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Old 08-12-2021, 12:12 PM
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Default Basement Loads

Not sure if this is the right forum but I am thinking of setting up a short and simple basement range for shooting wax bullets, with only a primer for propellant. I have read somewhere that primers contain some heavy metal elements which might be bad for your lungs. The basement will not have any special ventilation system other than a fan. Anyone know if this would be hazardous for the lungs?

Second question, it has been over 60 years since I shot a .22 short round. Are they quiet enough for shooting in a basement?
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Old 08-12-2021, 12:32 PM
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You will need a good/safe back stop for that little 22 short.
Even though it is on the low end of energy for the little .22.......
it can still cause major damage if it some how comes back and finds you.

For the wax bullets..........
Try to keep the bullets clean and free from dirt or sand, since it can hurt your gun's barrels.

Wax bullets need a read up on what is happening since it is not a simple task.

Good luck.
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Old 08-12-2021, 12:47 PM
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See if you can find some 22 short CB loads. They are only about 700 ft per second. I have shot them in my basement from a 10-in Contender. If you shoot them from a rifle they sound just like an air rifle.
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Old 08-12-2021, 12:50 PM
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I had a heavy duty bullet trap and shot .22’s in the basement when I was a kid. After a number of shots, you could smell gunpowder throughout the house. Shooting .22’s without a proper ventilation system is a really bad idea.

I also had some of those Speer plastic bullets and cases that used primers as the propellant. I still have some, but haven’t shot them for years. Primer fouling probably isn’t very good for you either.

Get a quality air pistol or three. You can safely shoot those indoors, it’s excellent practice and you won’t terrorize your dog/cat or wife!
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Old 08-12-2021, 12:53 PM
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How much shooting are you planning on doing? Breathing primer fumes isn't good. You need to vent somehow if you plan to continue. The .22 shorts are actually pretty loud. If you want to shoot .22 in the basement try some CB longs. Ear protection should be used in any case.

That said, many years ago I used to shoot full power 38s and 9mm and even a few .357s in my basement. I didn't have any additional ventilation and used scrap lumber for a back stop. There was a lot of construction in the area so scrap lumber was easy to come by. I'm quite sure it wasn't healthy and I probably still have lead and mercury in my bones from that. It was a walk-out basement in the rear but otherwise buried in Missouri loam. I'm still surprised I never got a complaint as I was in a 1/4 acre lot housing development.
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Old 08-12-2021, 01:28 PM
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You can also put a good, charcoal filter on the intake side of a box fan and have that right next to your muzzle.

Once took my dad's 303 Enfield and two bullets into the basement. Ended up only shooting one.
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Old 08-12-2021, 02:57 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sjs View Post
Not sure if this is the right forum but I am thinking of setting up a short and simple basement range for shooting wax bullets, with only a primer for propellant. I have read somewhere that primers contain some heavy metal elements which might be bad for your lungs. The basement will not have any special ventilation system other than a fan. Anyone know if this would be hazardous for the lungs?
Most primer contain/use Lead Styphnate, so your lead exposure will be increase dramatically as it will be absorbed through the lungs.

There are "green" primer available usually but primer supply is currently very challenged, typically refereed to as MIC primers.
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Old 08-12-2021, 03:21 PM
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.22short is way more than you need and for a basement CB-caps are more than you need as well. The thing to look for shooting handguns is Aguila Colibri (hummingbird) it's a .22L with a 20gr bullet and no powder, just a heavy primer charge. I've had the regular Colibri loads stick in some riles and they do make a Super Colibri load as well for those situations where you need a little mode power.
As an alternative to wax I'd look into the Speer plastic bullets and what I like better are the X-ring rubber bullets since they take a lot more abuse and last more firings: X-ring Rubber Bullets
I don't know how much lead you'll be breathing as a result of firing such things indoors but you really (really, really) do want some good filtration going on wherever firearms are being used.
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Old 08-12-2021, 03:28 PM
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I shot wax bullets out of my 44 mag in the basement, that was until one came back off a concrete wall and smacked the washing machine right next to me so loud I can't believe it didn't get dented. stop the basement shooting right then. One would think the wax would have just flattened against the wall and not come back at me.
Be safe.
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Old 08-12-2021, 03:36 PM
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Always use a back stop of some sorts. I have an all steel bulet trap.

The Target 38's made by Speer may be good for you. Powered by a primer.
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File Type: jpg TargetLoads2.jpg (86.1 KB, 14 views)
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Old 08-12-2021, 04:51 PM
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As mentioned earlier, primers (except for the new non-lead primers which are still rather rare) contain lead styphnate, which ends up introducing lead compounds into the air where they can be inhaled. Nearly 100% of inhaled lead enters the bloodstream, eventually accumulating in so-called deep reservoirs in the body and causing all sorts of health problems. Although I haven't seen any data, many claim that the majority of lead in the air of indoor ranges comes from the primer, not the lead projectiles. So, I think the simple answer to your question is don't do it without very good ventilation, which it sounds like you won't have, if you care about your and your family's health. If you do go ahead and shoot in your basement - or any other indoor range with questionable ventilation (which, in my experience is most of them) - at least have your serum (blood) lead levels checked as part of your annual physical.

Consider investing in a good quality air pistol. You can use one of those in your basement with a simple trap and incur minimal risk from both ricochets and lead. I did that some years ago to have a way to improve my shooting when I couldn't get to the range for practice and found that air pistols are actually a lot of fun to shoot.

Last edited by FlyFish; 08-12-2021 at 04:53 PM.
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Old 08-12-2021, 05:01 PM
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Thank you very much guys. I have learned a lot and have dropped the idea entirely.
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Old 08-12-2021, 05:09 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AJ View Post
Always use a back stop of some sorts. I have an all steel bulet trap.

The Target 38's made by Speer may be good for you. Powered by a primer.
Your post made me dig out my Speer Target .38’s. Fortunately, I’m half way organized and knew about where they were! I don’t think I’ve shot these since the 1970’s!

Basement Loads-ed844aa1-4a03-4548-90ab-5b8837678dee-jpg

The light blue ones are marked Walmax Inc, Pat Pend. The may be the predecessor to the Speer components. The steel collar is their loading die! It’s not really necessary, since you can press the projectiles in by hand.

Basement Loads-bc4df52d-bf35-440e-9132-66d65e462177-jpg

Here’s a photo of my old bullet trap. It probably weighs over 100#’s with the stand. It survived .38 Specials before, but now I limit it to air guns.

Basement Loads-5106d975-d9cc-4fa0-bd10-acb01ab289fa-jpg

I never shot the Speer plastic bullets into the trap. I hung a blanket over a clothesline and put another blanket on the floor to keep them from bouncing around.

WARNING: Using you wife’s favorite quilt or comforter as a backstop can be hazardous to your health and result in serious injury or death.
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Old 08-12-2021, 05:29 PM
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Funny you should show that. I have this one that I picked up at a yard sale for $10.00. Just plan on using it for airguns. This last weekend my older Grandson bought a Daisy air rifle at Tractor Supply for he and his younger Brother to shoot in the back yard. I had a smaller Daisy Airgun Trap that I used in the back yard. So, Gramps gave them that one and kept this one.

Never have shot the Speer Target's at all. I have a second box of cases also for the .38. I assume they made them in other caibers.
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Old 08-12-2021, 05:35 PM
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Originally Posted by s&wchad View Post
…Get a quality air pistol or three. You can safely shoot those indoors, it’s excellent practice and you won’t terrorize your dog/cat or wife!
Good advice for basement shooting. Good air pistols aren’t cheap but they’re worth it. I sometimes wish I still had mine. It charged from a scuba tank. Nice set-up. It was fun while it lasted.
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Old 08-12-2021, 06:21 PM
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Never have shot the Speer Target's at all. I have a second box of cases also for the .38. I assume they made them in other caibers.
They made them in 45 as well with at least .45auto-rim cases available.
Make sure to use a soft (spaced layers of cloth or cardboard) backstop if you want the bullets to last many firings. Anything hard and they tend to distort.
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Old 08-12-2021, 06:27 PM
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They made them in 45 as well with at least .45auto-rim cases available.
Make sure to use a soft (spaced layers of cloth or cardboard) backstop if you want the bullets to last many firings. Anything hard and they tend to distort.
Not planning on shooting them. Have a county shooting range six miles from my house and I go three days a week. Better use of my primers there. If I need to shoot at home, I will use my air rifle and/or my air pistol.

Thanks for the info. Will be on the look out for those for my collection.
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Old 08-12-2021, 06:31 PM
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The first house we had afeter we got married had a very nice large basement. I shot wax (parrafin) loads frequently (mainly .38 Special). I used bales of old newspapers for a backstop. If you make your own loads using .38 Special cases, drill out the flash hole to at least 1/8" and keep them for wax bullet use only.

You might also consider a pellet pistol. I have a Crosman .22 CO2 revolver which looks like a K-38, and it shoots good groups at 20-25 feet.
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Old 08-12-2021, 07:19 PM
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You might also consider a pellet pistol. I have a Crosman .22 CO2 revolver which looks like a K-38, and it shoots good groups at 20-25 feet.
This is a Smith & Wesson forum, the correct answer is therefore a 78G or 79G!
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Old 08-12-2021, 07:27 PM
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Default Go with an air pistol

In my opinion, an air pistol is the way to go.

Here's a thread I started on the topic. Lots of other members chimed in and offered their thoughts and experiences.

Why not try an Air Pistol?

Besides the lead from the primers, there's the mess from the targets themselves, etc. Since your not discharging any powder, the primer fouling (which can be abrasive) builds quickly in your firearm.

Attached are some photos of what I can regularly shoot with my air pistols. They won't hold you back, performance-wise. In fact, they're one of the best investments you can make if you're serious about shooting. Shown are air pistols using CO2, single stroke pneumatic, and compressed air. All have their pros/cons, but all are excellent.
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File Type: jpg IMG_5559.jpg (76.8 KB, 11 views)
File Type: jpg IMG_5493.jpg (71.0 KB, 13 views)
File Type: jpg IMG_5679.jpg (71.2 KB, 10 views)

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Old 08-12-2021, 07:28 PM
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Thank you very much guys. I have learned a lot and have dropped the idea entirely.
I make such loads and shoot them outdoors. I have a 38 load that you can see the bullet going through the air. If you shoot it up you can sometimes see it reach it's peak and fall back down. I call it my slingshot load because that's about how powerful it is. My 2" Taurus 38 is the best gun for these loads.
One cavity from a primer tray makes a good dipper. Don't size the case. Just prime and push the bullet all the way down on the powder. Fun fun fun. I'll take them when I go dirt riding on my bicycle and stop and pop them off in an appropriate place.
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