Cornmeal loads for a 38/357, needing a recipe.

[Murphy]

I've got a few problems with wasps, flies and other winged critters around the place occasionally.

I recall reading a thread but can't find it now on using 38/357 brass. If I remember correctly, it called for using about 1.5 to 2.0 grains of Bullseye, then placing a cardboard wad over the powder, filling it with cornmeal and topping it off with another wad of cardboard and maybe some candle wax or paraffin.

Anyone using this combination that would be so kind as to share that recipe?


Thanks,

Murphy

[Adam Helmer]

Murphy,

IF you have a wasp or bee problem, IS using a .38/.357 your best option? Perhaps you live remote from neighbors, but are you going to shoot cornmeal toward wasps??

May I suggest you go get the 25-yard bee spray at Walmart, 2 cans for $5.99, and leave your guns at home. Why is a gun your FIRST response? I have grave concerns about this post.

Adam

[jcren]

I used 1.8 of BE and used walnut tumbling media to great effect. Less than 1.5 was un reliable, more than 2 would knock paint off the house.

[Murphy]

jcren,

Thanks for the information. I do keep a good deal of walnut media on hand. Hoping to try the cornmeal one first. If not, I will resort to your suggestion.

Murphy

[Snow ninja]

Murphy,

IF you have a wasp or bee problem, IS using a .38/.357 your best option? Perhaps you live remote from neighbors, but are you going to shoot cornmeal toward wasps??

May I suggest you go get the 25-yard bee spray at Walmart, 2 cans for $5.99, and leave your guns at home. Why is a gun your FIRST response? I have grave concerns about this post.

Adam
Someone's obviously never been wasp hunting before. :kidding: Though, around here, it's the carpenter bees.

I second jcren's recipe. Except in my recipe, I use cream of wheat. Better flavor...:mrgreen:

What I do is powder, wad, cream of wheat, double wad, roll crimp and a drop of plain Elmer's glue over the top. Clear nail polish works well also.

[BigAlofPa.]

That long distance bee spray is awesome. It blows a nest appart. And drops the wasp and hornets fast. Use it at night when they are in the nest.

[Finster101]

That long distance bee spray is awesome. It blows a nest appart. And drops the wasp and hornets fast. Use it at night when they are in the nest.



Give everything a sporting chance.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AX9QoFhEhI

[joe leadslinger]

Give everything a sporting chance.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AX9QoFhEhI

Now that is some good comedy.:redneck:

[Minerat]

Murphy.
This the one you remembered?

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?329503-Tis-the-Season

[Murphy]

Minerat,

Thanks for the link. It's helpful and was a good read. I think I've got it from here.

Thanks fella's!

Murphy

[Finster101]

I'm sorry I hijacked your thread. I do see one advantage to using walnut shell as opposed to the others. You are not introducing a food source for other little critters.

[dverna]

There are so many more effective ways to deal with flies and wasps, but none as much fun as shooting them.

My son got me a Bug-A-Salt gun for Father's Day and I have been decimating the flies while sitting on the porch. Killed one small wasp with it but not recommended for them IMHO. Not a good idea to piss off a wasp.

For wasps, I use a product called Onslaught and mix it with cat food. Seems to work well. If I find a nest, the Raid spray at night is effective.

You will tire of loading .38's for shooting flying critters if you have anywhere near my level of flies. I must have dispatched over 200 since the weekend. The Bug-A-Salt is fun and very cheap to use. The salt does not harm paint or stain.

[Texas by God]

If you're not allergic to wasp venom and want sport; soak a dish towel in water and commence battle with them. I single handedly wiped out a 2'x3' nest of paper wasps one evening and I only got stung twice. They had a 2" hole in the soffit on my mother in laws breezeway. They had run the remodelers away twice before I wiped them out. The wet towel has good knockdown power- then step on them.
I do realize that I am crazy.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[Nueces]

If you're not allergic to wasp venom and want sport; soak a dish towel in water and commence battle with them. I single handedly wiped out a 2'x3' nest of paper wasps one evening and I only got stung twice. They had a 2" hole in the soffit on my mother in laws breezeway. They had run the remodelers away twice before I wiped them out. The wet towel has good knockdown power- then step on them.
I do realize that I am crazy.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

Video or it didn't happen...

[Texas by God]

So... nothing happened before video? I'm glad we didn't have video cameras back then it would be embarrassing for my kids to watch some of my antics.[emoji3] [emoji3]

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[Nueces]

I know what I'D look like if doing that dance, thought I'd ask. :mrgreen:

[Finster101]

So... nothing happened before video? I'm glad we didn't have video cameras back then it would be embarrassing for my kids to watch some of my antics.[emoji3] [emoji3]

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk



Yeah, I think we all have done a thing or three that we'd just as soon no one saw or remembers.

[Geezer in NH]

Get a salt gun from TSC.

[Mr_Sheesh]

Best I can figure I am allergic to wasp stings, so I carry an EpiPen in the woods and I'll stick to ranged weapons for wasps, TYVM :p

[Mica_Hiebert]

22Plinkster has a youtube video hunting carpenter bees with cci shot shells. Its prety entertaining.

[Iowa Fox]

Last summer I had a problem with those big 2 inch long wasps that drag cicada into their nests in our retaining wall, lots of them. I loaded up some 357 Mag cases with 1 grain of bullseye, card wad, steel cut oats and a thin card wad on top. Using my 10" contender barrel at about 10-15 feet I didn't get many, the pattern was way to open as I could see impact marks on the wall. Regular wasp spray was ineffective on them, had to use farm grade malathion sprayed on the wall to get rid of them. The year before I used the grandsons BB gun with good results until I got a ricochet that hit the soffit of the house so that was the end of that. They will be back again this year. Critter control is a full time job anymore.

[Texas by God]

Last summer I had a problem with those big 2 inch long wasps that drag cicada into their nests in our retaining wall, lots of them. I loaded up some 357 Mag cases with 1 grain of bullseye, card wad, steel cut oats and a thin card wad on top. Using my 10" contender barrel at about 10-15 feet I didn't get many, the pattern was way to open as I could see impact marks on the wall. Regular wasp spray was ineffective on them, had to use farm grade malathion sprayed on the wall to get rid of them. The year before I used the grandsons BB gun with good results until I got a ricochet that hit the soffit of the house so that was the end of that. They will be back again this year. Critter control is a full time job anymore.
Have you tried rock salt?��:redneck:

[murf205]

Yeah, I think we all have done a thing or three that we'd just as soon no one saw or remembers.

or4, or5, or6, or.......
I sure wish I could wasp/carpenter bee hunt with my shot loads cause it is a real hoot, but I am allergic to the stings and go into anaphylactic shock when stung. 2 yellow jackets caused me to loose consciousness just before the paramedics got to me, or I would have not made it. B/P went to 50/30. My loads of #8 shot are pretty even from my 4" 44 and the 357's are fairly good as well but I am "sceeered" to push my luck.

[SirNomad]

Last summer I had a problem with those big 2 inch long wasps that drag cicada into their nests in our retaining wall, lots of them. I loaded up some 357 Mag cases with 1 grain of bullseye, card wad, steel cut oats and a thin card wad on top. Using my 10" contender barrel at about 10-15 feet I didn't get many, the pattern was way to open as I could see impact marks on the wall. Regular wasp spray was ineffective on them, had to use farm grade malathion sprayed on the wall to get rid of them. The year before I used the grandsons BB gun with good results until I got a ricochet that hit the soffit of the house so that was the end of that. They will be back again this year. Critter control is a full time job anymore.

Late comment here but, man, I never shoot BBs because they ricochet so badly. For air rifles I use lead pellets only. Also it doesn't damage the rifling (if there is any) the way a BB does. :-)

[rockrat]

Maybe use polenta instead of cornmeal. Would be a bit coarser and might work better. I use ancini de pepe pasta for my 357 snake loads but if I had carpenter bees, then I would go the polenta route. Should have enough mass for the insects and a better group.

With the pasta, I cut down 357 max cases to just fit the length of the cylinder and run thru a 38 spcl seating die with the seating stem removed. 3.3gr b'eye, 35 cal carboard wad, fill with pasta, another card wad on top and run in a 7mm br size to crimp.

[sharps4590]

While forming cases for one of my Schuetzen rifles I learned what good wasp loads corn cob tumbling media made. I was using 15 grs. of Unique, the tumbling media all tamped down under 1/4 sheet of TP. The TP might be the difficult to acquire commodity. Anyway, the insects simply disappeared...disintegrated into tiny insect particles.

[Mr. Crumbly]

Last summer I had a problem with those big 2 inch long wasps that drag cicada into their nests in our retaining wall, lots of them. I loaded up some 357 Mag cases with 1 grain of bullseye, card wad, steel cut oats and a thin card wad on top. Using my 10" contender barrel at about 10-15 feet I didn't get many, the pattern was way to open as I could see impact marks on the wall. Regular wasp spray was ineffective on them, had to use farm grade malathion sprayed on the wall to get rid of them. The year before I used the grandsons BB gun with good results until I got a ricochet that hit the soffit of the house so that was the end of that. They will be back again this year. Critter control is a full time job anymore.

Not sure about anyone else, but if I saw wasps that were 2" long, I'd be wearing 15th century armour and breaking out the 12 ga. with #9 shot. When I was in former Yugoslavia, they had the biggest wasps there that would chase you down a street, and I've seen the big wood hornets in my neck of the woods in Texas, and they all scare the you know what out of me. Angry grizzlies look like fluffy friends to me compared to gigantic wasps and hornets that belong only on King Kong movies.

[phantom22]

I've never heard of doing this before, and now I'm looking at the proximity of my neighbors and wondering why I moved here.

[Txcowboy52]

I'm with you Crum ! I hate wasps hornets and the like!!

[Txcowboy52]

We used to fight bumble bees with a cedar shingle, when I was a kid , they pop loud when you connect !!

[mattw]

I have a pair of hornets nests on my shed this year, both attached to the slide rail over hang for doors. So far have not been stung shooting under them, but the scouts do buzz us while we are out there.

[GregLaROCHE]

Best I can figure I am allergic to wasp stings, so I carry an EpiPen in the woods and I'll stick to ranged weapons for wasps, TYVM :p

I’m allergic to yellow jackets, but not hornets. I carry an EpiPen and had to use it this summer. It was only one sting. I didn’t get sick, but my hand was swollen for three days. The EpiPen didn’t do anything for that. I think I will ask my doc for something to counteract the reaction.

Do you know if you are allergic to something, repeated exposure doesn’t build up an immunity. It’s the opposite. The reaction gets worse each time.

[gon2shoot]

Murphy,

IF you have a wasp or bee problem, IS using a .38/.357 your best option? Perhaps you live remote from neighbors, but are you going to shoot cornmeal toward wasps??

May I suggest you go get the 25-yard bee spray at Walmart, 2 cans for $5.99, and leave your guns at home. Why is a gun your FIRST response? I have grave concerns about this post.

Adam

I'm guessing you wouldn't approve of my 20ga. for gophers either then.

[farmbif]

lots of great info here on handgun shotshell loading, but some things just can't be controlled with a gun.
I tried to control red wasps myself in my old civil war era house, they can be dangerous, there were so many and after getting attacked one too many times I pawned the wasp control problem off on Orkin. I even tried using my professional quality bee suit and these little monsters could sting right through it.

[Murphy]

I'm guessing you wouldn't approve of my 20ga. for gophers either then.

Hahaha! Good one my friend!

Murphy

[Alferd Packer]

Last summer I had a problem with those big 2 inch long wasps that drag cicada into their nests in our retaining wall, lots of them. I loaded up some 357 Mag cases with 1 grain of bullseye, card wad, steel cut oats and a thin card wad on top. Using my 10" contender barrel at about 10-15 feet I didn't get many, the pattern was way to open as I could see impact marks on the wall. Regular wasp spray was ineffective on them, had to use farm grade malathion sprayed on the wall to get rid of them. The year before I used the grandsons BB gun with good results until I got a ricochet that hit the soffit of the house so that was the end of that. They will be back again this year. Critter control is a full time job anymore.
Have you tried primer powered wax bullets?

[Cosmic_Charlie]

Damn shame we cannot have smooth bore revolvers for shot shells.

[Alferd Packer]

I use a percolator to make my coffee so I use regular grind beans.
If you dump the used basket and filter on a tray and let dry in an oven with a pilot light, you will have a ready source of dried coffee grounds to load into shotshells.
They work well for me and they aren't leaving crumbs of edible food around to attract other small eaters.

[RP]

I had a few boxes of 9mm blanks as long as I was a few feet from the bee it did not fly away. Got some looks but no one dared to say anything guess they were thinking I finally lost my marbles lol.

[farmbif]

not corn meal or cream of wheat but ive made several different type loadings with small shot and homemade wads and am now toying with the idea of using corn cob and walnut polishing media which ive got sacks of. it is much less dense than lead so I was thinking of trying just a couple grains of bullseye or red dot and see how it goes in a 357 or 44mag shell.

[KMac]

We had a bumble bee nest in the ground in our backyard. Slaughtered a lot of them off the back porch with my sons automatic airsoft gun. With the colored airsoft bb's they were like tracers when the Bumble Bees were hovering. Finally had to pour a coffee can full of gas in the nest. But not before we had a lot of fun with the airsoft gun. The one he had was like 6-700 fps IIRC and would kill the bumble bees dead.

[SweetMk]

We gotta get creative here,, go to the kitchen, get out some poppy seeds, and look at them under about 5X magnification,,
the tell me they do not look EXACTLY LIKE lead bird shot, color and all. :o

When my wife is cookin', and she needs some spice, or seeds ground, she gets me to do it,,
we have a small mortar and pestle, for grinding the spices,,

Trust me,, some of those spices are HARD!! way harder than cornmeal, and WAY denser!!

So, find a spice that is hard and dense, grind it a little, if it is too big,,
or
just use poppy seeds,,

The good thing about poppy seeds "shot" around the yard,, is when you harvest the seeds next fall,,
I guess you have to process them before you can sell them outside the local methadone clinic?? [smilie=1:

[rockrat]

I think the corn cob media would work well