Best slingshot ammo/projectile?

[PTK]

Best slingshot ammo/projectile?

Machetes.

 

[Remo223]

Perfectly legal in longarms.

Tungsten-Iron alloy shot is common for shotguns.

I'm think it is illegal for civilians to use tungsten in hand loads for the purpose of armor piercing.

 

[Jim NE]

Thanks for the heads up on tungsten, Remo223. I'm glad nobody mentioned depleted uranium. I think that's about 1 and a half times as heavy as lead, too. Of course, it's also very hazardous, very illegal, and probably impossible to get. I think it's why a lot of desert storm soldiers got sick, as well.

 

[kingcheese]

dimes are ok, if you set them in the sling side ways, more of a fun thing then a practical thing

i have used old double a batteres for hunting, no luck yet

 

[Jim NE]

Aren't dimes a little on the expensive side? I might consider pennies though!! (I'm kinda poor.)

 

[Remo223]

Thanks for the heads up on tungsten, Remo223. I'm glad nobody mentioned depleted uranium. I think that's about 1 and a half times as heavy as lead, too. Of course, it's also very hazardous, very illegal, and probably impossible to get. I think it's why a lot of desert storm soldiers got sick, as well.

Actually, depleted uranium isn't that dangerous unless it catches fire. They call it "depleted" because the radioactive isotopes have been removed. It's not radioactive. It does burn similar to magnesium though.

 

[Sam Cade]

I'm think it is illegal for civilians to use tungsten in hand loads for the purpose of armor piercing.

Nope. Perfectly O.K.
http://www.barnesbullets.com/products/rifle/mrx-bullet/

Here is what constitutes AP at the federal level:

18 U.S.C. Section 921(a)(17)(B)

(i) a projectile or projectile core which may be used in a handgun and which is constructed entirely (excluding the presence of traces of other substances) from one or a combination of tungsten alloys, steel, iron, brass, bronze, beryllium copper, or depleted uranium; or

(ii) a full jacketed projectile larger than .22 caliber designed and intended for use in a handgun and whose jacket has a weight of more than 25 percent of the total weight of the projectile.

 

[Remo223]

not sure what you are reading sam. According to your own post, tungsten is NOT ALLOWED!

 

[Sam Cade]

Read closer.

The AP definition only applies to ammunition intended to be used in a HANDGUN.

Rifle ammunition CANNOT by federal definition be AP, so you can make it out of whatever you want.

For example, M855 5.56 has a steel "penetrator" tip. Its perfectly kosher, and readily available. Steel core 7.62x39 is verboten however because the feds consider it "handgun" ammunition. Illogical, but that is how it works.

 

[Remo223]

I see.

However, I never specified rifles. but that is good to know. For tungsten...rifles=ok, handguns=not ok.

 

[sm]

Rocks

I must be getting old...

I learnt the Art & Science of Slingshots, using a fork of tree limb, red rubber inner tube rubber, leather pouch, and good, braided string to assemble this all together.

Sure, I had access to nuts, bolts and ball bearings, courtesy of a Fillin' Station, but...

I learnt on rocks, and have taken small game, and birds in flight with rocks.
I need to get on with making me a new slingshot, and yes, I will use rocks for ammo.

 

[BADUNAME37]

Why couldn't one make up a way to twist the rubber bands so many turns per foot of pull, so, let's assume you are pulling back 24" on the rubbers, and you have, say, 10 clockwise twists in the rubbers - why wouldn't the bullet, if launched like a gun (with the bullets facing the proper direction, and maybe even a method to ensure they stay in that direction until they leave the leather) continue to spin on the axis to help with accuracy?

Flying bullets are one thing, but they are most likely going to tumble. Why not make it so they don't tumble - if at all possible (and I think with some ingenuity, it is possible to achieve).

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Velocity

To stabilize a projectile there's a minimum rotational speed that must be achieved.

Given typical rifling twist rates, a bullet will accomplish maybe one full turn within the barrel, possibly two, but the rotational speed imparted by the combined vectors of forward motion at several hundred fps, or a few thousand, depending on the cartridge and barrel, is enough to spin the bullet at hundreds or thousands of rpm, and thus impart reasonable gyroscopic stability to the projectile.

So you have a number of factors necessary to achieve stability:

1. The projectile must maintain a steady rotational axis during the acceleration period;
2. the projectile must rotate at some minimum speed to be stable in flight;
3. the projectile must achieve enough velocity in flight that it's worth the trouble of stabilizing it.

In a firearm or airgun,

1. is achieved by a rigid barrel, along which acceleration is performed;
2. is achieved by integrating rifling into the acceleration tube;
3. is achieved by the application of sufficient pressure in a short time frame.

I'm thinking that, using a slingshot, it's going to be pretty damned hard to get all of that to happen.

 

[BADUNAME37]

To stabilize a projectile there's a minimum rotational speed that must be achieved.

Given typical rifling twist rates, a bullet will accomplish maybe one full turn within the barrel, possibly two, but the rotational speed imparted by the combined vectors of forward motion at several hundred fps, or a few thousand, depending on the cartridge and barrel, is enough to spin the bullet at hundreds or thousands of rpm, and thus impart reasonable gyroscopic stability to the projectile.

So you have a number of factors necessary to achieve stability:

1. The projectile must maintain a steady rotational axis during the acceleration period;
2. the projectile must rotate at some minimum speed to be stable in flight;
3. the projectile must achieve enough velocity in flight that it's worth the trouble of stabilizing it.

In a firearm or airgun,

1. is achieved by a rigid barrel, along which acceleration is performed;
2. is achieved by integrating rifling into the acceleration tube;
3. is achieved by the application of sufficient pressure in a short time frame.

I'm thinking that, using a slingshot, it's going to be pretty damned hard to get all of that to happen.

I agree.

When I calculate how fast some of my bullets are actually spinning -- the speed is phenomenal -- like around 250,000 RPM's!

Picture just having a 55 grain bullet sitting in your office. Suddenly spinning it up to between 250,000 and 300,000 RPM's, without the velocity, just spinning in the air, then letting it drop on the floor! The thing would be literally zinging and flinging - bouncing all over the place, most likely tearing things up in the process as it is disintegrating with everything it contacts! And, the pieces flying off would be moving so quickly that they would become embedded into walls, floors, ceilings, etc!

Then add 3,000 to 4,000 FPS velocity!
No wonder a high-powered rifle bullet can and does do so much DAMAGE! Between the extreme forward momentum and the centrifugal force of the projectile, it is pretty amazing! Then, to think that we can shoot that out of a gun and almost drive tacks at 200 yards with it! That is remarkable!