Pneu-Dart manufactures a wide array of projectors. You do not have to “break the bank” to get set up with a remote drug delivery system; however spend as much as your budget will allow to obtain as many features as you can when picking a projector. With proper projector maintenance and care you will be able to hand it down to your grandkids to use.
- Optical sights are highly recommended with any of our projectors. This makes possible the use of “reticule referencing”, which facilitates holding the sight high at long ranges in order to achieve precise RDD placement with minimal trauma to the animal.
- Choose RDD capacities of a size, (ml/cc) that will correspond to the weight of the animals you anticipate doctoring; and the prescribed drug from your veterinarian. Pneu-Dart does not condone nor promote the extra-label use of veterinary pharmaceuticals unless on order and under supervision of a licensed veterinarian.
- Purchase practice RDDs to correspond with the live disposable devices you choose. You will utilize the weighted practice RDDs to sight your projector in. Become familiar with your equipment prior to doctoring or tranquilizing your stock.
- After determining the RDD capacities you will require, be sure to order both your live devices and practice RDDs according to the chosen projector; i.e. Type P for gas operated projectors or Type C for cartridge fired projectors, or Type U for any RDD volume size 6cc and above. Also, order your RDDs with the proper needle lengths to correspond with the animal’s size and the drugs you will be administering. Use 1/2″ needles for Sub-Q injections and over 1″ for I.M. injections. Gelatin collared needles are required on RDD sizes above 1cc capacities.
- Order one and one half inch by 19-gauge hypodermic needles to be used in filling the RDDs with the drug of choice.
- For RDD propulsion order CCI blank cartridges for the cartridge fired projectors, or Crossman CO2 cartridges for the gas operated models. Pump up models require no more than elbow grease. Regarding blank powder charges, brown loads are for small devices. Most ranchers use a combination of green and yellow loads; depending on RDD size and the distance the shots are taken.
- Access to the 2nd edition of “Shooting the Bull” will aid you in not only your decision making regarding equipment purchase; but many other topics such as properly sighting in projectors, projector maintenance, and general overall uses of how to properly operate your equipment.
- Most missed or poorly placed shots are due to miss-judging distances. The bulk of poorly placed shots result from poor range estimation. Consider purchasing a rangefinder.