Ball Bearings loaded into shotgun shells

[Jekemi]

Is there any reason that you couldn't use steel ball bearings when reloading shotgun shells? I've got a 1/2 cup of old ball bearings, about size 4 or 5 as near as I can tell. No rust on the bearings. Not sure what they came out of; probably been carting them around for the better part of 20 years. Steel is pretty much steel isn't it?

[WDFW-SUX]

If its hardened it could blow up your gun.....


I really dont know though...

[bobcat]

Even with regular steel shot you have to use special wads that protect the bore of your shotgun from being damaged. I don't know if you could load it the same as steel shot, but I wouldn't want to try. You say you've only got a half cup anyway, right? It's not like you'd load a lot of shells with that small amount.

[cwuwildcat]

Sounds like you've got a half cup of sling shot ammo.  A lot of bad things have happened immediately after the statement "what could go wrong?"

[woodswalker]

while its POSSIBLE to use the correct wads and load the shot in shells labeled STEEL....not sure i'd be doing that. Most steel shot is downright SOFT compared to ball bearings...I can see some choke damage unless you had a cylinder or skeet choke in it.

[FC]

while its POSSIBLE to use the correct wads and load the shot in shells labeled STEEL....not sure i'd be doing that. Most steel shot is downright SOFT compared to ball bearings...I can see some choke damage unless you had a cylinder or skeet choke in it.

Ball bearings are hardened steel, I wouldn't do it either!

[Ridgeratt]

let alone the way to get a proper weighed out steel load and if your to heavy the pressures you could develop maybe just amazing!

But on another idea, If you loaded them with Rock Salt and Whole Pepper you could Salt and Pepper them!

And just why would you want to load them anyway?

[MikeWalking]

I think I still have the video that came with my old 870. It shows what happens when the shot binds up in the barell, like maybe you'd see with too hard of shot.

Think M80 and a Balsa Wood model.

[ICEMAN]

Donate them to some lucky kid with a new slingshot. Then, for being so nice, treat yourself to the correct stuff to load into a shotshell....

[high country]

sounds like good 500yd targets to me......lol aim small miss small!

[carpsniperg2]

not worth it, just shoot  some plated oo buck or 4 buck and you will be fine i would hate for you to have the chance of killing you gun or messing up you because of a few dollars of bearings sitting around

[Alpine Mojo]

"Hey Jethro!!  Hold my beer and check this out!!"   (don't be that guy)

[Jekemi]

Great advice all. Thanks. I'm not going to be reloading any ball bearings any time soon; OK, never. By the way, what does steel shot do to the inside of a shotgun barrel?

[h2ofowlr]

As mentioned those are typically hardened.  You would have to have the proper wad cup and packing to shoot them out of cylinder type bore with no chokes.  We have used them out of a home defense shotgun with no choke and about a 20" barrel.  If not loaded properly you will get bulges down the barrel, split it or blow up the gun.  They all end badly if your not careful.