# My new hunting setup



## joseph_curwen (Feb 8, 2010)

This is my new setup for hunting (feral pigeons)

Natural oak fork with double TBG 20x180mm from fork to pouch non tapered

ammos: 12 to 13 grams fire hardened clay balls

I am very fond of this setup, clay balls of this size proved to be accurate and really hard hitting.










bonus: i got 20 kgs of clay for 5€ in a hobby shop bargain.


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## Clever Moniker (May 12, 2013)

From what I have seen and read from Nico, clay balls are awesome. That guy has taken birds and even rabbit with them!


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## joseph_curwen (Feb 8, 2010)

You are right, i decided to follow the advice from Nico indeed.

If i prefer TBG to chained rubber bands, i have to say that clay balls are good to do the job, so cheap and environment friendly.

I am about to paint them in orange fluo to find them in the grass more easily, according it's not raining.


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## Clever Moniker (May 12, 2013)

Some people can't even hunt as much game using lead as that guy does using clay balls!

I've played with chained bands, but I need to find the right configuration.


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

That looks like a very nice rig, indeed! I have never tried clay balls myself, but I have heard good reports.

Cheers ..... Charles


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## Aussie Allan In Thailand (Jan 28, 2013)

I love the look of you slingshot as it looks very sort of similar to a natural which Kubys from the Czech Republic sent me as gift, when I made a purchase from him.

This gift is an awesome shooter, nice and thick, and fits my hand like glove.

Banded with my own rather heavy bands; like all of mine at 12 meters, 20 gram lead is still exact between the forks shooting.

Therefore anything lighter even further, 15 gram still at almost 20 meters.

Beyond that my care factor zero, as at 20 meters 20 gram just above top fork.

Cheers Allan


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## Crac (Mar 3, 2013)

:king: Wow :bowdown:

Reminds me of mine!

Amazing job.


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## Emitto (Sep 11, 2013)

Love it, how simple and beautiful, am pretty sure its deadly too! nice taste mate.

Cheers.

Emitto.


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## stej (Jan 16, 2013)

Nice setup 

Just curious - how many balls do you make in an hour? Asking because there is not only price of the clay itself, but also the time you invest in making them.


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## joseph_curwen (Feb 8, 2010)

I can't tell.

I made about 100 units while watching series on TV and talking with my GF at evening. The process become quickly an automatism.


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## wombat (Jun 10, 2011)

stej said:


> Nice setup
> 
> Just curious - how many balls do you make in an hour? Asking because there is not only price of the clay itself, but also the time you invest in making them.


I often make clay balls and I can do about 50 in half an hour, they're not fired so I have no idea how long that takes. But it 's not a big deal in terms of time spent.


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## joseph_curwen (Feb 8, 2010)

I baked them during 2 hours at 160 ° Celcius in the oven


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

Are you guys just rolling them by hand? Have you tried those little mellon ball scoops from kitchen shops? I am just wondering how you get them so uniform. Any idea how much they weigh?

Cheers ..... Charles


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## Crac (Mar 3, 2013)

Charles said:


> I am just wondering how you get them so uniform.


What about extruding the clay through a die?

1. Ok, the idea hits me now that we can make 'little' cylinders. (18mm by 18mm? :headbang: )

2. However I was thinking: Use a die, extrude a small diameter, measure and cut a known length, roll into a ball. (fixed length means control over the mass)

I used a density of 2,200 Kg/m^3 in the table. (This sadly is just a guess based on google-ness.)

The mass figures are given in grains.

Diameter on the vertical, length on the horizontal.

Sizes in mm.


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

No doubt the mass will depend a great deal on moisture content.

As for rolling the cylinders into balls ... In my experience, cylindrical ammo is just as accurate for me as round ball, and is much more effective on game at slingshot ranges and velocities. I think I would try just using the cylinders. But of course these musings are based on no experience with clay on my part!!!

Cheers ..... Charles


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## reset (Apr 13, 2013)

Im thinking i might give clay a go. However winter is nearly here and rubber dont work so good when cold and it gets way cold here. Oh well theres always next spring. Thanks for the info.


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## Emitto (Sep 11, 2013)

joseph_curwen said:


> This is my new setup for hunting (feral pigeons)
> 
> Natural oak fork with double TBG 20x180mm from fork to pouch non tapered
> 
> ...


You sir have inspired me to built my new hunting rig also. This one is made out of Olive wood with a Walnut cap (the fork was a bit shot) Banded with 20mm straight cut .030 Latex 10.5" inches long for my half Butterfly. Will be shooting 1/2 inch steel and also clay balls (love them)

Cheers.

Emitto.


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

Another lovely job!

Cheers .... Charles


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## Emitto (Sep 11, 2013)

Charles said:


> Another lovely job!
> 
> Cheers .... Charles


Thank you Sir.

Cheers.

Emitto.


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## wombat (Jun 10, 2011)

Crac said:


> Charles said:
> 
> 
> > I am just wondering how you get them so uniform.
> ...


I adapted my caulking gun to squeeze out a 10mm sausage, then with 3 or 4 sauages lined up on the cutting mat I cut them into 10mm pieces, then start rolling by hand.

I've heard of guys using a fish bollie thingamagig to make thiers. If you want perfect balls some craft shops have a hand roller for making beads, a lot slower though.


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## wombat (Jun 10, 2011)

Charles said:


> Are you guys just rolling them by hand? Have you tried those little mellon ball scoops from kitchen shops? I am just wondering how you get them so uniform. Any idea how much they weigh?
> 
> Cheers ..... Charles


I just weighed some. 10 air dryed, 10mm balls weighed 12 grams


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## Crac (Mar 3, 2013)

wombat said:


> Charles said:
> 
> 
> > Are you guys just rolling them by hand? Have you tried those little mellon ball scoops from kitchen shops? I am just wondering how you get them so uniform. Any idea how much they weigh?
> ...


Thus 1.200 grams?

VS

1.152 grams for 2200 kg/m^3

Ok Rho is should be around 2291 kg/m^3


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

wombat said:


> Charles said:
> 
> 
> > Are you guys just rolling them by hand? Have you tried those little mellon ball scoops from kitchen shops? I am just wondering how you get them so uniform. Any idea how much they weigh?
> ...


Perhaps that would be fine for plinking, but man, that seems really light for hunting. That's less than 20 grains per ball, or less than half the weight of steel ... 3/8 inch steel ball (9.5 mm) is about 55 grains. That size might be all right for birds with head shots, but personally I sure would not use it for rabbits or squirrels. I would be reluctant to use it even for birds myself.

Cheers ... Charles


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## Dr J (Apr 22, 2013)

If 1 gram is equal to 15.4 grains then it is easy to do the multiplication. I use a jewelry scale which weighs in grams and penny weight, so I weigh in grams then convert to grains, in that way I can follow what you guys are discussing.


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## wombat (Jun 10, 2011)

Charles said:


> wombat said:
> 
> 
> > Charles said:
> ...


I would never hunt with them. they just shatter if you hit anything harder than a towel or sheet. I think he's using the Flymo stuff, which would be harder and probably heavier.


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## Clever Moniker (May 12, 2013)

Nico has consistently taken game with clay balls. If it was just a "one off" kill or something, I might chalk it up to luck. Rather, he has had consistent success and taken rabbits too. Are there different types of clay?


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## SuperMonkeySlinger (Jan 28, 2013)

Well, There is some clay i get from a river near by for slingshot ammo, But it feels a tiny bit heavier... Not sure though.

Clay balls are enough for hunting, I took a dove with a clay ball with a LOW chest shot and lights out, he hit the ground.

I find clay balls VERY effective to small game.

And another good thing about them is you can just roll a clay ball in your hand, And they will fly just as good as any other ammo if you take your time to roll the clay balls correctly.

SMS


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## kyogen (Oct 22, 2012)

i'm liking the idea of trying clay ammo. i'll have to grab a bag next time i see some. thanks for the idea.


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## whippetlad (Aug 29, 2013)

I've used playdo before on a coke can I was impressed by the impact playdo is very good with 6mm squares! Thanks - whippet lad


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## ghost0311/8541 (Jan 6, 2013)

i like that set up i also use clay balls i get my clay at the suwannee river and roll them out and fire harden them they work very well


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