An Error was Made.......updated with solution

[Chancy Shot, SASS #67163]

I was topping off the bottles of my MEC Jr.  and put shot in the powder bottle.  Having never made this particular mistake before; I am looking for a way to separate the shot and powder.

 

I tried my wife's cooking strainer, but the screen was too fine. 

I tried putting some of the mess on a cookie sheet, held it at an angle and jiggled it.  That was successful but very tedious.

 

I am sure no one has done this, but maybe one of you has an idea.

 

Help

Chancy

Edited June 1 by Chancy Shot, SASS #67163

[Eyesa Horg]

Find some screen that the power will go through. Just the amount in a hull when you forget the wad is as much tedium as would want to deal with! 

[Crazy Gun Barney, SASS #2428]

If you were a gullible teenager, I would send you to the hardware store for a lead magnet.  

 

Seems like finding the right screen is your best bet.  Grab a handful of pellets and go to your hardware store to see what can be found.

 

Edit for second thought..... may end up using two layers of screen  If you find a screen that is too large and lets the pellets fall thru, you may be able to lay two layers , holding the pellets but letting the powder fall thru the largest possible holes.  The larger the holes, the easier it will be to separate everything.

Edited May 30 by Crazy Gun Barney, SASS #2428

[Jeb Stuart #65654]

I use a plastic container like the ones frozen dinners come in.  poke a hole in one corner just a bit bigger than the shot size you are using.  Tipping the container at a slight angle and tapping it gently, the shot rolls to the hole and the powder mostly stays still.

[Popcorn Kelly]

How about a match at the end of a very long stick!  🤪

[Sheriff Dill]

Here’s what I found to try 

 

 

 

[Eyesa Horg]

I typically just use a folded heavy paper target with a fold and sorta do as Dill suggested using the fold like a funnel into container. As the power move down, just turn the paper around. 

The sandpaper idea sounds brilliant! Thanks Sheriff Dill

[Choctaw Jack]

I use a one pound coffee can with scree coverig the top

I formed a slight depression in the middle, and when I need to use it, I pour the powder/shot mixture in the depression and give it a shake.

Works like a charm.

[Rattlesnake Slim]

Go to the store and get a cheap pair of nylon pantyhose. Cut off one foot and stretch over your shop vac, the bigger the hole the better. Hover over the mess in a cookie sheet and vacuum the powder into the nylon. Hold it over something when you shut the shop vac off. 
Save the other foot for the next time you do this. 

[Sedalia Dave]

I use a large cookie sheet with one end raised a couple inches. Pour some of the powder and shot onto the sheet. Use a paintbrush to drag the powder and shot towards the top. The shot will roll down while the powder will stay at the top. Once you have that batch separated, use a piece of card stock to sweep the powder onto. 
 

 With a little practice it works well. 

[Snake-eye, SASS#45097]

It’s interesting how many folks have had this problem. Hope i never have to use any of these methods.

[Eyesa Horg]

I haven't filled the wrong hopper yet, however I once tilted the bottle head back remove them and had failed to put the red cord in. About a half bottle each ALL over the bench and way too much shot on the floor! Usually at least one in five hundred, I forget the wad!

[Blackwater 53393]

1 hour ago, Sedalia Dave said:

I use a large cookie sheet with one end raised a couple inches. Pour some of the powder and shot onto the sheet. Use a paintbrush to drag the powder and shot towards the top. The shot will roll down while the powder will stay at the top. Once you have that batch separated, use a piece of card stock to sweep the powder onto. 
 

 With a little practice it works well. 

Kinda’ like we used to do with an album cover?? 😜

 

If you use a regular hair comb, the powder will remain where it is and the shot will be moved away.

 

A small flour scoop is great for picking up the separated shot…

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

I use a small (tea) strainer (with handle)  that has the correct screen aperture to pass most powder grains, but retain the #7.5 or 8 shot that I use.  Shake it around over a bowl until all the powder falls into bowl.   Easy.  It's worked with Red Dot, Red, Clays, Clay Dot, Perfect Pattern, 700-X so far.   GJ

[SHOOTIN FOX]

When I break down reloads, I use a small rimmed pizza pan. Think gold panning. Slowly roll the pan around the powder will separate and can be reclaimed. The shop vac and vacuum have the same effect.

[Lucky R. K.]

I have had good luck with a tea strainer.

Lucky 

[wyliefoxEsquire]

This works with flake powder.  I KNOW!!!

If the shot is new (not reclaimed) get two plastic cups 8-32 ounces.

Put some of your mixture in one cup.

Slowly pour that mixture into the other cup.

The round shot will easily roll out leaving the powder., 

Some powder will adhere to the shot.

The first cup should be shot free.

Put it aside

Repeat as needed.

Reclaim shot requires many repetitions, again, I KNOW.

 

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

 

PLUS ONE fer Snake Eye!!  Amazed at the number of folks that . . . . . . . Wow.  Just Wow.  Glad I scoop Powder and Shot separately 😜

[Eyesa Horg]

15 hours ago, Blackwater 53393 said:

Kinda’ like we used to do with an album cover?? 😜

🤣

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

If you are running a progressive press and forget to insert the wad, you get a shell with mixed shot and powder.  That's my use for a separator.  GJ

[Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933]

Take one each stainless steel mixing bowl.  Dump in mixture.  Toss is match.  When white smoke cloud dissipates dump out shot.

 

 

 

 

 

[Cheyenne Ranger, 48747L]

one thing to add, I don't overload the strainer when doing this.  small batches seem to work better than a big mound of powder/shot

[watab kid]

havent done this yet , yet , but then there are a few things ive not done yet , there are many i have , 

[Nostrum Damus SASS #110702]

On 5/30/2025 at 6:05 PM, Sedalia Dave said:

I use a large cookie sheet with one end raised a couple inches. Pour some of the powder and shot onto the sheet. Use a paintbrush to drag the powder and shot towards the top. The shot will roll down while the powder will stay at the top. Once you have that batch separated, use a piece of card stock to sweep the powder onto. 
 

 With a little practice it works well. 

My MEC 9000 GN is mounted on a cookie sheet (and then a board) to catch my inevitable mess of both powder and shot when I make mistakes.  I made a hole large enough to pass a few shot pellets at one corner of the cookie sheet.  The hole is normally closed by a piece of duct tape from the underside.  When I'm done and need to clean up, I just open up the hole, prop up the other end of the board a couple of inches and watch all of the shot roll to the corner with the hole and into a waiting container underneath.  I then use a paintbrush to sweep up all of the powder, using any flat card stock as the dustpan.

[Sedalia Dave]

Just now, Nostrum Damus SASS #110702 said:

My MEC 9000 GN is mounted on a cookie sheet (and then a board) to catch my inevitable mess of both powder and shot when I make mistakes.  I made a hole large enough to pass a few shot pellets at one corner of the cookie sheet.  The hole is normally closed by a piece of duct tape from the underside.  When I'm done and need to clean up, I just open up the hole, prop up the other end of the board a couple of inches and watch all of the shot roll to the corner with the hole and into a waiting container underneath.  I then use a paintbrush to sweep up all of the powder, using any flat card stock as the dustpan.

 

best thing I ever did was mount my Shotshell press with a cooking sheet underneath. has made cleanup infinitely easier.

[Nostrum Damus SASS #110702]

Just now, Sedalia Dave said:

 

best thing I ever did was mount my Shotshell press with a cooking sheet underneath. has made cleanup infinitely easier.

Me too.  Kicked myself for not having done it sooner.

[Shooting Bull]

On 5/30/2025 at 1:58 PM, Chancy Shot, SASS #67163 said:

 

I tried my wife’s cooking strainer

 

You used your wife’s cooking tool in the gun room?!?!? I think you’ve got bigger problems to worry about!!! 😳

[Chancy Shot, SASS #67163]

3 hours ago, Shooting Bull said:

 

You used your wife’s cooking tool in the gun room?!?!? I think you’ve got bigger problems to worry about!!! 😳

I received permission first.  I am a little slow, but not stupid.

 

Thank you for all the advice.  Here is how I proceeded.  I went to Menards and bought a window screen repair kit.  I built a small frame and stapled the screen to it.  I put a cookie sheet (mine, not my wife's) to catch what fell through.  I have been using Wano Renactor BP for my shot shells, so a lot of the powder fell thru, but not all.  I ran everything over the screen twice and called it good enough.  I now have a cup of finer Renactor that I will use in my pistols and four pounds of mostly shot.  I am wondering if the little bit of powder remaining in the shot will be ignited when the shell is used.  Perhaps I will save them for a night shoot.

 

Chancy

[Texas Maverick]

Those Folgers cans are great for holding reloading items. I use one for holding my bullets so I can just pour more into my hopper when needed. It works great.

 

TM

[Gateway Kid SASS# 70038 Life]

On 5/30/2025 at 6:51 PM, Blackwater 53393 said:

Kinda’ like we used to do with an album cover?? 😜

 

If you know then you know!

Regards

    
Gateway Kid

[Matthew Duncan]

On 5/31/2025 at 12:29 PM, Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933 said:

Take one each stainless steel mixing bowl.  Dump in mixture.  Toss is match.  When white smoke cloud dissipates dump out shot.

 

 

 

 

 

Hold an umbrella over the bowl before igniting the mixture.  That you can capture the gaseous smoke and return it to a solid ( gun power) by compression.

[Dusty Devil Dale]

It sounds like there is room for someone to market a centrifugal device, using a pizza pan or big pie plate on some kind of turntable, with oversize shot escape holes in the rim of the pan and a wider outside pan to catch the shot. 

--- Just thinking too much. 

[J.S. Sooner, SASS #73526]

Bucket of water, shot sinks, powder floats. Dump water with powder on flower bed, dry shot on a clean rag. After drying, add some powered graphite to the shot. 

[Sedalia Dave]

8 hours ago, J.S. Sooner, SASS #73526 said:

Bucket of water, shot sinks, powder floats. Dump water with powder on flower bed, dry shot on a clean rag. After drying, add some powered graphite to the shot. 

 

Expensive solution when you are talking a 1/2 pound or more of powder.