Advice Please

[broken line]

I had to say goodbye to my hunting buddy of 12 years this past weekend and chose to have her cremated. I was thinking it would be nice to have a portion of the remains loaded into a dummy shotgun shell that I could always carry with me. Im not real interested in what I found doing a google search, and dont want/need the shell to be "shootable".

Anyone ever heard of this or have any advice. If I found somebody who reloads shells, could they just load one with some of the ashes.

Thanks for any input.

[nofishfisherman]

I'd think you'd be able to just add the remains during a normal reload.

I have seen one company that does this but they load the remains into a box of either shotgun or rifle ammo that is intended to be fired. The company I saw is pretty expensive if I remember right and I think they market themselves for mainly human cremation.

If you do find someone to make the dummy shell make sure you don't carry it "EVERYWHERE" with you. I don't think they'd like it at the airport for example. No way to know its a dummy.

[LABS4ME]

you can easily reload just the ashes into a shell... anyone with a reloader could do it. actually you can do it. The only thing the reloader would be doing is the crimp if you are not making it a 'useable' load.

You can go to any trap or skeet range and pick up a new cardboard shell. South St. Paul gun club has them laying on the ground daily. Some guys still shoot them and Federal still makes them. You could load the ashes in one of those and crimp it yourself... if you want to seal it, a quick dip in parfin wax on the crimp.

Good Luck!

Ken

[Ufatz]

Ken is right of course-no big deal.

And I think it's a nifty idea too!

Sorry to hear about your old gal. The most painful thing about dogs is they have to go before we do.

But then.......what is more joyous than a new 8-week old BLACK Lab puppy!!

[fivebucks]

I know someone who did this with several shells and fired them in his and the dog's favorite pheasant spots. Cool idea I think either holding or shooting. Sorry about your loss.

[Bryce]

Another sorry for the loss. A big thanks for the idea. Have half heartedly tried to to sell an entry level reloader for several years but now have a use for it. Not all that far from you if you have difficulty locating a reloader. Really not available until late fall but would gladly let you use it.

[broken line]

Thanks guys....I found somebody who will crimp the shell for me and I will soon find a permanent place for it in my bird vest. My favorite girl is now in my yard with her first training dummy, in our favorite lake and will always hunt with me in spirit. The loss of Riley is devastating but I know she is running with the many other great dogs I have read about on this site.

[TylerS]

Assuming you don't wash your hunting vest very often, might I suggest permanently stitching the shell into a pocket? I'd hate to hear that, in a spur-of-the-moment rush, you accidentally loaded that shell on a hunt and ejected it absentmindedly thinking it was a dud. If you were to sew it into a pocket, you'd always be able to feel it there without worrying about it falling out or accidentally "using" it.