[hobbyguymaine]

I've inquired and searched for all brass shotshell components and loading info for well over a year now. Got plenty of 12, 20 & 410 brass shells and oversize CircleFly wads, loading tools & info, and a little load data.

I've been busy trying to sell our old house and finish the new one out back and haven't had time to play with loads yet but I need to assemble some low-intensity 410 loads for the family of red squirrels who taken up residence in the old house! The little furry tailed rats have apparrently built a nest or two in the walls, I've located the entrances and watched them scurrying back and forth, but any shots I'd take with a 22 would line up on my neighbr's house too! Poison is out - don't want potential buyers wondering "what's that awful smell?"

Should've bid higher on that Sheriden air rifle last year - would've safely done the job, or maybe 22 CB caps? I'm hoping instead that someone can advise me on a starting load w/#9 shot and Unique or 4227?

Handloader's April '05 shows:

- 45 Colt 9 grs Unique (45 shell w/ #12 load - g c over & under)

Speer with their plastic shot capsules:

- 45 Colt 7.5grs Unique or 5.5grs Bullseye

Lyman 1st ed. Shotshell handbook:

- 2-1/2" 410 (various wads) 1/2oz shot 15-19.5gr IMR 4227 @ 8,800 - 10,500 L.U.P.

My goal is to come up with a "snake load" that will immobilize a raw potato (or red squirrel) @ 15-25'!!! I have an NEF 45/410 single shot for a test bed, but plan to occaisionally use these loads in either my 45 Colt Ruger (if in 45 cases) or generally my 45/410 American Derringer (in 410 brass or 444 cases). For 45 Colt cases I'll follow the Speer/Handloader guidelines - for 410 brass/444 - LP primer, 15grs IMR 4227 (to start), 1/2 oz #9s, CircleFly wad column to fill balance of case, topwad glued/crimped to create sufficent resistance and seal load? I'm hoping to come up with a low recoil mild load which I can play with and pattern, maybe trying to increase velocity slighty for pattern and consistent kills.

Help - darn squirrels are driving me and my Springer crazy!

Thanks, Joe

 

[Robert]

3-4 grs of Red Dot works nicely for me....they are also fairly quiet. 20 yds or so...but if you try a longer shot they are worthless.
P.S. Wear safety glasses. With these light loads, the shot tends to bounce back at you if it hits lumber or trees.

 

[DPRinks]

Shotshells

I make shotshells for .45acp from any .470 rimless case, cut it off at the shoulder, trim to 1.55", drill the flash hole out to 1/8", put 5gr Unique or Universal in, put about 1/4" of wadding, pressed in with a pencil eraser, fill almost full with shot and put 2 or 3 punched out card wads on top, the same thing works fine for .44mag made from .30-40 or .303 brit. , except you have to turn down the rim to .514 and thin the rim about .005"
Range from my 1917 is about 30-40 '

 

[lefty o]

22lr shotshells work well indoors, if you need to get the tree rats out of the house ive never tried killing a squirrel with them, but used to kill barn pidgeons by the truckload with 'em.