Wax bullets for 38 specials

[sheepdog]

What wax do I use? Crayons ok? Do I just use primers?

[AJ Peacock]

I've used straight parafin. Just melt it into the bottom of a pan about 1/4"-3/8" and let it harden.

Prime your brass. Make sure there is no flare on the cases that will cause them not to chamber. then just cookie cutter the wax into the cases.

Use them in a well ventilated area, as the lead stiphinate (sp) from the primers is not conducive to good health

Hope this helps,
AJ

[sheepdog]

I was planning on using them outdoors for some beginner shooters. Are they strong enough to poke a hole in a half inch sheet of particle board?

[AJ Peacock]

I was planning on using them outdoors for some beginner shooters. Are they strong enough to poke a hole in a half inch sheet of particle board?

No, they will go through a single layer of cardboard though. I used to use a cardboard box as a target. The wax would go through one side and end up inside the box. I'd re-inforce the opposite side with a couple extra layers. I also used magnum primers. they are pretty accurate to 20' or so.

AJ

[KCSO]

Whoa hoss!!!! Before you prime your brass mark it well and drill the primer holes out to 7/64th or so or the primers will back out and lock your revolver tight. When we used wax loads for indoor practice we used 3/4 candle wax and 1/4 Bees wax and when we loaded the bullets we pressed the unprimed cases into the wax and then primed so air pressure would not build up under the bullet and move it with tempreture change. We used an 18" square pan and loaded all the round when the wax was 80 degrees or more. For 4 years we had indoor cowboy shooots every Wensday night with 6-10 guys shooting in a comercial basement set up with a trolly car, a hand cranked elevator and pop up tatgets. We also used it for police training. Velocity with a standard primer is in the 650 fps range and they will kill a small animal if you hit it in the head.

[Freightman]

[ with a standard primer is in the 650 fps range and they will kill a small animal if you hit it in the head.[/QUOTE]
Yep, will kill a tree rat at 10/15' if hit in the head, I was using my 1911 45 one at a time, put the rounds in the freezer overnight they will really get the tree rats attention.

[AJ Peacock]

KCSO,

You are right about drilling the primer hole and marking your brass, I'd forgotten about that (it's been 7-8 years since I played with the wax bullets).


AJ

Whoa hoss!!!! Before you prime your brass mark it well and drill the primer holes out to 7/64th or so or the primers will back out and lock your revolver tight. When we used wax loads for indoor practice we used 3/4 candle wax and 1/4 Bees wax and when we loaded the bullets we pressed the unprimed cases into the wax and then primed so air pressure would not build up under the bullet and move it with tempreture change. We used an 18" square pan and loaded all the round when the wax was 80 degrees or more. For 4 years we had indoor cowboy shooots every Wensday night with 6-10 guys shooting in a comercial basement set up with a trolly car, a hand cranked elevator and pop up tatgets. We also used it for police training. Velocity with a standard primer is in the 650 fps range and they will kill a small animal if you hit it in the head.

[Wally]

Years ago I used a wax bullet in a .44 Magnum case...it was something, to use to hit the old steel beer cans with --really tore them up at 10 ~ 30' ... I recall using one in the .357 magnum with a magnum primer--it shattered a glass pop bottle....at about 15' away.

[sheepdog]

Why would the primers pop out like that?

[Ekalb2000]

Why would the primers pop out like that?

I wounder, does this happen with gloobits as well?

[oldhickory]

Why would the primers pop out like that?

Because there's no real pressure to seat the rear of the cartridge case against the frame of the revolver, so the primer can back out under it's own explosive force a short distance until being stopped by the frame.

Drilling the flash holes out ensures all the flash will go into the case and not back it out of the chamber.

[Dframe]

I tried wax bullets years ago. they work but were SO filthy I quit using them almost immediately. I didn't enjoy all that "cleaning time" I had to spend on my guns.

[Bert2368]

I used commercial wax bullets in my .44 years ago. .44 special cases drilled out for a 209 shotgun primer, they were plinking accurate and punctured beer cans out to around 40'. I ended up using ski wax remover to clean the pistol... Good fun, but dirty.