Shotmaker
- Thread starter Bikemender
- Start date
Thanks for the suggestion, I'll keep that in mind.
infideleggwelder
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
got them. good stuff. any opinions on how this will work using the zinc and lead wheel weights that are no good for rifle bullets? i know they will need more heat, but i currently use them for 00 buck in my BP shotgun, might be good use for that otherwise useless stuff.
Sorry, I don't know what affect zinc would have on shot. I have used wheel weight, straight and alloyed with 25% pure lead. When I sorted my w/w, I was really carefull to weed out the zincs.
The "Better Shotmaker" says that it is for wheel weight lead. We tried range pick up lead and had no end of problems trying to make shot. The drippers would plug or run and the shot was very inconsistent. It may have been just the alloy mix we ended up with.
Thanks for the compliment Seagull.
My shot is definitely not perfect but I'm highly pleased with it. I did make a sieve to weed out any oversized or misformed pellets. I "re-purposed" an old spring form cake pan (you wouldn't believe how long it took to drill all those holes). It works good though, it only takes a few minutes to sieve 25lbs. My last batch had less than 1/2lb of rejects. I made the holes in my sieve so that the largest pellet it would drop is .095" (#7-1/2). "Roundness" is relative . . . it's kind of hard to get an exact measurement but individual pellets are on average about .005"-.006" out of round. After running them through the sieve, the difference between the largest and smallest pellets is approximately .010"-.012". Those measurements are from a batch of shot I made using straight wheel weight alloy.
Some day I might make another sieve to sort out the smaller pellets but right now I'm shooting this shot as is and it's working good for me. I'm not a skilled scatter gunner by any means, but last week I shot two back to back 23s on the 5-stand course at my local gun club (using my full choked Ithaca Model 37 pump). I've never done any better with "factory" shot. The 3 close ups are random selections taken from picture #3, to give you a better idea of how my shot looks.
That shot looks good to me.. My son and I have started the journey got a brand new dual burner hot plate at a yard sale $5.. score.. Hopeing to have up and running around christmas.. Hunting season and all.. Have to check the thrift stores for a pan like yours.. Coupla different sizes would be nice
Thats Leroy
Thats Leroy
Nice Otto,
For a second there my jaw dropped when I saw you pan, the holes are all so perfectly spaced. Then I remembered what the bottom of those pans look like, you used the dimples, good call.
The shot looks great to, and such a low defect rate sounds great. I will try this some day. Do you used graphite or anything on the shot like a lot of the manufactures do to ease the loading?
For the rest of you guys, please keep us posted as well on your progress.
For a second there my jaw dropped when I saw you pan, the holes are all so perfectly spaced. Then I remembered what the bottom of those pans look like, you used the dimples, good call.
The shot looks great to, and such a low defect rate sounds great. I will try this some day. Do you used graphite or anything on the shot like a lot of the manufactures do to ease the loading?
For the rest of you guys, please keep us posted as well on your progress.
Good score LeroyvdH, hard to beat $5 for a heat source!
Re graphite . . . that is something I might do at some point, but for now I'm using my shot as cast. I've probably loaded close to 1000 shells now with my homemade shot and I've only had it bridge once in the drop tube (yes, it made a mess). I'm using a Mec Grabber press (12 gauge).
fingers284
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Alberta Cowboy Ranges
Re Graghite... Soon as I read Seagull's post the light came on, so... thank you.
I have a Mec re-loader that has worked flawlessly since I got it, I've run thru 5 or 6 sacks of Store-bought lead 71/2 shot with no problems. I traded some stuff I had to a fellow shooter for a sack of home-rolled 71/2 shot and have had no end to bridging problems in the drop tube, not even thinking that the problem might be because of the store-bought stuff being coated and home brew not being.
The shot itself seems too be very well formed and I couldn't figure out why so much difference but now have the answer I think.
I have a Mec re-loader that has worked flawlessly since I got it, I've run thru 5 or 6 sacks of Store-bought lead 71/2 shot with no problems. I traded some stuff I had to a fellow shooter for a sack of home-rolled 71/2 shot and have had no end to bridging problems in the drop tube, not even thinking that the problem might be because of the store-bought stuff being coated and home brew not being.
The shot itself seems too be very well formed and I couldn't figure out why so much difference but now have the answer I think.
