Chilled shot, what's it good for?

Rockydoc

Well-Known Member
I was cleaning up my garage the other day and found several partially filled bags, approximately40-50 lbs, of #8 chilled shot from back in the days when I loaded shotgun shells. I no longer load shotgun shells, so what good is chilled shot to me?
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
Excellent source of Sb for alloy.
You can actually add a little tin to it and make some really good bulllets.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
most shot today is close to what would have been termed chilled shot back in the day anyway.
chilled shot is a much lower antimony content than magnum shot.

chilled shot was meant to hit and deform imparting more energy to the surface rather than penetrating like magnum shot does.
it also generally shot more filled out patterns rather than having a hot core so many skeet shooters preferred it, and some also liked it for colder weather shooting of clay targets.

if I had to guess at it's antimony content I'd say 1 maybe 2%.
whereas now most of the target shotshells you buy is around 2 or maybe 3% unless you pony up the dough for 8$ a box shells then your up to 5-6% [except Federal, their gold medal's are just a click over 3% same as Rio]
 

richhodg66

Well-Known Member
It's good for shot. I'm actually looking for some decently priced small shot as I'm getting into reloading for my 16 gauge and spedning time at our trap range. If you'd like to part with some or all, let me know.
 

Ole_270

Well-Known Member
Shot can be a bugger to melt, the graphite tends to form a shell holding it together.
OT: Rich, curious what loads you're thinking of? I load for 3 different 16s from an old German double proofed in 1916, to a M37 built in 1948, to a Dickinson from a few years ago. Might be best to take this to it's own thread.
 

richhodg66

Well-Known Member
Just some one ounce trap loads, the Lyman manual has one using SR4756 that gives the lowest pressures and I have a half pound of it. When it runs out, I'll probably switch to Longshot. I'm shooting a Stevens 5100, trying to take it easy on her. Wanting to give it a try during dove season this September.
 

richhodg66

Well-Known Member
I have a bunch of 16 gauge shells now, I closed out an estate of a very avid shotgunner and got quite a few flats of various shells, wads, etc. I sold off some and a Ponsess Warren reloader, some other odds and ends and pretty much got my money back, plus still have a bunch of shells, but they won't last forever, therefore the reloading. The 16 and .410 seem to be about the only gauges worth reloading for cost wise.

Another part of this is most of the public land for hunting around Milford Lake (where I hunt mostly) has been non-toxic shot only. Probably should just use a modern gun and steel, but modern guns are boring. I picked up ten pounds of Bismuth 7 1/2s, but the stuff is expensive so I want to learn the reloading process on lead.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
age isn't the important thing, who made it is the biggest determining factor.
I'd be inclined to go with 1%, that's what Lawrence shot comes out to in testing.

just as an aside most 6 shot is made with 3% antimony and has been since forever, unless it's marked chilled.
everything bigger is usually soft [1% or less] also and usually doesn't have options.
the smaller 7-8-9 will vary from about 2 to 6% and they don't mark the bags like they used to.
 

Rockydoc

Well-Known Member
It's good for shot. I'm actually looking for some decently priced small shot as I'm getting into reloading for my 16 gauge and spedning time at our trap range. If you'd like to part with some or all, let me know.
I have no idea what market value this shot has. I wouldn’t trade for money. Some tin, maybe.