So, my wife and I were talking about our kid and when he was allowed to have a slingshot, and it occured to us that a good portion of the damage potential depends on the ammo used. So, I'm looking around through Google to see if Nerf or something similar has a foam ball that's a good size for slingshot ammo, but I thought I'd ask you guys about it. My son is only three, but I intend to have a light band set and ammo in mind before he's of age so that when he does get interested in shooting slingshots like Daddy, I can give him something to learn to shoot safely on, rather than telling him, "Too bad, you aren't old enough, now stand over there while Daddy has fun with slingshots"<br><br>I'm hoping for something that is at least sort of around the same size as normal slingshot ammo, though I'm sure foam balls will be bigger. Maybe 20-25 mm or so? We'll see what I find. I intend to do a series of tests with ammo / bandset configurations once I have some contenders, unless of course there is data out there about it already.
Mini marshmallows are a good option. My daughter shoots them in the hous and has never caused any damage. Just don't forget to pick them up afterwards, especially if you live in an area with a lot of ants.
That is a HILARIOUS option! I don't think I'll have problems picking them up. I have a dog <img src="http://illiweb.com/fa/i/smiles/icon_smile.gif" alt="Smile" longdesc="2">
Just remember to compensate for the size of the ammo when building/purchasing the SS. You probably already know this; I'm just throwing it out there for anybody reading who may not know. Let us know how it works out for you!
home made balls from papier- mache?<br>soak newspaper in water &wallpaper glue<br><br>make balls of it,the size you want<br>let dry & shoot<br>should be fun thing for the kid also to help making balls<br>that way they learn about ammo!!
ear plugs. I use them all the time <img src="http://illiweb.com/fa/i/smiles/icon_smile.gif" alt="Smile" longdesc="2"><br><br><br>Beware tho... they can actually hurt! I left a paintball size mark on a co-worker from about 1.5 feet... The only problem is you cant like plink that well with them... after about 5 feet or so dependent on how you shoot, the thing wings off in some random direction.<br><br>Slingshots... great learning tools... slightly dangerous tho I guess :/
I'll second the Garbanzo beans (or chick peas). They are about the right size and work well at short distances. For longer shots they have an unpredictable curve. I wouldn't want to be hit with one, but I don't think it would do permanent damage as long as it didn't hit someone in the eye.
Mini-marshmallows? Check. Dog? Check. My son and I will be making the dog fat and happy this weekend.
well when ever i am shooting with my cousins i use dried peas, they are pretty small, but if you use a light bandset, they fly pretty fast, AND THEY ARE SOOO CHEAP!!
<table width="90%" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="0" border="0" align="center"> <tr><td><span class="genmed"><b>kineticweaponry wrote:</b></span></td></tr> <tr><td class="quote">well when ever i am shooting with my cousins i use dried peas, they are pretty small, but if you use a light bandset, they fly pretty fast, AND THEY ARE SOOO CHEAP!!</td></tr> </table> <span class="postbody"><br><br>Dried peas work pretty well, I used them as well. However, I don't think it is safe enough for children to shoot it. It still goes too fast.</span>
paper/aluminum foil work good, even in the house, and don't do any damage, except when hitting your eye.
<table width="90%" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="0" border="0" align="center"> <tr><td><span class="genmed"><b>Achso_42 wrote:</b></span></td></tr> <tr><td class="quote">except when hitting your eye.</td></tr> </table> <span class="postbody">I use paper balls with some alu foil around it for my nephew( 6) but he got to wear safety glasses and shoot outside. Even if it is not painfull he must never shoot at people.</span>
Thin office bands will help with slowing the projectile down and avoid good ol' hand slap. A #24 office band is 6" long. If it's "longer" it means he actually can't stretch it much when pulling it back and therefore restricting energy stored. This would probably make using dry chick peas safe. What about small Styrofoam balls from a craft store. I don't have kids, so I don't know if they are bright enough at that age to not choke on a chick pea, but I guess anything under a golf ball could be a choking hazard. Something to consider.<br>.....unless he's got a hellava life insurance policy and you're not that attached to him............ <img src="http://illiweb.com/fa/i/smiles/icon_eek.gif" alt="Shocked" longdesc="5"><img src="http://illiweb.com/fa/i/smiles/icon_silent.png" alt="silent" longdesc="25">
Well, a kid that's old enough to shoot a SS will not try to eat the ammo <img src="http://illiweb.com/fa/i/smiles/icon_wink.gif" alt="Wink" longdesc="15">