Trapshooters Forum banner
Status
Not open for further replies.

Home Made Shot Question

2K views 6 replies 4 participants last post by  smifshot 
#1 ·
I have made about 1000" of #7.5 shot and while they are nice and round, there are some differences in sizes. I have an idea why but it really dosent matter. I have cut some new top line shells and there is some difference in sizes as well. Not much -you have to look closely at mine and theirs. Now the question. I wonder what the factories concider acceptable in size variance? How big a difference does it take to make a difference?
 
#2 ·
Jim, I really don't know what the factories consider acceptable variance. I have made about 4-5000 lbs of the stuff. Some really good, some really bad, And most of it some where in the middle. I can't really tell any difference looking at the target breaks. I used to be almost anal about screening the shot. After a particularly bad batch, I just ran it all thru the 7 1/2 screen. If it went thru it got shot. It worked just fine on the targets and looked good on the pattern board also. I only use one size screen now for all of it.


I guess the point I want to make is, A variance matters if you think it does.



Jim
 
#3 ·
Thanks for the quick reply--- If this is the Jim I think it is there is a check headed your way for a set of #8 droppers. Yours ia a first rate product and I'm having fun with it.

If this is not the Jim I think it is, well then this is for the rest of the world. I went to see Jim Stweart just about a year ago and just this weekend actually started making shot. It's easier than reloading. You plug it in and watch it run! There are a few things that you learn as you go along. The main thing is to keep it fed at the proper interval. You learn to watch the liquid level in the melting pot and when you figure out what it wants, it's just a matter of keeping up. There has been alot of discussion about how to set up and I have found that it can be as complicated or as simple as you wish. I have three tanks, one to melt in, one to pump from, and one to drip excess oil in. All three are connected so the liquid level stays the same. I use a Little Giant pump that cost about $50 from Granger and I use CROP OIL ($13.50 a gallon - OUCH!) to drop into. I strongly recomed this! Unlike anti-freeze there is no mixing. No water and soap. The distance from the maker to the oil is not critical, from 1/4 to 1". I do pump the oil through a transmission oil cooler (NAPA $43.00) with a Wal-Mart fan ($12.00) blowing through it. I rake the shot into a pile in the tank and spoon it into a screen basket also from Wal-Mart. Transfer shot to a screen and wash with a garden hose and leave in the sun to dry.
There are no demons in the process. I have about 3 tons of wheel weights and what I spent on them, the cost of melting them down (worst part of the job), oil, pans, everything and the shot maker, my shot will be less than $6.00 a bag for 200 bags. Production rate for the standard Stewart machine with standard droppers is very close to a pound a minute.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top