Shot + Wax = tight pattern?

L

Lavid2002

New member
Shot + Wax = tight pattern? *Now with results!*

I hear a lot of BS in the store but someone told me they used to put a little shot in, drip some melted wax in, shot, wax, shot, etc..... and then shoot it and get a super right pattern. Like the size of a grapefruit at 25 yards. Anyone hear of this? I think I want to try it :P!


Ill effects? A little wax in the bore maybe. I think the wad will prevent this. Also possible raised pressure from the increased weight of the wax.


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For what purpose? Is this for HD, waterfowl, something else? I wouldn't want to have that going down my barrel like that. A tight pattern like that at 25 yards could easily be done with a proper choke tube
 
What shot, and what wax? How much heavier will it be with wax in the mix, and how much of that wax will be left int the barrel? It sounds like a mess and a pain with not a lot of advantage to be gained. You would think that if there were substantial gains to be had that ammunition manufacturers would already have a product made to such effect.
 
typical gun shop BS

This 'brilliant' idea originates from the 1954-'55 Herter's catalog. The idea was that if you got lost/stranded in the wilderness, you can open up the shotshell and drip wax or paraffin over the birdshot so that it may be used like a slug for big-game in a pinch.. :rolleyes:

If your intention is to gain tighter patterns for hunting or shooting clays, forget about it. Patterns will definitely suffer due to pellets clumping together, resulting in big gaps in the pattern.

Just use the proper choke size as oneounceload suggested...
 
Rampant Colt where did you find a 1954-55 Herter's Catalog? I imagine it's a fascinating look into our recent history. Back in the day, I enjoyed perusing the offerings from Herter's -- everything they sold was touted as perfect or the biggest and bestest available. Actually, some of their products were outstanding, and I wish they could be had today.
 
I made 5 of them, next time i'm at the range ill pattern 2 vs 2 at 25 yards and 2 vs 2 at 50 yards from the same gun with the same choke and well see how it goes. I think the wax will perform, but not as good as once thought :P
 
zippy13 said:
Rampant Colt where did you find a 1954-55 Herter's Catalog? I imagine it's a fascinating look into our recent history. Back in the day, I enjoyed perusing the offerings from Herter's -- everything they sold was touted as perfect or the biggest and bestest available. Actually, some of their products were outstanding, and I wish they could be had today.
Click to expand...
I should start a new thread with pics from the book - it's not a catalog, but a book called Professional Guide's Manual from 1962. Lots of interesting stories and old-school remedies. Written for North Star Guide Assn. By George Leonard Herter & Jacques P. Herter

11qizno.jpg



@ Lavid2002 - don't forget to shoot video or some pics of your little Manhatten Project
 
FWIW, Pop told me about growing up in coal country PA during the last Depression and making slugs by opening up birdshot shells and pouring melted tallow over the shot, then taping the crimp closed. He accounted for a couple deer that way,

Not recommended.......
 
Tallow's pretty soft, probably get away with that, but I don't think I'd be wanting to shoot a 'slug' of shot and hard wax through much choke constriction.

Herter's - recently I started researching some of Old George's patents. The man was amazing. Some great ideas, some best described as whacky - he had so much going on in his mind - fascinating. The sporting world lost a lot when Herters went out of business.

DC
 
.45C, What is worse about paraffin compared to hard cast lead? Any slug is safe thru any choke size up to and including FULL... I doubt the choke will do anything past fragging the wax...
Brent
 
Bore-size slugs are usually soft lead Foster (hollow base) slugs. Space for the lead to go when choked. Any full bore slug of 583 grains or less has to be hollowed. The hard, candle-type, wax is pretty much not compressable. I don't claim that I'm sure that bad things will happen, just that if they do, it won't be in one of my guns.

DC
 
It isn't the hollow base that makes room... it is the "rifling" on the outside. They swage down in the choke. The hollow base is to impart straight stable flight.

Brent
 
If the purpose of the wax is to make an emergency slug from bird shot, an alternate method is to circumcise the hull. The shot, wad and forward section of the hull act in unison to make a formidable projectile. I've seen baseball sized cobbles crushed by such "slugs" made from standard target loads -- mind you, they were fired thru a cyl choke.

If I'm stranded, my chances of having a knife are better than having candle wax. Make the cut in the area of the relative void in the wad's piston (between the shot and the powder). Do not try it with a reload, a tight factory crimp is essential for success.
 
knife

Zippy: I'm not going to try that but it sure is an interesting idea. Is the hull cut completely through it's skin at that point? Seems to me that that would be the only way to guarantee complete separation of the "slug" before the crimp started to open.
I'm looking forward to the results of the upcoming pattern experiment with the waxed loads.

Pete
 
If the purpose of the wax is to make an emergency slug from bird shot, an alternate method is to circumcise the hull. The shot, wad and forward section of the hull act in unison to make a formidable projectile. I've seen baseball sized cobbles crushed by such "slugs" made from standard target loads -- mind you, they were fired thru a cyl choke.

If I'm stranded, my chances of having a knife are better than having candle wax. Make the cut in the area of the relative void in the wad's piston (between the shot and the powder). Do not try it with a reload, a tight factory crimp is essential for success.
Click to expand...


Zip,

The hull and wads diameter fit in the chamber, but the chamber is obviously wider than the bore.... Trying to launch a whole hull, wad, and shot column down the barrel seems like it would be a terrible idea : /
 
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