jigsaw
 

Anybody out there who has loaded birdshot into 38 special cases? If so, what do you use for the wadding and how much of what powder is right. I have heard 3.5 grains of bullseye works. Also someone mentioned gaschecks for over powder and top wad. Any comments?

LOL you are using your board name for your topic title

Speer makes plastic bullets with a cap for .38/357 cases, check your reloading manual for the proper weight and powder to load.

You simply fill the bullet with the #shot you want (#8 - #9 - #10's) , put the cap on, and load them into the case cap side down into the case, they work well for pest control, snakes etc. within resonable range, 10 ~15 feet.

If you really want to load your own, by all means, but you can buy bird/snake shot all set to go.

Shot shells
 

I have loaded my own shot shells for many years. I have found that reducing the load under the Speer max gives much tighter patterns. full power shot shells "blow the pattern", that is to say you end up with a donut shaped pattern that is likely to miss the intended target and shoot all around it.

On the cheap you can use gas checks intended for cast bullets. Use one above the powder and one above the shot. I have used these with good results in a .41 magnum (Speer does not make .41 shot capsules).