OT- Reloading question

[Rusty]

On another forum someone was talking about drilling out the back of a .223 case so a shotgun primer would fit. then thinning the head a bit so it would chamber. The shotgun primer only is then used to push a pellet down range.

I was wondering if a shotgun primer is that much hotter than a standard or magnum primer? Any thoughts?

thanks,
Rusty <><

[Cliff]

I haven't heard of converting a cartridge case to use a shotgun primer but have of using a regular or magnum primer. Some have opened the flash hole a little larger then simply dabbed a bit of light lube on the pellet and seated into the neck of the cartridge case and shot the pellets that way. I have done this on a 222 and it worked pretty well. I don't think you would gain much using a shotgun primer. The pellets are not that heavy and not that strong, may blow the skirt on one leaving part of it in the barrel or case. Accuracy wasn't all that great compared to a good air gun, but those who have done this were seeking a quiet load for indoor use. Might have possibilities however. Good Luck.

[Rusty]

I tried it a while back using .30-30 cases that I enlarged the flash hole in. I used a magnum primer and a .310 round ball. I got about 5 of them to work till one lodged in the barrel. That might have been because I didn't use any lube. They made a healthy WACK when they hit a piece of plywood but the point of aim was really far off.

The .223 does have some definite possibilities though.

AS for the shotgun primers, I have a friend that used to reload for a 7.62X54R using shotgun primers and really mild loads back when he could find anything but berdan primed brass.

[AJMD429]

I had a commercial product for this they still make: http://www.convert-a-pell.com/ and mine worked just fine - was kind of fun. Then we moved to the country, so I just shoot 'real' ammo. I recall 1/2" 5-shot groups from my Contender (.223 x 14") at about 28 feet, and thinking it would be a great rat/mouse/pest round, but never actually went 'hunting' with it.

Here's the ad for the one I had: http://www.convert-a-pell.com/prod03.htm
There is supposedly a thread on the product on http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/ but I couldn't find it and am not a member so I think some forum features ('search,' for one) are disabled.

[Modoc ED]

Sounds ok but yesterday there was a thread about "pellet guns" and with all the great information and links by AmBraCal and others, I'm going to be ordering one in a short time.

Still, I can understand the appeal to a died-in-the-wool handloader. Good thread.

[dodge]

I've done it with a 22 Hornet 10" barrel on a Contender. No changes to the brass other than full length resizing. I used regular primers and no lub on the pellet. Loaded the pellet so that the skirt was to the front of the round. Deadly on very small vermin at about 15 ft. A friend of mine hit a coon hound that was baying at the moon late one night and he said that the dog gave a little yip and went back into his dog house never to come out the rest of the night. He looked at the dog the next day and there was no sign of injury to the dog. The dog was about 60 ft from his bedroom window.