Wax Bullets For Practice

[Ike the butcher Tuckerson]

Recently I started making my own wax bullets to be able to practice and become a little faster with shooting my Ruger Vaqueros.

I started thinking that maybe I could do this for my shotgun as well. This evening I tested it out and it appears to work very well in my SXS.

Now I'm trying to figure out if this might work in my lever action as well. I have not had much luck cycling dummy rounds with plastic bullets through my lever action. I am thinking this is because they are too light with the plastic bullets and I am assuming I will have the same issue with the wax bullets. Has anyone else tried this or have experience with using wax loads? 

[Rip Snorter]

Used wax for several years in local CFD - only in SAA.  I bought the brass that takes shotgun primers.  They work well and hit hard enough that I gave some to a rancher friend to use in discouraging aggressive bulls. They work in revolvers.  Can't imagine getting them to cycle in a lever gun, probably a custom case of some kind.  For a shotgun, it would be cast your own. The longer barrel could be an issue, as would cleaning up wax deposits. There was a product called Chief Firewater...was for surfboards but also sold for CFD.

[Boggus Deal #64218]

I ran the Indoor Wax Bullet match for SASS at the convention for a number of years. Doable in the lever rifle but not the easiest. Better in the Marlin  94 or Win 92 clones.

[Ike the butcher Tuckerson]

@Rip Snorter I Make my own wax which is paraffin, Bees wax, and Beef Tallow. It shoots pretty clean. I agree I don't think they will cycle through the lever action at all. 

[Ike the butcher Tuckerson]

@Boggus Deal #64218 I curious now, anything special about the loads? I'm shooting all 45 colt rounds. I have a Henry big boy for my lever action. 

[Boggus Deal #64218]

6 minutes ago, Ike the butcher Tuckerson said:

@Boggus Deal #64218 I curious now, anything special about the loads? I'm shooting all 45 colt rounds. I have a Henry big boy for my lever action. 

I’ll have to dig out the stuff I have. It’s been about 15 years.

[Yul Lose]

Wax bullets are a hoot in my Ruger Old Armies with Kirst Konverters in them. They don’t feed worth a hoot in my Lightning rifles. I use a box back in a corner of the shop filled with styrofoam shipping pellets as a target and Mrs. Lose came out one day and asked how that box got all of those holes in it that look like bullet holes.

[Rip Snorter]

I used just shotgun primers in the SAA- some folks would put in a pinch of the black just for the smoke.  Been a few years for me as well.  Still have some, should try again.  Always enjoyed the CFD till the club went down.

Edited January 14 by Rip Snorter
Typo

[Boggus Deal #64218]

If I remember correctly, the cases were uncrimped blanks from mounted shooting. They were necked down for a .38 caliber wax bullet but were long enough to feed in Winchester 92 clone. Powered by a large pistol primer. 
The shotgun shells were a solid black polymer shell bored in the back for a shotgun primer and in the front for the same .38 wax bullet.

[Widder, SASS #59054]

1 hour ago, Ike the butcher Tuckerson said:

Recently I started making my own wax bullets to be able to practice and become a little faster

 

If you want to become faster, just load some 'primer only' shells in your pistols

and attack a wasp nest with em.   Of course, ya need to be close..... REAL CLOSE, and manipulate the hammer/trigger fast

to 'burn their butts'.   But, the practice will help you get faster.  

 

..........Widder

 

 

 

[Ozark Huckleberry]

7 hours ago, Widder, SASS #59054 said:

 

If you want to become faster, just load some 'primer only' shells in your pistols

and attack a wasp nest with em.   Of course, ya need to be close..... REAL CLOSE, and manipulate the hammer/trigger fast

to 'burn their butts'.   But, the practice will help you get faster.  

 

..........Widder

 

 

 

Just remember you have to keep one foot in place when you have a loaded round under the hammer -- SHB p. 12. 

Edited January 14 by Ozark Huckleberry

[The Rainmaker, SASS #11631]

8 hours ago, Widder, SASS #59054 said:

 

If you want to become faster, just load some 'primer only' shells in your pistols

and attack a wasp nest with em.   Of course, ya need to be close..... REAL CLOSE, and manipulate the hammer/trigger fast

to 'burn their butts'.   But, the practice will help you get faster.  

 

..........Widder

 

 

 

It'll help ya run faster, that's fer shur!

[Eyesa Horg]

8 hours ago, Widder, SASS #59054 said:

 

If you want to become faster, just load some 'primer only' shells in your pistols

and attack a wasp nest with em.   Of course, ya need to be close..... REAL CLOSE, and manipulate the hammer/trigger fast

to 'burn their butts'.   But, the practice will help you get faster.  

 

..........Widder

 

 

 

At least on your feet! 

[Widder, SASS #59054]

GENTLEMEN...... here's a trade secret.

and believe me, I've done this a few times in my younger years when my thumbs were a little quicker.

 

First, ya gotta wait till about sundown when all the wasp are on the nest.  Or atleast you think all are on the nest.

 

Second, don't go after BIG nest with dozens and dozens of wasp.   Only attack those nest around 2" in diameter or so.

Usually, only about a dozen wasp are present.

 

Thirdly, try to use short barrel pistols.  And try to use the .45 Colt 'BLANK' cases that will let you use shotgun primers.

These give a better flash.

 

When possible, stand on the ground and avoid being high on a step ladder.

And never be afraid of those wasp or getting stung.   Personally, I think they can sense 'fear' and will  fly towards those with it.

 

This technique won't kill them but it will singe their wings and keep them from flying at ya.

Then, you can knock the nest down.

AND, most importantly............ you will get faster with those pistols.  

 

..........Widder

 

[Boggus Deal #64218]

26 minutes ago, Widder, SASS #59054 said:

GENTLEMEN...... here's a trade secret.

and believe me, I've done this a few times in my younger years when my thumbs were a little quicker.

 

First, ya gotta wait till about sundown when all the wasp are on the nest.  Or atleast you think all are on the nest.

 

Second, don't go after BIG nest with dozens and dozens of wasp.   Only attack those nest around 2" in diameter or so.

Usually, only about a dozen wasp are present.

 

Thirdly, try to use short barrel pistols.  And try to use the .45 Colt 'BLANK' cases that will let you use shotgun primers.

These give a better flash.

 

When possible, stand on the ground and avoid being high on a step ladder.

And never be afraid of those wasp or getting stung.   Personally, I think they can sense 'fear' and will  fly towards those with it.

 

This technique won't kill them but it will singe their wings and keep them from flying at ya.

Then, you can knock the nest down.

AND, most importantly............ you will get faster with those pistols.  

 

..........Widder

 

Widder, don’t be offended if I don’t take your advice on this one…

[The Rainmaker, SASS #11631]

Well, I was watchin some old reruns of Kung Fu and now I sneak up on those wasps with chop sticks and quick as a wink, pluck a wing off. 

Does it help me get faster at my shootin? Heck no, but it sure makes Widder laugh!

[Eyesa Horg]

Sounds kinda "Kung fooy, no flewy"

[Imis Twohofon,SASS # 46646]

Im thinking 12 Ga Dragonsbreath for wasps.

 

Imis

[Boggus Deal #64218]

On 1/13/2025 at 8:07 PM, Ike the butcher Tuckerson said:

@Boggus Deal #64218 I curious now, anything special about the loads? I'm shooting all 45 colt rounds. I have a Henry big boy for my lever action. 

Ike, I found one of the cases from the wax shoots. It’s a Starline 5in1 blank case. It is 1.575 long and necked to take a .30 wax bullet. Ten-X ammo was the supplier to SASS for the ammo and components. They actually came to the convention and loaded the ammo on site the years I worked it.

[Cowtown Scout, SASS #53540 L]

On 1/13/2025 at 9:03 PM, Boggus Deal #64218 said:

I ran the Indoor Wax Bullet match for SASS at the convention for a number of years. Doable in the lever rifle but not the easiest. Better in the Marlin  94 or Win 92 clones.

 

46 minutes ago, Boggus Deal #64218 said:

Ike, I found one of the cases from the wax shoots. It’s a Starline 5in1 blank case. It is 1.575 long and necked to take a .30 wax bullet. Ten-X ammo was the supplier to SASS for the ammo and components. They actually came to the convention and loaded the ammo on site the years I worked it.

I shot those indoor matches at the conventions in Vegas a couple times.  It was a lot of fun, but as I remember the wax bullets did not always go where the shooter had aimed and intended them to go.  There was quite a production going to reload the rounds during the match.  Managed one year to win this scarf slide.

[Boggus Deal #64218]

1 minute ago, Cowtown Scout, SASS #53540 L said:

 

I shot those indoor matches at the conventions in Vegas a couple times.  It was a lot of fun, but as I remember the wax bullets did not always go where the shooter had aimed and intended them to go.  There was quite a production going to reload the rounds during the match.  Managed one year to win this scarf slide.

That year whipped my a** running back and forth…

[Cowtown Scout, SASS #53540 L]

25 minutes ago, Boggus Deal #64218 said:

That year whipped my a** running back and forth…

I appreciate all your efforts in putting it on.  It was a lot of fun and was challenging.

[Boggus Deal #64218]

1 minute ago, Cowtown Scout, SASS #53540 L said:

I appreciate all your efforts in putting it on.  It was a lot of fun and was challenging.

Thank you, sir! I did enjoy running it.