# Keychain Starling Hunter



## Winnie (Nov 10, 2010)

A couple of days ago my son and I were eating burgers at an old, quaint drive-in that had outdoor seating. The tables were set up on a grass lawn and, much to the owners frustration, there were starlings all over the place. So, I started thinking about surreptitious ways to plug them while no one is looking, which led me to thinking about keychain slingshots.

Now, I know about all the potential complications, i.e. giving slingshoters a bad name, starlings gasping for breath in front of little Suzie, jail etc., but, presuming one were to use a bit of discretion, how would you design a good, effective key ring slingshot? ("Effective" might mean not killing them but scaring them enough to leave and not come back - or it might be about just plain old death and destruction - you decide.)

I have come up with one idea and I'm in the process of making a couple of them now. (I hope to have pictures over the next day or two.) They will be BB shooters and will probably be for scaring not killing. I haven't designed the bands yet but I'm thinking of TBG in the range of 6 inches by 1/4 x 1/8 inches. I'm envisioning myself secretly whacking them and scaring them away (I really don't need a dying bird freaking out those around me.)

What I'm thinking is that I will give my second slingshot to whomever comes up with the best alternative. I'll give it a couple of weeks and see what people do.

winnie


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## Btoon84 (Nov 22, 2011)

You could use snap pops as ammo?


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## Winnie (Nov 10, 2010)

Btoon84 said:


> You could use snap pops as ammo?


You can of course. I won't only because I would want to remain incognito.
winnie


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## ceedub (Apr 22, 2013)

You could always just get permission from the owner to kill em all after store hours. "Not the point", I know but I like killing starlings.


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## Crac (Mar 3, 2013)

How about a cat!!!

I WIN, I WIN! (ok keep the slingshot and draw another winner)


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## Imperial (Feb 9, 2011)

shoot your ice at them. evidence will melt away .


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## Winnie (Nov 10, 2010)

Imperial said:


> shoot your ice at them. evidence will melt away .


I have to admit Imperial, that is a really great idea. You've just opened a whole realm of possibilities.

winnie


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## Imperial (Feb 9, 2011)

Winnie said:


> Imperial said:
> 
> 
> > shoot your ice at them. evidence will melt away .
> ...


its what i do when i want to be left alone at the park. pigeons see you eating and gather around wanting to be fed and get on the table to beg. so i soft toss some cubes into their area. crushed ice is good also, just gotta accept the fact that its not accurate, its more like spread shot. after a while they learn that within a certain distance some sort of ammo is hitting them, and they stay outside that zone.


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## Crac (Mar 3, 2013)

For pest deterrence I think it would be hard to beat a medium rubber band?

No fork, no pouch... Add a keyring mini capsule to hold some tiny ammo?

keyring mini capsule:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/110991679858

Breath mints could solve the ammo and dispenser part.


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## andalussia (Jul 22, 2013)

hello, to scare the sparrows use airsoft bbs ammo. I use a small catapult. is fun.

There are some templates slingshot credit card type, which may work well for this purpose

regards, good shots


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## ash (Apr 23, 2013)

My keyring is an old 4" Crescent wrench. I think I can come up with something that incorporates that. Stones or ice for ammo. Stealth bands. Look out starlings!


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## flipgun (Nov 14, 2012)

One of Dgui's sling ring set ups on your key ring with a rubber band and a BB pouch comes to mind.


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## Winnie (Nov 10, 2010)

I finally got around to finishing my little key ring slingshot.
This thing is actually pretty fun.
My son's bb guns shoot 235fps and 270fps. This little things throws a BB 310fps. Faster than a Daisy BB gun. Who would have thought. It's actually become one of my favorite little shooters. BBs don't take up much room so it's easy to carry quite a few and it's so unobtrusive that it's easy to find places to shoot.
The bands are TBG and are 6inches x 1/4inch x 3/16 inch. The only tricky thing is that it requires you pay attention to details because it's easy to damage the bands with a fork hit. As long as you fulcrum it low and lean it a bit forward as you shoot it does great. I had to change out several band sets until I stopped having trouble.





















Starlings watch out.
winnie


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## ash (Apr 23, 2013)

Awesome!

That's some smart thinking. I really should put my idea into action. Will try and post something soon.


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## ash (Apr 23, 2013)

Here's my one:









My key ring feature is my dad's 4" Crescent adjustable spanner. It was the first tool he bough as an apprentice electrical fitter in the '50s and I've carried it everywhere for many years. No slingshot will ever replace it on my key ring, so my only choice was to utilise it as part of this project:









It's made of a small block of rosewood with holes for bands and a magnet to secure it in place in the jaws of the Crescent:









Tubes are 6" each side, green coated latex, about 4mm in diameter. I haven't shot it yet, but will break out the 1/4" steel later tonight.


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## Withak (Aug 26, 2013)

Winnie said:


> I finally got around to finishing my little key ring slingshot.
> This thing is actually pretty fun.
> My son's bb guns shoot 235fps and 270fps. This little things throws a BB 310fps. Faster than a Daisy BB gun. Who would have thought. It's actually become one of my favorite little shooters. BBs don't take up much room so it's easy to carry quite a few and it's so unobtrusive that it's easy to find places to shoot.
> The bands are TBG and are 6inches x 1/4inch x 3/16 inch. The only tricky thing is that it requires you pay attention to details because it's easy to damage the bands with a fork hit. As long as you fulcrum it low and lean it a bit forward as you shoot it does great. I had to change out several band sets until I stopped having trouble.
> ...


Brilliant! I'd like to make one myself! I'm really surprised at the FPS you're getting with just a regular bb - impressive.


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## AZ Stinger (Aug 30, 2012)

Here ya go...


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

That small a shooter is really not my kind of thing.

But yours look amazing, maybe I could be converted yet, who knows.

Can you make one to shoot 20 gram lead ?....

Just kidding around, they still look awesome.

Cheers Allan


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