Reloading 12 ga shotgun shells with black powder for cowboy action shooting using common hardware store items. Some of this I learned from Mike Beliveau's youtube channel: / @duelist1954 I highly reccomend checking him out.
I watched this video years ago. I have a lot lot more experience loading blackpowder muzzleloaders and making blackpowder buckshot. So, looking at it again with fresh and experienced eyes, this video is very very good for making blackpowder shotgun shells. Very good job sir.
Love those reloaded shells. Cheaper than factory loads and accurate. Reloaded for years without using a scale. One day I put too much powder in the shell. THE results were a destroyed firing pin. Never did that again
"Not like you'd wanna use black powder in one of those anyway" Funny Tudenom, I'm actually here for exactly that. I was thinking of getting one of those muzzle-loader barrels for my mossberg 500, and realized that if I really wanted the smoke and flame and smell of BP I should just load up normal shells with BP instead of paying another 100 or more dollars on a special barrel.
Hahahaha, love the comment about the paper punch and shell being matching pink. In the early 80's when CAS (even before SASS) started it was very common to hear all the rugged Cowboys standing around talking fashion and the Cowgirls talking 'bout their new guns. What a sport.
Your primer seating dowel should have a small relief hole in the end to allow for primer clearance. Once in a while the base wad gets compressed and without the hole the dowel is striking the tip of the primer. Otherwise, thumbs up 👍.
Ahh, I had to reread your comment and yes. I use a small hollow pipe so that nothing is resting on the primer. The pipe rests on the area around the primer.
I purchased a roll crimping tool and hulls/supplies because of this video. I am trying something similar but with Pyrodex and buckshot. Actual black powder is not the easiest thing to find in my area right now for some reason. I probably should try some #9 shot or something, really cool stuff nonetheless. Either way I can't wait to test them!
Nice video! One thing to take into consideration is to avoid the use of potentially sparking tools such as the (presumably) steel funnel & steel rule. A plastic funnel would be a better alternative, & either a plastic or preferably wooden rule (or thin piece of wood) as a levelling tool would reduce the chances of getting your fingers burned. Very interesting & informative video though, I very much enjoyed it! 😀
Usually you can find an older Lee Loader kit at a gun show or on the internet for $15 to $20 that has all of the tools needed to reload shotgun shells. A word of caution - if you study a reloading manual you begin to realize that reloading shotgun shells is like baking a cake and you have to use the correct components and the combination (primer, powder, wad, shot and crimp) depends on the type of hull being used based on the manufacturer. Selecting the correct components can be a challenge. Even when loading with black powder the components are important. Also, black powder is different for pistols, rifles, shotguns, and cannons so you need to use the correct granulation (Fg, FFg, FFFg, etc). It will generate high pressures if the wrong granulation is used. If shooting an old twist-steel barrel shotgun it is possible to blow up the barrel because the steel strands making up the barrel may have developed internal rusting that weakens the barrel so it is best to make that one a wall hanger display piece. Additional note, under no circumstances would a load of BB's be wise because without a proper wad and buffering material and shot cup you could banana the end of the barrel. BB's do not compress like lead shot, there is no "give" in the shot column. I am not an expert and provide this input based on my reading of several reloading manuals and study.
Instead of a punch I got a 5/8"dowel and put a deck screw into the center, then ground the head off to punch out the caps. It speeds up the process. Don't have to search for the cap with the punch or nail. I put a little tape on the dowel so it just fits. You could use a 3/4" dowel and sand it down to fit as well. Hope this helps someone.
Great video. I have an old single shot that's around a hundred years old with two and a half inch chamber. Been itchin to shoot it , but can't find shorter shells. Thanks to you IL trim regular shells down , and load them with black powder. I know pressures are lower than smokeless , so maybe the ole cannon will roar again. Great video.
You may have heard about the cut down rounds for shotguns they are around a inch and a half long and come in every type of round to. without the wadding powder and shot doesn't take up much room. You can buy them and make them so many people buy them because you can put twice the amount of shells in your tube. Anyone that owns a shotgun should look them up there is even flashbangs. I hope i didn't waste our time and list a bunch of crap you already know about now. Either way good luck
*If you splurge for a roll crimp tool and a Ballistic Products shell length cutter... you could make those more consistent and they would appear to be professionally done. Rubbing or isopropyl alcohol will usually remove the ink labels from shotshells.*
Notes: 1. If you drill a small hole across that 5/8-3/4" doweling where you want to cut off the hull, stick a #11 XActo blade in the hole at a slight angle and turn the dowel. The plastic will peel off and trim the hulls smooth and square at the same place every time. 2. 3f Goex is too hot for shot. Go with 1f and you will have the square load set up my DuPont in the 1830s. 3. If you use a hard card ( 1/8"-ish thick) over the powder to act like a piston you do better with your load. In some old guns plastic cups will make a mess of things. For sure use at least 3-4 more hard cards on top of one or a fiber wad. 4. Use of fiber wads alone is not why shot donuts. This is caused by acceleration. (Back to #2.) If you slow down your acceleration, shot tends to not donut. ( why your square load of 3f is too hot.) Other than that, this is a very good how to. Good show.
I was doing this back when I was a teenager although I had the benefit of a loading machine. I used the plastic wods like you and I would cut off a cup but I would also cut off the base and use that part over the powder. It was a lot of fun but I was not getting good groups compare to my regular reloads. You should invest in a roll crimper that way you could eliminate the step with the glue
You put them flat on a hard wood board, you press a big blade on it and knock hard with a hammer... I dont use glue but hot wax to seal. Better for the barrel. Thanks for the video👍
Using a hammer to seat the primer would make me a bit nervous. If you have a drill press you can use that to press in the primer and compact the powder.
A large *pin punch* would be better than your *drift punch.* It's cylindrical, so it won't expand the primer pocket if you hit it a little too hard on the last bump; also, it's got a little bump in the center that will hold the punch aligned with the primer's flash hole. Most likely a 3/16 punch would do the job. Also, after you trim the crimp, your shells are 2 1/2, since the measurement is of the uncrimped hull. Cut off 1/4 inch, and you've converted a 2 3/4 into a 2 1/2 (but that's correct size to feed in a 2 3/4 action when not crimped as your reloads are). For old fashioned non-plastic wads, you'd load an overpowder nitro card, usually 0.125" thick and a snug fit in the shell (or barrel, for a muzzleloader), push that down flat on the powder, then a thickness of fiber cushion wad sufficient to give the column height you want (more critical if you're star crimping than for uncrimped glued-in or roll crimped shells with over shot cards), then shot and either a fold crimp (like most modern factory shells), over shot card plus roll crimp, or a glued-in over shot card like those you make here (which, as you note, don't require any shotgun-specific tools).
How about now ?----> 1,112,557 views• You do a really good job on many aspects of the video. You keep it moving with the explanation and demonstration. You follow procedure and add a little bit of technique. I was glad you went into it without a bunch of common sense safety talk about not attempting to do it by candle light, while smoking, or while tending to several small children. New sub here and now i'm going to check out your black powder shotgun video.
plastic is not recommended per the LEE manual for their scoops, measures, or funnels due to static of the plastic and black powder incompatibility. OK for nitrocellulose based though.
Its dangerous using an electric scale and ferrous funnels. The reason being is black powder is highly volatile, and being explosive you dont want to take any unnecessary risks that might be unfortunate.
For a load bigger than a light one, you'll need a cusion wad -- either felt, fiber or plastic. So, throwing away the cusion part of that conteiner was not a good idea...
gun control advocate .....A calm, cool, steady hand in the appropriete direction! thanks for the tutorial I like your method better... I made one with a slug I got a set shot checking fence, deer was ten yards totally off guard crawled down the fence to a hole in the brush. slug went into heart cavity, blew guts every where, dropped her where she stood...good eating skinned it right there...coyotes smelled the blood and came for a visit ...got a little too brave black powdered both in the same shot..that was a home made donut pattern ...watered elmers glue number 4 in the middle of bird shot. I call it "shaped charge" it tore the asses of both coyotes. good video TY
sir when you wasing the premar in the shell it is very dangerous in pakistan we have made these tools for the filling of the 12 gage shell one thing i will show you for the pramar you can make a hole in the wooden stick in the middle then you can easily wis the pramer the part of the shell which is for brust
I WOULD LIKE TOO MENTION IF YOU USE A METAL FUNNEL IT WILL BUILD UP A STATIC CHARGE AFTER AWHILE AND ALL IT TAKES IS ONE LITTLE SPARK TO SET OFF YOUR POWDER CHARGE, I WOULD RECOMMEND A PAPER FUNNEL
ronald lippert That funnel he is using is Stainless, Stainless steel is highly unlikely to build up static, Plastic funnels would be more likely to build static. Even if it did, one would be very hard pressed to get a static charge to ignite 2F or 3F granulated powder. I suppose 4F would be a little easier for static to ignite but even then it would be extremely unlikely, static typically will only ignite micron sized black powder particles. Also stainless steel will not spark from striking or friction, nor will aluminum, only carbon steel or Iron will do that. Paper is nice though 👍
That's true. Most reloading components can be purchased and shipped in Canada as long as you use a courier and not Canada Post for explosive materials. You have to do your homework though and make arrangements ahead of time with the seller and the courier. Some couriers require MSDS sheets to be placed on the package (you'll have to arrange this with the seller), some require someone to sign off on delivery, and most charge extra fees for dangerous materials. Canpar seems to be a favorite for shipping these sorts of things, but you have to make sure they have a depot in your town (most small towns don't). If they can't catch you at home them they will return the shipment to the seller.
4 c/c volume of FFg. a 1/8" card over powder wad, a 1/2" fiber wad, 4 c/c volume of shot, and over shot wad then give the whole shebang a roll crimp and done. Rifenhauser hulls work better because they are thinner and easier to cut and cheap. you usually only shoot them once because black powder cooks the shell body. How did you turn the roll?
I have an old double barrel side-by-side Henry 12 gauge shotgun and it for black powder this was very helpful but my question is if you have this shotgun at home for protection and you hardly go to the range and shoot it how long with these shells last in your home or how long can you keep them without shooting and to be dependable.
I have some shells that have fired no problems up to 12 months or more after loading, but I live in a relatively dry environment. I suppose moisture would be the biggest threat to reliability since the shells are not well sealed. If you live in a coastal or tropical environment with high humidity then it might be something to worry about. But if they're stored in a dry space then you should be good for years.
You have a point there. I might have been led astray by faulty information on plastic wads. There's this theory that black powder is too hot and will make the wad leave residue in the bore, but I have serious doubts about that now.
Hello Nchum, thanks for the question. I’m not sure pellet stacking is going to help with accuracy with this method of re-loading shot shells. The method I demonstrate is really crude and likely extremely inaccurate. You could try stacking the pellets, but since there’s no cushioning wad the pellets are going from 0 to very fast in an instant, the G forces they go through are likely to deform the pellets and wreck your carefully placed stack. The seal is pretty weak too, so even though the shot is in a cup there’s a chance some of the pellets at the base are being heated and possibly melted together. I’ve never shot the demonstrated load through a crono, but I’m guessing the velocity is inconsistent due to the “by feel” method I use to compress the powder, plus the shell is not crimped. Not only that but there isn’t much variability in burn rate for black powder, at least compared to smokeless, so it’s difficult to fine tune for your particular shotgun. However, you might have better luck if you use a shotgun with more choke, you could also use a more traditional fibre wad and double card wad to seal the load from your powder better. You could also experiment with compression and crimps if you have a re-loading press. The best option would be to abandon black powder all together and seek out information on smokeless loads for your particular shotgun. Message boards are the perfect place to find old gray haired pro’s who have reloaded and shot millions of rounds. They tend to be very eager to help a guy out and can give you all kinds of tips on powder, wad, and shot combinations.
could you do a follow up video with a shot on paper pattern? I think your load would throw an even pattern. I've seen some black powder loads on youtube that would throw donut shaped patterns, at best. Thanks for the vid, nice job.
Hello , have any differences between the real bullet black powder and matchsticks black powder ( use only matchsticks as bullet black powder) ??? Does people may lost his life for the bullet strikes the bullet is made on matchsticks powder ? Please I want to be clear that . reply please.
Match heads are not black powder or an alternative to black powder. What you are suggesting is quite dangerous and could give you unpredictable results including damage to your shotgun or yourself or bystanders.
2.5 drams . take 2.5 x 27.3 = 68.25 grains of powder . I would suggest getting a dram/ounce dipper . it makes loading a shotgun shell or even a muzzleloading shotgun easier.
Here's a couple where I'm shooting a similar load: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-VJcbqM_5sIg.html and ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-EGbhLf3erbY.html
U sure do love your metal reloading equipment lol.. It's all cool till your friend static electricity comes by for a visit and he fucks your shit up lol it's probably just me that's a little iffy about metal... Given I'm not a reloader so I'm sure you know more than me and are cautious in all the right ways
I've taken some of them through 2 firings but after that they get scorched enough where I start getting concerned. They get pretty rough too, so extraction might be an issue.
100 grains? Now that's a load! The pellets are rare up here where I live and I've never used them, so unfortunately I can't give you any good advice. How close are the pellets diameter compared to the bore diameter they are made for? Do they make pellets large enough to fit a bore as big in diameter as a 12 gauge? I'm thinking that would be in the .700 to .750 caliber range minus the thickness of the shell walls.
hi. I am new to reloading and don't have any of the kit, is it possible just to buy shells with the same weight of shot you want to put in, take out the shot and replace it with your own shot and then crimp it again
Hi Toby. I wouldn't recommend it, but I have heard of people doing this with slugs, and you probably could do it with shot as well as long as the shot weight was the same, but it would be a bit risky. You might also find that the crimp might not work out well depending on the size of the shot you're using. The problem with factory ammo is that you don't know what type of powder they are using, so you can never reference a reloading manual to check your load to make sure it's safe. Black powder is easy since it's so bulky (it's hard to overload) but smokeless is a different story and the chance of a face relocating kaboom is much higher.
I just want to point out that it is not safe to use FFFg in a shotgun, the pressures are much higher then when using FFg, which is the proper granule for shotguns and large bore black powder firearms.
Not according to Goex. They spec FFFg for everything smaller than 10 ga: goexpowder.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/breechloading-sg-shells.pdf There's a fair amount of old wives tales and assumptions in the firearms community. Best practices end up a few years later as mandatory: "oryer-dik'll-fallov". I suspect the FFg vs FFFg pressure thing is greatly exaggerated, have you ever seen a set of CUP measurements comparing the two? I haven't. I have a suspicion that when smaller bores became more popular a need arose for a smaller BP granule size, to make it easier to get a more consistent BP charge down a bore into the chamber. It might even help get a more consistent compression when you tamp it. That doesn't explain why Goex specs FFFg for shotgun shells though, maybe it's got something to do with the depth of the charge and consistent ignition? It's just a guess, but I suspect a lot of the black powder rules and best practices are based on practical reasons rather than safety considerations, i.e. getting the same amount of powder down the bore and compressed the same way every time in order to maintain accuracy and point of aim, in field conditions. I also suspect that a lot of smokeless powder lore and practices have crossed over to black powder when it's not really applicable. That being said, following the manufacturer's instructions are a good thing. So it's best to check and follow the load data provided by the manufacturer. And, if someone tells you something that sounds unsafe follow your gut until it's proven safe.
