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Non-Lethal Rice Cannonballs (Read 1298 times)
quentonium
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Non-Lethal Rice Cannonballs
May 5th, 2021 at 5:34am
 
As promised, I made a tutorial on how I've been converting tennis balls into non-lethal sling ammunition that are extremely consistent, significantly "safer" and less damaging than rocks, cement, clay or lead



http://imgur.com/a/DZKiOnf



Given that the average tennis ball is generally 55-60g and that you use approximately 50g of rice per ball, this allows you to create ammunition that is consistently in the 105-110g range quickly and easily.

Accuracy Has significantly improved when compared to tennis balls due to the increased weight of the projectile and the smoothness of the tape surface, both of which decrease air resistance and deceleration.

Using high visibility tape or patterns also allow you to see projectile flight path a lot easier and greatly helps with locating projectiles that fly off.

As far as how well they hold up: ive had a few fliers that hit gravel, corners of stairs, wood, metal, and fence, and there appears to only be minor surface damage. I'd assume that if you aren't going full strength on highly abrasive or sharp pointed surfaces, they will hold up quite well for a long period of time.

I intentionally damage a ball to see repairability and this was easily done by covering punctures/tears or rewrapping with tape and/or refilling rice as needed, so long as the structure of the tennis ball isn't compromised significantly (i.e. the ball isn't torn in two).

Note that in the beginning, the word "safer" is in quotes. While these will not cause as much damage to people or property as much as denser projectiles, they still can cause injury and may break a few things around the house if you aren't careful.

Have fun everyone. Keep Slinging.
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« Last Edit: May 5th, 2021 at 9:43am by quentonium »  
 
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Sir Missalot
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Re: Non-Lethal Rice Cannonballs
Reply #1 - May 5th, 2021 at 11:04am
 
I've used water to make tennis balls heavier, and was planning on using sand when I get some.  I've made rusty balls with rice, so why not tennis balls?

I'll give it a try.  Thanks!
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joe_meadmaker
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Re: Non-Lethal Rice Cannonballs
Reply #2 - May 5th, 2021 at 1:06pm
 
Good idea!  I generally use street hockey balls.  They're about the same size and weight as a tennis ball, but without the fuzz.  I've filled them with silicon in the past to get the weight up, but it's kind of a pain.  This looks like it could work as an easy alternative.  Might give it a try.
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Morphy
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Re: Non-Lethal Rice Cannonballs
Reply #3 - May 5th, 2021 at 1:14pm
 
The different colored tapes would be nice for seeing spin on video as well. Those are cool man. Thanks for the tip.
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SerKraus
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Re: Non-Lethal Rice Cannonballs
Reply #4 - May 5th, 2021 at 2:50pm
 
Damn it! The list of things to do keeps growing!
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No citizen has a right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training…what a disgrace it is for a man to grow old without ever seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable. -Socrates
 
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quentonium
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Re: Non-Lethal Rice Cannonballs
Reply #5 - May 5th, 2021 at 8:02pm
 
Sir Missalot wrote on May 5th, 2021 at 11:04am:
I've used water to make tennis balls heavier, and was planning on using sand when I get some.  I've made rusty balls with rice, so why not tennis balls?

I'll give it a try.  Thanks!



I was gonna experiment with sand, but assumed it would be heavier than I would like.

Assuming that the volume would remain the same: 1/4 cup of sand = ~90g, which would put each ball in the 145-150g range, or 5-5.3oz


joe_meadmaker wrote on May 5th, 2021 at 1:06pm:
Good idea!  I generally use street hockey balls.  They're about the same size and weight as a tennis ball, but without the fuzz.  I've filled them with silicon in the past to get the weight up, but it's kind of a pain.  This looks like it could work as an easy alternative.  Might give it a try.


I considered field hockey balls, but they ended up being significantly more expensive than tennis balls. This method is very easy to work with and requires little skill; hardest part is making the cut and getting the funnel into place.

If you do go this route, I recommend a short grain rice like calrose. Its not only cheaper, but I find that the projectile is a little more dense when compared to long grain rice.



Morphy wrote on May 5th, 2021 at 1:14pm:
The different colored tapes would be nice for seeing spin on video as well. Those are cool man. Thanks for the tip.


Appreciate it, Morph. They orange tape definitely does help, but I think they should have different colors available to spice things up for those who want more flamboyant patterns



SerKraus wrote on May 5th, 2021 at 2:50pm:
Damn it! The list of things to do keeps growing!


Definitely worth it if all you have access to is tennis balls and/or don't want to cause excessive damage to your house like I did initially   Roll Eyes
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joe_meadmaker
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Re: Non-Lethal Rice Cannonballs
Reply #6 - May 5th, 2021 at 9:17pm
 
quentonium wrote on May 5th, 2021 at 8:02pm:
I considered field hockey balls, but they ended up being significantly more expensive than tennis balls.

That is very true.  When I get them I usually watch ebay and wait for someone to post a bulk package.

I'll remember the short grain rice tip.  Thanks!
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Sir Missalot
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Re: Non-Lethal Rice Cannonballs
Reply #7 - Oct 25th, 2021 at 11:25am
 
Well, I tried this with long grain rice that went bad anyway (wife told me to throw it away, so in a manner of speaking, that's what I did).  The final weight was around 118-120 grams, and I just sealed up the filling slit with duco cement all-purpose glue.  I left the fuzz on because for some strange reason, I kind of like it.

I spray-painted one side of the balls with blaze orange to watch the spin and make the balls easier to find.  Nope.  Autumn leaves are also orange, so I switched to hot pink.

The feeling of the riced balls as compared with the unladen balls was like night and day.  At a little over four ounces, the  modified balls communicated with me much more clearly, and made the timing of the release easier to manage.  They're also less sensitive to pouch friction than their lightweight counterparts.

Don't be fooled.  They may still be soft and fuzzy, but now they hit good and hard.  Be careful with your vinyl siding, that's for sure.  They knocked the rubber play ball I was aiming for clean off the shepard's crook plant hanger I had it attached to and shot it straight up into the air.

I really like the feel of it and plan to stuff the rest of my tennis balls for as long as my bag of rice holds out.

Great call, Quentonium, and thanks again!
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Morphy
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Re: Non-Lethal Rice Cannonballs
Reply #8 - Oct 25th, 2021 at 12:00pm
 
The difference in accuracy between 2 oz and 4 oz can be substantial.  Everything youve said rings true with my own experience. I imagine you could also choose what weight you want by using beads, rice, bbs, etc.
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Sir Missalot
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Re: Non-Lethal Rice Cannonballs
Reply #9 - Oct 25th, 2021 at 1:11pm
 
I also thought about not stuffing them so full of rice to ease back on the weight, but wondered if that would cause wobbling.

It does cut down on the bounce a bit too.  Less worry about bouncing them over the fence and into the creek.

Another advantage I found is that my kid is less likely to bash them into the woods with a wiffle bat.   Angry  He complains that wiffle balls don't go as far as tennis balls (isn't that the point?!) but I haven't seen him take a swing at one of these lunkers yet.  Heh heh... can't wait to see the look on his face.

Accuracy is getting better now, but with the lower velocity, I'm still figuring out the new trajectory.  They don't fly as level as unladen balls, but they don't curve, either.

Got to be really careful about the vinyl siding, though.  Had sort of a close call this morning.  Try explaining that to the Mrs.
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xud9a - call me zud 👍
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Re: Non-Lethal Rice Cannonballs
Reply #10 - Oct 26th, 2021 at 6:43am
 
Playtime !

Smiley Smiley
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Re: Non-Lethal Rice Cannonballs
Reply #11 - Oct 26th, 2021 at 11:07am
 
Sir Missalot wrote on Oct 25th, 2021 at 1:11pm:
 They don't fly as level as unladen balls, but they don't curve, either.


Uh… well… hrmph… ahem.

Nope. I have absolutely nothing to say.  whistle
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Re: Non-Lethal Rice Cannonballs
Reply #12 - Oct 27th, 2021 at 10:07am
 
sorry. let me clarify.  no discernible curving at my velocities.  i tend to use the least effort required to get the projectile to its destination.  call it creative laziness.  plus I have a copse and creek to avoid overshooting into and a shed with vinyl siding to avoid damaging if I get too much pull to the left.  i gotta be gentle
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