Slingshot

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wicca

Native
Oct 19, 2008
1,065
34
South Coast
Right Dogwood, I shall give that a try. Within 5 minutes walk of me are pebble beaches with the world's finest supply of ammo. :)
 

BossCat

Tenderfoot
Dec 11, 2008
65
0
67
Scotland
Right Dogwood, I shall give that a try. Within 5 minutes walk of me are pebble beaches with the world's finest supply of ammo. :)

Wicca's gone out for a try. All members get there phones ready on speed dial Emergency services :)

Tom
 

dogwood

Settler
Oct 16, 2008
501
0
San Francisco
Right Dogwood, I shall give that a try. Within 5 minutes walk of me are pebble beaches with the world's finest supply of ammo. :)

Outstanding! If you live near the places I've visited on the British coast, you will most certainly have a high quality ammo store!
 

wicca

Native
Oct 19, 2008
1,065
34
South Coast
OO! It's dark out there now but if the beach is deserted tomorrow I shall be like a whirling dervish and, Bosscat, a marksman by teatime. (or severely concussed) :D :D
 

BossCat

Tenderfoot
Dec 11, 2008
65
0
67
Scotland
Ok guys here's a little quick demo of how to make your own GUTTY - Catapult that we used to make when we were kids. These are I find way more effective than your fancy modern day Barretts or Diablos.

Bare in mind that I dont have any of the equipment to make one so I inprovised a little using...

A bit of dowel as a handle (we used to use a wooden clothes peg or carved bit of wood. All you whittlers out there could knock up something?)

A piece of black tape as an Ammo Pouch - (Strip of leather or tounge off an old shoe is ideal)

A length of wire as the elastic (we used Square type Gut/Elastic.You'll need about 10 - 12in. See links & photo above)

Use your imagination :)

STEP 1. The Parts.
gutty1.jpg


STEP 2. Loop of Lace/String on Handle.
gutty2.jpg

gutty3.jpg


Make a loop around handle and pull tight. Cutting a notch around the top of your stick (like that on a clothes peg) will stop the loop slipping of.

STEP 3.
Now make another loop from the Lace/String on the handle and insert Gut/Elastic.

STEP 4. AMMO POUCH.
Punch 2 holes in either end of your strip of leather (or as you see here a bit of black tape :)) then tie Lace/String in each hole. Next make a loop of the Lace/String and slip Gut/Elastic into loop - As in picture
gutty4.jpg


The Completed Catapult - Gutty (gutty is what we call them in Scotland)

gutty5.jpg


Cheap - Simple - Deadly
The only thing that will cost you any money would be buying the Gut/Elastic.

Once mastered you'll be bringing Pigeons down out the trees big style. Rabbits and other small game this Gutty is equally effective.

Ive tried a few of the new fangled modern catapults but none of them come anywhere close to this setup. The only thing I might add is that where the Lace/String loops attach to the Gut/Elastice, the Gut/Elastic does start to ware a little. All you do then is slip the loop a little further along the Gut/Elastic.

Humm!
I now feel an urge to buy some elastic off Ebay :D

Tom
 

dogwood

Settler
Oct 16, 2008
501
0
San Francisco
Bosscat,

That's beautiful, man!

I prefer hand slings, but stick slings like the one you describe are *ancient* -- the Greeks used armies of stick slingers to take out opponents at far distances and it was particularly effective against enemies with helmets because the impact of the stone on the helmet could be fatal.

So you made them as kids, eh? I would have liked your neighborhood....

And you're absolutely right on the range, accuracy and impact of the stick sling (or a hand sling) vs. the elastic kind. Elastic just can't keep up.
 

BossCat

Tenderfoot
Dec 11, 2008
65
0
67
Scotland
I'll take him on with my Gutty anyday. He's hitting tin cans at 10 feet? Try hitting a bottletop of a fence post at 30 yards. Thats why I favour my type of cataput.

He uses the same style shooting as we used - dont aim with the ammo pouch and use a swinging arm motion. Must admit he is good for an old timer. Mind you he's had years of practic :D

This girls really good as well :D
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=EH9YgGEYPRU&feature=related

Tom
 

robin wood

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Oct 29, 2007
3,054
1
derbyshire
www.robin-wood.co.uk
I'll take him on with my Gutty anyday. He's hitting tin cans at 10 feet? Try hitting a bottletop of a fence post at 30 yards. Thats why I favour my type of cataput.

He uses the same style shooting as we used - dont aim with the ammo pouch and use a swinging arm motion. Must admit he is good for an old timer. Mind you he's had years of practic :D

This girls really good as well :D
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=EH9YgGEYPRU&feature=related

Tom

Good at swearing I'll give her that.:lmao:
 

dogwood

Settler
Oct 16, 2008
501
0
San Francisco
That guy is AMAZING. Thanks for alerting me to it -- I've already forwarded the video to a dozen friends.

Incidentally, I found this youtube link showing the kind of throw with a traditional sling that I find to be the most accurate. Based on what I've read it's a modified version of a throw the Apaches used.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDy0_Su9VQ4&feature=related

(I don't hold my forward arm as high up as that guy -- I only raise it to shoulder height, almost as if sighting down my arm.

And when you have your slingshot you just need to learn to use it, I bet none of you are as good as this old dude,

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=9ieWrWLjii0
 

wicca

Native
Oct 19, 2008
1,065
34
South Coast
Update on the sling saga. The top off an old canvas camera bag made the 'pouch', the shoulder strap off same made the sling itself.
Off to the pebbly beach...
Results..Half a ton of pebbles have been moved from one end of the beach to the other.
Right arm is numb from finger tips to shoulder
Anywhere within a 360 degree circumference of me is the danger area when I'm 'slinging'
English seagulls get extremely vocal when they settle behind me thinking they are safe, they are not! (unintentional)

Actually, towards the end of this performance I was hitting an old cargo pallet that had been washed up and had become the target, about 5 out of 10 shots at 25 paces.

Off now to make a proper one for when my arm comes back to life!!! :lmao: :lmao:
 

dogwood

Settler
Oct 16, 2008
501
0
San Francisco
Well done!

Now that you've started hitting what you aim at, I think you'll find that your skills will advance very quickly.

And the beach is a great place to practice.

If you go to www.slinging.org (mentioned earlier in the thread) you'll find lots of plans for building a sling.

But now, to the main question: did you have fun with it? It sounds like you did.


Update on the sling saga. The top off an old canvas camera bag made the 'pouch', the shoulder strap off same made the sling itself.
Off to the pebbly beach...
Results..Half a ton of pebbles have been moved from one end of the beach to the other.
Right arm is numb from finger tips to shoulder
Anywhere within a 360 degree circumference of me is the danger area when I'm 'slinging'
English seagulls get extremely vocal when they settle behind me thinking they are safe, they are not! (unintentional)

Actually, towards the end of this performance I was hitting an old cargo pallet that had been washed up and had become the target, about 5 out of 10 shots at 25 paces.

Off now to make a proper one for when my arm comes back to life!!! :lmao: :lmao:
 

wicca

Native
Oct 19, 2008
1,065
34
South Coast
Yes Dogwood I did. Once I'd concentrated on technique and ignored power and accuracy it became easier, and eventually the stones were going generally, in the right direction. The beaches are virtually deserted and there's no tiresome hunt for ammo. I shall spend some time at that website, thanks.
 

mayobushcraft

Full Member
Mar 22, 2007
260
1
61
Yeovil somerset
When I was a kid we would use a forked stick, old leather shoe to make the pouch, and old bicycle innertube for the elastic cut to size depending on how strong we were. Could take out a rabbit or squirrel up to 25 to 30 feet. After a lot of practice.
 

Tye Possum

Nomad
Feb 7, 2009
337
0
Canada
It's a shame innertubes aren't rubber anymore, or at least not stretchy rubber... I shoot slingshots when I can, I have a marksman slingshot with a wrist brace that I've had for a long time and when I was younger I made one out of a forked stick and just some big elastic bands as that was all I had. I made it while I was camping and while trying it out I shot a rock and I hit someones tent (by mistake). They packed up that day so maybe if they ever got that tent out again they were surprised to find a hole through it. Now I have two wooden slingshots and they're great. I had been using the marksman for a long time but never really got interested in it and it was pretty uncomfortable, then I found that catapult kid slingshot forum (which I'm a member of, not an active one but still...) and decided to buy a couple of ck's (catapultkid) slingshots. Ones a natural fork made of dogwood and the other is what he calls pocket ergos I think, that ones made of cherry. They came with flatbands on em and although they're harder to get for most people than the tubes you get at the store, they are so much better. I had alot of trouble aiming with the store bought one and could barely hit the target but after a short time with the wooden forks I could send those cans flying, though I'm still not that great and haven't even been able to shoot for a long time because I haven't bought any replacement bands. I've also noticed the wooden ones are alot more comfortable to hold than the store bought ones with the wrist brace, at least to me. You'd think a fancy modern slingshot with a brace and everything would be better but really the pistol grip isn't as good as bracing with forks with your fingers IMO. Oh btw, I guess this could be considered advertising although my only connection with him is that I'm a member of his forum but hey by all means make one for yourself if you'd rather, or don't get one at all... Your choice!
 

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