Homemade Non-Lethal 12 ga loads?

hells.saints · May 1, 2012, 11:41 AM

Anyone come up with some crazy non-lethal loads for 12 gauge?

----------------------------

I'll start. In an attempt to use waste materials that are created during the shooting/reloading process, I discovered this surprisingly useful load.

Ingredients:

12 ga shells with either plastic or paper bases.
Used/New wads of any weight.
8 to 12 spent primers
5.5 to 6 grains of Red Dot or similar powder
New 209 primers

This created a (hurtful) load of low velocity that no one would want to get hit with. Good for scaring away the local pitbull. Very quiet.

You just got to make sure that the wad's wings cover the hard primers to avoid damaging the barrel.

Another potential load would be to do 8 to 10 grains of Red Dot with .22 plastic airsoft bbs.

zippy13 · May 1, 2012, 01:41 PM

You ask an interesting question. Of course, there are commercial shells with rubber ball loads and such, but the components aren't generally available to the public. The old standard was to remove the shot from a factory load and replace it with rock salt; however, there's the corrosive aspect of using salt, the range was limited, and who has rock salt these days.

I've not heard of using a load of primers. But, my experience is limited to making regular and gag loads (like slipping a black powder confetti load into a buddy's shell bag). There's an anecdote about a trap shooter who was barred from competition. The story goes, he would put a spent primer in with the shot of his re-loads. The primer would be mistaken for a target chip and a missed clay scored as a hit.

The main worry in working with reduced shotgun loads is the potential for a wad unknowingly remaining in the barrel. The subsequent shot can be disastrous.

In our PC world, you should probably call them "less-lethal" over "non-lethal" loads.

hells.saints · May 1, 2012, 02:05 PM

In my tests with this load, the wad flew pretty accurately and consistently to about 15 yards from the barrel. Nevertheless, that's a valid concern.

**Mal H** · May 1, 2012, 03:41 PM

Sorry, but we are going to have to cut this one short. Even though doing what you are doing can indeed be fun if you are very careful and know exactly what you are doing, all of the members of the world-wide audience of TFL don't fall into that category.

In truth, there is no "non-lethal" load of the nature you are wanting to discuss. Even a blank round can be lethal in many circumstances.

Closed.

May 1, 2012, 11:41 AM	#1
hells.saints Junior Member Join Date: April 22, 2012 Posts: 10	Homemade Non-Lethal 12 ga loads? Anyone come up with some crazy non-lethal loads for 12 gauge? ---------------------------- I'll start. In an attempt to use waste materials that are created during the shooting/reloading process, I discovered this surprisingly useful load. Ingredients: 12 ga shells with either plastic or paper bases. Used/New wads of any weight. 8 to 12 spent primers 5.5 to 6 grains of Red Dot or similar powder New 209 primers This created a (hurtful) load of low velocity that no one would want to get hit with. Good for scaring away the local pitbull. Very quiet. You just got to make sure that the wad's wings cover the hard primers to avoid damaging the barrel. Another potential load would be to do 8 to 10 grains of Red Dot with .22 plastic airsoft bbs.

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May 1, 2012, 01:41 PM	#2
zippy13 Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2008 Location: SoCal Posts: 6,442	You ask an interesting question. Of course, there are commercial shells with rubber ball loads and such, but the components aren't generally available to the public. The old standard was to remove the shot from a factory load and replace it with rock salt; however, there's the corrosive aspect of using salt, the range was limited, and who has rock salt these days. I've not heard of using a load of primers. But, my experience is limited to making regular and gag loads (like slipping a black powder confetti load into a buddy's shell bag). There's an anecdote about a trap shooter who was barred from competition. The story goes, he would put a spent primer in with the shot of his re-loads. The primer would be mistaken for a target chip and a missed clay scored as a hit. The main worry in working with reduced shotgun loads is the potential for a wad unknowingly remaining in the barrel. The subsequent shot can be disastrous. In our PC world, you should probably call them "less-lethal" over "non-lethal" loads.

May 1, 2012, 02:05 PM	#3
hells.saints Junior Member Join Date: April 22, 2012 Posts: 10	In my tests with this load, the wad flew pretty accurately and consistently to about 15 yards from the barrel. Nevertheless, that's a valid concern.

May 1, 2012, 03:41 PM	#4
Mal H Staff Join Date: March 20, 1999 Location: Somewhere in the woods of Northern Virginia Posts: 16,947	Sorry, but we are going to have to cut this one short. Even though doing what you are doing can indeed be fun if you are very careful and know exactly what you are doing, all of the members of the world-wide audience of TFL don't fall into that category. In truth, there is no "non-lethal" load of the nature you are wanting to discuss. Even a blank round can be lethal in many circumstances. Closed.