# Clay Ammo, your thoughts?



## CrowShot (Jul 4, 2015)

I've been hearing about the advantages of clay ammo, about how it's biodegradable and it's easy to get and or make. So to anyone that has used them before, do you recommend it? In general or certain brands? Any negative sides to using it? I'm thinking about trying them out but I'm worried about the safety of my dogs. After all, one must practice safety when shooting slingshots. Much appreciated.


----------



## thelzer101 (Apr 4, 2020)

I quite enjoy shooting clay, it doesn't require as much of a backstop as steel does and it will still cut a can. I use the clay ammo from pocketpredator.com and I love it.

Sent from my SM-J737V using Tapatalk


----------



## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

I very recently got some ~3/8" clay ammo from a very big slingshot ammo supplier for testing. I shot it indoors at 10 to 15 yards. It flew straight and was OK for short ranges, but I really don't see a use for it at all when Gobstoppers are available and a bit bigger. A big 3/4 inch jawbreaker is very good for close range hunting and really puts the smack on stuff and is environmentally friendly as all jawbreakers are.

I told him I would not sell them. I really do think they are pretty useless IMHO.

wll


----------



## 2020Slingshotaddict (May 29, 2020)

I find the 3/8" a little small for most pouches and prefer 11-13 mm clay. No glass all over the yard, no rusted balls in the yard. It's as accurate as steel at 10 meters. Past 10 meters probably a little light.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk


----------



## StringSlap (Mar 2, 2019)

In my opinion clay is excellent for new shooters to start with and gain confidence. You will very likely have shots go off course and possibly have fork hits. I like to use clay to work the bugs out when I get a new unfamiliar frame, or I change some component of my setup or technique. That way if a shot goes stray I run less risk of damaging something or a nasty fork hit. After I'm comfortable with the change I go back to shooting steel. I do shoot clay in my yard when I'm shooting cans without a catch box. Less likely to do damage but don't be fooled! My 6 year old son was shooting a very light setup and put a hole in a well made PVC fence with a 3/8 clay ball! They tend to work well but it's not possible for them to be as consistent as steel. Great for close range but if you stretch things they can get a bit wonky and it's very easy to have too much band for them. You will definitely get fliers no matter how well made they are and that's not a good recipe for success. You need to know if a bad shot is a result of your equipment or your technique. You can eliminate one variable by shooting good ammo. Best bet is to build a catch box for your yard and shoot steel or marbles. I do shoot clay for some of my walks in the woods. Where I live I will run into people and it looks much less menacing should I be confronted by anyone.


----------



## SLINGDUDE (Aug 15, 2018)

Great for casual and/or discreet plinking but steel and lead are certainly better for consistency and energy transfer (hunting). That being said, i shoot clay and .177 bbs most of the time. I like cheap disposable ammo.


----------



## skarrd (Jul 20, 2011)

i have shot some 3/8s clays from Amazon,and just recently [yesterday] made some of my own,they are ok,for most of my out walking around shooting,but gobstoppers and the like are just as good and both are biodegradeable.


----------



## Alfred E.M. (Jul 5, 2014)

*Sometimes I like clay when I plink using a light 1632 single tube setup but want a bigger projectile without the weight - varying the fun.*

*It's cheap, has its pluses, and IMO, you should have some in your ammo assortment - but it's not like you're married to it.*


----------



## Pebble Shooter (Mar 29, 2014)

Plinking into the void with steel ammo seems like a huge waste of resources to me - unless of course it's specifically for hunting small game.

Clay ammo is a great alternative that is very cheap compared to steel ammo, and that comes with the added benefit of shattering on hard surfaced targets with a sometimes dramatic puff of dust: far less risk of a "return to sender" shots. If it is well made i.e. the right consistency, regular weight, and well rounded (Saunders "Clod Poppers" are very good), it can be used for accurate target shooting as well on soft surfaces - such as corrugated cardboard with a marked target placed against a couple of old bath towels slung over trestles (this is what my regular backstop consists of).

One issue might be the specific weight of the accustomed steel ammo one uses for a band or tube set versus the much lighter clay ammo: larger sized clay ammo vs. smaller steel ammo will offset the problem to a large extent, assuming that your pouch is appropriately sized - otherwise maybe consider a specific band or tube set calibrated for the clay ammo, both to avoid stray shots of excessively light clay ammo, and/or potential hand slaps.

Although clay ammo is fairly light, you still want to make sure you always know what is behind your target (like a haphazard shot through foliage in the woods), as the energy output of this seemingly harmless ammo could in fact cause severe injuries at close ranges.

In any case, I would much rather see impressive clouds of dust from shattered clay ammo, as opposed to small shards of glass from exploded marbles flying in all directions after impacting a hard surface.


----------



## whadafork (Oct 25, 2018)

I love the idea of using degradable ammo, especially for outdoor. It's crazy when you think of how many steel balls in the wild after some shooters spent a good 30mins shooting. Though I shoot mostly indoor, I try using clay more often. Yet its weight is my main concern, this causes various problems that affect my shooting experience.

Clay ammo is lighter than steel or s/s ammo given the same size, and without adjusting handset, you would likely end up shooting lighter ammo with heavier band. The excessive energy from the release could lead to the band "hand slapping" (in my case, smacking) your frame holding hand.

Imo, it's important to adjust the bandset and pouch size. For steel ball, I shoot 7mm with 18-10 150 and 44*10 pouch. If you shoot the same ammo weight, we would get 10-11mm clay. Since my bandset it pretty light, I would just change it with a bigger pouch (at least 50*12). The size of pooches should not be dismissed for it provide you with a solid pinch hold and release. Should I stick to the 44*10 pouch, I'd likely make a bad shot due to the bad pinch and thus bad release.

However, if you're experienced pinching ammo instead of pouch before release, you'd have little problem with release. And I know some shooters adopted "ammo-pinching" for clay due to the bigger ammo size. Last but not least, if you are making your own clay ammo, make sure it's as spherical as possible. Irregular shape projectiles messes up trajectory.


----------



## whadafork (Oct 25, 2018)

Speaking of safety, clay is generally less dangerous and yet the risk should not be underrated. I've used both clay and ceramic ammo (basically clay ammo hardened by heat). The result is obvious; clay tends to explode into pieces after impact, while ceramic could last a few more shots before it shatters. I shot a 10mm clay at a regular plastic water bottle, the clay shattered upon impact and you'd know it based on the sound upon impact. However in the same scenario, 10mm ceramic ricohet. The ricohet still carries considerable energy that could hurt the shooters and people and animals around. So do choose your ammo wisely. I personally love the sound of clay exploding upon impact. Though it might make you feel less of a canon, the shattering makes clay shooting a unique experience.


----------



## Griffo (May 22, 2020)

whadafork said:


> I love the idea of using degradable ammo, especially for outdoor. It's crazy when you think of how many steel balls in the wild after some shooters spent a good 30mins shooting.


So do I. But don't get too hung up on using steel balls. Steel ammo will disappear quickly, eventually becoming iron oxide a naturally occurring compound.

Depending on conditions this could still take years but nothing like lead which hangs around forever and is poisonous too. I stopped shooting lead outdoors when I realised how nasty the stuff is to the environment.


----------



## NSFC (Mar 31, 2020)

Ive made a lot of clay ammo. I dug down past the top soil got a small bucket full and picket out as much debris as possible. You can use water if the soil is to dry, or if its to sticky then set out a large clump and clay and let it air dry a little. I got a cookie sheet and rolled about 50 of them in varing sizes. I only did such a small amount to make sure you like shooting them and what sizes work for you. I then put it in a conventional oven at a low temperature 200 or 300 hundred degrees. I roll them while there hot so they dont get flat spots. It sound really time consuming but i make mine while watching a movie or TV. I found they work very well, biodegradable,and still smash cans. My dog dosent even bother them in the yard. I only shoot them once and dont suggest trying to reuse them. Ive heard people using modeling clay but you have to purchase it and that kinda defeats to point of making free ammo. If you try this and have further questions just ask.


----------



## raventree78 (Apr 20, 2016)

Personally I love clay for can chasing and plinking. It breaks down pretty quickly, turns to dust if hit by the mower and still puts a thump on the can. That being said I am going to try out some jawbreakers / gobbstoppers after reading about the success forum members have had, mainly because they are available locally.


----------



## Grandpa Grumpy (Apr 21, 2013)

Griffo said:


> whadafork said:
> 
> 
> > I love the idea of using degradable ammo, especially for outdoor. It's crazy when you think of how many steel balls in the wild after some shooters spent a good 30mins shooting.
> ...


You guys do realize that lead and iron (used to make steel) came out of the ground so when you shoot it you are just putting it back where it came from.


----------



## Griffo (May 22, 2020)

Lead is a naturally occurring element, yes, but shoot it anywhere where it can get into the water course, especially, and it will be toxic to wildlife for a very long time.

Steel is gone quickly, by comparison, which is good.


----------



## flipgun (Nov 14, 2012)

Beats rocks.


----------



## Wiconsinconcepts (Oct 5, 2019)

I'm a huge fan of the clay ammo. I pretty much exclusively shoot clay. I had never even seen or heard of it before until my buddy's mother in law handed him and I a half dozen steels, and proceeded to berate us because "look at what my grandson is finding in the yard and putting in his mouth"... yeah... it was bad. People were upset.

So we found some clay online and now I'm mostly done with steel.

I buy my clay from Simple Shot. 1,000 in a bag for like $10. I usually toss a bag or two in my cart to up myself over the $50 to get free shipping. They are 3/8. I was already shooting 3/8 steel. So it worked out.

I like the Simple Shot clay because they are consistent in size and very light in color. Cheap clay from amazon tends to very a lot it size and roundness. And almost all other clay sold is a dark color. I find the lighter ones easier to see when I miss a shot. That helps me adjust when I'm off.

I like that the clay explodes, does relatively little damage, and doesn't ricochet.

I'm not an animal hunter. Hunting with a sling is actually illegal here in Wisconsin. I think you can pull off pest control without getting a fine. But that's about it.

But I am a big time hunter of things that are just there, off in the distance. If I used steel, I'd be breaking a lot people's stuff with misses and ricochets. I can hit pretty much anything that's basketball sized almost 100% of the time at just about any distance. But I always worry about that steel bouncing. Clay just blows up.

I actually shoot at the back of my shed at home. My shed is next to my house. I wouldn't be doing that with steel.

And I like to shoot stuff floating in rivers. Sticks and leaves and stuff. It's fun and good moving target practice. I used to do it with steel and my wife told me I was filling the fish with shot. I don't believe that. And who doesn't want a heavier fish anyway? I do really like shooting clay though.

The short of it is, I think light colored clay is great ammo. I use it every day. It works great for my outdoor slingshot lifestyle. It's probably not for everyone. Inside in my basement range, I shoot 3/8 white plastic BBs. The plastic doesn't break stuff inside my house like steel would. And clay is pretty much impossible to reclaim.


----------



## BushpotChef (Oct 7, 2017)

I would just like to throw in that I regularly hunt birds with 1/2"-3/4" clays. Alot of people think they're no good for hunting but when it comes to birds they're quite effective with head/neck/crop shots.

Sent from my LM-X210APM using Tapatalk


----------



## Wiconsinconcepts (Oct 5, 2019)

I'm not surprised about the being able hunt birds with clay.

I was at my dads house shooting in the back yard. I'm a decent shot. I was shooting a can on a stick at about 50feet and hitting it about 6 or 7 times out of 10. It was a good day for me. The weather was calm. Suddenly a squirrel started running along the fence that I was using as a backstop. Thinking I was a good shot, but not that good, I aimed right at its head. I honestly thought I would miss.

I got him right below his ear.

Well... he must have been just as surprised with my skill as I was. He shot straight up like a marlin on the hook and flew off the back of the fence.

I ran over to check on him. He was upset and confused but ran off.

3/8 clay at 50 feet is a tough kill on a squirrel. I haven't shot at an animal since. I'm strictly a clay shooting target guy now.


----------



## blindshooter (Sep 3, 2010)

skarrd said:


> i have shot some 3/8s clays from Amazon,and just recently [yesterday] made some of my own,they are ok,for most of my out walking around shooting,but gobstoppers and the like are just as good and both are biodegradeable.


Those gobstoppers are also good to change the taste in your mouth after inhaling too many black flies.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


----------

