Bug-A-Salt: The most fun I've had all week!

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azrocks said:
No idea Chief. The wife-unit bought it for me. I'd never spend whatever it cost for a toy like this, but she would, and thank God for that. Because I'm still giggling like a kid.

EDIT: Amazon has them for $55. Dang. Need to give her another few kisses & thank-yous. But still worth the price easily :D
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Found 'em at Cabelas' website! The site says the Cabelas in Greenville, SC has them in stock, essentially the same price as the Bug-a-salt website...about $40. I may have to pick one up!
 
You wont be disappointed, Chief :D

Just make sure to fill it with salt first before testing it out. I thought mine was broken at first because the air pump provided no resistance. It won't build pressure until it's filled with salt.

Also, be aware it doesn't have any real range. You still have to be pretty close for it to be effective. But it's still hella fun.
 
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Just to eliminate the whole salt concern...wonder if it would work with baking soda?

I'm not aware of any corrosion issues there...
 
Sodium bicarbonate is "fluffier" than salt. I think the range would be even shorter.
We read of "soda blasting" for grime removal, so it might work.
 
Kosher salt?

So if you use the larger grain kosher salt, it is like 00 Buck compared to #8 bird shot? Maybe more range and more hitting power for katydids, grasshoppers, cockroaches, and bumble bees? :neener: :D
 
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Hahaha...wonder how regular grain salt is on crickets. So many bugs out this time of year...;)
 
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Originally Posted by 230RN View Post
"Because salt 1) salt attracts water, and 2) in water salt dissociates into calcium (Ca2+) and chlorine (2Cl-) ions. The chlorine ions are what causes metal corrosion "

He meant sodium ions, Na1+ and only one Cl1- ion.
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Again, I'm aware of the chemistry. The only reason I didn't catch his initial error was that I stopped reading at 'salt attracts water'.


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Do as you will, but I come from a coastal "salt air" environment. Every drop of ocean spray floating around in the air and drifting inland from the sea breeze evaporates, leaving tiny salt particles floating around to settle on things.
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Pretty much a world of difference between dissolved salt in sea spray and a few granules of dry table salt (complete with anti-caking agents). It's not like this thing is spraying out salt water. There's no water involved.


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So spray away with NaCl all you want. Think you can clean it all up? Fine. Think you can walk over a carpet without kicking up salt particles? Okay.
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Think I can sweep salt granules up off my concrete floors with a broom? Because I think I can. Let me test it out. Yep. Sweeps up just fine. Now I'm going to try a countertop. Dang... same result! I must be getting lucky.


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It's just that me and my guns (and tools) don't get along with salt running around off its leash.
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Neither do mine. That's why I won't be misting my guns with a light spray of water followed by a few shots from the Bug-a-Salt. Because that's what it would take for this to become an issue.


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So say nay all you want.
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Just did.


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I use 91% isopropyl alcohol in a spray bottle to knock 'em down.
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Makes sense. Nothing like aerosolized alcohol to light up a party. So much smarter than salt.


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SUGGESTION: Read Hatcher's chapter on "Gun corrosion and ammunition development," taking special note of the effects of humidity.
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Suggestion: Check out the Phoenix dew point on the weather channel.
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Do as you will. They're your guns, after all. And the dew point in Colorado is similar. This afternoon the humidity will drop to 12% and it's often been lower.

Aren't you and I lucky to live in an Arid area? Not all of us do.

(I think the poster got the calcium "salt" (which it is), calcium chloride, used for melting snow on roads and sidewalks, mixed up with sodium chloride, but no real matter. The results are the same, especially with the spray thrown up by automobiles.

(By the way, you're not supposed to light the alcohol spray.)

Enough of that. ;)

'Bye, now.

Terry
 
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au_prospector said:
So if you use the larger grain kosher salt, it is like 00 Buck compared to #8 bird shot? Maybe more range and more hitting power for katydids, grasshoppers, cockroaches, and bumble bees? :neener: :D
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LOL.

I'd try it, but I don't want to jam my bug gun :D
 
RetiredUSNChief said:
Seems to me that if some people are really concerned about using salt indoors, they could substitute a fine sand of some sort.
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Exactly. It should work just fine.

As for the whole salt thing, I'm thinking a new entry might need to be made to the American Psychiatric Associations DSM:

Sodiumchlorophobia :D
 
Only tried it on your average fly, Cooldill. My guess is it would kill a horsefly up close, but you might just make him mad :evil:
 
I've been using one of my single-stroke pneumatic airguns for many years to dispatch flies. Some of them are pretty smart and will leap just at the right second that you're swinging a swatter at them..but I've yet to find a fly smart enough to figure out that the muzzle that's pointing at them from 5-6" away is going to discombubulate you into tiny bits so they just sit there. Some will let you slowly get within 3-4" but I normally fire about 5" and they just disappear.

Of course, you never want to dry-fire a spring gun...but the pneumatic or PCP types are perfectly safe to fire without projectile and that concentrated blast of air works well on the flies even without salt/sand or whatever mixed in with it.

Years ago I had a bunch of .357 blanks loaded up and dispatched flies in the house with them....yes, just a bit of overkill..but it sure was fun! The wife made me stop though.:(
 
Just to let everybody know, if you're really concerned about larger bugs...

A 230 grain, Gold Dot hollowpoint will absolutely take out any bug you need to dispatch.

(Yes...I have practical experience with this.)

So will .22 WMR. (Likewise on the experience.)

Don't recommend this in the house, however. (NOT part of my experience, thank you very much. Though cockroaches are a SERIOUS temptation for me...)
 
RetiredUSNChief said:
Just to let everybody know, if you're really concerned about larger bugs...

A 230 grain, Gold Dot hollowpoint will absolutely take out any bug you need to dispatch.

(Yes...I have practical experience with this.)

So will .22 WMR. (Likewise on the experience.)

Don't recommend this in the house, however. (NOT part of my experience, thank you very much. Though cockroaches are a SERIOUS temptation for me...)
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Obviously .45 ACP will kill ANY bug. Are you kidding me? :scrutiny:

But 9mm, you better have a backup plan because it won't stop anything sturdier than a mayfly! :p
 
I actually just saw a TV commercial for these a couple days ago! Must be selling well and making money, if they can buy TV time. God Bless America and Free Enterprise!
 
RetiredUSNChief said:
Just to let everybody know, if you're really concerned about larger bugs...

A 230 grain, Gold Dot hollowpoint will absolutely take out any bug you need to dispatch.

(Yes...I have practical experience with this.)

So will .22 WMR. (Likewise on the experience.)
Click to expand...

I wanna party with this guy :D
 
I used to kill spiders with my 10-pump pellet gun.
I'd pump it 10 times, cock it (no pellet, just a blast of air), and pull the trigger with the muzzle about an inch away from them.
They splattered in a most impressive way.

I want one of those electric tennis racket flyswatters.
 
I have been enjoying the use of mine all summer. no flies to worry about in the house now!
as far as question for bigger bugs, yes it does work. we get random wasps or white faced hornets in the house via bathroom vent or open door etc.
it will take them down without issue. at the very least they are no longer a flying concern and u can step on them to finish them. at other times, esp the segmented wasps etc, they get separated into
individual parts. it is a lot safer for my wife to dispatch them with this than chasing with a swatter
 
I've been using mine a lot lately. The flies and spiders are out in force this time of year.

Just because of what rcmodels opinion was...I don't use it in my reloading area, or any spot where I have metal projects exposed. No sense in encouraging corrosion....
I pick safe lanes of fire and have at them!
 
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