Planning a Memorial Service

3 Ways To Deal With Custom Ammunition That Holds Cremated Remains

by Wade Watkins

One of the many creative ways that you can use the cremated remains of someone in your family who has just passed away is to send it to a company that mixed some of the remains with gunpowder and loads it into live ammunition. This approach can be a perfect idea for honoring someone who served in the armed forces, worked as a law enforcement officer, or was simply a firearm enthusiast or collector. When you receive this special ammunition, there are many different ways that you can deal with it. Here are three suggestions for you to consider.

Shoot It In A Tribute

Lots of people who get their loved one's cremated remains loaded into ammunition plan to shoot it, and doing so as a special tribute is appropriate. Of course, you'll need to ensure that you're in an area where it's legal to discharge a firearm, but once you've covered the legal logistics, you can begin to plan a tribute. One idea is to gather the family and perhaps some close friends for a short outdoor ceremony, after which you'll load the ammunition into a firearm — if possible, it's nice to use one of the deceased person's weapons — and shoot it off in tribute.

Head To The Range

Another way to enjoy shooting the special ammunition that contains the cremated remains of your family member is to head to the local gun range. This won't just be an average gun range outing, however. Visit with your family, secure a spot at the end of the range to offer a little privacy, and then do some target shooting. Depending on your family's overall comfort with firearms, you might even wish to have each family member shoot one bullet. Of course, keeping the empty shells as mementos is a good idea.

Keep And Display It

Many firearms enthusiasts display gun-related things around their home, so you might think about displaying at least some of these special bullets. One idea is to have them mounted in a wooden box with a glass panel in the lid, and have a steel or brass plate engraved on the front of the box with the person's name and the dates of his or her birth and death. You may choose to display this box in a special part of your home, such as on your mantle, and placing a photo of your late loved one next to it is appropriate.

For more information, contact a company like Union Funeral Home-Lytwyn & Lytwyn.

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