12-Ga. Salt-Rock Loads?

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John917

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Does anyone know how to load a 12-Ga. with salt rocks? I have been wanting to make a few, but don't want to risk blowing up the barrel-or myself. Also, what kind of salt does one use for making these? The type sold at grocery stores for water softeners? Or, what is a good zytel-like material to reload them with? I am interested in making nonlethal loads.
 
I always wonder why people started using something even more corrosive than black powder to shoot from a gun.

But anyway I have never loaded them myself as I have no use for less lethal loads. I assume it's the coarse rock salt that they use on driveways and sidewalks, but I could be wrong.
 
i should apply for a patent on gummy bear loads
 
Theboxotruth.com actually did some testing with rock salt loads. If I remember right they are useless outside of ten yards but will still kill at very close range.
 
If you are forced in a position to fire ANY gun at someone, it should be loaded with the most effective load you can use, I would suggest slugs or 000,00 or 0 buck, POSSIBLY #4 buck if overpenetration is a major concern. Rock salt can kill at close range, ands bounces off of skin further out. That doesn't even get into corrosion problems, or gouging if there are any harder minerals mixed in with the salt. But to play devils advocate, yes to load grocery store rock salt, just use a light trap load, and substitute salt for shot by volume, not by weight, use the wad called for, and crimp as normal. it will give you a fast, but light load, no-where near dangerous pressure. If the intent is a creative way to "keep them dern kids off de lawn", a hose with a good nozzle is still probably the best, and brandishing a hose with intent to spray is not a felony, at least not yet.
 
I was told in younger days that rock salt loads were to basically add insult to injury, the burn of the salt in the open wound.

I think paintball guns and ammo have replaced rock salt loads these days, mark them if you don't want to possibly kill them. At least that's how some folks seem to think.
 
Using rock salt in a shotgun as a deterrent is stupid. A shotgun is a lethal weapon, and using any lethal weapon as a deterrent is stupid and legally inadvisable.
 
I have uses coco wheats in a 38 to get bats out of a barn. It just stuns them and you don't have to patch the roof. But I don't think rock salt in a shot gun is a good idea.
 
At almost $2 a round, that would be an expensive way to start your crop! :D


To the OP, sorry I don't have anything constructive to help answer your question. But it IS a good question.

There have been times I've wanted to shoot my horses doing bad habits in the middle of the pasture. Paintballs would either welt at close ranges, or miss at farther. Throwing rocks was the most effective even if 90% missed. :eek: Would be nice to have a light load of salt for the naughty animals knowing it prob wouldn't penetrate at 40-75 yard but would definitely stop the bad activities with noise and touch sensations.

30-30 for the coyotes.

Justin
 
Back in the good old days our game keepers used to shoot poachers with something coated in salt.Not sure if it was pellet form...
 
Box ' Truth Salt testing: http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot33.htm
Lessons learned:
1. At 20 yards, you might scare a dog or some other animal, but you sure wouldn't break the skin.

2. At 10 yards, you might break the skin with a couple of grains, but nothing very serious.

3. At 12 feet, you might get the desired effect, if the desired effect is to "burn" the target with the rock salt.

4. At 4 feet, you might cause a wound requiring a visit to a hospital for a human, or maybe death to a small animal.

5. Movie plots that show someone "burning" a bad guy at across-the-yard distances are hogwash.

6. Rock salt makes a pitiful personal defense load, as if we didn't already know that.

Got home and broke out the Tampax and soapy water, and got to work cleaning the barrel of the shotgun. I'm not going to take the chance of leaving salt deposits in the barrel.

I then ran very hot water through the barrel and dried it completely. Then cleaned and oiled it as normal.

I then returned the plated 00 Buckshot to the magazine. If I ever have to "burn" a bad guy, he's not going to have any doubts or complaints about lack of penetration.

Shooting stuff is fun, even if it is something as silly as rock salt loads in a shotgun.smilie
Click to expand...
 
It's not an urban legend.
People really did that.

But as has been adequately explained already, it's a very bad idea.

1. Corrosive beyond belief.
2. A very limited range due to the rock-salts very light weight.
3. It might make it past 10 yards with enough velocity to sting.
4. But at 5 yards it might blow a hole in your hide big enough to kill ya!!
5. Probably illegal to shoot any animal with it. The SPCA will getcha if they catch ya!
6. For sure in the same league from a cops or lawyers point of view as shooting a person with a lead-shot load.

My dad tried it once when I was a kid, about 50 years ago.
He pulled the shot from some 12ga shells and loaded them with rock salt to discourage a bull that liked to tear down fences. They didn't do anything at all to the bull at 20 yards or so.

He did find #8 quail loads to be quite effective between 30 & 40 yards however.

1224.jpg
rcmodel
 
Side-O-beef?

Ive got it load half with corse kosher salt and half pepper corns. Blast a side of beef :what:at 10 yards and grill to your likeing:D Call it a seasoning load.
 
macFarlaine-ERIC F,you should be on one of those tv cookery channels
Click to expand...
Well I am the fire Station Chef on duty:)

I think it's generally a bad idea to point a gun at something you don't want dead.
Click to expand...
Not that I would do it with rock salt but a few buddies and I got the bright idea to load earplugs and primers in 357 mag cases and load up and play house clearing-bad guy before frangible bullets/air soft was around But safety was always carried out to the max with doing this.
 
AS a kid this is what we were so scared of, and the reason i can sneak up on a bedded deer, i wanted no part of that rock salt! today i see no need for these loads, i wouldnt shoot them from any of my scatter guns, so whats the need for them? csa
 
i had a friend about 20 years ago that loaded up a bunch of rounds with rock salt. Claimed just that to use them for home defense. he had the rock salt rounds two of them followed by buck shot. He even gave me some. I did not care too much to keep 12 guage shells with rock salt. So i took them out to the range and shot them. When i pulled the trigger. Its like i fired nothing. I knew they were loaded with rock salt as you can see it. But when you pulled the trigger. At 30 yards you could not see it hit any thing. its like it disolved in the air.
 
I believe the Union Pacific Railroad Police used rock salt in shotguns in order to keep hobo's and bums out of box cars at one time. I am pretty sure this is not the case today
 
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