Slingshots for hunting, pest control?

[His lordship.]

I used to have a "Wrist Rocket" slingshot years ago, it was fun to mess with.  I mostly used those steel balls for ammo, but had good luck with old surplus rifle bullets, and tiny lead toy tanks.  It was helpful in driving off pest animals, like crows and loose dogs.  The balls did not hurt them, and persuaded them to go elsewhere.

Thinking of getting another one and using plastic balls this time.  Have looked at Airsoft and CO-2 pistols, but they are loud and spendy.  I like the plastic ball feature of the Air soft for driving off pests as they would not do damage to anything if I missed.  I have pellet airguns, but this can be overkill in certain applications.

What are the range differences between the plastic and the steel?  Anybody use a sling shot for pest control?

Thanks.   

[BUGEYE]

never used one for pest control, but have a ball shooting'em.  I never get tired of sending steel balls downrange.

[luckydawg13]

i use a red rider BB gun for pests in my yard its cheep to shoot is quite and fun to shoot   

[His lordship.]

I bought another sling shot, made by Trumark, sure looks like a "Wrist Rocket" to me, the fold down version, like what I used to own.  Have been shooting the one white ball it came with, these things sure are accurate.  I also bought a bunch of black plastic balls, the retailer did not have any steel ones in stock.

The maker claims that it can go out to 225 yards, I remember doing some long range stuff on a lake back in the day, so I suppose it can happen.  It only cost $6.99, if only firearms were this cheap.  

[Ranger99]

bags of marbles at the dollar store.
they see me come in, they know
what i'm there for. . .

[FPH]

bags of marbles at the dollar store.
they see me come in, they know
what i'm there for. . .

I have a Wrist rocket from the 70's.....just replaced the tubing for the umpteenth time......x2 on the marbles.  I have killed ground squirrels with it when I can beat the dog to them.

[Ranger99]

have one somewhere at least that old.
had to wrap the grip with elect. tape
to hold it together about 35+ years
ago- i'm sure the foam on the wristbrace
was gone too.
i have a couple of more modern ones
one recently bought too.
was looking for new bands weds. and
they had the hot-rod tapered band assys.
on clearance for 2.00 so i bought'em all.
i don't find deals like that often.
i usually get screwed and hear about the
deals a week later from someone else

[FPH]

I bought my last set of tubing and pouch at academy for just under $2.00.  They sold ammo too........I'll stick with the marbles from the Dollar Store for now.

[Ranger99]

went by academy today.
noticed they're phasing out the
inexpensive slingshots and band assys.
the least expensive band is 5.00
usta could buy bulk surgical tube
at the hardware store.
like everything else i guess. . . .

[Hodr]

I have been making and giving away slingshots for the last couple of years.  Best ammo I've found is TACONITE.  This is a pelletized form of iron ore loaded in hopper cars in the great lakes area.  It is generally blue/gray and dusty about 2/3 the size of a marble.  It is about 70% iron and the rest dirt.  Net result it will stop a jack rabbit or squirrel cold but breaks up to dust if it hits a solid object.  My best slingshot pattern is a board cut made from scrap 3/4" flooring and using surgical tubing.  It is designed to fit completely into a back pocket on a pair of Levis.  This is because I live in city limits and slingshots, catapults, flips whatever you call it cannot be shot here. 
 
Hodr

[Ranger99]

i've seen some of those things a
long,long time ago (metallurgy class or something)
i don't know where the heck i'd
ever find any of that. i'll have to
stay with the dollar store marbles for now.
usta get a lot of nice steel ball bearings
when someone needed cv joint replacements,
but i don't see 'em anymore for
some strange reason. . . .


i haven't made a slingshot in a very
long time.

[jlwilliams]

If you want a light weight non lethal ammo for scattering critters, try chickpeas.  You can get a big bag for cheap and you don't have plastic balls all over the yard.  Of course it may be bait for more animals, but it's worth mentioning.  My favorite lethal projectile is lead balls.  Denser than steel so the penetrate better.
 
  Slingshots are one of those things I wish I had the time to get really good with. 

[52bagman]

For a target just use a good sized box and hang a towel over a rod on the top of the box. Put a magic marker bulls eye on it and go to town. Used to shoot at this set up in the basement when I was a kid, turn on the radio and shoot.
I still have a couple of the old wrist rockets from the seventies and they aren't far from any exterior door in the house, and a can of marbles.

[Hodr]

jlwilliams
Around here light weight and nonleathel ammo is having a coffee can full of dry juniper berries.  Where I used to live it was black walnuts.  When I was growing up dad would come home with a five gallon bucket of round steel punch out pieces 1/2" thick and 3/4" accross.  You could actually get english on them like a frisbee. By the time I was ten I could head shoot pheasant.
 
Hodr

[jamaldog87]

i may be late posting here but i used to use my  Marksman 3040 Pack-A-Long  slingshot to hunt pest here in FL.  When i was younger, i used to hunt Muscovy Ducks,Pigeons, and Parrots(non-natives are free game here) all the time with my slingshot. birds make good shark bait   anyways, if you want more power buy the dasiy yellow bands at walmart and cut a 1/2 inch of the band before you put it on(you can also do this with less powerful bands). with steel ammo at 20 yards with my Marksman 3061 Adjustable Slingshot slingshot and the yellow bands i was geting 55gal drum  penetrate(it would go in and roll around the inside). It's funny i just unpacked my slingshot and i was looking for marbles (i used to keep 1100 rounds on hand) and most places don't sell marbles any more(kids kept eatting them i was told).

[Ranger99]

dollar store

[facetious]

try some buck shot, OO or O.   ML round balls work good to, a friend had a mold for a .36 cal. cap and ball. I cast up a small coffee can full and thy work great.

[jamaldog87]

i stopped useing lead ammo for my slingshot shot. All my lead ammo got corroded and i said "forget it, i am going green".  I had 8LB of 44 Semi Wad Cutter hard cast lead bullets for reloading,  2LB of  38 and 9mm bullets, 30- 55 cal black power balls and other lead ammo.  I still have lots of 25 and 38 steel ammo and 50cal mables.
 
 

[facetious]

Lead my not be the best from a safety point but I still have a small can of them,though thy will most likely get melted down. With all the zinc WW's in use I have thought maybe thy could be used to cast round ball's with. I read about some one who used 3/8th " nuts so I had to give that a try and it worked better then I thought thy would.

[Ranger99]

dollar store marbles worked good
for the pesky crows this week that
wouldn't go away while i was trying
to deer hunt. makes a real nice thoonk! !


after season is done they'll get introduced
to mr. benelli