Catapult Ammo

[Tommyd345]

Hi all,

So getting back into catapult shooting. I'm trying out different sizes before settling on a favourite and getting good before going out and hunting.
Anyway just wondering what size and reccomendations on sourcing ammo, I've been getting ball bearings off eBay so far.

Welcome to any advice !

 

[C_Claycomb]

Lead. Cast your own. 0.38 ball for a start.

I have a lot of steel ball bearing balls, about 10mm diameter, can't remember exactly, and while they fly very nicely, I think that they lack mass for their size. I haven't tried the cast balls myself, but was discussing the matter with a friend who used to hunt and still plays around with the kit, and he showed me his set up and described hunting experiences.

 

[MartiniDave]

I think for hunting you should be looking at lead, not steel.

 

[Turnip]

What bands/ tubes are you shooting with? these will effect what size/weight is best

 

[Robson Valley]

The lead vs steel argument was settled decades ago, all across North America.
Force feeding 3 lead pellets to a wild duck will kill it.
While shotgun hunting used the traditional lead shot, it came to pass that all
waterfowl, migratory birds (ducks and geese) can be hunted only with non-toxic shot.
As for cost/price, the common answer was steel shot. There are other more expensive options.

In the field, it's obvious that steel shot, in equivalent sizes just doesn't have the punch.
The answer was to move up 2 or more shot sizes when shooting steel.
For ducks, I went from #4 lead to #2 steel, for geese, I went from BB to BBB and T.
In the end, that's been fewer pellets. Had to make my swing a little smoother!

Our grouse are forest birds. I used to hunt them with #7.5 lead trap loads, plenty of punch.
It's also true that tossing the field dressings back into the forest does not take 20 minutes to disappear.
So for the sake of all the carnivorous scavengers that I live with, I switched to #6 steel.

Catapult ammo: Have you done any experiments to measure the target damage done by same diameter lead & steel?
.38 lead might be the equivalent to .45 steel.

 

[Janne]

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

 

[vestlenning]

slingshotchannelstore.de:

https://www.slingshotchannelstore.de/english/ammo/

 

[demographic]

Err, from my school days...

Cider Apple sweets, they have half decent punch, if they hit something concrete the evidence disintegrates and if you have no targets you still have sweets.

Ahem.

 

[grumit]

Bag of marbles

 

[Mesquite]

Err, from my school days...

Cider Apple sweets, they have half decent punch, if they hit something concrete the evidence disintegrates and if you have no targets you still have sweets.

Ahem.

Mint imperials are a good alternative as well

 

[peaks]

8mm or 10mm (internal diameter) hex nuts

 

[santaman2000]

-Ball bearings
-Lead buckshot (0000 buckshot = 38 caliber)
-Black powder rifle/pistol balls in assorted calibers from 32 to 75
-Glass marbles
-Hex nuts

 

[Robson Valley]

Santaman: do you remember the nitrogen tri-iodide pellets to step on for the 4th of July?
Never thought to use them for slingshot ammo.

 

[Janne]

mmmmmmmmmmmmmm

 

[Tommyd345]

Planning on hunting rabbits and when confident enough squirrel and pigeon.

Thanks for all the feedback, seems like I have some trialling to do! Going to try some small lead and see but also different steel sizes, obviously my aim and a swift dispatch are the priorities here so if lead is going to pack more punch, I'll eat around the hole!

 

[Janne]

OTE=Tommyd345;1818630]Planning on hunting rabbits and when confident enough squirrel and pigeon.

Thanks for all the feedback, seems like I have some trialling to do! Going to try some small lead and see but also different steel sizes, obviously my aim and a swift dispatch are the priorities here so if lead is going to pack more punch, I'll eat around the hole![/QUOTE]

 

[santaman2000]

Santaman: do you remember the nitrogen tri-iodide pellets to step on for the 4th of July?
Never thought to use them for slingshot ammo.

I vaguely remember them. I also never thought of using them as slingshot ammo.

 

[Janne]

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

 

[Nice65]

4th of July is a big holiday in UK too.

What? No it isn't, nor was Halloween until a few years ago. One turkey a year is enough.

Back on the topic, I'd never use a catapult for hunting, but I like .38 or .45 steel for plinking. I've seen Longstrider shoot a .45 lead shot at half inch ply and it punches straight through. Mind you that was quadruple Theraband Gold!

 

[Janne]

What? No it isn't, nor was Halloween until a few years ago. One turkey a year is enough.

Back on the topic, I'd never use a catapult for hunting, but I like .38 or .45 steel for plinking. I've seen Longstrider shoot a .45