.44 Mag Shotshells

[buffybr]

On the thread ".44 Magnum Hunting Loads" I mentioned that I make shotshells for my .44 mag pistols. I got several responses with questions about these shotshells, so instead of hijacking MTLabrador's post, here's a new one on my .44 mag shotshells...

Years ago I made shot loads for my .357 mag pistols using plastic shot cups made by Speer or some other manufacturer. When I got my first .44 magnum revolver I wanted to load some shot shells for it, but I couldn't find any .44 shot cups locally and being a tinkerer, I thought I'd just make my own.

I wanted to make brass shells that were just short of the length of my Ruger Super Blackhawk cylinder. I found that .30-40 Krag and .303 British rifle cases would fit in my Super Blackhawk cylinders, so I found some of those cases and cut them to the length that I needed.

The rim of those rifle cases is a larger diameter and sometimes thicker than the rim of .44 mag cases, so I used a metal file and an electric drill to trim the rifle case rims down to the .44 mag case dimentions.

I then found out that I wasn't the first person to try this and that RCBS made a .44 shot resizing die, which I bought.

I also found that .410 shotshell wads would fit inside my .44 shot cases, but they were 1/8" or so too long. These cut off wads hold a little less than the full 1/2 ounce .410 shotshells.

I make over shot wads from stiff paper cut with a regular 3-hole large paper punch, and cement then in the case with a drop of fingernail polish.
A punch to push the over shot wad into the case, 185 gr #8 shot, powder for 6.0 gr Universal powder, a full length and a cut .410 shotshell wad, and stiff paper over shot wads.

At 6' one of these .44 shotshells would ruin a snake's day...

And like I posted on the other thread, most of the time I enjoy hitting station 8 Skeet targets with these shells.

 

[MTLabrador]

That might be just the ticket for grouse on a tree branch.

 

[BackofBeyond]

That might be just the ticket for grouse on a tree branch.

Exactly!

Thank you @buffybr

 

[perma]

Brilliant. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Gravelyctry]

Is there a number on that die? I’m not finding it with my quick google searches.

 

[44hunter45]

Is there a number on that die? I’m not finding it with my quick google searches.

Very cool @buffybr !

I really love stuff like this. Now I'm thinking about brass .410 cases trimmed down to fit 45 Colt.

I went looking for the die too. Now we will all be competing for them on the auction sites.

I used .30-30 or 32 Winchester Special brass to make .41 Mag loads for a buddy when we couldn't find brass.

You can use 32-20 brass in your 30 Carbine Blackhawk too, but sometimes you have to doctor the rims for individual revolvers.
My buddy's BH will take them right out of the sizing die. On mine they rub on the recoil face of the frame and I have to turn off about .010" from the "forward" face of the rim to get them to work. A fun experiment, but not worth all the effort when 30 carbine brass is cheap and plentiful

 

[perma]

Just wondering if/how this can be done with a 22 mag. My great uncle has a six-shooter that we can’t find shotshell for.

 

[BackofBeyond]

Very cool @buffybr !

I really love stuff like this. Now I'm thinking about brass .410 cases trimmed down to fit 45 Colt.

I went looking for the die too. Now we will all be competing for them on the auction sites.

I used .30-30 or 32 Winchester Special brass to make .41 Mag loads for a buddy when we couldn't find brass.

You can use 32-20 brass in your 30 Carbine Blackhawk too, but sometimes you have to doctor the rims for individual revolvers.
My buddy's BH will take them right out of the sizing die. On mine they rub on the recoil face of the frame and I have to turn off about .010" from the "forward" face of the rim to get them to work. A fun experiment, but not worth all the effort when 30 carbine brass is cheap and plentiful

I really think you need to try to make .44 mag shotgun shells. Then once you get the technique down I can mail you components…

 

[44hunter45]

I really think you need to try to make .44 mag shotgun shells. Then once you get the technique down I can mail you components…

You should see the PM I just sent @p_ham

Lots of winter projects going on.

BTW - You find me that RCBS shot sizer die and you're on!

 

[BackofBeyond]

You should see the PM I just sent @p_ham

Lots of winter projects going on.

BTW - You find me that RCBS shot sizer die and you're on!

I wonder if you could get the same results from one of those Short Action Customs universal sizing dies? Stack a bunch of bushings up and let it roll?

 

[Jbotto]

Wow! This is even cooler than I thought it would be! I like this a lot.

Just wondering if/how this can be done with a 22 mag. My great uncle has a six-shooter that we can’t find shotshell for.

I’m sure there’s a way to do it as there are kits to reload .22’s but I’d think it’d be easier to track down a few boxes online. Haven’t ever looked for .22Mag shot loads but have used hundreds of the .22lr variety.

 

[44hunter45]

THe really old RCBS straight walled dies had a 5/8 mouth expanding plug. I have some old ones in 45 ACP that I sized 45 Colt in back in the day. Thinking one of these would work

 

[44hunter45]

Here's the old style RCBS sizer.

RCBS 44 MAG. WC 3 Die Set USED #125 | eBay

<p>RCBS 44 MAG. WC 3 Die Set USED #125</p><p>#30-11,244 TH</p>

www.ebay.com

 

[44hunter45]

Wow! This is even cooler than I thought it would be! I like this a lot.


I’m sure there’s a way to do it as there are kits to reload .22’s but I’d think it’d be easier to track down a few boxes online. Haven’t ever looked for .22Mag shot loads but have used hundreds of the .22lr variety.

I see some CCI 22WMR shot shells online, but none from sellers I trust.

Too many crooks out there.

 

[buffybr]

Is there a number on that die? I’m not finding it with my quick google searches.

No, its just stamped "RCBS 44 MAG SHOT SIZE SP."

I bought it at least 40 years ago...

I may have sent a spent (fireformed) case to Huntington Dies and they had or made a shotshell size die for me.

Back then I only had a Ruger SBH pistol, and the inside dimentions of the Ruger cylinders are slightly different than the dimensions of my S&W pistol. I can see the difference in the shotshells fired in each pistol. The resized cases easily fit in either pistol.

 

[buffybr]

Here's the old style RCBS sizer.

RCBS 44 MAG. WC 3 Die Set USED #125 | eBay

<p>RCBS 44 MAG. WC 3 Die Set USED #125</p><p>#30-11,244 TH</p>

www.ebay.com

That die set is for regular .44 magnum and .44 special bullet reloading. They are for straight wall cases that are shorter than my .44 shotshells, and are not bottlenecked.

My shotshell cases are fireformed on the first firing to conform to the inside of the pistol cylinder which results in a slight bottleneck case.

I edited my post #15 to say that the inside dimensions of Ruger and S&W chambers are different. The fireformed shotshell cases from a Ruger cylinder have the neck of the bottleneck set deeper in the case. My shotshell size die sets the necks of the cases fired in my S&W pistol to the deeper neck of the Ruger cylinder, so my resized cases will fit in either pistol.

I also just tried to resize the case that I shot the can with yesterday in my RCBS carbide regular .44 mag die, and it sized the straight wall of the case, but not the shoulder or neck of the shotshell case, and it would not completely fit back in the cylinder of either my S&W pistol that I shot it in or the cylinder of my Ruger pistol. So just trying to resize these fired shotshell cases in a standard .44 mag size die is not an option.

 

[44hunter45]

That die set is for regular .44 magnum and .44 special bullet reloading. They are for straight wall cases that are shorter than my .44 shotshells, and are not bottlenecked.

My shotshell cases are fireformed on the first firing to conform to the inside of the pistol cylinder which results in a slight bottleneck case.

I edited my post #15 to say that the inside dimensions of Ruger and S&W chambers are different. The fireformed shotshell cases from a Ruger cylinder have the neck of the bottleneck set deeper in the case. My shotshell size die sets the necks of the cases fired in my S&W pistol to the deeper neck of the Ruger cylinder, so my resized cases will fit in either pistol.

I also just tried to resize the case that I shot the can with yesterday in my RCBS carbide regular .44 mag die, and it sized the straight wall of the case, but not the shoulder or neck of the shotshell case, and it would not completely fit back in the cylinder of either my S&W pistol that I shot it in or the cylinder of my Ruger pistol. So just trying to resize these fired shotshell cases in a standard .44 mag size die is not an option.

I get it.

I love the idea because I don't have to waste a bunch of time scrubbing carbon rings.

I don't shoot 38 SPL and 44 SPL in my magnums for the same reason. Too lazy too clean up after.

 

[Jbotto]

I’ve seen some manufacturers make a .45 case that can be cut down to whatever black powder round you want it for, is there any that make a similar one that would work for the .44mag? Or is the .303Brit or .30-40 brass easy enough to find?

 

[44hunter45]

I’ve seen some manufacturers make a .45 case that can be cut down to whatever black powder round you want it for, is there any that make a similar one that would work for the .44mag? Or is the .303Brit or .30-40 brass easy enough to find?

Pretty easy still. If you hold out you can find .30-40 Krag brass for $1/rd + shipping

 

[Jbotto]

Man, if only there was a HuntTalker who could make up some of these dies…..

I’m not turning anything up on the die itself. Even started down the path of looking into custom die shops. Most brands will custom cut if you supply some cases too I think. There’s a gun show in town this weekend. I might go looking for some brass.