What do you know about wax slugs?

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abherbitter

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So I recently learned about a technique for folks who load their own shells. You put everything in except the lead and have your shell ready. Then you mix your lead with some sort of melted wax (on youtube I've seen candles and crayons) and pour the mix into the shotgun shell. The wax keeps all the shot together in flight as a single projectile, but on impact it breaks up pretty quickly.

Is this really a more effective load than the shot used would be on its own?

I've also seen folks use hot glue instead of wax which is supposed to be a little bit harder, anyone know about that?
 
They are spectacular. I actually like them a lot. They deliver massive devastation to the impact area but due to breaking up so quickly, do not over-penetrate.

They're easy enough to make. Use paraffin wax. Try a standard round of 7 shot and then try a wax slug made with the same against milk jugs or 5 gallon buckets full of water.

You'll have your answer.
 
I asked the youTube guy that and he thinks for home defense you'd want max spread since your range will be 15 yards or less. So, he advocates buckshot.
 
I asked the youTube guy that and he thinks for home defense you'd want max spread since your range will be 15 yards or less. So, he advocates buckshot.
Click to expand...
He obviously hasn't patterned his shotgun. At 15 yards buckshot isn't going to open up much with any normal choke/barrel. I use a rifled barrel and that will open it up a LITTLE more.

I see wax slugs as a way to really skimp or an emergency effort. If I needed absolutely all the defensive ammunition I could get and the shelves were empty I could convert my several hundred rounds of random sporting loads to wax slugs pretty easily. I might experiment with them in order to boost confidence in the item.

In any other situation I can load/buy something better, even if it is much more expensive.
 
I'm interested in seeing a wax slug made out of a 3.5" 2.25 ounce 12 gauge load and its effect on a variety of targets (done by some brave YouTuber).
 
The physics of them is pretty interesting. The slug is 'solid' until is hits a more solid object and then the mass literally explodes inside that object creating a massive wound channel unlike a traditional single chunk of lead. The energy transfer is unreal. The higher the mass of the projectile, the better this works also which is why light, super fast frangible bullets do not perform very well.

Still, until I see a vid or read a good write up on how they actually perform on big game, the jury is still out.
 
The jury??

They will hang your ass from the highest available tree should you use one of these "homebrew" loads to defend your home.

I reload most everything I shoot. That said when it comes to defending my life and my loved ones............it will come from a box purchased at the store.
 
I concur. For self defense and CHL carry, I personally never use reloads. If you shoot someone I figure there will be enough questions to answer without adding a bunch more.

Hunting and reloading experiments are an entirely differently story.
 
I made some 12 gauge wax slugs with #8 shot....

Those things are sweet-- I shot a 2 liter of water and there was devastation. There wasn't an entry hole, or even a lot of tiny exit holes-- the 2 liter's plastic was literally blown into many separate pieces.

Lets just say I am in anticipation of the next time a rabbit decides to cross paths with me...
 
Will they won't they???

Depends on the DA and location a bit...

We know many things have been done with shotgun loads out of need since they were first used....

Can a person safely tinker with odd loads to this day??? It seems possible...

Is it advisable??? I wouldn't worry with anything but accepted load data if I were a reloader...

This is all just for making "fun shells".... I wouldn't ever consider some weird old miners trick over a factory determined safe load for my own survival...

But I really think this thread has gone as far as we can in this iteration... So until the next "Dimes, nails, matchheads, rocksalt, broken glass" thread... this'n is gonna get some napping in...

Brent
 
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