Wax loads???

[TexasToby]

I drilled out a box of cases in .45lc to use with the shotgun primers. Then I melted wax to pour into a cookie sheet for my wax bullets. That was about 3/8" to 1/2" thick and pressed the empty hulls down in it for the wax bullets. I shoot them out in my back yard and don't clean up a mess. Melt candle wax in a can in a pan of water like a double boiler. Any can will do, even a can that beans came in . Ain't much mess to clean up there either. Throw the can away or save for next time. Been doing this for 6 or 7 years. Bout the only time I get to practice. Happy shootin!! Texas Toby

[Slamfire]

Thanks for the replys, just need to know what size ( dia.) bit to drill out brass for shot gun primers?








      Hootmix

[pony express]

It's been many years since I did them, so I don't remember exactly what size bit we used-probably some common size. I jusy measured a couple shot shell primers, they are about .240 at the end, slightly tapered to maybe 1 thousanth bigger at the rim end. The Remington ones I measured were about .001 bigger than the winchester ones.

All that being said, I THINK what we used was just a 1/4 inch bit, they're not a tight fit, but it's not that critical with no powder for wax bullets. You will also have to countersink somehow to allow for the "rim" of the shotshell primer. I did that with one of those round grinding stones you can buy for an electric drill. You could also try just using a bigger bit for the countersink.

And a warning, brass cases are kind of hard to hold on to when drilling, pliers or vise grip on the rim is how I did it, doesn't result in "pretty" cases whern it's all done!

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[Slamfire]

Thanks Pony, my measurement came out about 11/64, but 1/4 is also close.










  Hootmix.

[pony express]

I would try the 11/64th first on one, see how hard to prime and deprime they are.

[TwoWalks Baldridge]

If you want to shoot wax and wish to make your own ... here is an article you might be interested in.

http://www.americanrifleman.org/ArticlePage.aspx?id=2294&cid=32

As far as the life of the cartridge case ... they might out live you ... I have a friend that shoot 100 shots per day and his cases are now 10 years old and still going.

[Jefro]

I'm sure this subject is on here , so please humor me , I would like to practic with my NEW 1875 ,(no dry firing allowed), i would like to make my own wax practic loads.If y'all would lend a hand ,both the good& bad points.

    Hootmix.

Howdy Hootmix, I shoot wax bullets monthly in Cowboy Fast Draw, also shoot a couple of SASS matches a month. First I'm curious as to why no dry fire allowed, but live fire with wax bullets is ok??? IMHO you will get much better practice and muscle memory from dry fire, small sticky notes or orange dots on the wall work great. What yer after is front sight, front sight, front sight. Most of the top shooters spend alota time dry firing, but none I know of use wax or rubber.
 One of the down sides to using wax is, the bullet with a LP primer will only travel about 450fps, this can cause you to unconsciously wait until you hear or see the hit before pulling the trigger on the next round. Even with CFDA .45 cases and a 209 shotgun primer yer still around 650fps. This delayed reaction even occurs with real bullets during a match if using too light a load, especially with the rifle targets. Plus if you are using these for POI, it will usually be alot different with real bullets and recoil during a match. Dry firing with snap caps will give you better results on the range.

Don't get me wrong, I ain't trying to talk you out of it, but you ask for the good and bad. Go ahead and give it a try and see what you think. One cautionary note; most primers will produce a toxic mix of lead, use outdoors. Even in the garage with the door open it will still produce some nasty stuff in the hankie. One thing we have found effective (CFDA practice) for indoor use is a whole house exhaust fan in the ceiling of the garage, about half way between the targets and the shooters. Good Luck


Jefro Relax-Enjoy

[Slamfire]

Hey gang ,sorry about the time's i'm on here ,but when i'm not in my boot&saddle repair shop, i'm ou t cuttin, & baleing hay.







      Hootmix

[Slamfire]

Sorry gents the other day i said that i had used a 11/64 bit ,,,,wrong it should be 15/64 bit & its still a bit tight,,,soooo, does anyone make a bit that drills the hole&lip for 209's?,or do i have to invent some kind of 2 stage bit(to sell LOL) like the "cobra" wood bits???   Jefro thanks much for your info., It's best to here the "good,bad & ugly" from you gents ,,,ya"ll been there done that,,saves us greenhorns a lot of trial & err,.




      Hootmix

[Stu Kettle]

The only time I ever shot the store-bought version was when a vendor set up a Fast-Draw booth at Hell on Wheels in Cheyenne.  I noticed that his 209 primers dumped out without the use of a tool.  This morning as an experiment, I drilled out the primer holes on some .38 sp with a 1/4 bit and put enough chamfer on the holes with my case mouth chamfering tool that the primers sat flush with the case.

I  made up 5 round using the same cake of paraffin that I used to load my last wax round with pistol primers and the Cheddite brand 209 primers that I've been using for shotgun shells.  The primers loaded and unloaded just like the store-bought kind I had tried, but upon firing, the primer part that is the same side as a larger pistol primer backed out of the 209 primer just like the pistol primers will if you don't drill the flash hole.  This made it difficult, but not impossible to cock the revolver again. 

I fired all five shots at the same backstop I use for wax loads with pistol primers (a T-shirt on a coat hanger over an empty box) and all five penetrated the T-shirt leaving a neat round hole.  The same T- shirt has stopped a great many wax slugs fired by small pistol primers in .38 sp and large pistol primers in .44 mag and .45 colt.

For my purposes I think the pistol primers will suffice - they are plenty accurate at 20 feet and the one time I fired one other than target practice it effectively dispatched a mouse who was unfortunate enough to have made his way into my home.