Rubber bullets?

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Nodak1858

New member
Haven't tried those but used one of my molds to make hot glue bullets. Just squirted it in the mold until full, shot out of my 45 Blackhawk. Lubed the mold with some Pam, filled out pretty nice. At 20 feet they were enough to dent 1/2 drywall using just LP primers. About half tumbled though, dented a few soda cans but didn't shoot made than a few cylinders full. We're reusable after I shot tehm, pretty tough stuff the hot glue. Was going to try making wax bullets from and old NRA recipe as well, got as far as mixing it up but not making any projectiles. Maybe this winter, getting snow now and on course to get around 10 inches so have time now to monkey with that kind of stuff.
 
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mxsailor803

New member
I heard years ago about a guy using foam ear plugs. Don’t know how true it is or accurate they are though. I do like the hot glue idea though.
 
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ThomasT

New member
I have shot a lot of the plastic primer powered bullets from Speer. Also made wax bullets.

To make wax bullets you drill out the primer hole a little and use those cases for wax loads only so mark them. Then melt parafin wax in a pan to about 1/2" thick. Push the unprimed case into the wax to cut a bullet. Then prime the case and shoot. Cheap and easy.
 
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AK103K

New member
I used them for a little while back in the 90's with my one 44. Still have a box loaded with them on the shelf, but havent used them in a couple of decades now.

I seem to remember they had to have the primer pockets drilled out and the cases were then only basically to be used for them.

I made a frame out of 2x3's to hold the targets and had an old, heavy blanket stapled loosely to the back. Just tucked the bottom into a cardboard box, and the bullets dropped into it. Worked out pretty good.

Did something similar with a couple of airsoft guns more recently. Heres what they looked like....

enhance


The airsoft BB's are stopped by a towel, and drop into a box at the base.

To be honest, I always found dealing with the rubber, plastic, and wax bullets (tried them all over the years) to be a PITA, and one of the reasons they tended to grow old pretty quick.

Once airsoft showed up, they were a bit better, and a lot less bother, but other than using them to shoot at each other with, they kind of got old pretty quick too.

If Im going to bother going to the trouble of loading up something to shoot with, it might as well be the real thing and thats what I do. Just another good reason to get outside on a nice winter, spring, summer, or fall day. :)
 
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44 AMP

Staff
Can't say about the bullets you're planning on using, I have no idea. I have, however, observed this;

Saw a fellow take the eraser off a pencil (just the rubber, no metal or wood), put it in the mouth of a primed .308 rifle case, and fired it at his living room wall. The rubber eraser penetrated completely through the wood paneling! It stopped in the wall, but it did put a hole completely through the paneling.

Primer only, no powder. Draw your own conclusions....
 
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Ben Dover

New member
With the rubber/plastic bullets, I can be shooting in the den while the wife is watching "Chick Flicks" on the boob tube.:D
 
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Sharkbite

New member
Ive shot the Speer plastic bullets a bit. The towel in a box trap works fine.

The issue i had was the plastic stripping off in the bore/rifling left a mess to clean out. Long strings of plastic residue.

Nowadays, i think a good airsoft gun is a better way to go.
 
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SIGSHR

New member
I had the Speer bullets years ago, a cardboard box with a towel draped over a dowel made a good bullet trap. Biggest drawback because of their lightweight the POI was way off.
 
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Aguila Blanca

Staff
Thank you, folks.

Considering that using real primers will expel lead compounds in my garage or basement, and then the requirement (or is it only a suggestion?) to drill out the primer flash holes, ruining a number of shiny new Starline cases I just bought, leads me to agree that airsoft or BBs is probably a better alternative. I have a couple on CO2-powered BB guns and airsofts, and I have a CO2-powered SAA BB gun, so I guess I'll just "run whut I brung" and call it a day.
 
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Dufus

New member
I used the plastic Speer bullets quite a lot back in the 70s but never indoors. We didn't even consider the lead in the primers, just didn't want to stink up the indoors with the smell.

I used them to pop some dogs in the ass that were getting into my trash cans and scattering debris all over. They stopped visiting the cans after a few altercations.
 
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Rapidrob

New member
Same here, I loaded many hundreds of the Speer .38 caliber plastic bullets in the e60's/70's.
The primer moves them out fast enough that they will do damage to flesh at close range.
Air soft they aint.
 
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J

JohnKSa

Administrator
Considering that using real primers will expel lead compounds in my garage or basement...
Click to expand...
That's the showstopper for me. And it comes out as a smoke or very fine particulate which can travel a ways before settling onto surfaces.
 
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Aguila Blanca

Staff
JohnKSa said:
That's the showstopper for me. And it comes out as a smoke or very fine particulate which can travel a ways before settling onto surfaces.
Click to expand...
That's the show stopper for me, too. I've already had one blood lead level scare, which caused me to stop competing at the indoor range where I shoot and to severely cut back how much/often I shoot in general. I don't need to go through that again.
 
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dyl

New member
A friend of mine used wax and hand loaded regular pistol primers. It was pretty loud still, shooting into an unattached garage. Not something I'd be able to get away with in the house, not to mention the lead you guys had brought up. I have 1 airsoft pistol. It is best for practicing everything that happens before you pull the trigger which is still fairly useful. It was supposed to take "Green Gas" but I've found out you can use a common 2 lb propane tank with a little screw on plastic adapter. Cheap.

Edit: I forgot to mention about that picture. Is that target from the 90's? That is most well-groomed depiction of an AK variant wielding bad guy I have ever seen. So classy he seems bored.
 
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JohnKSa

Administrator
By the way, you can buy lead-free primers these days. Fiocchi makes them and Graf & Sons stocks them.

HOWEVER, I have no idea how their performance differs from standard primers or if they are suitable for rubber or wax bullets.
 
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Sharkbite

New member
[I forgot to mention about that picture. Is that target from the 90's? That is most well-groomed depiction of an AK variant wielding bad guy I have ever seen. So classy he seems bored./QUOTE]

Standard “Izzy” tgt. Its what we shot on overseas with DoS
 
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