#9 SHOT out of a 1858 ??

[FireFight]

Anyone ever shot #9 bird shot out of a 1858 ? Wad over powder & Wad over shot - Powder Charge ???

 

[renovato]

I'm not sure how safe it is to shoot bare pellets with a revolver, but I have done it in muzzleloading pistols. The rifling screws the pattern up bad. It might make for a good snake load at really close range, but the patterns tend to be empty in the center like a donut, at least mine did. If you try it, let us know how it turns out!

 

[spitfire]

The rifled bore spins the load.The centrifucal force causes the shot to concentrate into a dougnut pattern in usually less than 2 feet range! :hmm:

 

[WV_Hillbilly]

Anyone ever shot #9 bird shot out of a 1858 ? Wad over powder & Wad over shot - Powder Charge ???

If you are needing a snake gun, there are some kits for single & multi-barrelled guns that are sold under the Classic Arms name. They have smooth-bored barrels and work quite well with shot loads. Deer Creek Products is apparently the "manufacturer". You can also buy these kits at Dixie Gun Works, and several other shops that stock muzzleloading kit guns.

If you have to use the revolver for snakes, I would practice-practice-practice, hitting small targets (walnuts work well for this type of shooting), and be ready to take the snake's head off with a round ball load.

Ditto on what the other replies are saying:
Loaded for use through a rifled barrel, shot does tend to follow the spiralling(sp?) grooves and ends up with a "donut shaped" pattern--not the best thing for skragging a snake.

It is also true that a revolver with very shallow grooves or one that is REALLY worn out inside the bore will shoot shot loads somewhat better. I used to have a "well-used" Colt Army complete with pitted barrel and very worn rifling for an occasional shot load/snake gun use. It was much more effective than most people would expect. I traded the gun off many years back. If I still had it, it would have been yours.

Typically I only used about 15 gr of FFFg Goex Black Powder for my shot loads, then a felt wad, a card wad, the shot charge, and another card wad, and another felt wad on top of that. The shot load was about 150 #9 pellets, if I remember correctly. I made my own wads also.

The biggest potential problem is not having a tight seal on the chamber when shot is used.

Regards, shoot safely, and good luck with your efforts!
WV_Hillbilly

 

[Lone Carabiner]

Never have tryed it and likely won't since I'm proficient enuff with my '58 to blast a snakes head at say 15 ft. with a conical. But if you used a cutdown .410 shotgun plastic shot sleeve with a tight fitting wad over the chamber would that work well enough to justify the trouble?

 

[renovato]

Those Classic Arms kits are nasty. I built a few years back. You practically have to reengineer everything and the wood fit is horrible. I'd suggest looking for anything else.

 

[Boomer]

I have never done it with an 1858 (don't own one, them are the durned ugliest revolvers made! :winking: ) but I have done it with a 1851, 1860 & 1847.

What I did was load powder then a wonder wad & seat it. Next pour in your #9's to the brim. Another wonder wad & pack again. Works like a charm!

1851 was ineffectual because of the limited amount of shot. 1860 worked ok but I got donut patterns at about 10ft. The Walker was the champ! It worked so well that I used it squirrel hunting. Was effective out to about 25yds.

One word of caution. Don't go banging it around or you will have pellets bouncing off your mocs! :rotf: