# Handgun reloading components as hunting ammo



## nukehayes (Oct 20, 2011)

Hello all, I have been looking on here for a while now, mostly reading and learning. I recently acquired my first slingshot, a Bill Hays Poly Ranger, and I can't wait to use it to dispatch bunnies on the farm. Maybe a mourning dove or two. From what I have been reading, it seems the preferred hunting shot seems to be .38cal lead ball. Well, in the interest of saving money, I thought I would give something a try later today. I am an avid handgun/rifle shooter and reload a fair bit. I have a box of 95grain .355" diameter copper plated bullets that I reload my .380acp (9mmKurz for our European brothers) with. I know that most ammo for hunting is a sphere, but these, of course, are well, bullet shaped. Will this negatively affect accuracy? They do well in my handgun, but I am quickly learning that shooting a slingshot accurately is a whole other ball game. I also have some 9mm Luger bullets of teh same diameter in a 115gr flavor. They are a bit longer. I was thinking that maybe I can hold them in the pouch with the ogive (curvy part) of the bullet facing forward or backward. I will probably get to testing this tonight or tomorrow. In the meantime, what are your thoughts on this idea?


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## fishjunkie (Sep 10, 2011)

it think that they would work great useing the same form when shooting they sould fly just fine and will have no problem taking out a bunny or two for me i am a cheap azz and shoot rocks


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

I suspect you will be a lot more consistent if you put them in your pouch on their side. These things are going to tumble anyway ... they will not fly straight like a dart. The only flat part is the base, and that is small relative to the other surfaces. So you should not get too much weird deflection, as you would shooting washers, for example. But they will tumble. By all means try it and see how you like it. It seems outrageously expensive to me for slingshot ammo!

Cheers ....... Charles


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## nukehayes (Oct 20, 2011)

OK, so I gave it a shot. They work great. They definately hit a lot harder than the marbles I have been using. They are flying clean through a pumpkin. I took a shot on a metal swinger plate target that I use for plinking with my .22 and it pretty well flattened the nose of the bullet. I positioned them in my pouch with the flat base against the leather and found that the tapered tip gave a very secure grip in the pouch. They fly true as well. I was in my garage at about 30ft, and later at the horsebarn at about 40-50 ft. I would say 90% of the hits were all nose first. This was based on looking at the damage from the pumpkin entry holes and the holes entering and leaving the pop can. A few did keyhole (hit sideways) but the majority flew nice and straight. Thanks for all your input.


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

Thanks for reporting your experiences!

Cheers ...... Charles


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## Henry the Hermit (Jun 2, 2010)

I sometimes shoot 158 gr cast lead .357 bullets, because they fall nicely between 115 gr .429 and 175 gr .490 round balls in weight. I don't notice any difference in accuracy. I also have a bank type lead sinker mold and occasionally shoot sinkers without a noticeable decline in accuracy.


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## mr.joel (Dec 21, 2009)

I use egg sinkers in a regular hand sling but can't discern if they stabilize in flight after a certain distance or whether they tumble throughout their flight. Either way I would NOT want to get hit with a 2 or 3 ounce egg sinker.

Others have said using 300 grain 45 caliber handgun bullets in a powerful long draw slingshot to predictably tumble reportedly increasing their deadliness.


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## Nico (Sep 10, 2010)

Egg sinkers shoot well and accurate I have shot egg sinkers in ranges of 45 yards with zero decline in accuracy often hitting their intended target.

Also my prefered ammo among stones/pebbles are the oval shaped smooth pebbles which do occasionally spin while in flight and they do well accurate shots which I have recorded in the field with near misses on game at 35+ yards.

Just my







Feedback
Nico


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## ZDP-189 (Mar 14, 2010)

Like Nico, I have had success shooting oval sinkers.


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