Wax bullet shooting

Wax bullet shooting on my back porch.

If you want to be able to use guns for self-defense you first need to learn to use them and then frequently practice with them to maintain proficiency. Shooting wax bullets in my .357 Mag revolvers is a cheap way to practice – especially when practicing “point shooting” rather than “aimed shooting” (which usually consumes much less ammo per shooting session). Point shooting is what one is most likely to have to do when shooting in a close range self-defense situation. 

Wax bullet shooting makes little noise – no more than an old fashioned child’s cap gun. It is much safer than shooting regular ammo in that the projectiles weigh only about 11 grains versus the 157 grains I use in my self-defense ammo and the wax bullets travel at a much lower velocity and have a greatly reduced hazardous range.  

However, wax bullets are hazardous and could easily put out an eye or cause serious bruising on other parts of the body. With one exception, wax bullet shooting definitely requires observance of all standard shooting safety rules. The exception is that ear protection is not required. Wax bullets can ricochet towards the firing line and therefore eye protection is a must for shooters and observers even if they are behind the firing line. 

Two photos below show my wax bullet shooting range with today’s targets – an empty oatmeal box, empty soda cans, and empty water bottles. The third photo shows the damage done by a wax bullet to a soda can. Needless to say, wax bullets hits on these targets sends them flying – great for recreational shooting when instant gratification is a major goal.

My wax  bullet range

The targets - up close

Soda can after wax bullet hit.

Notice that the bullet went in one side & out the other

Other targets I use include an empty soda-acid fire extinguisher, a person-sized empty propane tank, and various sized pieces of sheet metal – all of which make beautiful “gong sounds” when hit by wax bullets and all of which are not damaged by the bullets. Paper and cardboard targets can also be used so you can tell exactly where you hit the targets.

Once you equip yourself to do wax bullet shooting the cost is quite low. The cartridge cases are reusable, no expensive powder is used, and the cost for wax bullets is less than 1¢ each. The only real expense is for primers – less than 5¢ each.

Future posts will address making of the bullets, wax bullets for some of my lever action rifles, and for shotguns.

Note - wax bullet shooting isn't practical for use in semi-automatic firearms that are recoil or gas operated..