be reloaded with common hand tools ..and use large pistol primers ........the top card is held in place with white elmers glue ..it cleans off when fired .....or you can buy a 12 ga hand reloader kit off ebay for a few bucks to use reloading ...I have one of those also .I doubt you would ever wear these out in a life time ...I`ve got 3 boxes of them and have used them for skeet shooting and dove hunting ...and all of mine have been reloaded too many times to count .
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sundance44s:
Yes i just purchased a castiron antique 12ga. black powder reloading kit it came with everything the crank loader,primer remover, primer press,brass shells,wads,paper waffers,powder vunnel in excellent condition off ebay for $28.00. I thought that was a fairly good price all i need is shot and powder.
Thanks for the information. You and everyone at this fourm have been very helpful i want to thank all of you.

Semper Fi
 
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A suggestion. Handloading brass shotshells is remarkably easy to do.
Circle Fly wads has a chart at their website listing the appropriate fiber wads and cards for use with Magtech brass. http://www.circlefly.com/html/wad_sizing_chart.html
One detail that I did not see in THR links was compression. After priming, dropping the powder charge, and inserting the wads - it is helpful to compress the wad column uniformly. I use a dowel that will fit the hull - about 3/4" for the 11ga. interior of a Magtech 12ga hull - and put the hull on a bathroom scale. With the dowel in the hull, I press down until the scale reads 70lbs. After that, I drop in the shot and seal with an OS card.
Pete
 
we did forget compressing the powder . I use a short piece of wooden dowel about the same dia. of the 12 ga ....something that can be bought at a hardware store ......anyhow the most powder I have used is 70 grs and it will tamp down enough to load 1 1/2 ounces of shot in the 2 3/4 shells .....
I suppose you could use a drop tube for dropping the powder also ......I do use the drop tube loading my 45/70 Sharps rounds ...it is a +
 
I press down until the scale reads 70lbs
Click to expand...

That is a lot of pressure!. Back when steel reloading started the recipe called for some ridicules wad pressure. After several problems with letters written to the manufacture of the conversion kit they retracted the excess pressure.
Of course there were not BP load's but as long as the depth is uniform at 25 lbs the extra 50 is just good measure in case something is tight, IMHO.
 
wad pressure

Gbro: Y'know, it is a lot of pressure. If you asked me why it's needed and where I got that piece of info, I would not be able to tell you. I remember reading it "somewhere". It was right after I'd started handloading shotshells. I was having a fair amount of trouble getting consistent ignition. That was suggested. I took the advice.
Now you have me rethinking.....maybe a more standard pressure would work as well.
Pete
 
Loading Brass Shotgun Shells

darkgael/Gbro:
I've been wondering since we have been discussing loading these brass shells. Do i use any kind of lube on the wad like when loading a 12ga. muzzel loader?

Thanks
Semper Fi
 
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I do not know, I have never loaded BP shot shells.
I do have a recipe for a BP rifle cartridge.
"A warm composition of one part Spermaceti and two parts tallow, That has been melted together".
 
You can use dry or lubed cushion wads in the brass shells. Circle Fly makes both - as well as the over powder and over shot cards - at a decent price.

I generally use the lubed Blue & Gray wads (they can be pricey if you can't find them in bulk). IMHO they keep the bore cleaner; but that's not based on any scientific data.
 
Useing some or any lube on the shot wad is a plus .....the dry wads will leave some fouling that is hard to clean off the bore .....I`ve had to fire a few smokeless shells before going home to help clean the bore up useing dry wads .....the thin barrels get hot fast and will bake the black powder fouling .
big scrub job .
 
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