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#190121 - 12/07/09 03:26 AM Recycled wax bullet firestarters.
sotto Offline
Addict

Registered: 06/04/03
Posts: 450
I have discovered that expended wax bullets such as these used in "cowboy action" shooting:

Spitfire Wax Bullets

can be recycled into pretty good emergency fire-starters. I just wrapped one in a used but dry paper towel, and the towel burned for 10 or 15 seconds, but the expended wax bullet burned for about 3 minutes. These little projectiles can be easily captured by any thin plywood-ish backstop.


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#190134 - 12/07/09 07:00 AM Re: Recycled wax bullet firestarters. [Re: sotto]
Alex Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 03/01/07
Posts: 1034
Loc: -
Well, that's just plain wax, isn't it?

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#190198 - 12/08/09 12:18 AM Re: Recycled wax bullet firestarters. [Re: Alex]
sotto Offline
Addict

Registered: 06/04/03
Posts: 450
Probably, but I can't shoot a candle out of a .45 Long Colt Ruger Vaquero. ;-)

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#190201 - 12/08/09 12:39 AM Re: Recycled wax bullet firestarters. [Re: sotto]
Paul810 Offline
Veteran

Registered: 03/02/03
Posts: 1428
Loc: NJ, USA
That wax bullet idea has me thinking. How much power do they have? Could the shotgun primer be used to propel some other type of bullet for small game use?

I mean, if that were the case, something like a .454 Casull or .460 S&W revolver would make for quite a versatile handgun.

Re-loadable shotgun primer powered loads for inexpensive practice and small game shooting. Standard .45 Long Colt loads for most duties. .454 Casull or .460 S&W loads for larger animal defense or hunting.

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#190206 - 12/08/09 01:37 AM Re: Recycled wax bullet firestarters. [Re: Paul810]
sotto Offline
Addict

Registered: 06/04/03
Posts: 450
Originally Posted By: Paul810
That wax bullet idea has me thinking. How much power do they have? Could the shotgun primer be used to propel some other type of bullet for small game use?

I mean, if that were the case, something like a .454 Casull or .460 S&W revolver would make for quite a versatile handgun.

Re-loadable shotgun primer powered loads for inexpensive practice and small game shooting. Standard .45 Long Colt loads for most duties. .454 Casull or .460 S&W loads for larger animal defense or hunting.


That's pretty good thinking!

However, be careful with low-powered loads and lead bullets though, lest you find one of them be-stuck in your barrel with another round traveling down the same barrel behind it. ;-)

I believe you'd find that any primer-only driven load might not have enough steam to push a real lead projectile of stable cross-sectional dimension for it's caliber out of the barrel.

I think I read somewhere that the wax bullets make about 600 fps and might pretty well knock the wind out of a little game animal if it hit them in the right spot. In my Vaquero, though, the wax bullets shoot a few inches lower than my actual point of aim at about 17 feet. They'll hit in about a 1 inch circle with a half-way decent attempt at aiming at that distance.

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#190219 - 12/08/09 06:14 AM Re: Recycled wax bullet firestarters. [Re: sotto]
Paul810 Offline
Veteran

Registered: 03/02/03
Posts: 1428
Loc: NJ, USA
Originally Posted By: sotto

That's pretty good thinking!

However, be careful with low-powered loads and lead bullets though, lest you find one of them be-stuck in your barrel with another round traveling down the same barrel behind it. ;-)

I believe you'd find that any primer-only driven load might not have enough steam to push a real lead projectile of stable cross-sectional dimension for it's caliber out of the barrel.

I think I read somewhere that the wax bullets make about 600 fps and might pretty well knock the wind out of a little game animal if it hit them in the right spot. In my Vaquero, though, the wax bullets shoot a few inches lower than my actual point of aim at about 17 feet. They'll hit in about a 1 inch circle with a half-way decent attempt at aiming at that distance.


I wonder if some kind of Sabot load would work. Like a plastic casing with a lead core. The plastic casing would drop off quickly after shooting, but the smaller lead core would still be traveling at 600fps, without the resistance a larger bullet would have. At the very least, it would be an interesting experiment. whistle

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#190221 - 12/08/09 06:37 AM Re: Recycled wax bullet firestarters. [Re: Paul810]
UpstateTom Offline
Member

Registered: 10/05/09
Posts: 165
Loc: Rens. County, NY
A shot shell might be easier and more effective.

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#190240 - 12/08/09 05:04 PM Re: Recycled wax bullet firestarters. [Re: UpstateTom]
PureSurvival Offline
Member

Registered: 02/21/09
Posts: 149
Loc: UK
Oh dear people are going to start carry Hatton rounds in there PSK wink

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#190248 - 12/08/09 07:33 PM Re: Recycled wax bullet firestarters. [Re: UpstateTom]
Paul810 Offline
Veteran

Registered: 03/02/03
Posts: 1428
Loc: NJ, USA
Originally Posted By: UpstateTom
A shot shell might be easier and more effective.


The problem I have with shot shells for handguns is their range. They work good up close, but shoot at something past about 10 feet and you are better off throwing a handful of rocks.

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