What do -what do

[GOPHER SLAYER]

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, over-over- over-what to do with an ugly piece of grey metal I found behind my shop. It was very heavy and it appeared to be very soft. Perhaps I could recycle it into something useful. I am a big fan of Al Gore and his efforts to save Mother Earth by recycling to help prevent global warming. I was informed that my piece of metal was made of lead and that it had a very low melting point. Hmmm, maybe I could cast it into some sort of projectile. At that moment I had an epiphany, right out of the Bible. I would make a sling like David used to slay Goliath. I gathered the equipment needed to melt the lead. I was told right, that stuff melted like cheese. I poured the molten lead into a muffen pan . They should make perfect missles for slaying an enemy. Now I had to select an adversary. I thought at first of whacking one of those right wing nuts, you know the ones I mean. They drive around in pickup trucks with an automatic assult rifle hanging in the rear window, clinging to their guns and religion. No I thought. I needed a more worthy opponant. How about the number one bad guy, Osama Ben Laden. Of course I would need practice. I made a target with the face of Gentle Ben on it and prepared myself for my first training session. I saw Ben hiding in the trees and started to swing the sling over my head, I was giddy as a school girl at the sound it made as it wirlred aroud my head, swise, swise, swise, CLUNK. That was the last sound I heard. Blackness enveloped me. To be continued.

[waksupi]

That, my friend, is magnum ammunition!

[onondaga]

I love slings, check out:

http://slinging.org/

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/rhymeswithwhat/sling2.jpg

One of mine I hand braided 8 strand on a Kumi Loom with Jute twine. I sell these at flint knap-ins and primitive skills gatherings. I use a Tupperware meatball maker with quick concrete to make projectiles. After many years I have only killed 2 rabbits and one woodchuck. My late dad was a merciless murderer with a sling and could hit a can or bottle every time at 20 yards. He helped feed his family with a sling when he was a boy. I have to say that his woodchuck pumpkin stew was terrible.

Slinging was a tradition in my Dad's family. They came from Sicily circa 1900.

Gary

[Southern Son]

You know, Gopher Slayer, I think that David used smaller projectiles than yours. Although the Bible tells us that he killed Goliath with a single shot, there was no mention of "Collateral Damage", such as the first three ranks of soldiers standing behind Goliath. Please do keep us updated, when you recover.

Gary, I thought that I was the only one who likes tying knots, braiding, etc. I have some books around here somewhere on the knots that old sailors use. While I watch T.V. I will sit and tie various knots. I have never braided up a sling, but that is mainly because if I did, I would almost certainly try and use it. And if I used it, I would certainly brain myself and end up with another scar on my head.

[9.3X62AL]

This is the kind of thing that develops when they close range access to former Burrito Shooters.

In my own case, I emigrated to a section of California largely untouched by the hand of hoplophobia. Yes, such areas do exist. Glen and his usual shooting co-actor Buckshot have not yet availed themselves of the wealth of range sites affordably and conveniently available out here in Mayberry BFE. They could both use a trip, methinks.

Poor old Buckshot has really taken the range closure hard. So much so, he threatens to go find A JOB every time I meet him for lunch when I go south. Thankfully, a varmint hunt and NCBS are near on the time horizon, and those events may return him to sanity and health post haste.

[Lee]

Methinks I knows where this thread is heading8-)

[Ron]

G'day Glen,
Mate, that sling and "ammo" reminds me of that bloody 44 of yours that you had me shoot, it's liable to cause someone an injury some how.

Sorry to hear that you and Buckshot are still suffering from lack of a range; you might just have to eat some more burittos to make up for the lack of shooting.

Regards,

[Tazman1602]

Dude that reminds me of 1973 or so when I made my first pair of "num-chucks" after watching Enter the Dragon with Bruce Lee.

The girls that were at the party I went to still ask me how's my groin. They say they've never heard a sound to this day out of a man that describes the noise I made........

Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using Tapatalk

[Von Gruff]

If I might make a suguestion about this set-up
http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv39/VonGruff/OSAMA20003.jpg

If you were to set the drum against the fence the retrieval of some of the 'practice' casts may be easier, that is they will mostly be in the same general area rather than be able to hare off into the paddock beyond. I fully expect you are more "accurate" than I might be, but misses will ocur.

Von Gruff.

[arjacobson]

Dude that reminds me of 1973 or so when I made my first pair of "num-chucks" after watching Enter the Dragon with Bruce Lee.

The girls that were at the party I went to still ask me how's my groin. They say they've never heard a sound to this day out of a man that describes the noise I made........

Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using Tapatalk

Yeah I remember those days too. Except I almost knocked myself out with a nice pair of cocabola chucks... Might even have the knot on the back of my head STILL.:grin:

[BOOM BOOM]

HI.
I SYMPATHIZE WITH YOU ON THE RANGE CLOSURES.
3 nearby spots I shot at the last 10 yrs. are gone /closed. Do to all the foreigners who have moved into Ut. to get away from Chicago & other places they did not like.
Unfortunately, they want to change Ut. to be more like what they were used to, not realizing , they are making it into what they did not like, & moved to get away from it.
I fear 2 more spots will be closed this yr.:Fire::Fire:

[thegreatdane]

I get such a kick out of this forum, in general. I'm also into knot tying and slinging... and hatchet throwing.

Everyone here is so like-minded. It's funny.

I was actually considering buying the largest round ball lee mold for slinging ammo.

You know, before there were guns, people threw rocks!

[leftiye]

Just think " The 2011 Lead Ingot Control Bill" Eerrr.... should I say slingshot ban???? Next after that will be laws outlawing broken broomsticks (except fer witches). Oh! don't ferget rocks!

[Buckshot]

.............In a recent phone conversation with Gopher Slayer hisself, I'm happy to relate that he's, er .................... getting better. So far the mega muffin slinger's score is one wheelbarrow, 3 panes of 4 (one shot) gone in the shop window, 2 flower pots, the backyard security light, the doorknob from the door into the garage (a ricochet, not to be counted against him), 3 fence boards, and 4 definitive connections with the 55 gal barrel his target sits on. He said it's all a matter of elevation now.

................Buckshot

[lead-1]

A sling, I'd probably knock myself out with one of them, lol.
Actually when I was a kid a few of us played around with slings and none of us were very good at it so we stuck to other stuff we probably shouldn't have been doing either.

[Longwood]

Ask your local mechanics to save the balls out of the axles they junk. Thats what I use on the stray dogs that come around to irritate my dogs.
Nice weight and size for a sling and I can easily toss one 500 yards still and I am 69 years old.

[Longwood]

if I did, I would almost certainly try and use it. And if I used it, I would certainly brain myself and end up with another scar on my head.

If you do it correctly, it is pretty much impossible to hit yourself. I bet there are video's someplace that show the proper way of using one.

[a.squibload]

Gopher, with that size projectiles I think your weapon is supposed to be crew-served!

Good stuff, haven't thought about slings since I was a kid.
Had a leather key holder or fob of some sort, already had 2 holes in it and a fold in the middle.
Was a natural to tie 2 leather thongs to it and sling away. Mostly used rocks.
Got pretty good at it, but the BB gun was serious competition to the sling.
Made my own bow & arrows too.

Onondaga, checked that site, some good pics.

Front wheel drive axles have nice size bearings in 'em, when I used to roll up on a tow call
and they said it won't move, and there were big ball bearings on the street, well
I just hooked it up.

[Southern Son]

If you do it correctly, it is pretty much impossible to hit yourself. I bet there are video's someplace that show the proper way of using one.

There's the rub. I can do it many ways, but correctly is something I always come up short of. :kidding:

On the nunchuckers, I made more than a few sets. Hit myself in the head a few times, but the worst was the hits on my elbows. Right on the funnybone. My fingers would tingle for hours after a real good hit on the funnybone.

[StrawHat]

"You'll shoot your eye out kid"

[thegreatdane]

See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IJlPJL115s for my favorite slinging style. Comanche/Figure-8

[songdog53]

Except visit from BATF because hasn't been approved for license yet.

[Longwood]

I use the Byzantine style and can toss a rock nearly out of site. I have no idea why the indians used their goofy figure eight style but I guarantee they would be in range long before I was.

[Longwood]

I have rolled a few dogs at 100 plus yard with 3/4" ball bearings. They run like heck for about 80 yards then think they are safe but get a real surprise when the balls are still coming at them at 300 to 400 yards.
Yep, yards, not feet.

[thegreatdane]

I use the Byzantine style and can toss a rock nearly out of site. I have no idea why the indians used their goofy figure eight style but I guarantee they would be in range long before I was.

...accuracy and power for Comanche. Apache style is stupid and weak IMHO.

[Longwood]

Looks pretty anemic to me. But then I only watched the one guy doing it.
I am only 6' tall (arm length matters) and 69 years old, we should have a distance and accuracy contest sometime. ;-)

[GOPHER SLAYER]

I felt I was having a bad dream but the voices I heard, though faint sounded real. The voice kept asking me questions, like do you know your name and do you know where you are. Well I certainly knew my name but I had no idea where I was. Slowly my vision began to come into focus. Everyone around my bed was dressed in white. My bed! What was I doing in bed? Not only was I in bed but I had all manner of tubes stincking into my arm. This was all too much to take in with so bad a headache. Oh, did I mention that my head was covered in bandages? I wanted to ask the doctor some questions but I had difficulty moving my lower jaw. I finally realized I was in some kind of medical facility and I was surrounded by doctors.I kept thinking, what happened. All I could remember was training for a mission to get Bin the Bad. Something must have gone terribly wrong. But what? When the fog cleared and I was able to speak the doctor began to ask questions. He said while I was unconscious I kept bababbling on about knocking off Gentil Bin. Why he asked did I want to kill someone's pet bear? Despite my confused condition I had to come up with some answers that made sense or at least sounded plausable. I didn't want to reveal too much. Doctors are supposed to pass along to law enforcment any illegle activity. No need to to have the Feds coming around poking their noses in my business. I asked the doc what my condition was and he said I had suffered a concussion caused by some type of blunt force trauma. Were you involved in an altercation he asked? Of course not I said. My mind was racing to think of answers that would satisfy the man. I was stumped. Well who wouldn't be if they were in my condition? I came to the conclusion that the only thing to do was to tell the doctor the whole story. He took in my story without comment but I noticed he was taking lots of notes. At that time I asked if he thought I might suffer permanent brain damage from my experience? He told me that in his professional considered opinion that my IQ wouldn't go any lower. That was a relief. You know what John Wayne said '"life is tough, it's even tougher if you are stupid". I was released from the clinic today and I am still shaky, wobbly would be a better word. I have benn thinking over the events of the last few days and I must say I am confused. Here I was trying to do the world a favor and it appears I may be in hot water with Hillary for trying to interfere in foreign affairs. I suppose it is true, no good deed goes unpunished.

[a.squibload]

Dang doctors.
Hope you're getting better.
I recommend FMBs (Fermented Malt Beverages).
Please post pics of 55gal drum penetration, assuming you hit it!

I have wanted a round ball mold for 44, now I'm thinking it would be good for a sling too.
Old bearings would be cheaper though.
Checked a few of the vids, didn't realize they were that popular.
Now I wanna make a sling!

[Buddy]

Reminds me of the time as a child I fashioned a sling out of the back pocket of a pair of jeans and some bailing twine. I then proceeded to knock out the porch light, globe and all. It was an accident but Grandma didn't see it that way. My butt still hurts when I think about it!

[luvtn]

Yep, some buds and I tried the sling thing. One got semi proficient. The rest of us quit due to various and sundry bruises over the anatomy of ourselves. Some of those blows caused exquisite pain.
lt

[9.3X62AL]

Gopher Slayer--AKA, "The Mummy".

[MT Gianni]

Am I the only one that hopes the lead was zinc contaminate?

[Longwood]

I taught myself to make use and one after seeing a movie about David and Goliath in 1952. I was ten and I don't remember ever hitting myself and am pretty sure I would have quit it. immediately if I had. I did manage to wind my first one up on an overhead wire but I learned to put a knot in the end of the cord that stays in my hand.
I used them (EDIT: Make that one of the ways but I can't find it now. If I find the clip I will post a link), the old dude with the long white hair on youtube. Spinning them round and round is total nonsense. I start the throw with it hanging down to my side then one flip around my head and release when it is straight out from my body and about 90 degrees from the direction you want to toss the ammo. KISS!!!! I can see where it could be a major problem if one did not remember to let go of the end of the cord. If I really want to FLANG it, I start by swinging it back and forth a little and start the delivery when the pouch is back a couple/three feet.
I make mine about 2 1/2 feet long, 5 total, longer if I want to go for distance, and don't put a knot in the end that I use for the release thong. At first, I used a knot in the other end but switched to a loop around my middle finger when I started getting the big ball bearings. I have seen some made with a short piece of stick or bone tied crosswise on the end you keep hold of and keep that crosswise between the second and third finger. A wood bead works pretty well also.
My dad had a shoe repair shop in our basement and I made them with one of the long leather boot laces (back when you could find the good ones) and a piece of old high-top leather boot. I sold several at 50 cents and made a quarter profit after buying the laces. Back then, that was a bottle of pop and four candy bars profit.
I now use ultra strong, and pretty, multi-colored, cord that I get at a local rock climbing supply store. I buy it by the foot and it is sort of stiff and way better than most other cords. If any of you (braver) people want some, I will get it and sell it to you for my cost. It is only about 16 or 17 cents a foot and would mail real cheap.
They are a blast for little money.
WARNING:
Start out using something softer than rocks or ball bearing. Maybe those little super balls or something cheaper, so you don't have a reason too sue me if you somehow manage to screw it up and hit yourself. Make sure you educate your kids extremely well before trusting them with one. They are NOT! repeat NOT! toys and even with rubber/plastic balls, could be deadly. Think of it as a kid with a 5 foot arm.

__________________________________________________ ____________________________

If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much room.

[Longwood]

A 44 ball is pretty small but would be a place to start.
8 gauge or bigger balls would be my choice.
I think I may make a mold and use the zinc wheel weights which will soon be in abundance. I have about 25 lbs already. Now,,,, if I can dimple them for more distance. Hehehe!

[Buckshot]

I felt I was having a bad dream but the voices I heard, though faint sounded real. The voice kept asking me questions, like do you know your name and do you know where you are. I suppose it is true, no good deed goes unpunished.

...............You do realize you're a certified KOOK? I laughed out loud at your picture and tall tale associated with it! :veryconfu

.................Buckshot

[a.squibload]

...I now use ultra strong, and pretty, multi-colored, cord that I get at a local rock climbing supply store.... I buy it by the foot and it is sort of stiff...

Think I know what stuff you're talking about.
I was wondering if parachute cord would work, it's strong but maybe too stretchy?

[thegreatdane]

All my slings are made from paracord. Works GREAT!

[Longwood]

I have tried parachute cord as is and with the filler cords removed. Did not care for it except for braiding. I see that some people braid the pouch and that may be OK but I like the stuff I use and a leather pouch much better. I have used the small pull-start cord at the small engine repair shops. It is pretty much the same as what I get but not as pretty and it is a little stiffer, much stronger, and easier to sling with than parachute cord.
Don't mean to be nasty but the one gopher slayer has pictured is not only way too short but the laces he used are no where near strong enough. Looks like a good way to commit suicide. Onandaga has a nice one but it looks hard to make.

[mroliver77]

Gary, you never cease to amaze me!

longwood, IYO how good would golf balls work?

I am thinking gopher slayers work might be based on a true story! ;)
Jay

[Longwood]

Golf balls work great.
I used to work across the fence from the El Toro marine base driving range. Every Monday morning, there would be several in the yard and most of the employees knew I had a sling and an acetylene cannon in my tool box so I got most of them.
We thought it was pretty cool to send them back onto the base and I often wondered if they were dumb enough to thing the boys there were good enough to drive them to where I shot them.