Phoenix Rising 12 Ga Salt and Pepper – Effective Less Lethal 3 Round Pack

Description

Phoenix Rising 12 Ga Salt and Pepper is a 2 3/4 inch shotshell built around an old idea, a rock salt load, with one addition: a pepper blast compound mixed into the payload. It is aimed at people who want an intermediate option in a 12 gauge for animal deterrence or defensive situations, and it is sold here as a 3 round pack.

• What Phoenix Rising 12 Ga Salt and Pepper Actually Is
• Specifications and Performance
• Field Notes

What Phoenix Rising 12 Ga Salt and Pepper Actually Is

Phoenix Rising is a small American maker of specialty shotgun loads, and this is one of its best known products. Instead of lead shot, each shell carries coarse rock salt crystals blended with a pepper compound the company describes as an Israeli police formula. On impact the salt stings and can break the skin, and the pepper adds a burning irritant on top. Older rock salt shells relied on pain alone; the pepper component is what sets Phoenix Rising 12 Ga Salt and Pepper apart.

Because the payload is so light, Phoenix Rising specifies a working distance of no closer than 20 yards and no further than 50 yards. Inside 20 yards the risk of serious injury climbs sharply. Beyond 50 yards the light crystals shed velocity quickly and the load loses most of its effect. That is a narrow window, and it is the single most important thing to understand before you load these shells into a shotgun.

The packaging on current stock is marked 3 Pk, and distributor listings for this UPC agree on three rounds. Some older listings describe a five round pack, so go by the box you receive rather than older product descriptions.

Specifications and Performance

The manufacturer does not publish velocity or payload weight for this load, and we would rather leave those numbers out than guess. What we can say is that rock salt shells are loaded to lower pressure than standard birdshot or buckshot, which has practical consequences for how they run in your shotgun.

Low-pressure less lethal ammo often fails to cycle semi-automatic actions reliably. A pump action is the better host, because you cycle it by hand regardless of recoil. If you run a semi-auto, expect to work the action manually and test a few rounds before you depend on them. Point of impact and pattern will also differ from your usual loads, so pattern them on paper at 20 and 35 yards.

• Product: Phoenix Rising 12 Ga Salt and Pepper
• Manufacturer: Phoenix Rising
• Gauge: 12 gauge
• Shell length: 2 3/4 inch
• Payload: rock salt crystals with pepper blast compound
• Recommended distance: 20 to 50 yards
• Pack size: 3 rounds (per current packaging)
• Manufacturer part number: PR12SP
• UPC: 797053002050

Field Notes

Less lethal does not mean non-lethal. Salt loads can cause serious trauma, bleeding, eye injuries and, in the wrong circumstances, death. Legally, firing Phoenix Rising 12 Ga Salt and Pepper at a person is generally treated as a use of force in the same way as any other shotgun round, so the same self-defence law applies. Several states and cities also regulate pepper or chemical irritants, so check your local rules before you buy or carry it.

For animal deterrence, salt loads have a long history on farms and ranches, but wildlife and animal cruelty laws vary widely. Many protected species, and domestic animals, cannot legally be shot at with anything. Speak to your state wildlife agency first if you are thinking about predators or nuisance animals.

Indoors, a pepper blast compound does not stay neatly on target. In a small room expect some irritant to drift back toward the shooter and anyone else in the space. Salt is also corrosive, so clean the bore and chamber after shooting them rather than leaving the barrel overnight.

If you keep these alongside other 12 gauge less lethal and buckshot loads, mark the shells or store them in a separate carrier so you always know what is in the magazine. Practise with your chosen sequence before relying on it.

Looking for a different approach? Browse our ammunition selection, and read an independent overview of this load before you decide if Phoenix Rising 12 Ga Salt and Pepper fits your plan.