I'll tell you something I learned. I bought cheap shells on sale thinking I would modify some either by making cut shells or replacing the #7 with buckshot or gluing the birdshot together. One goofy idea I had was to use large ball bearings in place of the birdshot. I ended up reading that the steel bearing would do a number on the barrel. I am writing this in case someone else had this bad idea. I at least figured this out before I bought the steel bearings or ruined my shotgun. Its funny how much more shells cost when they come loaded with buckshot or slugs.
An old coon azz taught me to score a 410 just past the last wad, so deep that it left the single shot shot gun in one piece. Made a heck of a slug gun.
I another life I has a 16ga double that I fired a steel ball bearing through. It left a nice groove down one of the barrels
First off, if you are to the point that you are modifying shot-shells to buckshot or slugs, you have bigger worries than messing up a barrel. Secondly, it's a smooth bore shotgun barrel, not a rifle barrel, and a scratch or groove isn't gonna affect accuracy. And last, that groove will buff right out.
it better be absolute life saving situation if you start fucking with cut shells and clumping chill shot >>> because you're playing with life every time you'd be shooting - and taking a chance of permanently screwing something more important than having a slug to shoot - the shotgun itself .. get yourself prepared to do some decent DIYing with some slug and buckshot molds and a supply of lead - having bag a buckshot for some eazy swapping out is a cheap prep >>> and of course you should be ready with a MEC loader and components for a full reloading ...
Get what you need before you need it. I have an assortment of shells for different purposes, ie buckshot, slugs and birdshot.
If you have the technical ability to load/reload, then shot shell reloading can save you bunches of money. The field for shot shell reloading is immense. I have molds to cast different sizes of buck shot to lead slugs. One of the slug molds cast a 12 gauge size slug that is shaped like a air rifle pellet and weighs 1/ 1/8 ounce. Shot shell reloading uses pistol propellants. One of the best YouTube channel for shot shell reloading is, YouTube. One of the best web sites that sells shot shell components and load data is, Shotshell reloading supplies, components, & accessories: Ballistic Products. I reload all of my shot shells with a Lee Hand loader and and use a tool that clamps to a table to roll crimp all of my shells.
Yes, but not in 12 ga trap and skeet loadings. With those, breaking even over factory is problematic, especially if your time counts. When you get to game loads, the return on invested time is real, less so on components. 16, 28 ga and 410 bore loads are going to save money over factory loads almost every time. Might be worth the time to squint at the shotgun sections at the HandloadersBench linked on the main page.
FWIW the old guy that used the 410 did so because of old ways of hunting in the bayous, deer would some times be in the way as he ran his trout lines and if he had the wrong/right shells an happened to be out of season he could show the Game Warden that all he had was 410 SHOT shells. Different time.different places.
I just don't go shooting that much and I am not buying reloading equipment. I was considering cutting the end of the shell off and reloading by hand and roll crimping. I figure I have enough shells for the rest of my life, I just wish more were loaded with buckshot instead of #6 and #7.
My keepers are a Shade tree deal. I had a lot of double 0 buck 12 gauge, now these are filled with some type of granular material that began to leak out just from handling and of course that left them open to moisture damage. The plastic cases were fine so I filled the top, at the folds/crimp with commercial wood glue. This sealed them perfectly and made them water tight. I mention this as a way for Big Ron to seal his home grown loads.
