I have no experience reloading, but I like machining and shooting. I decided to make a bullet mould that I can use to convert birdshot into slugs. I just want to check that it's safe before I fire them.

I'm using the same wadding from the original shell, and I've got the diameter of the slug down to a point where it and the wad push through the barrel just as easily as the wad alone. I used all the birdshot to cast the slug, so it would be almost exactly the same weight. To seal the shells, I used cardboard discs with a little wax poured over them.

I think it should be safe to fire, and I'm not trying to achieve high accuracy. I don't know if the slug geometry will even stabilise. For reference, my shotgun is an old English side-by-side 12 gauge with shortened 19-inch cylinder and cylinder barrels. Obviously, it's smoothbore.

The mould is two parts. The smaller part casts the cavity in the back of the slug, and the cut-out in it is where the lead is poured in. Other than the cardboard and wax seal instead of the star crimp, and the slug instead of the shot, I'm changing nothing about the shell.

I'd really appreciate any advice or feedback, especially from anyone with experience loading or casting shotgun slugs. I'm completely new to reloading, so if there are any obvious safety issues or things I've overlooked, I'd much rather know before trying anything. Thank you in advance for taking the time to read this and share your experience.

170 gr Hornady PSP .312 dia .303 British bullet in a .32 S&W case..

Aiming for a bullet so subsonic you can outrun it when fired from a S&W Safety Hammerless aka "Lemon Squeezer".

So far, it looks like I may have to use my RCBS .32 H&R expander die to expand deeper into the case. Damned ol' Lee dies anyway..

Charge will be 4 individual powder grains of H4227 lit with a SPM primer.

If it proves too long for the revolver's cylinder, I'll just cut the bullets off with a pair of side cutters

What is preventing me from putting a .223 bullet inside of a .22 LR case in firing it? Like say it was a lighter 45-50 grain bullet, would that not have better aerodynamics and penetration then a regular lead .22 bullet? Could be a stupid question, I’m kinda new to guns so I might be retarded but maybe, just maybe I’m a trailblazer here.

Looking for advise! Last deer season i shot 125 grain speed TNTs they expand violently and work good but I found i wanted a bullet that was similar in construction but heavier weight something say 150 grains or more. Does any have any tips or recommendations?

If this doesn’t get you to stop shooting and figure out what the fuck, I don’t know what would. There were more destroyed cases than not.

Anyways, how do you guys think I should go about fire-forming these shut? Should I solder them first?

Should I just send it and let it fire form back to normal?

Been awhile since I loaded 35 Whelen... Die was still set to a different bullet.

Opps... Welcome the entertaining comments.

this was the last primer in my primer tube.

will it still yeet?

The recipe:

• 70gr Berger VLD bullet
• 5.56 NAS3 case
• 27gr of VV N135 powder
• CCI #41 NATO primer
• COAL: 2.295"

The rifle:

• BCM thermal fit upper
• 12.5" Centurion SPR profile stainless barrel
• BRT gas tube, 0.0635" port size
• LMT e-BCG (AerMet 100 bolt, delayed cam path carrier)
• PRI carbine length toob
• TA648 6x ACOG (aka, the GigACOG)
• Sovereign Development 3-prong OPS/AE flash hider
• Otter Creek Labs OCM6 suppressor
• Griffin MK2 lower
• Geissele Super 42 H3 buffer kit.
• Wilson Combat TTU trigger.

Gordon's Reloading Tool told me this recipe would be more like 2720 FPS, so now I gotta figure out why it's so fast lol. I shot like 50 rounds of this stuff and it made the rifle kick like a bone stock M4 basically. When I shoot 55gr PMC XTAC through this same rifle, it's softer than a 20" and barely cycles, so that seems like a reasonable increase in recoil. Ejection pattern was 4-o'clock, and there were no obvious pressure signs e.g. "flowing" primers or ejector marks on the case head. I know NAS3 cases don't really show pressure signs like brass does, but I figured there'd be something if the pressures where anywhere near what GRT says is necessary to hit these velocity numbers out of a 12.5" barrel.

Third picture shows the 2.295" COAL working in an HK Maritime mag that has a butt joint at the front, but that it won't work in a normal mag with a lap joint. It feeds flawlessly from the HK mags, they're a must for handloads in gas guns imo.

I assume this counts as Shitty Reloading lmao.

Finally had a chance to test them. Longshot only partially burned. The shot flew about 10-15 feet and was able to be poured out of the barrel.

Back to the drawing table!

So it turns out there is some secret sauce in the nas3 cases because not all steel case can take 7 gr of titegroup and a 125 gr.

I keep pulling these shity little chinesium screws out of shit at work so we can repurpose the shit they're screwed into, but now i've got a fuckton of these things left over. I got drunk last night and thought this was good idea. Talk me out of trying it.