Using round ball/buckshot for reloading?

[Potashminer]

I had read similar occurred with US Army "foraging" loads for their 45-70 Trap Doors - regular 45-70 cases but with a shot load - rifling spin created a torrid pattern - apparently helped to be a "crooked shot" if you wanted to actually get anything - "good shooters" did not normally do well trying to hit things...

 

[Ganderite]

^interesting, I have a 95grn mold that produces a very stout bullet with a wide meplate. I will be trying it stacked in .357 sooner or later.

Don't need a stout meplat. Load the bottom bullet upside down, so the bullets are back to back. This way there is no bullet crush and deformation.

 

[Ganderite]

 

[Ganderite]

This my current test. 115 gr SWC on a 95g CamPro. Total 205 gr.

357 case with 2400. Cases were already primed with a S&B standard primer. 2400 really needs the magnum primer, otherwise ignition is poor and the ES is high.

I loaded 5 rounds with 9.5, so I could shoot 3 at a paper target (5, 10 and 15 yards) and then 2 at the chrony.

On paper, at 5 yards the two bullets were 1/4" apart.

at 10 yards they were 1/2" apart.

At 15 yards, 1 inch apart. (You can't see the bullet kissing the edge of the paper in the picture.)

I also loaded 2 each of 10.0, 10.5 and 11.0 for the chrony. I was looking for 1200 fps. Did not quite get there. 11.2 would be about right.

For a 38SPl, 7.0 gr of 2400 is about max at 850 fps.

 

[B]

Don't need a stout meplat. Load the bottom bullet upside down, so the bullets are back to back. This way there is no bullet crush and deformation.

A shorter bullet leaves me more room. It should do very well for this sort of loading.

 

[Maple57]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_uNl4vULRc&t=2s

 

[Ganderite]

A shorter bullet leaves me more room. It should do very well for this sort of loading.

Yes, I agre. And the shortest bullet will be the two bullets loaded back to back (like in my picture).

 

[a j cave]

I’ve shot buckshot from 303 & 318 bore drilling. Lots of fun in gopher field. Still have close to 50# of 00. Haven’t shot it in years, but do have a bunch of loaded 12 ga.