I like the way you think Frosty. I can't use any artificial propulsion methods where I am but I am friendly with local LEO's, including the animal enforcement. I made him a couple of snake hooks several years ago and he loves them. 

My throw leaves a lot to be desired. I can manage maybe 50 feet on a good day so even a weak spud gun would put me to shame. My strength lies in lifting and hitting. Due to an injury, my right arm is much stronger than my left. I believe it compensated. When a new kid would come to work they always thought I was just a broken down old guy until they saw me curl 100lbs of feed up onto my shoulder with one hand, shift it to my left shoulder, then curl another 100lbs on my right shoulder then walk out with it. I don't miss that job. 

I would forge out a sling shot. A couple of bungee cords and a piece of leather would launch the ball quite a distance.

That would probably work Irondragon. I don't know if I'd be able to use a sling shot because of my arm but I think I might. I know I can't shoot a bow anymore. I tried to shoot my wife's bows and I couldn't even get half draw on them. One is a compound bow and the other is a recurve. I was never any good with a bow anyway. I haven't even shot my guns since the accident. I'm not sure I could handle the recoil from my .308 and 12 gauge slug gun. Both are single shot and kick like crazy. The .308 has the added disadvantage of having a bull barrel with a hollow polymer stock so it's really front heavy. Bench shooting only if I ever get up the nerve to shoot it again. The 12 gauge isn't very heavy but it's got a rifled barrel so I only put slugs through it and usually people only shoot it once and give it back with words that I can't repeat here. I laugh every time. I haven't tried to pull a sling shot in a long time though. The bicep on my left arm has withered to almost nothing so all my muscles are in my forearm now. I may try that on a smaller scale and see how far I can pull it back. Of course only the back yard is fenced in and I can get it about halfway before it hits the ground and rolls the rest of the way. She usually catches it before it gets there though lol. 

Use a sling, they're one handed. A tennis ball would be pretty light for a clean release but it'd give you some range. OR you could get a Kong ball, those are heavy enough to make a sling work nicely. 

When I was a kid the neighborhood kids got on a sling kick. Mine was short, the thongs only as long as my forearm, a rock in the pouch hung about even with my elbow when I held my arm up. I could get a couple hundred feet on a rock maybe 3/4" dia. Wally and Dan made slings with long thongs and could put a rock maybe 400' plus. I could hit a target and a reasonable range say put one center mass on a man at 150.' I love slings.

How about an ATLATL? I don't recall what they were called but a very ATLATL like device was used to throw lead bullets. The tennis ball throwers and you were talking about them not working for you! DRATS there goes my idea. <sigh> Nevermind.

Frosty The Lucky.

 

When we made spud guns we used starting fluid, no need to shake since it was an aerosol. Small little hole just big enough to spray into and a BBQ igniter. 

How about a jai alai mitt or whatever they are called to throw the ball with? 

Maybe a catapult or a ballista?

It is also quite easy to build a pitching machine, an old riding mower wheel attached to an electric motor and a trough to funnel the ball. 

We went through a sling making phase as well when i was a kid. I was never much good with one but they are fun. We also tried the Atlatl, they were ok but did not work as expected so we gave up on them. Had we kept trying we provably would have gotten them worked out. But you know young teenagers, lost interest and moved on to the next implement of destruction. 

A Jai Alai racquet (cesta) would be great. When we lived in south Florida, I would go to Jai Alai games and those players would send the ball at incredible speeds to the back wall. I bet your dog would even bring the ball back and drop it in the racquet. You could probably use a tennis racquet.

I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sail’s.
Semper Paratus

 

Great ideas. The Jai Alai racquet is similar to the ball tosser we have but the one we have is on a smaller scale and made of plastic. The tennis racquet is a pretty good idea too. I'm still intrigued by the sling shot though. Now I'm thinking of making one that I can play with on my own. I got pretty good at shooting rubber bands at flies at work so it seems like the next logical step. I wonder if I could make one strong enough to eventually hunt squirrels or rabbits with. Meat is getting expensive.  Does anyone have experience with slingshot hunting?

Waving the spud gun was to dissolve the lighter fluid and mix it with air. Starting fluid was too expensive, living in S. Cal it was almost an import. There are much better "spud" gun. . . Maybe via PM.

Catapults tend to be pretty short range without serious mechanical enhancement. I don't know if a tennis ball would be heavy enough to make a trebuchet work very well unless you made it from silk or other ultra light fabric. The missile needs enough mass to unwrap the sling on release.

A balista would probably work, again there is a specific name for the stone throwing version. 

A jai alai racket might be a good one. 

Hitting the target with sling, atlatl or other man powered missile launcher is a matter of practice if you're able. There are a couple tricks. Relaxing and just doing is a tough one. The other is follow through, just like bowling, curling, etc. you want to end your throw pointing at the target. Literally pointing your index finger at the target. 

I also saw much better range and accuracy from guys throwing sling vertically unlike movies where they swing them horizontally around their heads. Throwing atlatl darts become really easy to hit the target when you sight down the back of the atlatl at the target throwing.

I remember being a kid and constantly finding a new distraction instead of getting good with one or two things. Dad and bowling didn't give a lot of choice so I got pretty good. Horses and riding remained a passion till I was old enough to buy my own motorcycle. 

Sling shot strong enough to hunt with? Never heard of a "Wrist Rocket?" Unfortunately modern surgical tubing is artificial rubber and not nearly as live as natural latex. The old time ones would but a rock through nested steel cans or a 3/4" nut through 1/2" plywood. 

We got stopped and talked to by police when we were seen carrying our wrist rockets to the old wash to hunt rats.

Even the new ones are plenty lethal weapons.

Frosty The Lucky.