[wll]

I'm out early this Friday morning at a little before 7am flinging 5/16" steel with my BeanFlip ---- It's clear, beautiful, no wind but it's 36° -- Yes it is very very cold !

I'm using 20x14x.55mm blue bands that I got from China years ago. The steel is still going out very, very quickly -- I will be changing the elastic to 20x14mm TheraBand Gold or maybe some .6mm for future shooting 5/16" steel -- but for right now I have a lots of cheap latex bands I got from China that I gotta use up.

The Cheap Chinese bands that I've been using today are surprisingly very good, they're sending out that 5/16" steel in the 20-30+ yard range with a flat trajectory and a very easy pull --- they're getting there quickly especially on this gosh darn very cold day. The sun is shining from behind without a cloud in the sky and I can really see the flight of those steel balls. I sure wish there were a few Starlings that would land on the old house roof, I would have loved to take a poke at a few :- )

I have mentioned this before but 5/16" is really a great size ammo, it has enough poop to pop small pest, is relatively cheap to buy in big lots (2000ea-5000ea), it shoots flat without a lot of pull weight, it works great. I love 3/8" steel also but it also has a different use for me -- it's more of a Pigeon/Starling+ type pest ball that with reasonable pull leaves the launching pad in the 265-285+fps zone giving me a flat trajectory and a good bit more knockdown power than 5/16" steel. 5/16" steel on the other hand can be used for small pests (HOSPS, Starlings) and plinking and also has that high velocity (275-300+fps) for a flat trajectory at longer ranges.

So much for my dribbling, be back Sunday.

wll

 

[Rb1984]

7 and 8mm steel is what I shot. Mostly shot 7mm lately, very flat trajectory and still gives a reasonable hit to broke things. I like it a lot.

I usually use 8mm if shooting a rat.
I did kill a pretty big rat with 7mm, but I use 8 to ensure a bigger hit and kill as quickly as possible.

I also shot a few 6mm that a friend gave me, good but I prefer 7mm.

I have 3/8 balls but I dont use them.

 

[David D]

I agree. 5/16 is a great ammo size.

 

[wll]

Its a [email protected] Sunday morning, it's cold and raining again.

I'm shooting with my BeanFlip, old blue 20x14x.55+mm bands and sending 5/16" steel quickly and accurately above the desert floor. This set up is a nice throw for 5/16" steel and that ammo is coming out quick ! - Everything is packed in my new fanny pack and that system is working out real nice.

As I said MANY times 5/16" steel is my favorite for general messing around when there are Starling+ size pest abounding. For just plinking with lighter bands 1/4" steel is great yet still has enough poop if something HOSP size shows up. In general I'm a big fan of "Small Ball" and 5/16" in particular but 1/4" has its place too !

I'm in my car stepping in-and-out of the rain taking shots as the wetness abounds around me. Can't see the flight most of the time as the cloud cover has thrown a big gray blanket over the sun's rays from coming through. There is a steady drizzle, it is ~48°, not to bad as there is no wind.

I'm shooting at a open door in an old brick storage building some 30 yards away. there is a small trash target I can just barely see around the blackness of this bathroom size room, there is almost no light. I'm shooting for the middle of what I can see in the darkness I'm there every single shot !! ---- It starts to lighten up a bit and I shoot at another area some 20 plus yards away at a open door with no light yet I can see objects in the background that I'm aiming at and I'm there and hitting every single shot !!

I switch to 1/4" steel and yeah they are flying quicker then heck -- there like a little lightning bolt because they're half the weight of 5/16" steel. I'm very impressed, again my shots are right in the zone today -- I am really on !

It's about 9am and I've had it, till next time.
----------------------
Went home and made up a few more band sets in the 20x14x ~.65mm cofig in case I need 'um for flinging 5/16" steel FAST, next week :- )

wll