Gel test: 12 ga birdshot wax slug

Andrew Wiggin · February 28, 2013, 04:01 PM

Let's try to keep this one on topic, shall we?. ;^)

Let me go ahead and get this out of the way to begin with:

I'm not advocating the use of bird shot for defense, even as a wax slug. Bird shot is for little birdies.

Shooting stuff is fun and talking about shooting stuff is fun. If you don't like talking about shooting stuff, you might think about joining a crocheting forum.

This gelatin was out of calibration, but not by a lot. More importantly, it was on the high side, meaning that the penetration seen here is actually MORE than what you would see in properly calibrated gelatin. Probably not a lot more, though.

I plan to repeat the test with a buck shot wax slug.

This is a test of a 12 ga wax slug made from a S&B heavy game load.

Link to video

Old Grump · February 28, 2013, 05:14 PM

You might want to try a black powder field shot wad inserted upside down over the shot instead of the wax. It would still compress properly going through the choke and hold the shot together better when it hits the gel block. I think you can get them at Ballistic products. Unlike a slug a wax slug goes through the choke like a solid piece of lead instead of the rifled slug which is designed to compress the rifling fins when it goers through the choke. Without the wax holding the shot together it can shift around when the shot wad gets compressed but should still retain its integrity once out of the bore.

Andrew Wiggin · February 28, 2013, 06:59 PM

That's a neat idea. I'll ask my friend to give that a "shot." I don't reload shot shells, only metallic cartridges. I presume you mean one of the plastic shot cups listed here. There's no photo on that site and I'm not familiar with BP. Are those shot cups not split on the sides like in smokeless shot shells?

What do you think of hot glue?

Old Grump · February 28, 2013, 08:26 PM

They have a slit but not as far down the side. Hot glue has been tried with horrible results for accuracy but that isn't the point of them. At close range they are shotgun bombs. Silly putty has been tried too but I never saw any drastic results, it just was a goofy looking shell.

Andrew Wiggin · March 1, 2013, 09:56 AM

Good to know. I wonder if the people who did the hot glue shot/slug cartridges left an area in the bottom with just glue like my friend did with the wax. Leaving the back end lighter should allow the projectile to fly relatively straight. I can see how it might be very difficult to prevent voids in the hot glue which would leave a very unbalanced projectile. If you're talking about taofledermaus, I didn't think there was any shot in the silly putty.

Honestly, I don't expect anything to work substantially better than buck shot or slugs for defense. There's a reason the major ammunition manufacturers don't make stuff like that and there's a reason that police departments and self defense experts advocate the use of #1 or 00 buck. I like shooting stuff, though, and I hear people making claims about how they think wax slugs and other projectiles might perform. Rather than speculate, I'd like to have reasonably sound data.

Old Grump · March 1, 2013, 09:45 PM

I loaded a 10 gauge shell with dried corn and bacon grease to get the neighbors dog to leave our chickens alone. Didn't harm the dog but he never left his yard again. When he went over the fence his white rump was specled with black and the gun smelled delicious. popcorn and bacon.

I have seen flechettes, beach sand, pea gravel, rock salt, steel shavings, marbles and wooden beads tried by other people and most were ineffective. The only guns I have seen damaged from these experiments shot wax slugs "bulged barrel', and cut shells,'muzzle peeled back like a banana'. They should have used cylinder bore guns.

Andrew Wiggin · March 2, 2013, 01:04 PM

Yeah, using any sort of choke on weirdo, home made ammunition sounds like a bad idea.

Wax slugs and similar might have the potential to be developed into effective commercial loads but they offer little that traditional slugs and shot can't do.

I'm sure you've seen this before.

Old Grump · March 2, 2013, 05:01 PM

That would be like using tartar sauce or lemon juice for bait.

Andrew Wiggin · March 4, 2013, 12:19 PM

The truly lazy hunter would follow up with a round of Dragon's Breath.

Old Grump · March 4, 2013, 07:30 PM

Don't think I could get the stench of burn hair past my nose into my mouth. At least not without a nasty knock down, head slamming, biting and kicking fight first.

February 28, 2013, 05:14 PM	#2
Old Grump Member in memoriam Join Date: April 9, 2009 Location: Blue River Wisconsin, in Posts: 3,144	You might want to try a black powder field shot wad inserted upside down over the shot instead of the wax. It would still compress properly going through the choke and hold the shot together better when it hits the gel block. I think you can get them at Ballistic products. Unlike a slug a wax slug goes through the choke like a solid piece of lead instead of the rifled slug which is designed to compress the rifling fins when it goers through the choke. Without the wax holding the shot together it can shift around when the shot wad gets compressed but should still retain its integrity once out of the bore. __________________ Good intentions will always be pleaded for any assumption of power. The Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions. There are men in all ages who mean to govern will, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters. --Daniel Webster--

February 28, 2013, 08:26 PM	#4
Old Grump Member in memoriam Join Date: April 9, 2009 Location: Blue River Wisconsin, in Posts: 3,144	They have a slit but not as far down the side. Hot glue has been tried with horrible results for accuracy but that isn't the point of them. At close range they are shotgun bombs. Silly putty has been tried too but I never saw any drastic results, it just was a goofy looking shell. __________________ Good intentions will always be pleaded for any assumption of power. The Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions. There are men in all ages who mean to govern will, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters. --Daniel Webster--

March 1, 2013, 09:45 PM	#6
Old Grump Member in memoriam Join Date: April 9, 2009 Location: Blue River Wisconsin, in Posts: 3,144	I loaded a 10 gauge shell with dried corn and bacon grease to get the neighbors dog to leave our chickens alone. Didn't harm the dog but he never left his yard again. When he went over the fence his white rump was specled with black and the gun smelled delicious. popcorn and bacon. I have seen flechettes, beach sand, pea gravel, rock salt, steel shavings, marbles and wooden beads tried by other people and most were ineffective. The only guns I have seen damaged from these experiments shot wax slugs "bulged barrel', and cut shells,'muzzle peeled back like a banana'. They should have used cylinder bore guns. __________________ Good intentions will always be pleaded for any assumption of power. The Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions. There are men in all ages who mean to govern will, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters. --Daniel Webster--

March 2, 2013, 05:01 PM	#8
Old Grump Member in memoriam Join Date: April 9, 2009 Location: Blue River Wisconsin, in Posts: 3,144	That would be like using tartar sauce or lemon juice for bait. __________________ Good intentions will always be pleaded for any assumption of power. The Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions. There are men in all ages who mean to govern will, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters. --Daniel Webster--

March 4, 2013, 07:30 PM	#10
Old Grump Member in memoriam Join Date: April 9, 2009 Location: Blue River Wisconsin, in Posts: 3,144	Don't think I could get the stench of burn hair past my nose into my mouth. At least not without a nasty knock down, head slamming, biting and kicking fight first. __________________ Good intentions will always be pleaded for any assumption of power. The Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions. There are men in all ages who mean to govern will, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters. --Daniel Webster--

February 28, 2013, 04:01 PM	#1
Andrew Wiggin Senior Member Join Date: December 22, 2012 Posts: 516	Gel test: 12 ga birdshot wax slug Let's try to keep this one on topic, shall we?. ;^) Let me go ahead and get this out of the way to begin with: I'm not advocating the use of bird shot for defense, even as a wax slug. Bird shot is for little birdies. Shooting stuff is fun and talking about shooting stuff is fun. If you don't like talking about shooting stuff, you might think about joining a crocheting forum. This gelatin was out of calibration, but not by a lot. More importantly, it was on the high side, meaning that the penetration seen here is actually MORE than what you would see in properly calibrated gelatin. Probably not a lot more, though. I plan to repeat the test with a buck shot wax slug. This is a test of a 12 ga wax slug made from a S&B heavy game load. Link to video

February 28, 2013, 06:59 PM	#3
Andrew Wiggin Senior Member Join Date: December 22, 2012 Posts: 516	That's a neat idea. I'll ask my friend to give that a "shot." I don't reload shot shells, only metallic cartridges. I presume you mean one of the plastic shot cups listed here. There's no photo on that site and I'm not familiar with BP. Are those shot cups not split on the sides like in smokeless shot shells? What do you think of hot glue?

March 1, 2013, 09:56 AM	#5
Andrew Wiggin Senior Member Join Date: December 22, 2012 Posts: 516	Good to know. I wonder if the people who did the hot glue shot/slug cartridges left an area in the bottom with just glue like my friend did with the wax. Leaving the back end lighter should allow the projectile to fly relatively straight. I can see how it might be very difficult to prevent voids in the hot glue which would leave a very unbalanced projectile. If you're talking about taofledermaus, I didn't think there was any shot in the silly putty. Honestly, I don't expect anything to work substantially better than buck shot or slugs for defense. There's a reason the major ammunition manufacturers don't make stuff like that and there's a reason that police departments and self defense experts advocate the use of #1 or 00 buck. I like shooting stuff, though, and I hear people making claims about how they think wax slugs and other projectiles might perform. Rather than speculate, I'd like to have reasonably sound data.

March 2, 2013, 01:04 PM	#7
Andrew Wiggin Senior Member Join Date: December 22, 2012 Posts: 516	Yeah, using any sort of choke on weirdo, home made ammunition sounds like a bad idea. Wax slugs and similar might have the potential to be developed into effective commercial loads but they offer little that traditional slugs and shot can't do. I'm sure you've seen this before.

March 4, 2013, 12:19 PM	#9
Andrew Wiggin Senior Member Join Date: December 22, 2012 Posts: 516	The truly lazy hunter would follow up with a round of Dragon's Breath.

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