Welcome, Guest. Please Login
SLINGING.ORG
 
Home Help Search Login


Pages: 1 2 3 
Send Topic Print
making ammo (Read 17966 times)
Brent
Tiro
**
Offline


guns don't kill people,
slings do!

Posts: 36
charlotte,NC
Gender: male
making ammo
Aug 30th, 2003 at 3:19pm
 
i would like to get some info on making ammo GrinI know you can make clay balls or footballs and then bake them, but does anybody have any details?i know that you can buy clay pretty cheaply at michaels or wal-mart.i havent gotten around to it but maybe somebody else has.?
Back to top
 
mammut109  
IP Logged
 
Chris
Slinging.org Administrator
*****
Offline


Slinging Rocks!

Posts: 1284
USA
Gender: male
Re: making ammo
Reply #1 - Aug 30th, 2003 at 5:10pm
 
I made some ceramic projectiles (american football shaped).  Some were just sun dried and others were fired in a kiln.  They were pretty cool to sling and fly well too.  I put up an article about it on the site: "Roman glandes, projectile tests".  There really isn't any details on how to make the clay ones because it's so simple! Smiley  Just get hold of some clay, kneed it like dough to get the air, shape it, and heat it up to 1000 degrees (or something high.  It varies by clay type). 

You can also cast bullets out of lead (or other metals).  Here is a picture of a cast used to make lead projectiles like the romans, you might have seen it before.

...
Back to top
 
WWW  
IP Logged
 
Jeb
Novicius
*
Offline



Posts: 4
Virginia, USA
Gender: male
Re: making ammo
Reply #2 - Sep 2nd, 2003 at 12:18pm
 
That is a pretty cool picture Chris. I did not know you could cast lead in a wood mold.

An alternative would be to use a bullet mold for black powder rifles or a mold for fishing weights. You may be able to find these at some of the larger sporting good stores. Of course you will need molds that make round bullets or round/oval fishing weights. I doubt conical bullets or pyramid fishing weights would fly well.
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
Gun
Interfector Viris Spurii
Past Moderator
*****
Offline


Slinging  Viking

Posts: 1089
The Ozarks of Ark & Mo
Gender: male
Re: making ammo
Reply #3 - Sep 2nd, 2003 at 12:31pm
 
chris, do your wood molds were out. Does the wood burn when you put the lead in it or did you treat it?
How did you make the molds, and how heavy (in grain) are your projectiles?
Back to top
 

"A Knifeless man is a lifeless man" Old Nordic Proverb
 
IP Logged
 
Chris
Slinging.org Administrator
*****
Offline


Slinging Rocks!

Posts: 1284
USA
Gender: male
Re: making ammo
Reply #4 - Sep 2nd, 2003 at 3:49pm
 
This mold isn't mine.  It's a picture from the Petris museum in London I believe.  They were making authentic glandes to do some range testing.  They've also unearthed what I think is the oldest surviving sling... from roman times!

...

http://www.petrie.ucl.ac.uk/search/detail/results/detail.asp?01_objectidentifier...

The newer looking one is a recreation.  It had a special woven pouch they tried to copy with the device in the top left. 

Also, for people wondering about roman projectile sizes, the have several in their catalogue, and they are all about 3.2 to 3.8 cm.

example:
http://www.petrie.ucl.ac.uk/search/detail/results/detail.asp?01_objectidentifier...
Back to top
 
WWW  
IP Logged
 
David_T
Funditor
Past Moderator
****
Offline


Hooked on Sling'n

Posts: 760
Greenville,SC
Gender: male
Re: making ammo
Reply #5 - Sep 12th, 2003 at 1:41pm
 
Brent,

I'm just new to all this but I am experimenting with concrete. I made one by cutting a tennis ball almost in two and filling it with concrete. I am going to make some more out of 5000psi concrete to see if the extra stength will make them last significantly longer. The problem is the fact that they say it takes about 28 days to fully harden so I will have to wait for the real test. I am going to try out some next week though. I will go a place with sand or dirt piles and see how they do. I also plan on bringing some 3/4" plywood to see what damage the stone does to it and what damage it does to the stone. I will let you know.

David
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
Todd
Novicius
*
Offline



Posts: 3
Southwest Virginia
Gender: male
Re: making ammo
Reply #6 - Sep 13th, 2003 at 11:18am
 
I have tried several types of ammo, and rocks of course. They are easy to pick up and throw, just not accurate. Golf balls seem to curve right much and for me, too light. I made a mold from a golf ball and filled it with fast setting mortar which, with the extra weight, worked well. Also tried fast setting hobby plaster...too light. But, what I like to do is sling, not make ammo for hours before hand. The more time per missle, the more value it has. I hate to throw something of value. SOOOO, I tried eggs(they can't handle the Gs) UNLESS they are frozen!!!! Cheap (out of dates are free), quick, easy to make and fun to throw.
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
David_T
Funditor
Past Moderator
****
Offline


Hooked on Sling'n

Posts: 760
Greenville,SC
Gender: male
Re: making ammo
Reply #7 - Sep 13th, 2003 at 12:03pm
 
Todd,

I am deffinately with you on wanting to spend more time throwing than making ammo! The frozen egg idea is interesting.

I really feel the challemge of getting accurate and consistant which takes lots of practice, consistant size shape and weight ammo. I have thought of getting some old indoor-outdoor carpet and hanging up a couple 12'x12' pieces to shot at. The concrete balls I am making would then just hit and fall to the ground. I think that a drop cloth would wear out too fast?

Anyone else try anything like that?

Oh, by the way, hey are clearing out the nice fields behind our house to build so it is all flat and open dirk. I stepped over our fence and slung my new 2" concrete stone a few times. Man does it go straight! I measured out 390' with my 28" sling. I want to see what I can do with my longer one.
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
Brent
Tiro
**
Offline


guns don't kill people,
slings do!

Posts: 36
charlotte,NC
Gender: male
Re: making ammo
Reply #8 - Sep 13th, 2003 at 7:07pm
 
one trouble with making ammo is losing it.but,i have an answer.go to micheals or an art store and buy the clay brand Sculpey,yep i spelled it right,buy the atomic orange color its really blaze orange but they call it atomic orange. blaze orange is proven to be the easiest color to see i twilight and daylight by the government so if you buy blaze orange Sculpeymake it into a ball  and bake it you wont easily lose your ammunition.
Brent
Back to top
 
mammut109  
IP Logged
 
nathan_gill
Tiro
**
Offline


Rocks don't get stuk in
trees

Posts: 21
Gender: male
Re: making ammo
Reply #9 - Aug 3rd, 2004 at 1:26pm
 
Today I tried to make some lead ammo,I put the scap lead in to a small cast-iron pot and put it in my propane grill,70min later it had melted. Now let's talk about my mold, it's basicaly a bucket of sand,my idea was to poke holes in the sand with my finger and pore the lead in. Unfortionatly by the time the lead had melted (621 dgs. ) I could not hold on to the handle of the pot for more than 1 or 2 sec., so I decided to let it cool a little. Once it cooled a bit I started pouring. On the second glande the lead hadend completly mid pour so I had to stop. But I did get two funny looking glandes out of it which were cool in 2 min. But they were to small


(p.s.if one of you tells me how to post pictures. I will show you one)
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
solobo
Senior Member
****
Offline



Posts: 382
Reno, NV, USA
Gender: male
Re: making ammo
Reply #10 - Aug 7th, 2004 at 8:55pm
 
Hey Todd,
This egg idea sounds really wierd to me.  What kind of accuracy do you get with them?  Wouldn't that be fun: throwing frozen, rotten eggs at the enemy...
Back to top
 
solobo88  
IP Logged
 
Matthias
Past Moderator
*
Offline



Posts: 1418
Gatineau/Ottawa QC, Canada
Gender: male
Re: making ammo
Reply #11 - Aug 7th, 2004 at 11:26pm
 
Eggs are a nice shape for slinging! A while back we had a discussion about using (I think) "Jello" easter-egg molds to cast concrete or plaster ammo. If you can get nice "rifle-spin" shots, the shape should be nicely accurate, and fly well too. Not enough eggs just lying around near me, but if you liveled in chicken country I suppose that they would make good ammo!

Nathan, If you send the pictures to Chris at info@slinging.org, he will upload them for you and reply with the tags to embed the photos in your post. I'd like to see your "authentic" finger-glandes and I bet a lot of others would too!

Matthias
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
Douglas_The_Black
Interfector Viris Spurii
*****
Offline


Hakkaa päälle!

Posts: 3491
Salineville Ohio
Gender: male
Re: making ammo
Reply #12 - Aug 9th, 2004 at 10:19am
 
I live in ohio and there is lots and lots of clay in the ground. So i recruted my little brothers and dug some up. we wetted it, made it into a football shape and sun dryed it. They broke up in the air and sent shrapnal like clay bits all over. I dont have a kiln but i will try cooking it in a fire. and i think i will try making lead molds.
Back to top
 

i live in a maze of typo's&&&& popularity is for dolls a hero cannot be popular-Ralph Waldo Emerson&&&&DTB-master of the corny vest, and crappy carpet!
randelflagg22002  
IP Logged
 
chrismax
Novicius
*
Offline



Posts: 4
Re: making ammo
Reply #13 - Aug 9th, 2004 at 11:11am
 
Im new, so little question...

With the lead molds, can you go to like a county store, and pick up a big chunk of lead  ??? or just melt down fishing weights and stuff?


Thanks
Chris
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
Gun
Interfector Viris Spurii
Past Moderator
*****
Offline


Slinging  Viking

Posts: 1089
The Ozarks of Ark & Mo
Gender: male
Re: making ammo
Reply #14 - Aug 9th, 2004 at 1:39pm
 
Go to you local hunting, fishing, or shooting store. All shooting stores should have lead ingents there for people how cast bullets. Tire shops also have lead from old tire weights. Talk to them and they might give them to you or for very cheap.
Back to top
 

"A Knifeless man is a lifeless man" Old Nordic Proverb
 
IP Logged
 
Pages: 1 2 3 
Send Topic Print
(Moderators: David Morningstar, Mauro Fiorentini, Rat Man, Chris, Bill Skinner, Masiakasaurus, Curious Aardvark)