# A Little Disappointed



## Tex-Shooter (Dec 17, 2009)

Well I got out the Chrony this morning and tested the Bazooka Star with the bands and 7/16 steel balls that I was shooting at the lake but only at 75 inches instead of 80 (had to aim). With a quick release it shot about 275/280 fps and wit a three second delay it shot about 260/265 fps. I was disappointed, so I measured the band pull and it was only about 8 Pounds. Ahhh, now that makes more sense. That is still about 15 FPE (energy) or about twice what it takes for small game like rabbits or squirrels. I am sure with some band weight and tweaking it could be shot at about 5oo fps. -- Tex


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## M.J (Nov 1, 2010)

Makes me want to break out my starship!


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## bunnybuster (Dec 26, 2009)

Tex-Shooter said:


> Well I got out the Chrony this morning and tested the Bazooka Star with the bands and 7/16 steel balls that I was shooting at the lake but only at 75 inches instead of 80 (had to aim). With a quick release it shot about 275/280 fps and wit a three second delay it shot about 260/265 fps. I was disappointed, so I measured the band pull and it was only about 8 Pounds. Ahhh, now that makes more sense. That is still about 15 FPE (energy) or about twice what it takes for small game like rabbits or squirrels. I am sure with some band weight and tweaking it could be shot at about 5oo fps. -- Tex


Tex,
Come on..really????
My 9 mm Hi Point auto,shoots around 600 FPS.
A little exaggeration here I suspect. 
You may have some super ``bands`` but there is no way, they will shoot with that amount of speed!
500 fps is ridiculous in any slingshot, that can be pulled by a human








Spare me , you better calibrate your chrony!


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## LVO (Sep 25, 2011)

From Bunnybuster.....My 9 mm Hi Point auto,shoots around 600 FPS.

---you should be getting at least 1000 fps on 9mm... even from short barrel 
-- I've not seen 500fps, but Torsten was over 420 if I'm not mistaken

I need a chrony!!


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## Henry the Hermit (Jun 2, 2010)

Torsten has recorded 450+ fps speeds on many occasions. In one set of shots, he showed well over 700 fps with heated bands. I have personally shot 380 fps with normal draw and tubes. I believe 500 fps is quite achievable with today's rubber and a long draw.

Here is one video where Torsten claims 890 fps. Personally, I have doubts about that speed. At 890 fps there should be a sonic crack from the projectile.


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## treefork (Feb 1, 2010)

Tweak it see what you get.


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## The Gopher (Aug 25, 2010)

I'm still shooting rocks at soda cans, these speeds make my head spin!


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## Bruno529 (Apr 8, 2012)

From Henry in Panama---- "At 890 fps there should be a sonic crack from the projectile."

I believe the speed of sound is 1126 fps (768 mph), why would there be a sonic crack? What am I missing? Not trying to be wise a$$, just thought I might be missing something.
Bruno


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## bullseyeben! (Apr 24, 2011)

Yea I dont think we gonna hear the sound barrier crack any time soon, but I do think if these bands are cut and tapered spot on at full draw, a long draw at that, 450 plus is achievable... that's only 30 metres a second faster than I've shot a 9mm through a normal frame.. looking forward to some results..


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## Tex-Shooter (Dec 17, 2009)

If I was using a 1/4 inch steel ball the speed would go up a lot. I could not achieve 500 fps because of my physical problems, but I am sure that Torsten would have no problem with the right bands on the slingshot that I was using. I have shot about 400 fps with my nova star and over 300 with a Saunders Falcon two. Now having said that, I think that is just just for fun and does not have any real everyday purpose. -- Tex


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## Henry the Hermit (Jun 2, 2010)

Bruno529 said:


> From Henry in Panama---- "At 890 fps there should be a sonic crack from the projectile."
> 
> I believe the speed of sound is 1126 fps (768 mph), why would there be a sonic crack? What am I missing? Not trying to be wise a$$, just thought I might be missing something.
> Bruno


You are correct. I should be ashamed, because I made the same correction on another member about a year ago. I stand corrected.


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## pop shot (Sep 29, 2011)

Penalty Box!!!


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## Henry the Hermit (Jun 2, 2010)

pop shot said:


> Penalty Box!!!


Hey! The Penalty Box ain't so bad.


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## Tex-Shooter (Dec 17, 2009)

Also I am sure that the my test speed was affected by our very cool weather. It might even freeze tonight and that is very unusual for here this time of the year. -- Tex


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## bunnybuster (Dec 26, 2009)

I don`t claim to know everything.
Could be, hand drawn slingshots reach 500 to 850 fps.
My 9mm does shoot @ 925 fps, with my hand loads.
My pellet gun shoots at 600 fps.
Best I can get from my gum rubber slingshot is 236 fps. @ 29 inch draw.
My bow is shooting 275 fps. 29 inch draw, set @ 45 lbs.
My .308 is around 2800 fps.


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## LVO (Sep 25, 2011)

BBuster..... I love your work and i respect that you hand load, too. You have that .308 humming!!








It's just so fun to be chuckin' stuff down range!!


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## mrpaint (May 16, 2012)

I am pretty sure that the majority of standard 9mm loads that you can buy are closer to 1100fps and thats just 'standard' ammo. You can get those magsafe rounds that are 1800fps I believe, glaser makes one around 1500. I don't think any of us will be seing a marble or piece of steel slung from a slingshot breaking the sound barrier anytime soon (barring some amazing leap forward in elastics).


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## mrpaint (May 16, 2012)

bunnybuster said:


> I don`t claim to know everything.
> Could be, hand drawn slingshots reach 500 to 850 fps.
> My 9mm does shoot @ 925 fps, with my hand loads.
> My pellet gun shoots at 600 fps.
> ...


One of my .243 hand loads is breaking 4000 fps. And no, im not full of sh!t.


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## Tex-Shooter (Dec 17, 2009)

Bunnybuster, with gum rubber and a 28 inch draw, you are getting great speed at 236 FPS with any size shot. I normally shoot 1/2 inch diameter steel balls at about 190 FPS at a standard lock out of 33 inches with pure Latex flats.and about the same speed with 44 cal. lead. That speed and weight of projectile gives you 10.4 foot pounds energy. The Books say that you only need 6 Foot pounds of energy for a clean kill on rabbits and squirrels. I used gum rubber for years and hunted with it, but as i got a source for latex flat stock I made the switch as it is just easier to get there with it. The 400 FPS speed is just for the fun of doing it and I don't believe I would wan't to shoot that speed very often as the band life goes down to all most nothing. I do know that 4 or more has shot over 400 FPS, but I don't think I want to start a club of them. -- Tex -- Something that needs to be held out for all new shooters is slingshots get there power from heavy projectiles. For instance to get the 10.4 foot pounds energy with a 1/4 inch diameter steel shot, you would have to shoot it about 541 feet per second and with a 3/8 steel inch shot about 292 FPS. -- Tex


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## timdix (Oct 1, 2010)

I'm sure 500fps would be easy peasy with the Bazooka but with lighter ammo and bands of greater taper. Those speeds are realistic. Gamekeeper john has shot 548fps with 6mm steel and more off camera and Torsten's been around the 500 mark with 7.5mm.
With double bands (16lb draw) on the Bazooka with its draw length of 80 inches you would see incredible speeds with mid weight ammo. You would need someone of reasonable strength to draw out those last few inches of butterfly.
If a commercial manufacturer put some technical input into design we could see designs with mini cams and pulleys with a take down or foldable draw extension. We could then be enjoying blistering speeds with very tolerable draw weights whilst still maintaining portabilty.


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## Henry the Hermit (Jun 2, 2010)

timdix said:


> If a commercial manufacturer put some technical input into design we could see designs with mini cams and pulleys with a take down or foldable draw extension. We could then be enjoying blistering speeds with very tolerable draw weights whilst still maintaining portabilty.


Let us sincerely hope it never gets to that point. When it comes to human powered weapons, I am very much a Luddite. Where would the challenge be in shooting 400+ fps if you could buy a blinged up slingshot at Wal-Mart that could shoot 500 fps?


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## timdix (Oct 1, 2010)

I agree to a point Henry but the operative words are "human powered" That would need to be maintained whilst keeping the design relatively simple and not ridiculously expensive.I would be fascinated to see the outcome of such designs. There would be no compulsion to use such slingshots obviously. 
Personally I think there is huge scope to use a little mechanical advantage in slingshot design to enhance the fun.


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## bunnybuster (Dec 26, 2009)

mrpaint said:


> I am pretty sure that the majority of standard 9mm loads that you can buy are closer to 1100fps and thats just 'standard' ammo. You can get those magsafe rounds that are 1800fps I believe, glaser makes one around 1500. I don't think any of us will be seing a marble or piece of steel slung from a slingshot breaking the sound barrier anytime soon (barring some amazing leap forward in elastics).


My 9mm handloads are geared down somewhat in speed. 
My C9 and 995 carbine, shoot these handloads great, and sure pack a punch. I have lots of lead, and reload for my 45/70 marlin, and also my ruger vaquero .45 long colt.
A friend of mine...he handloads for the .220 swift, and he is pushing the 4000 fps mark, but of course he is using factory jacketed bullets.


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## bunnybuster (Dec 26, 2009)

Tex-Shooter said:


> Bunnybuster, with gum rubber and a 28 inch draw, you are getting great speed at 236 FPS with any size shot. I normally shoot 1/2 inch diameter steel balls at about 190 FPS at a standard lock out of 33 inches with pure Latex flats.and about the same speed with 44 cal. lead. That speed and weight of projectile gives you 10.4 foot pounds energy. The Books say that you only need 6 Foot pounds of energy for a clean kill on rabbits and squirrels. I used gum rubber for years and hunted with it, but as i got a source for latex flat stock I made the switch as it is just easier to get there with it. The 400 FPS speed is just for the fun of doing it and I don't believe I would wan't to shoot that speed very often as the band life goes down to all most nothing. I do know that 4 or more has shot over 400 FPS, but I don't think I want to start a club of them. -- Tex -- Something that needs to be held out for all new shooters is slingshots get there power from heavy projectiles. For instance to get the 10.4 foot pounds energy with a 1/4 inch diameter steel shot, you would have to shoot it about 541 feet per second and with a 3/8 steel inch shot about 292 FPS. -- Tex


 Tex,
for me to get 236 fps, I used 5/8 gum rubber 1/16 inch thick, tied 7 inches from fork to pouch, and using .375 lead ball, with my draw at 29 inches, the bands are maxed out and like you said, they don`t last as long. Using gum rubber @ 1/2 in. wide, tied at 8 1/2 inches...the bands last much longer, and I get an average of 179 fps, fast enough, with enough power to take a rabbit @ 17 yrds. (complete pass through). It works for me.


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## Setarip (Mar 27, 2012)

A couple months back I made a quick 3:1 taper bandset drawn to about 40" shooting 7.5mm steel... I chronied 405 FPS AFTER I accidentlly hit the steel rod for the chrony shade. I shoot full butterfly otherwise, and my draw is about 73". I do not have any doubts I could hit 500 fps easily with a properly tuned 3:1 bandset. Give me a starship and I could possibly hit 550+ or maybe even 600 with 7.5mm steel. Might only get a few shots for the bandset though.

Edit: my bandset was something like 3/4"X1/4"X8" or so. The latex was hygenix (spelling?) .03", I guess if I went for something thin like TBB the speeds would go up even more.


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## Tex-Shooter (Dec 17, 2009)

BB, That gives 9.8 Foot pounds of energy which is plenty for rabbits and squirrels or head shots on pheasants. For body shots from side through the flight feathers or the back a flying pheasant is hard to make a clean kill on with a slingshot. I would recommend at least 220 FPS with at least a 44 cal. lead ball. Blue and I were hanging out once and I shot a goose in flight with a 1/2 inch steel ball at about 170 feet per second and it made a loud pop on out side of his wing feathers as his wing was down. He turned his head and looked at the next goose in formation and moved back to the end of the line. I think he thought the other goose had pecked him to tell him it was time to move back. It certainly did not seem to bother him. I am a proponent of using a bow for game larger than rabbits and squirrels. There has bee a lot of larger game caught in a trap killed with a Victor 20 slingshot shooting a 44 cal. lead ball at only about 165 feet per second, but the shots were very well placed for maxim effect and most often followed with a Coup De Grace with a knife or small sharp hammer to be sure. -- Tex


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## Setarip (Mar 27, 2012)

Yeah I am not surprised about the Goose Tex! Tough birds for sure. It's actually pretty amazing how well feathers protect from stuff like that. Now I am really curious how fast I can push a 7.5mm steel ball, I may make a band set and chrony it this week.


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## bunnybuster (Dec 26, 2009)

Tex-Shooter said:


> BB, That gives 9.8 Foot pounds of energy which is plenty for rabbits and squirrels or head shots on pheasants. For body shots from side through the flight feathers or the back a flying pheasant is hard to make a clean kill on with a slingshot. I would recommend at least 220 FPS with at least a 44 cal. lead ball. Blue and I were hanging out once and I shot a goose in flight with a 1/2 inch steel ball at about 170 feet per second and it made a loud pop on out side of his wing feathers as his wing was down. He turned his head and looked at the next goose in formation and moved back to the end of the line. I think he thought the other goose had pecked him to tell him it was time to move back. It certainly did not seem to bother him. I am a proponent of using a bow for game larger than rabbits and squirrels. There has bee a lot of larger game caught in a trap killed with a Victor 20 slingshot shooting a 44 cal. lead ball at only about 165 feet per second, but the shots were very well placed for maxim effect and most often followed with a Coup De Grace with a knife or small sharp hammer to be sure. -- Tex


Tex
bird feathers are tough indeed. Turkeys for one,,,you always aim for the head with a shotgun because if you hit the body, most likely they will fly away. 
If you could hit one in the head with a slingshot, you could probably take one out. They are tough animals, I assume geese are likewise.
I once shot a turkey with my bow using a broadhead, complete body pass thru, but I had to chase him down to get him. Vitals are small on birds, best to get a head shot.


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## Tex-Shooter (Dec 17, 2009)

I have had a friend that has taken several geese. He says that the secret with geese is that they hold there neck straight up and down, so he aims for the neck. He says that he either hits or misses. If he makes a hit he has always broke the neck and got the goose. He is were there is no law against shooting a goose. -- Tex


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## M.J (Nov 1, 2010)

Setarip said:


> I shoot full butterfly otherwise, and my draw is about 73".


You must have extremely long arms! We measured the draw of my "Superfly" starship at the tournament and it was 73"


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## mrpaint (May 16, 2012)

you know they make mechanical broad heads that are specific for turkey hunting? I think one of them is called the gobbler guillotine. If you get a decent shot off with those you almost always completely decapitate the bird, thus you wouldn't have to worry about it flying away


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## Tex-Shooter (Dec 17, 2009)

M_J, My inseam is 28 inches and I am 6'3 1/2' so my upper torso is large for my size. I had to use a overdraw shelf when I shot aluminum arrows bow shooting. I could get port cedar long enough and since I Upland game hunted most of the time anyway that was great. I made my own arrows and used judo points. My standard draw is about 33 1/2 inches. By the way the Bazooka Star has a extension of about 21 inches. -- Tex


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## M.J (Nov 1, 2010)

Tex-Shooter said:


> M_J, My inseam is 28 inches and I am 6'3 1/2' so my upper torso is large for my size. I had to use a overdraw shelf when I shot aluminum arrows bow shooting. I could get port cedar long enough and since I Upland game hunted most of the time anyway that was great. I made my own arrows and used judo points. My standard draw is about 33 1/2 inches. By the way the Bazooka Star has a extension of about 21 inches. -- Tex


That's cool! I was quoting "Seatrip" when he said his regular butterfly draw was 73".


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## Setarip (Mar 27, 2012)

Yeah I'm similar to Tex, I am 6'3", and measured my butterfly at 73"


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## M.J (Nov 1, 2010)

Setarip said:


> Yeah I'm similar to Tex, I am 6'3", and measured my butterfly at 73"


I'm jeleous!


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