Catapult ammo?

Melonfish

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jan 8, 2009
2,460
2
Warrington, UK
White metal may be a viable alternative, lead obviously is quite harmful to local wildlife (i do mean the animals you're not shooting at) where white metal which is commonly used in figurines is still just as malleable and easy to melt and mold whilst containing no lead or toxic elements.
 

Tomcoles

Settler
Jul 21, 2013
537
0
Buckinghamshire
Just buy mint imperials from eBay you can buy huge bags for cheep. There as hard as he'll explode on impact and all round good ammo. Note there not a hunting ammo. Clean kill only when hunting so I buy 8-10 mm ball bearings from eBay


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wingstoo

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
May 12, 2005
2,274
40
South Marches
http://www.ebay.co.uk/bhp/lead-catapult-ammo
$T2eC16ZHJIkE9qU3k6PUBRYzqsvnbg~~60_1.JPG


Just need to get myself a ladle now, I have the lead and a way to melt it :)
 

slowworm

Full Member
May 8, 2008
2,158
1,099
Devon
Just need to get myself a ladle now, I have the lead and a way to melt it :)

I'd be curious to know what weight the balls are. The link says 10 grams and I thought a 10mm ball is roughly a .40 cal and that would be about 6 grams according to my bad maths?
 

slowworm

Full Member
May 8, 2008
2,158
1,099
Devon
Didn't know that about the lead so thank you! What would I heat it up in? Liking these ideas everyone :).

Depends on how many you want to make. People use a ladle over a flame, a pot over a stove etc (plenty of info if you goolge) but I use an electric pot specifically for melting lead as I cast lots of different items.

How many do you think you'll use? You can buy 100 lead balls for around £7 from black powder shooting suppliers (they can vary in price greatly so you'll need to shop around for that sort of price).
 

Clouston98

Woodsman & Beekeeper
Aug 19, 2013
4,364
2
26
Cumbria
Depends on how many you want to make. People use a ladle over a flame, a pot over a stove etc (plenty of info if you goolge) but I use an electric pot specifically for melting lead as I cast lots of different items.

How many do you think you'll use? You can buy 100 lead balls for around £7 from black powder shooting suppliers (they can vary in price greatly so you'll need to shop around for that sort of price).

I'd say maybe 50 a week at max, thanks for she information! :)
 
N

Nomad

Guest
I'd be curious to know what weight the balls are. The link says 10 grams and I thought a 10mm ball is roughly a .40 cal and that would be about 6 grams according to my bad maths?

10mm diameter lead sphere is 5.76g. They give 10g for the 12mm and 14mm balls as well. 12mm is 9.95g and 14mm is 15.8g, so it looks like the number is the result of them reusing the copy from the 12mm advert and not editing properly.
 

Ecoman

Full Member
Sep 18, 2013
934
2
Isle of Arran
www.HPOC.co.uk
Pity, I just gave away a load of old diving weights to my old neighbour as he makes his own fishing weights from them. I'd left them in my shed when I moved and he asked if he could have them.

Have an ask at your local scuba dive centre as they may have some gash ones kicking about in the bottom of a box. I know when I worked for a dive shop we had loads in a pile in the corner that were going to be weighed in for scrap.
 

peaks

Settler
May 16, 2009
722
5
Derbys
With catty hunting its the weight/mass of the ammo which is the critical bit. I'd be wary about using glass beads unless they weigh heavy. Lead is the best by far, then steel
It needs to be a clean kill as often as is possible.
 

Big Stu 12

Bushcrafter through and through
Jan 7, 2012
6,028
4
Ipswich
I have the same worry with glass... not a very good mass for the size and of course leaving splinters every where, also if you hit something before the target and they splinter what happens to your prey.. they get showered...
 

Dan J

Tenderfoot
Feb 21, 2012
63
0
Ludlow
Have previously rescued the hammer weights from a scrapped piano. they make pretty good cattapult shot.
on the off chance that you come across an old piano.
 

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