wax bullet for cap and ball

[Maj.Bull S. Hitter]

Not sure this is the right place to put this question but here it goes.I am using my .31 remmie with just percussion caps for gun training my Boarder collie.It is working great but at sometime I will want to have a little more bang.I am wanting to do this in small steps as he is sensitive to loud noise.I understand that is a common boarder collie issue.
If I use wax bullets I won,t have to wonder where the lead is going.As I will be shooting in the air as we go for our walk.And I also believe popping real bullets in the air is unsafe and irresponible .With wax I also feel I could use less powder transition to real loads.
Squirrel hunting will be the end result with my 32 ruger.Any and all answers/cmments will be very much appreciatted.

Also would like to change my handle to more of a catchy,I think name.

[Mick Archer]

  Howdy Pards!

   A wax bullet can act as a projectile...

   During a Memorial Day parade, a Civil War pard wanted to use wax bullets to get a "bigger bang" for the crowd.  HE figured he would get the bang, and the heat of the blast would liquify the wax bullet and burn it up.
   He aimed at an overhead streetlight and fired the first one, shattering the glass light.
   Pieces of glass showered down on us...

    Mick Archer

[Maj.Bull S. Hitter]

Yes that it can.Where I do the training is out in the pasture.no street lights or any other potential obstacles.Safety is foremost on my mind for me my dog and everything that could be effected.The biggest reasons for a wax projectile are less chances of lodgeing a projectile in the barrel with a very minimal load.Remember I am working with the dog I hope to go hunting with.I have all the time and patience to do it as smoothly as possible with little or no setbacks.Once a dog is gunshy it may never be useful around any type of loud noise.Hunting and firearms are hopefully not the end result in any of his training.His confidence in me is paramount.
Sorry to sound a bit ticked about this but am most interested in doing right by this pup.But thanks for the thought and have a very enjoyable weekend.

[Maj.Bull S. Hitter]

 Also anyone pointing a firearm at anthing they don't intend to detroy and or put a whole in should never touch another firearm until he learns the basic safety procedures of handling one.

[River City John]

In reenacting last year we tamped vermiculite into each chamber after charging them. It just disappears in the smoke cloud when fired. Might work for you seeing as hows you're not aiming at anything that might be 'destroyed'.

[Wills Point Pete]

 Okay, a wax projectile at close range can be dangerous. Back in the day I shot myself with a wax bullet, trying to learn fast draw. I gave myself a small bruise.  I went to work that evening and never told my Pards. Thing is, wax is light so a wax bullet has little sectional density or ballistic coefficient so will lose velocity fairly rapidly.
It should be fairly simple, take a wax bullet and stuff it down on the powder hard enough to both compress the powder and smush the bullet out enough to where it won't fall our. Try it. Adjust the charge of Holy Black for more or less noise. Shoot up at about a 45 degree angle and try not to knock any birds out of the air.
If you mash the bullet enough so it won't fall our you should also have it spread out enough to prevent chain fires.

[rifle]

Heck, I go shooting with my dogs all the time. I have to shooo them away so they aren't close to the whole while I'm shooting. Dogs don't like hearing protection.    I just shoot regular loads. Dogs alreasdy been exposed to the noise a little at a time. I did it different. I shot 22's riflwe first then the louder pistols from a distance but where the dogs see me. As they get used to it I get closer and closer to the dogs. Not close enough to be abusive though. The we hit the field when I figure they show that they know the noise is harmless and don't shy away. After that point I just start taking them out to run while I plink at old stumps and the like. They run and I shoot. Kill two birds with one stone.  I have a coupla non-hunting dogs(drop offs people leave on my road). The Jack Russel/fox terrier will stand right next to me and wait for me to get done shooting so we can continue to walk. I have to shooo her away to shoot.  The deformed clown of a Beagle I took in is shy around guns though unless he's a good distance away. He's huntable and does well trrailing rabbits. My main dogs are beagles and they can be gun shy ifin ya don't start them gradually. Any dog is that way I guess. Except that little Fox Terrier. Brave to the point of being stupid about it.  Runs the leader of the pack on rabbits when I'm running the dogs for exercise. Can probably catch the rabbits and runs the track on a dead run. Then stops and waits fer the beagles to catch up.  Anyway your doing fine with yer dog. If you are out in the pasture and it is safe then....why not just practice with lead while you train the dog? Balls may bounce into the neighbors lot if they are close?  I wonder if a 31 Remmie has the accuracy to hunt squirrels? Does it? Is there any twist to the barrels rifling? Why not use an 1851 Colt Navy that could have the accuracy? I do it at times. No dogs though for that. I never see any squirrels when I take the dogs in the woods. Same thing when my cat follows me. No squirrels anywhere when that dang cat follows me out there.

[Cuts Crooked]

I think yer on the right track with the wax bullet idea, Pard. But I suspecf you are 'over thinking' it. I have used my 60 army for "blank firing" situations b'fore. What I did was to put a card wad over the powder charge, mashed it down with the rammer, and then filled the remaining space with the lube I normally use for "over the ball" grease. This worked great for me.

In the cicumstances you are talking about shooting these in, I see no reason to be concerned too much with where that card and grease end up, likely it will loose all its velocity in about 15 or 20 yards anyway. Just be careful about pointing the gun at the dog....who would be VERY angry if shot with a bunch of grease!

Good luck with this, and stop back and let us know what worked for you and how the training went!

[Steel Horse Bailey]

I'll second what one of our resident BP gurus, Cuts Crooked, says.  The wax projectile under your circumstances would do fine, it's just a bit more work.

Good luck with those Border Collies - aint they great dogs!?!

[Maj.Bull S. Hitter]

Thanks for the replys.The 31 is being used just as a training tool.The firearms for the hunt will be a 32 mag or a 32 percussion rifle.I did think of using just a wad but was not sure of it.
This pup,I am hoping will also be used as a sure and rescue dog,Texas Longhorn herding and just a good rep for the border collie.

[hellgate]

Powder and card wads or even 1/8-1/4" felt. Buy a hole punch set and use the 5/16" hole puncher to make your wads. The 3/8" works for 36 cal and the 7/16 works for the 44s.