Slinging.org Forum
https://slinging.org/forum/YaBB.pl
General >> General Slinging Discussion >> Degradable Sling Ammo?
https://slinging.org/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1569883580

Message started by Steven_M._Peffley on Sep 30th, 2019 at 6:46pm

Title: Degradable Sling Ammo?
Post by Steven_M._Peffley on Sep 30th, 2019 at 6:46pm
Hello Everyone,

                     Next summer a friend of mine and myself would like to teach a class on using Slings and Staff-Slings. The field is more than large enough for safety concerns. One potential problem I would like to solve before it is a problem, is the non-retrieving of ammo. This is inevitable, even with experienced slingers; how much more likely with those who have never even touched a sling? Brightly painted golf balls are a possibility, but even those will get lost. The field sees regular mowing, so I don't want to use anything that might damage the mowing equipment. So the question is this; Is there a "recipe" for sling ammo that will have decent weight, but which will break down to small fragments or dust relatively quickly? Thanks in advance.

Title: Re: Degradable Sling Ammo?
Post by Morphy on Sep 30th, 2019 at 11:43pm
Unfired clay.

Title: Re: Degradable Sling Ammo?
Post by NooneOfConsequence on Oct 1st, 2019 at 1:21am
Yup. What Morphy said. Buy a clay roller from Curious Aardvark and get some air dry clay. It usually only costs around $1/lb, and a pound of clay makes a lot of ammo.

Another fun bio-ammo is fruit. Ask your local grocery store for their expired produce. It’s always satisfying to see an orange or tomato explode on impact.

Title: Re: Degradable Sling Ammo?
Post by Curious Aardvark on Oct 1st, 2019 at 6:05am
they have biodegradeble golf balls on cruise ships that turn into fish food.
Had a quick look on aamzon and can't find any.

Clay works for me.
I like a 60-70 gram ball.
Tennis balls also work well and are easier to find.

Though you'll never leave with the same number you arrived with :-)

Second hand used balls are also very cheap, and will last a LOT longer than the cheap ones you get for dogs. 

But if it's a mowed field then air dry clay is your best bet. Once rolled and left for a day or so you can spray paint them bright colours - we had orange flourescent ones at hodd hill.

Title: Re: Degradable Sling Ammo?
Post by Steven_M._Peffley on Oct 1st, 2019 at 6:52am
Thank you all for really good suggestions. I think I'll be going with unfired clay then; best way to determine size/weight/shape. I do like the idea of exploding fruit though!

Title: Re: Degradable Sling Ammo?
Post by Curious Aardvark on Oct 1st, 2019 at 12:22pm
air dry modelling clay is very specific.
Normal unfired clay won't harden as well.

The modelling clay has fibres included so loses less weight and holds together a lot better than normal clay.

Title: Re: Degradable Sling Ammo?
Post by funditor on Oct 1st, 2019 at 1:20pm
Agar Agar or also Alginate would make nice reasonaly hard gel bullets and are basically just water, quite affordable as well


Title: Re: Degradable Sling Ammo?
Post by Morphy on Oct 1st, 2019 at 3:49pm
Curious aardvarks rollers are very reasonably priced and will make amazing ammo for you to use very quickly. I bought several of them and they work very well.

Title: Re: Degradable Sling Ammo?
Post by Jaegoor on Oct 5th, 2019 at 3:19pm
Kartoffel funktionieren prima.

Title: Re: Degradable Sling Ammo?
Post by Rat Man on Oct 6th, 2019 at 12:19am
    A potato works.  One of my favorite kinds of biodegradable ammo is abundant right now... Horse Chestnuts.  There are very easy to find in great quantities here in South Jersey.  They aren't all that safe though. I'd hate to get hit with one. 

Title: Re: Degradable Sling Ammo?
Post by GurtTractor on Oct 6th, 2019 at 5:15am
Eco slinging :) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2mvJW4FDDI

Title: Re: Degradable Sling Ammo?
Post by Curious Aardvark on Oct 8th, 2019 at 6:14am
yeah seed bombing is cool.

Just check with the owner of the field - they might not want a field full of weeds - uh, 'wild flowers' :whistle:

As far as slinging food goes - I'm pretty much against that - for obvious reasons.

Title: Re: Degradable Sling Ammo?
Post by Jaegoor on Oct 8th, 2019 at 10:25am
Alex ich geb dir recht. Lebensmittel verschleudern ist nicht gut.
Ich wohne auf dem Land. Nach der Kartoffel Ernte verbleiben viele Kartoffeln auf dem Feld. Sie wurden aussortiert und sind nicht für Menschen geeignet. Wir sammeln sie oft und verwenden sie für Schafe und Schweine.
Aber sie fliegen auch hervorragend. 😁

Title: Re: Degradable Sling Ammo?
Post by perpetualstudent on Oct 8th, 2019 at 1:59pm
They do also sell large ice sphere molds. It would be a lot of time and effort on your part but there would no cleanup.

Title: Re: Degradable Sling Ammo?
Post by Curious Aardvark on Oct 10th, 2019 at 6:57am
for the ice spheres I guess you'd need some good coolers to keep them in.
Yes they are definitely enviromentally friendly - but not exactly 'safe' ammo where hitting a person or object is concerned.

Title: Re: Degradable Sling Ammo?
Post by joe_meadmaker on Oct 10th, 2019 at 11:30am
Also with ice, prepare for your slings to get a little wet.  Especially if you're doing this in summer.  Another thing to keep in mind is that as the ice starts to melt, they can become a little more difficult to keep a hold of.

I recently posted a video in the Online Challenge thread that shows some damage to a pumpkin from ice balls https://youtu.be/TlT5-npH0CI.

Title: Re: Degradable Sling Ammo?
Post by Rat Man on Oct 11th, 2019 at 7:41pm
Pretty good slinging, Joe!

Title: Re: Degradable Sling Ammo?
Post by Mersa on Oct 11th, 2019 at 8:13pm
He is very consistent with those ice balls!

Title: Re: Degradable Sling Ammo?
Post by TheJackinati on Oct 12th, 2019 at 4:26pm
I once slung hardtack once. I managed to completely burn a batch, so I threw them away the next day.

I may try my hand at making sling-specific balls using a similar recipe.

Title: Re: Degradable Sling Ammo?
Post by Eudave on Apr 27th, 2020 at 5:20pm
I never thought of them Jaegoor
Danke

Title: Re: Degradable Sling Ammo?
Post by darksidedsam on Apr 27th, 2020 at 5:26pm
joe try making them out of this stuff
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pykrete

Title: Re: Degradable Sling Ammo?
Post by Mersa on Apr 28th, 2020 at 2:27am
Wow joe is going to love this

Title: Re: Degradable Sling Ammo?
Post by joe_meadmaker on Apr 28th, 2020 at 9:51pm
Oh, this is quite a coincidence.  I have a tree in my yard that died last year.  I've started cutting it down in pieces, but I still have to cut it up into firewood.  I guess now I have to try to salvage all the sawdust.

Title: Re: Degradable Sling Ammo?
Post by darksidedsam on Apr 30th, 2020 at 8:03pm
i look forward to seeing how it goes

Slinging.org Forum » Powered by YaBB 2.5.2!
YaBB Forum Software © 2000-2024. All Rights Reserved.