[MightyPanda]

So I have a 6 week wait for my first slingshot to arrive so shall continue to delve into theory whilst I'm waiting.

I want to hear peoples ideas regarding types of spherical ammunition. I know slingshots can essentially fire anything and some people use stones, darts, arrows and many other things but I'm only concerned with spherical (i.e. ball shaped) projectiles.

I know steel balls/ball bearings are one of the most common types of ammo but keeping with the spherical parameters what other options are there? I would also like to hear peoples views on 'environmentally friendly' ammo. I've heard of people using hardened clay balls because they break down and return to the earth. Which I quite like. When I first start I'll be shooting somewhere remote away from the risk of potentially hurting anyone and I want to try not to litter the wilderness with bits of metal.

 

[Juggalo]

With a verrrrry light bandset biodegradable airsoft ammo is a good training ammo. Speed is high over short distances and all faults in release technique are exaggerated making you more consistent.

 

[wursthunter]

As you said you can shot anything that fits in your pouch. The best bang for your buck is low alloyed steel. Cheap, accurate and rusts pretty fast which makes it environment friendly if shot beyond a catchbox. Yesterday I made some "whistling bullets" from 14mm hardened steel. After softening I was able to drill holes in it. The result is... ...well, listen for yourself
greetz wurst

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2yAa5FwosA[/ame]

 

[Knallfrosch]

So I have a 6 week wait for my first slingshot to arrive so shall continue to delve into theory whilst I'm waiting.

I want to hear peoples ideas regarding types of spherical ammunition. I know slingshots can essentially fire anything and some people use stones, darts, arrows and many other things but I'm only concerned with spherical (i.e. ball shaped) projectiles.

I know steel balls/ball bearings are one of the most common types of ammo but keeping with the spherical parameters what other options are there? I would also like to hear peoples views on 'environmentally friendly' ammo. I've heard of people using hardened clay balls because they break down and return to the earth. Which I quite like. When I first start I'll be shooting somewhere remote away from the risk of potentially hurting anyone and I want to try not to litter the wilderness with bits of metal.

Ceramic balls.
Marbles
Clay-balls ( selfmade oder this porous stuff that usually hold the water for flowers in a pot.)
Paintballs of course =) very environment friendly.
Powder balls
Hexnuts

As you said you can shot anything that fits in your pouch. The best bang for your buck is low alloyed steel. Cheap, accurate and rusts pretty fast which makes it environment friendly if shot beyond a catchbox. Yesterday I made some "whistling bullets" from 14mm hardened steel. After softening I was able to drill holes in it. The result is... ...well, listen for yourself
greetz wurst

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2yAa5FwosA

Nice video wursti.
I think these whisteling balls are the new hype for slingshots.
I wonder if Kugel Winnie can make these with a hole in it by default.
Heating, filing and drilling is quite exausting if you want to do it on 2000 8mm steelballs =)

 

[DaveyJones]

i like marbles.
they are chemically inert, have enough mass to fly true, are nice and round, and very cheap.

 

[Juggalo]

Ceramic balls.
Marbles
Clay-balls ( selfmade oder this porous stuff that usually hold the water for flowers in a pot.)
Paintballs of course =) very environment friendly.
Powder balls
Hexnuts

Flowers?


Nice video wursti.
I think these whisteling balls are the new hype for slingshots.
I wonder if Kugel Winnie can make these with a hole in it by default.
Heating, filing and drilling is quite exausting if you want to do it on 2000 8mm steelballs =)

 

[Belargo]

Any kind of available seed can be shot. Dried peas, beans, acorns etc.
They tend to be very light and often not ideally round, which makes them unsuitable for longer distances.
On the other hand they often survive the impact, and later grow into a plant, so this can be used for guerilla gardening

Then there are 'edibles', like M&M's, hard candy or bubble gum. They are cheap, definitely non toxic, and shatter satisfactorily on impact.

Glas marbles are also quite popular. Bought in bulk, or from dollar stores, they are reasonably cheap. They are way tougher than one might think, so they should be considered reusable ammo. Looking for them by night using a flashlight makes them easier to spot.

Paint balls are good for practicing as well as testing new frames or techniques. Not the cheapest, but they are fairly safe and dissolve in the rain.

But honestly, steel balls are very hard to beat. They fly straight, punch nice holes into targets, and are extremely cheap when obtained from the right sources. Also, they rust away in a matter of months to years, and the emerging iron oxide is non toxic and it's a natural part of soil anyway.

I'm sure there is more I didn't think of.
Take your pick, and happy shooting!

 

[vestlenning]

Deer droppings!

 

[Knallfrosch]

Deer droppings!

EEEWWWWW!!!!

Thou shalt not shoot, what once was poop.

@Juggalo

I meant this :
http://hanf-hanf.at/mediafiles/Bilder/Lexikon/Blähton.jpg

According to LErg its called foamed clay

It greatly varies in size and shape but is quite environment friendly. and of course cheap

 

[Acorn_Man]

I use steel balls mostly. Marbles are my favorite for whatever reason. They just sort of feel nice. Lead is a good choice due to its density, but it is toxic. I was thinking of painting them with something to counteract that. Brass balls have always interested me (that sounded dirty, sorry). Denser than steel but not toxic. Anytime I drop any sort of food that can be shot, I shoot that (candy, grapes, nuts, whatever). The squirrels do love me for it, too.
When is started, I just shot rocks. Like for years I shot rocks almost exclusively. Then when I got serious I made a catchbox. That limits your litter. Simple and easy to make. If I were to reccomend anything, I would just say don't worry about it. Just go and "try to break it" as my old teacher said. Don't worry about details and just have fun. Good luck!

 

[Redloesebob]

I would recommend immature apples. Nice mass and nice splatter when they hit stuff, also very safe ammo. Where i live there are so many wild apple tree's that i will always have good ammo.

 

[Jeb]

+1 on the clay balls. Just got back from a camping trip on a rocky island. Clay explodes on rock, no ricochet. Safe and good for the environment.

 

[Mario Cucco]

So I have a 6 week wait for my first slingshot to arrive so shall continue to delve into theory whilst I'm waiting.

I want to hear peoples ideas regarding types of spherical ammunition. I know slingshots can essentially fire anything and some people use stones, darts, arrows and many other things but I'm only concerned with spherical (i.e. ball shaped) projectiles.

I know steel balls/ball bearings are one of the most common types of ammo but keeping with the spherical parameters what other options are there? I would also like to hear peoples views on 'environmentally friendly' ammo. I've heard of people using hardened clay balls because they break down and return to the earth. Which I quite like. When I first start I'll be shooting somewhere remote away from the risk of potentially hurting anyone and I want to try not to litter the wilderness with bits of metal.

Maybe frozen peas

 

[Snydes]

THe only thing I had when I started shooting was a round head fishing jig mold - made pretty good ammo - labor intensive though.

 

[ffflincher]

66 years ago I made my own slingshot because I couldn't afford a WAMMO. I looped thick rubber bands we had around the house to a pouch, maybe an old shoe tongue. Seems to me I had maybe three or four hooked together for one strand, maybe three strands on each fork. Each shot tangled my gear. Hated to shoot marbles, because I still played with 'em. Ended up shooting BBs, and got so accurate with 'em that I'll do that again. Second childhood.

I can now afford better equipment, rubbers and ammo.
I like the mud balls and ball bearings so far, love the way the mud leaves a mark on my white metal shed that washes off with the next rain. No dents yet, either, but I'm just gettin' started.