# Band setup for Marbles. Getting ready for hunting Season!



## SuperMonkeySlinger (Jan 28, 2013)

Hey guys,
This Hunting Season i want to use marbles for hunting, I've always used marbles for target practice but never hunting, and this will be the lightest ammo ive ever used with a slingshot while hunting.

The thing is, I dont know what setup to use to effectively take Birds such as Dove or Pigeon, or maybe squirrel ( taking Head Shots ) while using marbles....

I've thought about theraband black, but im just Unsure.

Can you guys help me out please?

Thanks a million!

SMS


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## DaveSteve (May 16, 2012)

When I once had access to a crony I shot marbles with TBG double 20mm x 15 mm at 220 fps. My draw is ca. 31". It should be plenty power for that. Thera band silver or black are probably faster with marbles. Go as close as possible. As you know the lighter ammo loses its momentum quick.


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## Imperial (Feb 9, 2011)

i would rather use rocks over marbles. your gonna have to be a dead shot with marbles and like you said all head shots . i can see marbles taking small birds and giving squirrels one he!! of a concussion. with marbles, the closer you are the better. i wouldnt use TBB. too much rubber strength is going to be wasted on the light ammo and it will be overpowered causing it to curve drastically after a few feet. you dont necessarily want speed, you want impact. just experiment and find a balance for your ammo and shoot at tin cans at different distances to find its effective range and your own limitations. good luck.


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## Crac (Mar 3, 2013)

A member started something very similar:

http://slingshotforum.com/topic/25304-your-optimal-marble-shooting-setup/

Same story:

http://slingshotforum.com/topic/4568-hunting-with-marbles/

And I'm sure you know about the working search function, however for new comers:

https://www.google.com/cse/home?cx=partner-pub-2671546658958301:0474906146

And now my 2 cents.

1. IMO shooting marbles is a bad idea as once you shatter them you are leaving a nasty hazard behind. (I know it can be dust, but it could also be razor sharp chunks)

2. While marbles are cheap, 'heavy' and fly very well, they simply DO NOT RETAIN THIER ENERGY. If you switch to lead or steel you will substainly increase your kill range, or looking at it another way you will increase the safety margin...


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## SuperMonkeySlinger (Jan 28, 2013)

Hey guys,
Thanks for all the help.

Well, I ALWAYS use large rocks for hunting, But this year i thought i would give marbles a try.

Maybe this is not a good idea?

SMS


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

I recently bought a bag of marbles from the dollar store ... look like what we used to call "cat eyes". I weighed some of them and found a surprising amount of variability in them ... from 83 grains to 90 grains. Comparing their weight to other ammo: 3/8 inch steel weighs 60 grains, while 3/8 inch lead weighs 80 grains. Of course the cross sectional area of the marble is greater than that of 3/8 inch ball ... these marbles are about 5/8 of an inch in diameter.

Bottom line is that the marbles have enough weight to carry a significant amount of energy ... better than 3/8 steel! They will be more affected by air resistance because of their large cross section ... but at decent slingshot ranges, that should not be too much of a problem.

Although the marbles show some variability in weight, it is not as much variability as you will find with stones. And the marbles will experience less turbulence in flight than stones.

And perhaps a surprise to some, marbles have about the same density as stones. Glass marbles will come it at about 2.5 gm/cm3; granite comes in at 2.6, basalt comes in at 2.8, while limestone comes in somewhere in the range 2.3-2.7. So, you can think of marbles as just very round, expensive stones.

As for the environmental impact ... sharp glass shards are one possibility; but I think a greater threat is fire hazard. A marble will act as a magnifying glass, and although small, it could potentially focus the sun's rays and start a fire. I would not want to rely on a marble as a fire starter in an emergency situation, but it could happen.

Sooo ... I think marbles are better for hunting than 3/8 inch steel ball. But for my taste, they are still on the light side. They would be all right for small birds like dove or quail, but I would MUCH prefer .44 lead or 1/2 inch steel for rabbits and squirrels.

If you are worried about what bands to use, anything you use for stones should work with marbles.

Cheers ..... Charles


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## SuperMonkeySlinger (Jan 28, 2013)

Charles said:


> I recently bought a bag of marbles from the dollar store ... look like what we used to call "cat eyes". I weighed some of them and found a surprising amount of variability in them ... from 83 grains to 90 grains. Comparing their weight to other ammo: 3/8 inch steel weighs 60 grains, while 3/8 inch lead weighs 80 grains. Of course the cross sectional area of the marble is greater than that of 3/8 inch ball ... these marbles are about 5/8 of an inch in diameter.
> 
> Bottom line is that the marbles have enough weight to carry a significant amount of energy ... better than 3/8 steel! They will be more affected by air resistance because of their large cross section ... but at decent slingshot ranges, that should not be too much of a problem.
> 
> ...


 Charles,
That helped so much! Thank you for your time and help, i appreciate it!

I also bought my marbles from the dollar store, i bought 3 bags. They do not sale clay marbles in stores anymore ( atleast i dont think. ) That would be very fun to test as slingshot ammo, even though i could make my own.

But thank you Charles, again. I think i may Not give marbles a try.. Stones are Way better for the environment then marbles are, but i may give marbles a try once.

SMS


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## Acedoc (May 19, 2012)

i have shot over 2000 marbles into the countryside around my house and none of the vermin hit with them had a complaint. no fires either and i am in the tropics !

the bigger problem is how bad they ricochet !

try theraband silver, i recently tried some and it shines with lighter ammo (imho).


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## DaveSteve (May 16, 2012)

Acedoc said:


> i have shot over 2000 marbles into the countryside around my house and none of the vermin hit with them had a complaint. no fires either and i am in the tropics !
> the bigger problem is how bad they ricochet !
> try theraband silver, i recently tried some and it shines with lighter ammo (imho).


What kind of vermin do you shoot with the marbles?


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## August West (Jan 21, 2012)

I am not a fan of marbles for hunting. I admit they are cheap, however when I am hunting I want the best and most efficient not necessarily the cheapest.


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## muddog15 (Aug 15, 2012)

I can't find any Marbles where I live, I have checked several Dollar Stores & Walmart.


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## August West (Jan 21, 2012)

Muddog, try hobby stores like hobby lobby or Michaels.


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## muddog15 (Aug 15, 2012)

I forgot to mention I checked at my local Hobby Lobby, I found flat and oval, & flat and round marble type things but no round ball marbles. I'll keep looking, maybe they just didn't have any in stock. I don't know if there is a Michales local but I think there is I'll found out and check there. Thanks.


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## ZorroSlinger (Dec 12, 2012)

Charles said:


> As for the environmental impact ... sharp glass shards are one possibility; but I think a greater threat is fire hazard. A marble will act as a magnifying glass, and although small, it could potentially focus the sun's rays and start a fire. I would not want to rely on a marble as a fire starter in an emergency situation, but it could happen.


Marbles causing fires?? Never ever heard that one! BTW, I do not hunt, unless people consider me stealthily stalking in my backyard for those vegetable plant devouring brown garden snails, and terminating these pests with my PFS/BB Shooter 'Special' ... as hunting? B)


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## SuperMonkeySlinger (Jan 28, 2013)

ZorroSlinger said:


> Charles said:
> 
> 
> > As for the environmental impact ... sharp glass shards are one possibility; but I think a greater threat is fire hazard. A marble will act as a magnifying glass, and although small, it could potentially focus the sun's rays and start a fire. I would not want to rely on a marble as a fire starter in an emergency situation, but it could happen.
> ...


 ..... I think thats called Hardcore Hunting! 

SMS


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## Acedoc (May 19, 2012)

DaveSteve said:


> Acedoc said:
> 
> 
> > i have shot over 2000 marbles into the countryside around my house and none of the vermin hit with them had a complaint. no fires either and i am in the tropics !
> ...


Crows and bandicoot rats ! Marbles are also used to knock the mangoes off the trees when in season. They are cheap enough at roughly 1 usd for 400. Lead shot on the other hand is 10 usd for 2.5 pounds.
At reasonable ranges with head shots on corwids and even body shots on rats they perform very well.


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## Imperial (Feb 9, 2011)

ZorroSlinger said:


> Marbles causing fires?? Never ever heard that one! BTW, I do not hunt, unless people consider me stealthily stalking in my backyard for those vegetable plant devouring brown garden snails, and terminating these pests with my PFS/BB Shooter 'Special' ... as hunting? B)


flat pieces of glass cause fires, with a somewhat convex shape. not totally circular like a marble, maybe a halved marble. ahh yes, them garden snails, i have shot many out of my water balloon slingshot as ammo. the lil crunch sound they make at a distance on a really quiet night is unforgettable. shoot them as ammo with your pfs, just grip it like a paintball, front of the ammo .


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

Imperial said:


> flat pieces of glass cause fires, with a somewhat convex shape. not totally circular like a marble, maybe a halved marble.


The local weather observatory used a device to measure the hours of sunshine every day. It consisted of a large glass marble positioned over a length of paper tape. As the sun moved, the image was focused along the length of the tape. After sun down, they measured the length of the burn marks on the paper to tell the hours of full sun. It was simple, static, required no power, no photo cells, etc. A circular glass ball will certainly focus the sun's rays to start a fire ... of course, the larger the ball the better. You can do much the same thing by putting water onto a sheet of plastic and forming it into a ball with your hand by gripping the corners of the plastic ... here is a demo, using urine for the water:






Cheers ..... Charles


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## DaveSteve (May 16, 2012)

Acedoc said:


> DaveSteve said:
> 
> 
> > Acedoc said:
> ...


Thanks Acedoc, I had to look up the bandicoot rat because I did not know how they look like. Those rats can grow huge.
The mango shooting sounds to be fun too. You really must be careful not to hit the fruit but only the stem it hangs on.


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## bigron (Nov 29, 2012)

muddog15 said:


> I can't find any Marbles where I live, I have checked several Dollar Stores & Walmart.


you can find them in the home decor or craft section at wal mart women use them to fill vases that have fake flowers in them


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## AZ Stinger (Aug 30, 2012)

Just going to say that bigron, I was looking in the toy section of the Dollar store but ended up finding them in home décor, also used for fish tanks


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## Katman (Jun 14, 2013)

I would suggest giving rocks a go. I've been working out with them of late. I can't describe some of the geometric shapes it's blowing through a can of cream of corn. I know squgly is one. If you were to give me a choice of taking a ninja star thrown by Bruce Lee or getting clocked with a rock by big Bubba Hays like a rat in his hen house I'd pick ninja star hands down. Rocks can be terrifying!


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## Acedoc (May 19, 2012)

DaveSteve said:


> Acedoc said:
> 
> 
> > DaveSteve said:
> ...


Shooting mangoes in season is quite challenging as a hit on the fruit renders it fit only for pulp/ pickle. Hitting the stalk on which it hangs is the ticket. I have a skillet (aluminium) which I used to hone my shooting earlier. The marbles have left it looking like a bad case of smallpox. Lead shot shines due to two reasons 
1- low on ricochet 
2- higher damage to target.

Shooting marble is only fit plinking or low cost vermin control. I have no love for vermin and anything goes for them.


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## All Buns Glazing (Apr 22, 2012)

Before reading this thread, I was concerned about marbles starting bushfires. We're kinda serious about bushfire danger in Australia, so I did a little research. It appears it's a myth that discarded glass is a likely cause of fires, to the point they state it in Victoria's bushfire education website here.

http://www.bushfireeducation.vic.edu.au/verve/_resources/SECLEARN_03Myths.pdf


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

And then we have the contrary opinion:

http://www.annarbor.com/news/ypsilanti/grass-fire-that-burned-eight-acres-near-ford-rawsonville-plant-started-by-broken-glass/

http://www.azfireinfo.az.gov/prevention_news.asp

http://www.london-fire.gov.uk/grassfires.asp

http://home.vicnet.net.au/~carlrw/glenyslynn/work.html

Personally, I have no idea how likely it is. I do know that it is physically possible. And apparently a lot of officials believe broken glass represents a fire danger. As in most other things, one must make an individual judgment on the issue.

Cheers ..... Charles


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## All Buns Glazing (Apr 22, 2012)

Interesting - I take the American news reports with a grain of salt, mind you, but there's some valid links there. Where's mythbusters when you need em!


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## Numair Ahmed (Jul 10, 2013)

Marbles are not good hunting ammo. I went to an arts and crafts store and bought a bag. I shot this bird like 5 time and it just got a little sting.

use double 25to20mm tbg and 12.7 mm lead or lead hex nuts 1/2 inch or lead whell wieghts but 12.7 mm lead is the best.

its better to use a heavy material and the size depending on the bands 9.5 mm stell is 10times as powerfull as 13 mm marbles


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

Numair Ahmed said:


> 9.5 mm stell is 10times as powerfull as 13 mm marbles


I believe you are mistaken. The marbles that I have are about 15 mm, and their mass is about 85 grains. The mass of a 9.5 mm steel ball is about 60 grains.

http://slingshotforum.com/topic/25594-band-setup-for-marbles-getting-ready-for-hunting-season/?p=326466

A 13 mm marble will have about the same mass as a 9.5 mm steel ball. So at the same velocity, their kinetic energy will be about the same ... certainly NOT different by a factor of 10.

As an example, at 200 fps, a 60 grain projectile will generate 5.33 foot pounds of energy. At 200 fps, an 85 grain projectile will generate 7.55 foot pounds of energy. So my 15 mm marble will have 40% more energy than 3/8 inch steel when both are moving at 200 fps. To get 7.55 foot pounds of energy, you would have to shoot the 3/8 inch steel at 238 feet per second. In order for a 3/8 inch steel ball to achieve 10 times the energy of my marble moving at 200 fps, you would have to fire the 3/8 steel at over 640 feet per second ... not going to happen ...

Cheers ...... Charles


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## August West (Jan 21, 2012)

That's ok ABG I take Australians with a grain of salt, especially nonhunting vegetarian Australians.


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## SuperMonkeySlinger (Jan 28, 2013)

Charles said:


> Numair Ahmed said:
> 
> 
> > 9.5 mm stell is 10times as powerfull as 13 mm marbles
> ...


 Charles, You continue to amaze me with how smart you are! You explain stuff so well, I appreciate it.

SMS


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## Numair Ahmed (Jul 10, 2013)

Here on the slingshot forum someone said that to get the max power out of a slingshot is by using heavy material at small sizes.
I shot a 13 mm marble at a can and it made a dent and I shot a 3/8 inch steel ball and it went straight trough.
On the slingshot channel (can marbles kill) Jorge shot a 20 mm marble that weighs as much as a 10 mm steel the marble went half way trough the gelatin and the steel went straight trough. You get the same speed
But with marbles less penetration.


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

Numair Ahmed said:


> Here on the slingshot forum someone said that to get the max power out of a slingshot is by using heavy material at small sizes.
> I shot a 13 mm marble at a can and it made a dent and I shot a 3/8 inch steel ball and it went straight trough.
> On the slingshot channel (can marbles kill) Jorge shot a 20 mm marble that weighs as much as a 10 mm steel the marble went half way trough the gelatin and the steel went straight trough. You get the same speed
> But with marbles less penetration.


The term "power" is much too ambiguous in this context. In general, slingshots are more likely to kill by blunt trauma, rather than by penetration. For blunt trauma, the important point is energy deposited on the target. Certainly some slingshot kills are made by penetration, but most are made by blunt trauma. Most experienced slingshot hunters much prefer larger, heavier ammo (1/2 inch steel, .44 lead) moving more slowly to smaller ammo (.25 steel, 3/8 steel) moving faster; penetration is not the goal.

When it comes to initial penetration, smaller diameter is better. If you are talking about penetration through a dense medium, the larger the cross section, the more resistance will be encountered. And the lighter the projectile, the less momentum; less momentum means the easier it is to stop. That is why the military likes to use uranium ... it is very dense, so has greater momentum and is harder to stop.

Cheers ...... Charles


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## Numair Ahmed (Jul 10, 2013)

Well you can't rely on blunt trauma all the time. Unless you hit the animal in the head witch is not always easy. Don't want wounded animals. I use heavy ammo to, if you use bands heavy enough for the ammo it will penetrate and do a lot of damage.
Cheers.... Numair


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## August West (Jan 21, 2012)

I beg to differ, you can, and I believe should, rely on blunt trauma all the time. With the possible exception of birds pigeon size and smaller. Slingshots can't generate enough speed to get reliable penetration, especially on tough skinned animals like squirrels.

What types of game have you killed with a slingshot Numair?


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

If penetration is your goal, then you should try .25 steel or even BBs. They will certainly penetrate more easily than .44 lead, and you can drive them at a much higher initial velocity. But such small, light ammo loses its velocity very quickly. At 10 meters or so, you are unlikely to have enough velocity for any significant penetration using that light ammo. But the same bands shooting .44 lead will do a LOT of damage at 10 meters, just by blunt trauma. In any case, you will wound a lot more game with that sort of tiny ammo, and probably not be able to recover it.

Heavy ammo at decent velocity placed in the chest, neck, or head, will handle rabbits and squirrels with no problem.

Check out this thread:

http://slingshotforum.com/topic/16188-effective-hunting-setups/

Cheers .... Charles


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## Acedoc (May 19, 2012)

for smaller vermin i am using .35 cal lead and theraband silver. lovely accurate setup and it rocks !


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## Numair Ahmed (Jul 10, 2013)

What should I use if I don't always get body shots at squirrel,rabbit ect....


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

Numair Ahmed said:


> What should I use if I don't always get body shots at squirrel,rabbit ect....


I would suggest a shotgun! ... Or more seriously, a great deal more practice with your slingshot to improve your accuracy, as well as more practice to improve your stalking skills so you can get closer.

Cheers ..... Charles


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## whippetlad (Aug 29, 2013)

I have took feral pigeons with marbles and ducks all head shots.


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## SuperMonkeySlinger (Jan 28, 2013)

whippetlad said:


> I have took feral pigeons with marbles and ducks all head shots.


Wow, Duck? With Marbles? Nice! I'm suprised marbles would do that.

SMS


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

SuperMonkeySlinger said:


> whippetlad said:
> 
> 
> > I have took feral pigeons with marbles and ducks all head shots.
> ...


Again, the marble will weigh about the same as a similar sized stone. Taking a duck with a headshot with a stone would not be so surprising ... so neither should it be surprising to take a duck with a headshot with a marble.

Cheers .... Charles


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## whippetlad (Aug 29, 2013)

Yes it was with a dankung looped bands I've also took a duck with a boiled sweet as ammo


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## Numair Ahmed (Jul 10, 2013)

Thanks for the advice Charles. I will target practice a little more.


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## SuperMonkeySlinger (Jan 28, 2013)

Charles said:


> SuperMonkeySlinger said:
> 
> 
> > whippetlad said:
> ...


 Thank you, Charles.

The only thing i fear with marbles is hunting rabbits with them. I just do not have a good feeling about that Idea.

SMS


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

To be sung to the chorus of the Hippopotamus Song:






Lead, lead, glorious lead,

There's nothing quite like it for shooting the head,

Be it squirrel or rabbit,

If you must have it,

Use your slingshot to whack it,

With glorious lead!

Cheers ...... Charles


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## SuperMonkeySlinger (Jan 28, 2013)

Haha! You make me laugh Charles.

SMS


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## All Buns Glazing (Apr 22, 2012)

Numair Ahmed said:


> Thanks for the advice Charles. I will target practice a little more.


A lot more.


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## VillageSniper (Jan 22, 2013)

Rabbits are totally weak. I have hunted them and raised them to eat. One little pop on the head with a stick and its lights out. A marble to the head will do the job. A body shot will be safer with lead, no doubt. I have been having fun with the Alliance sterling 107 bands lately. With the 90 F and higher temps, they have livened up considerably, compared to this spring. I have them cut at 7" per side and they can toss 85 grains @ 200fps, with a quick draw and release. While hardly any faster with lighter ammo, they seem to hold their own as the weight increases. I shot a 180 grain rock over the chrony yesterday and was getting 155-160 fps. A good amount of energy for such an easy and practical rubber band.

VS


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

VillageSniper said:


> Rabbits are totally weak. I have hunted them and raised them to eat. One little pop on the head with a stick and its lights out. A marble to the head will do the job. A body shot will be safer with lead, no doubt. I have been having fun with the Alliance sterling 107 bands lately. With the 90 F and higher temps, they have livened up considerably, compared to this spring. I have them cut at 7" per side and they can toss 85 grains @ 200fps, with a quick draw and release. While hardly any faster with lighter ammo, they seem to hold their own as the weight increases. I shot a 180 grain rock over the chrony yesterday and was getting 155-160 fps. A good amount of energy for such an easy and practical rubber band.
> 
> VS


I totally agree with you about those Alliance Sterling 107s. I always said, they are not the fastest thing you can use, but they handle heavy ammo very well.

Just a tip, if I may. The Alliance Sterling 107s come about 50 to the one pound box. The Alliance Sterling 105s come about 70 to the one pound box and cost about the same. The 107s and the 105s do not differ except in length. The 107s are 7 inches doubled, while the 105s are 5 inches doubled. When cut in half, the 107s are 14 inches long and the 105s are 10 inches long. It takes me 2 107s to make a complete band set. It takes me 2 105s to make a complete band set. So I get 20 more bands, which is 10 extra band sets from a box of 105s. The only advantage I see in the 107s is that the extra length means I have more of a chance of re-using a band if it breaks ... but I find that once it breaks, it will break again pretty soon if I use it, so I do not bother to re-use the broken bands ... just replace them.

Cheers ... Charles


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## Adirondack Kyle (Aug 20, 2012)

I found that marbles ricochet soooo bad, I think for small birds,marbles would work, but I would go with lead


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## joseph_curwen (Feb 8, 2010)

each time i took down a feral pigeon, it was with a marble.
My longest shot was near 40m i think, and the pigeon felt like a rock.

By the way, my average range is between 10 and 15 meters.

Hitting the head is the key, and a marble has plenty energy to do the job.

I use marbles only on birds, and go with lead for rabbits (in so rare occasions).


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## yeeharr (May 26, 2010)

Marbles will kill rabbits easily with a headshot. Body shots are a bad idea unless you can get some penetration into the chest cavity or break a limb or the spine. Conical bullets WILL penetrate and have plenty of knock down power. I've had pass throughs on squirrels will .38 SPL conicals and double TBG.


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## August West (Jan 21, 2012)

That is some serious grunt, I have never got a pass through on a squirrel with any combo.


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## youcanthide (Jun 16, 2013)

yeeharr said:


> Marbles will kill rabbits easily with a headshot. Body shots are a bad idea unless you can get some penetration into the chest cavity or break a limb or the spine. Conical bullets WILL penetrate and have plenty of knock down power. I've had pass throughs on squirrels will .38 SPL conicals and double TBG.


Ive seen the pictures of this, pretty gruesome stuff!


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## yeeharr (May 26, 2010)

August West said:


> That is some serious grunt, I have never got a pass through on a squirrel with any combo.


It was about 12 yards away and 12 foot up on a branch. I even did an autopsy afterwards to see the damage.


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## Ole Man Dan (Dec 18, 2013)

Academy Sports sells marbles too. Mostly the white ones. They shoot well but richecette everywhere.

I'd rather take a bag of 1/2" hex nuts for Rabbits. 1/2" ballbearings are getting expensive now days.

I can find the hexnuts locally, but have to order the ballbearings.


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## logo96 (Jun 29, 2011)

All i shoot is marbles, shooting a bird any where will kill it most of the time. i use gold theraband, single banded and probly took down about 15 squirrels this year.


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