.311 balls in a 12ga

[kayja]

I have a .311 RB mould and lots of .311 RBs. I plan on using them up in a 12 ga loading 8 balls at a time, the 12ga takes a .690 ball that weighs 495 grains and eight .311 bals will weigh about .370..
I also plan on using up a lot of .390 RBs using them up four at a time.
has anyone on the board done this?, it will be like shooting heavy 00 buckshot.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Why are you fooling around with buckshot? patterns are terrible beyond 25 yards in most guns, and the energy retained is dropping off rapidly beyond that distance. Inside 10 yards, ( 30 feet) its a devastating self defense load, but a modern shotgun with buck shot loads gives you much more firepower, without the reloading time. If you have ever been shot at, a Muzzle loading shotgun with buck shot is not going to be your first choice for a self defense firearm.

 

[tg]

You can use any combination of smaller balls in a larger bore gun, just be aware of the total weight of the smaller balls compared to the max. weight of a single projectile in the large bore gun, one can tie the smaller balls in a small sack which will tighten the patternm the pattern over all will vary considerably with the various combinations probably from suitable to worthless depending on the intended use.

 

[torn moc]

It's not "LIKE SHOOTING BUCKSHOT"
IS is SHOOTING BUCKSHOT and a heck of alot of Fun!
enjoy yerself....that is what this sport is all about!!!

 

[kayja]

maybe i didn't sat it but i have plenty of time, powder,lead and a lot of balls.

 

[Hamourkiller]

Try taking each buckshot and cutting a groove in it. then use a horse tail hair to lay in the groove and pinch it shut on the tail hair. Each shot should be a couple of ball diameters apart. Load them babbies in your gun and let fly. You will find the pattern to be a short string of holes to a goodly distance. If a horse tail hair is not available real lite fishing line works too.

Have fun

 

[paulvallandigham]

If you have the time and powder, and shot, fire away. I just think you are going to be more disappointed than you now expect. You can buy slit shot weights for fishing lines, and clamp a few of them on a length of fishing line to make line shot, but the shot will slow faster than if the balls are not connected, and the weight and air resistance of the tied together shot will cause them to drop quicker. If you saw your shot, as suggested, to accomplish the same thing as just buying split shot sold fir weighing fishline, you certainly will fill up your time with something to do, but the results won't be much different.

The standard twelve guage shell holds 9 double -0- buckshot, while the magnum, or 3 inch shell, holds 12. Since you are using only six, I don't see you endangering your gun much at all. I would not want to shoot these in a choked gun. They may not hurt the gun, but I don't think a steady diet of these kinds of projectiles is going to do much good to a barrel made for BP loads if its choked.Its got to be hard on the choke, or choke tubes, and banging large shot through a choke is going to make flats, and distort the shape of the ball, so that it slows fast, and disperses from the POA faster. That means wider patterns at shorter distances. Great for a self defense load, but not very effective for much of anything else.

 

[Britsmoothy]

I fiddled recently with two .45 balls wrapped in canvas one on top of the other on top of wadding. It worked quite well to 40 odd paces, slow to load though. I feel sure it would make good deer medicine.

 

[kayja]

You can buy slit shot weights for fishing lines, and clamp a few of them on a length of fishing line to make line shot, i have a split shot mould, i;ll try that also.
we're going out about 30-40 yds and shoot at gallon milk jugs filled with water that are hanging from a tree limb so they will be moving targets.

 

[Hamourkiller]

My uncle from the back woods of Campti LA showed me that trick, he realy liked tying 3 buckshot together and restacking them in that manner. Very effective on the deer I saw shot with them out to 40yds or so. He told me the idea came from the front stuffing guns and the boys trying to get a tighter pattern from their guns. Worked well enough to be passed down into the 70's. Have fun experimenting.

 

[kayja]

and clamp a few of them on a length of fishing line to make line shot

would any kind of line work or should it be something that will not melt or burn from the explosion?
will the nitro card and the wad protect the line? thanks

 

[paulvallandigham]

I would recommend the strong fishing line sold today, simply because it costs so little and its so readily available. I know its synthetic, but you are also bending the " rules " using line split shot, too. The Over Powder Wad will protect the line in the barrel. The split shot is so light, individually, that it should not be able to break the fishing line in flight, either. Please go down range and collect whatever shot and line you find, and destroy it. Otherwise animals can get tangled in it, or eat it, to get trapped in it as they try to use it for nesting material. Its range trash, so please pick it up and destroy it.

Beyond 30 feet, don't expect much if any penetration of this kind of shot. For the most part, this stuff was used inside dwellings, or on ship, where a shot was typically under 15 feet. It did nasty things at that close range, and still will.

 

[hornetk4]

How would this type of load work in cylinder bored shotguns for turkey hunting ? has anyone tried something like yhis ?

 

[Rebel]

Illegal to use that big of shot here for turkeys.

 

[hawk]

No. 4,5,6only for turkeys in this neck of the woods.
try a paper shotcup for your turkey load,works but sometimes the cup holds together to long and you end up with a slug sized hole in the target not an evenly spread pattern.
doesn't hurt to try and see what your gun likes.

"lots of powder ,lead and time " a good start to any day!!