Shooting Bees With The 32-20

[Sixgun]

Well folks, its that time of the year to shoot things that need to be shot, namely, in my case, those big Carpenter Bees that bore holes in the eves of the house. Yesterday, those buggers were everywhere, so I went down to the gunroom to get some .22 shot and other than some 1940's collector stuff, I had none....bummer. I was going to use the Ithaca #2 12 ga. double but neighbors don't like those kind of noises.

Today, with a Noreaster brewing outdoors and devil time on my hands, I loaded up a mess of 32-20 shot loads for tomorrow when and if the sun shines again. Sure, we can use CCI shot capsules but making your own is most of the fun.

Anyone can do the same with their favorite cartridge, but it must be a straight wall (or close to it)

Powder--4.5 gr. of Unique

Shot---85 grains of #11 shot----the shot should wind up about an 1/8" below the case mouth.

crimp----I just ran the 32-20 case into a 25-20 FLS (with decapping stem removed) partway to form the crimp and keep the wad and shot nice and tight in the case.

wad----30 caliber thin wad (cut from a 1,000 Federal primer box). Two are needed for each round---one over the powder and one over the shot. I used a 30-40 Krag case--sharpened it a bit on a chamfering tool---I kept wacking the case over the cardboard and let the wads accumulate inside the case. When I had enough, I just cut the neck off the case with a bandsaw and dumped 'em out.

Here's a few pics. I'll get more of the "harvest" when they start flying again.

Empty 32-20 case with cut off Krag case with a sample wad.


32-20 case with proper amount of shot---roughly 85 grains of #11 shot---There's 520 pellets in there. Next to the case is a capfull of #11 shot. next to that is a capfull of mixed #6 and #8---too big


Loaded round with wad and crimp


Loaded round feeds just as good with this as it does with a regular round.


Test target at 10 feet. That black area is peppered with holes--Kinda hard to see in the pic. There's 520 pellets in there. Ain't no bee or anything else gonna escape that. I guess it would work on other things you boys have that need to be shot. -------------Sixgun

[Blaine]

Bee careful.

[Hobie]

That should sting those little buggers all right! Those carpenter bees are a real pain.

[Pitchy]

That BEE outstanding, now who`s been smoking what.

[Terry Murbach]

A WHAMO SLINGSHOT AND A POUCH FULL OF TABLE SALT USED TO WORK GREAT AT SUCH THINGS.

[earlmck]

Hey Sixgun, that bee too cool to miss out on. I'm going to have to try that even if I don't have any nasty bees here. Maybe I can find a hornet nest to mess with. Thanks for the tutorial!

[Nath]

Outstanding

You may need a good bee dog for the cripplers!

Nath.

[Hobie]

Terry, the salt did work but any chance to shoot! Heck, it is fun to get those buggers. I have even tried shooting them with pellet pistols (with some success).

[Sixgun]

All of these "Bee" jokes. I can't take it anymore.

The main reason I started shooting them is because my better half claimed I was killing her flowers with all of the 2+2 carb cleaner I was spraying at them. That and that little third arm that was growing out of my shoulder made me give up the carb cleaner.-----Sixgun

On another note, years ago my b-i-l and me were shooting rats in my in-laws milk barn and this huge rat jumped out right in front of my face from under a bale of hay. I leveled the 1886 in 45-90 from the hip and shot that bugger with a load of #8. Cut that rat in two from about 4 feet away. Lucky shot but I was scared-----sometimes you do better when scared.

[John in MS]

VERY cool!! I think I gots ta try that!!

Where might one find #11 shot, and does it lead your barrel much?

John

[alnitak]

Very cool!...(but if you don't like bee holes in your eaves, what are you going to think about all the buckshot holes???)

[Sixgun]

Ha! Everybody is a comedian!

Oh! Were to get #11 shot? I don't know. A guy gave me a peanut butter jar of it 20 years ago and I'm still pulling from that. I hear there is a place that deals in all of that stuff. I saw it myself one time and I noticed the #11 was more expensive than the regular shot. 10 pounds will last you a lifetime so give it a "Google"-------me

[Griff]

I find that .45 Colt black powder blanks outta a sixgun will singe their little wings off. I have a "no fly" zone around my barn now!

[dennie]

I have been using the CCI shot capsules and the Winchester .22 shot in either my single six or MKII. I get a buzz doing this! Just thinking about it gives me the hives!
BTW, the .22 mag capsules nearly went thru my roof gutters, gotta bee careful using it.
dennie

[BenT]

I was just shooting pigeons out of the back pole shed with 22 shot and thought I should load up some 32 H&R shot shells. With a post like that,now I will have to go give it a try .

[kimwcook]

Pretty cool little stingers.

[Ysabel Kid]

Two quick questions Sixgun:

How loud are those loads?

Do they do any damage to your house?

We have the big bumble bees down here as well, and every year they go after my deck.

[Sixgun]

Two quick questions Sixgun:
How loud are those loads?
Do they do any damage to your house?
We have the big bumble bees down here as well, and every year they go after my deck.

Kid,
They are somewhat loud but the sound does not carry like a single projectile round. It sounds more like someone smacking a 2X4 with a 32 oz. hammer.

As for damage, you bet! I try to wait for the bees to be in the air with the sky for a background.

I have smacked 'em many times with the brick of the house as a background and the little pellets just leave a smudge mark which wears off in time. Gutters, soffet and windows will get all beat up so leave them alone. Plus you have to watch for pets and kids. Don't worry about adults as they are old enough to know better and stay inside. ----------------Sixgun

[Old Ironsights]

Two quick questions Sixgun:
How loud are those loads?
Do they do any damage to your house?
We have the big bumble bees down here as well, and every year they go after my deck.

Kid,
They are somewhat loud but the sound does not carry like a single projectile round. It sounds more like someone smacking a 2X4 with a 32 oz. hammer.

As for damage, you bet! I try to wait for the bees to be in the air with the sky for a background.

I have smacked 'em many times with the brick of the house as a background and the little pellets just leave a smudge mark which wears off in time. Gutters, soffet and windows will get all beat up so leave them alone. Plus you have to watch for pets and kids. Don't worry about adults as they are old enough to know better and stay inside. ----------------Sixgun

Rather than shot, why not combine the Sixgun & MURUBACH methods and use salt instead of shot? Yes, you will have to wipe down your bore good, but it would be less damaging to other stuff...

[Blaine]

Two quick questions Sixgun:
How loud are those loads?
Do they do any damage to your house?
We have the big bumble bees down here as well, and every year they go after my deck.

Kid,
They are somewhat loud but the sound does not carry like a single projectile round. It sounds more like someone smacking a 2X4 with a 32 oz. hammer.

As for damage, you bet! I try to wait for the bees to be in the air with the sky for a background.

I have smacked 'em many times with the brick of the house as a background and the little pellets just leave a smudge mark which wears off in time. Gutters, soffet and windows will get all beat up so leave them alone. Plus you have to watch for pets and kids. Don't worry about adults as they are old enough to know better and stay inside. ----------------Sixgun

Hold my beer and watch THIS.....

[Old Ironsights]

...

Hold my beer and watch THIS.....

What, you mean that's not what the .218 Bee is for?

[Sixgun]

Rather than shot, why not combine the Sixgun & MURUBACH methods and use salt instead of shot? Yes, you will have to wipe down your bore good, but it would be less damaging to other stuff...

OI, THATS what I call a brainstorm--for real Distance will not be as far but most of them are shot under 5 feet anyway. Thanx!---------------Sixgun

[Old Ironsights]

Rather than shot, why not combine the Sixgun & MURUBACH methods and use salt instead of shot? Yes, you will have to wipe down your bore good, but it would be less damaging to other stuff...

OI, THATS what I call a brainstorm--for real Distance will not be as far but most of them are shot under 5 feet anyway. Thanx!---------------Sixgun

Farina or other coarse ground grain (like Roman Meal) might work too and be less corrosive...

[hfcable]

ahh, is that a remington model 25 you are shooting those in? i have one of those [ two, come to think of it, and one in 25/20 ]

that is classy.

first thought this post was about some sort of contest.....you know shooting bees , like spelling bees.

[Sixgun]

ahh, is that a remington model 25 you are shooting those in? i have one of those [ two, come to think of it, and one in 25/20 ]

that is classy.

first thought this post was about some sort of contest.....you know shooting bees , like spelling bees.

Yep on the Remington Mode 25. I also have a like new one in 25-20 with a fancy Lyman sight. I talked to a Remington rep last fall at my buddies gunshop and I asked him about bringing that rifle back as its the size of a .22 but shoots a centerfire calber and I bet there would be lots of buyers.

He laughed and said, "You have any idea what that rifle would cost to build? At least 2g's" ------Sixgun

OOOO, I have a new playtoy coming Thursday--Marlin Model 27 in 25-20 in about 95% condition. made in 1910

[hfcable]

ahh, is that a remington model 25 you are shooting those in? i have one of those [ two, come to think of it, and one in 25/20 ]

that is classy.

first thought this post was about some sort of contest.....you know shooting bees , like spelling bees.

Yep on the Remington Mode 25. I also have a like new one in 25-20 with a fancy Lyman sight. I talked to a Remington rep last fall at my buddies gunshop and I asked him about bringing that rifle back as its the size of a .22 but shoots a centerfire calber and I bet there would be lots of buyers.

He laughed and said, "You have any idea what that rifle would cost to build? At least 2g's" ------Sixgun

OOOO, I have a new playtoy coming Thursday--Marlin Model 27 in 25-20 in about 95% condition. made in 1910

ooohhh, nice find!!! i have a marlin 27 in 25/20 and it is neat! like the external hammer. now i need a marlin 27 in 32/20.......remember a guy who had one when i was a kid, who used it for deer.

like you say , the neat thing is that the marlin and the remington are the size a 22 pump......hand somebody the remington 25 and they always assume it is a 22, especially the 32/20 with the lighter barrel.

you and i have very similar tastes on these guns!

[Steelbanger]

As soon as we get some sunshine it'll be back to the bees for my son-in-law.

I read some things here that make me shudder. Five feet for an average shot!? Are you wearing some kind of camo? Maybe a bee outfit like John Balushi wore on SNL? My s-i-l uses a tennis racket on the close ones and a 12 gauge shooting mini shells ( 1 gr.of Bullseye and 80 gr. #12 shot) for the longer shots. Of course it's my 12 ga. he has had on loan for a few years now but protecting their log home is very important this time of the year.

I didn't read anything about shooting a double or triple like when the bees buzz each other and get kind of close together but you probably just don't want to brag. I bet the readers would like to see a nice, high resolution video of Sixgun in action on these bees.

[octagon]

My old guitar shop was invaded by big red hornets. I just let em alone till one about flew up my nose during a delicate repair. Out came the BB gun. 8 feet away leaning on a post I got nine of em one day - the BB is like a howitzer to a hornet.
As a kid we would disturb a yellow jacket nest with a stick and take it to em with ping pong paddles, great fun for a bored kid in the desert.

[M. M. Wright]

Had an uncle who fed Brahmas on a ranch where he worked. He loaded some 410 shells with rock salt to keep one of the bulls from jumping up in the silage wagon with him. Short story is he put one of the bull's eyes out. Sure kept him from running us all out of the wagon though. The bull came out of a bucking string.

[Sixgun]

I didn't read anything about shooting a double or triple like when the bees buzz each other and get kind of close together but you probably just don't want to brag. I bet the readers would like to see a nice, high resolution video of Sixgun in action on these bees.

Yes Frank, I did have "doubles" several times but it was with the 2+2 carb.cleaner. I hit 'em with a strong stream and they just fell outta the sky. When they hit the ground, I stomped 'em with my steel tipped Redwings.

A video---its coming!~---------Sixgun

[Blaine]

Starch ain't bad...little effers sieze up in about 10 seconds....