okay got some ?'s

[rookie0014]

heard guys talk about shooting wax bullets in their basement. never heard of it before. what kinda wax do you use, just primers no powder, what kind of range are we talking? been wanting to put a range in my barn will be pistol, 9 or 45 or 22 lr at the most how thick of a metal box do i need to to catch bullets safely. Thanks for any input

 

[perminator]

i shoot wax bullets out of my 1911 i think most use parafin wax i usually keep scrap candle wax around and just melt it in a pan somewhere around 5/16 thick and stick the cases in and turn till they cut through. and yes just primers no powder i ususally use the magnum primers that i bought during the shortage for this but regular work just fine.

 

[Disposable Heart]

7 yards at most, they are LOUD (not as loud as real loads though), a sheet of plyboard always worked for a backstop (for me), primers ONLY! No powder. Man, you must have a good supply of primers to do that stuff though! .22 may not work though, I would imagine rifle barrels being too long, though a pistol may work, never tried it.

Now, the rubber stuff is a differnt story...

 

[Mr. Habib]

I have seen, but never tried using blocks of paraffin. Just press the primed case mouth into it like a cookie cutter.

 

[Disposable Heart]

I have seen, but never tried using blocks of paraffin. Just press the primed case mouth into it like a cookie cutter.

It's how I did it. I melted it into a shallow, small tray, cookie cut them in.

 

[henktermaat]

Wow- I learn somethign new every day. What's the point of this other than the sheer awesomeness?

 

[clelaj]

Does there need to be a point beyond the shear awesomeness? Does shooting wax in your basement still consitute illegal discharge of firearm if within city limits?

 

[henktermaat]

Does there need to be a point beyond the shear awesomeness? Does shooting wax in your basement still consitute illegal discharge of firearm if within city limits?

Hmmm. I do things simply for sheer awesomeness. I just wondered if other folks thought they had some other reason that they considered reasonable

 

[husker]

Never done it myself, but I read in Guns of the Old West Magazine that wax bullets are used for Cowboy Fast Draw Association and are available commercially. Probably lots of DIY Wax Bullets info floating around the web.

 

[Chance]

Use to load them for practice

Used them for practicing point shooting with a Model 19. It always seemed easier to press the sized casing through the paraffin and then prime it. Allows the air to escape as the wax goes in. It will make a mess of the bore. Inexpensive paraffin used for sealing canning jars comes in sheets that work great.

 

[sloughfoot]

Long before the introduction of modern simunitions, we used to load primered 45 ACP cases with cotten balls for force on force room clearing drills. Parifin wax bullets would have done the same thing, but would have stung a lot more and left a lot more residue in the barrel.

These drills made it clear to all involved that to clear rooms alone is to die alone. At least with a partner, the partner will kill the ahole that killed you.

 

[rookie0014]

thanks for the input on wax bullets!! the range i was talking about building in my barn was for for mainly pistols 9 to 45's but maybe a 22 pistol or 22 rifle once and a while with live ammo that is why i asked about thickness of metal to build the backstop and the angles it would need to be to make sure it stoped and traped to round. Thanks Again for all the input.