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Thread: Canning wax bullets?

  1. #61
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by swamp View Post
    I used wheel bearing grease in my batch. It seems to work. Takes awhile to melt.
    swamp
    I have used vaseline jell melted in with canning wax to soften to cookie cut out primer powered loads.

    Have to to experiment to find satisfactory ratio.
    Maybe try, 1/3 cup vaseline to one lb. Paraffin wax.
    That should make it softer.
    Maybe add 1/4 lb beeswax melted to make more flexible, takes away some brittleness so the slugs don't shatter.
    Maybe easier to remelt.
    Pure paraffin shatters on striking
    Hard surfaces.

    Cheaper to skip beeswax, but messier in area of impact.
    Some like to use toilet ring gasket wax.
    Was beeswax many moons ago. Not now though and for quite awhile.
    Too soft to use alone.
    Like putty.
    Last edited by Alferd Packer; 01-30-2020 at 11:58 AM. Reason: P

  2. #62
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    You can Google making wax bullets.
    Gasoline or deodorized
    mineral spirits will clean up your wax in firearm as will WD40 as well.
    Also, I use a punched out disk of thin cardboard loosely fitted in bottom of the case before I load in the wax slug.
    The primer then blows out the gas checked wax slug which prevents the wax from melting onto the cylinder, in the barrel or in the case.
    Really not needed, but for the anal worriers amongst us, it occurred to me as a way to maybe keep things cleaner.
    Cleaning guns for me is not a chore. Just another part of my hobby.
    The same cardboard gas check can be used on the glue bullets as well if you think you need them.
    I always seat my wax or glue bullets all the way on the bottom of the case for maximum push from the primer.
    Of course with bottlenecked rifle cases you have to seat them in the neck only.

  3. #63
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    The circle of thin cardboard on the bottom of the case will keep the primer force from digging into the base of the soft wax slug losing some velocity.
    When slugs are seated down on the bottom of the case, they get to max velocity.

  4. #64
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    Quote Originally Posted by georgerkahn View Post
    doghawg -- You indeed started quite the (enjoyable, educational, fun) thread! And, it is germane as bullets are cast of wax, too! Thank you!
    What I'm adding is I have read MANY warnings re shooting wax bullets indoors. Claims are the fumes from primers are super-high in toxic lead in air. Also, from detonating primers in, say, a basement, lead will end up on walls, floor, ceiling -- all surfaces -- which, too, is a hazard from their lead styphnate base. (To children, pets, future buyers of your house...._
    I've been intrigued with getting lead-free primers, which I've read about, but have yet to find a source, for my wax bullet shooting. A great "read" on lead-free primers is https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1410/1410.6390.pdf , and they even have a table listing pressures generated in our lead styphnate based ones (to choose the ones with highest pressures?).
    I have gotten quite a bit of enjoyment with my fairly recent entry into shooting wax; again, thanks for the thread -- when I read your desire to shoot in your basement, it prompted this reply. Good luck!
    geo
    Set up a fume hood (kirchen thingy hung over the stove) where you shoot!
    Easy pleasy, no lead fumes.

  5. #65
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    Did the wax bullet thing many, many years ago before I moved to the country where I could shoot without having to do it indoors. It does work and is easy to load was bullets. A case with the flash hole enlarged, a regular primer for propellent, and a pan of solidified wax is all you need. james

  6. #66
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    Great info in the NRA article.

  7. #67
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    Quote Originally Posted by 17nut View Post
    Set up a fume hood (kirchen thingy hung over the stove) where you shoot!
    Easy pleasy, no lead fumes.
    I never shoot in the kitchen, how can the fume hood help?


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

  8. #68
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    tree rats have been known to run away as tree rats and come back as black bears. they roast well with some bacon.

  9. #69
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    Wax bullets can be fun: X-Ring rubber bullets are way more fun, because they are easier to load!
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  10. #70
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    Quote Originally Posted by richhodg66 View Post
    I have a real old Lyman manual that has an article on doing this and had a recipe for making the bullets using wax and water pump grease (is that even still a thing?). They recommended melting it into an old cake pan so it was a half inch thick, letting it cool, pushing unprimed cases into it to seat the "bullets" and then priming last. Also recommended drilling out primer flash holes.

    I would think the slabs of paraffin wax you can buy at the grocery store would work fine.
    Yes they still make water pump grease. I found it on Amazon
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  11. #71
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    Quote Originally Posted by roysha View Post
    So, what is the concern about just shooting the wax buildup out with a mild metallic bullet load?

    I realize this may seem like a dumb question but it appears to me that it would not be any worse than the practice of shooting jacketed bullets after lead bullets without cleaning in between.

    I recall, back in the day, that there was a school of thought that after a session of lead bullets, one was supposed to fire several jacketed bullets to remove any leading. In fact some of the fellows following that theory would load some very square based jacketed bullets, backwards in the belief that it would scrape the lead out better. Personally I didn't have much luck doing it but those same fellows followed the practice religiously.
    Canning wax ,also called paraffin can easily be removed using lighter fluid or gasoline in a cleaning patch
    Gasoline dissolves wax
    A bore brush and lighter fluid or gas also works,followed by a cleaning patch.
    Wax is not like leading from lead bullets.
    No need to shoot out the softened wax.Bbq lighter fluid will also work as bore cleaner.
    Haven't tried Kroil yet, but it's a good cleaner for regular fouling in bore too.

  12. #72
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    save your primers and wax and get a pop gun that uses those little plastic pellets.

  13. #73
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    44 and 45 cal wax slugs will kill a squirrel.Use the 250 -300 grain molds to cast wax bullets and seat them to bottom of cartridge case using a paper disc on bottom to protect the wax bullet base and increase compression.
    They hit hard.

  14. #74
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    Quote Originally Posted by Alferd Packer View Post
    Canning wax ,also called paraffin can easily be removed using lighter fluid or gasoline in a cleaning patch
    Gasoline dissolves wax
    A bore brush and lighter fluid or gas also works,followed by a cleaning patch.
    Wax is not like leading from lead bullets.
    No need to shoot out the softened wax.Bbq lighter fluid will also work as bore cleaner.
    Haven't tried Kroil yet, but it's a good cleaner for regular fouling in bore too.
    I have been a proponent of squeezing a bit of lighter fluid into a small plastic container -- maybe (?) 3/4 of an ounce, to which I add three drops of gun oil. Shake it a little to mix, and then use a nylon brush -- mostly three pulls thru (Otis style) followed by two pulls of a dry patch. This works quite well for me in all my wax-bullet shooting. I will add, however, to note that ALL my wax bullets are purchased (.357, .44, and .45 sizes) from on-line cowboy action sellers, so I have no idea what (e.g., paraffin?) they're made from. Just -- to my way of thinking -- they are soooo incredibly inexpensive to buy them I have never poured/cast my own.
    geo

  15. #75
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    i have tried the pressing of .38 spec. thru paraffin blocks for practice + fast draw - i seriously doubt you could hit a squirrel at more than 6 ft. - one alternative is this type of feeder - wooden bar near feed holes + counter weight at opposite end - set the counter weight so that it closes off feed under the weight of small birds - absoluetely drive Squirrells crazy, as soon as they get near seed the metal door closes till they leave feeder -it hold 20+ plus pounds of feed so it needs little constant attention - expensive if bought new but i have found them fot $10.00 or less at estate, yard sales, + flea markets -
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  16. #76
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    I have lonnng battled tree rats/squirrels both ruining and gobbling food from feeders with my intent to be for relatively small in size birds. My solution was to mount an inverted metal doo-hickey -- called squirrel guard (Agway) on the pole supporting feeders, and then use feeders which come with a metal guard. Bion -- it works!!!Click image for larger version. 

Name:	bird feeders.jpg 
Views:	14 
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ID:	316375 I do have to shovel/move snow when it gets too high as the squirrels have jumped up, but this has been a rare need.
    geo

  17. #77
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    As I posted in a different thread wax bullets are cheap by the thousand. I won't repeat what I wrote but at 30 feet they will knock that pesky squirrel of it's feet. At 21 feet they will get stuck into the plywood backstop.
    Make sure you spray some silicone into the barrel prior shooting otherwise after multiple shots the barrel will get clogged with wax. I shoot thousands of them wax bullets as a Fast Draw shooter and I know every trick in the book.
    No need for powder. Just a 209 primer and the bullet. You can reuse the same shell for the rest of your days. I still have the casings I bought 15 years ago drilled for 209 primers and I still use them almost daily.
    You should try shooting the squirrels with a lever action in .45LC. Is fun either way.
    Don't forget the silicone spray before the first shot and every other 20-30 shots. It wouldn't hurt to run a brush once or twice after every 10 rounds.
    And also make sure you won't shoot yourself in the legs or hands. You might end up in the hospital. Don't ask me how I know.

  18. #78
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    Quote Originally Posted by Texas by God View Post
    I too, visualized a mason jar with wax bullets in it..... used to shoot indoors with those Gulfwax bullets. I drilled out the flash hole of 50 .38 Special cases just for them. Good Times.

    I used to do the same (shoot them indoors). I'd sit on the couch and shoot at a tide box with a towel in it and tape a target to the front. My fun came to an abrupt end when the Wife came home and found a nice little dent in her china cabinet and a matching one in the ceiling. My aim got a little cockeyed and one bounced off her china cabinet and hit the ceiling.
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  19. #79
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    Got to watch those old red and blacks. Stronger than you think. Shooting partner attempted to run the neighbor's rooster out of his tomatoe patch with one.
    Had to go explain why his rooster didn't show up again for meals./beagle

    Quote Originally Posted by FLINTNFIRE View Post
    I have a older handloading book that discusses it in detail and a old friend of mine wanted me to buy his sp101 years ago with it he included his wax bullets and his cci red and black I believe plastic bullets , those plastic with a primer would put a heck of a dent in osb the wax was fun to lay in bed and shoot the brick fireplace across the room
    diplomacy is being able to say, "nice doggie" until you find a big rock.....

  20. #80
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    Quote Originally Posted by Alferd Packer View Post
    44 and 45 cal wax slugs will kill a squirrel.Use the 250 -300 grain molds to cast wax bullets and seat them to bottom of cartridge case using a paper disc on bottom to protect the wax bullet base and increase compression.
    They hit hard.
    Going to have to try this with a 170 grain, 38 mold.

    What distance you talking? I see so many squirrels when I'm camping it ain't even funny.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check