Catapult action

[mr dazzler]

I used a catapult today for the first time in over 30 years I made my own from a barnet type band and an ash fork. Handful of gravel in my pocket, set up a small bottle (plastic) stood back about 20 feet, aim and hit the bottle first time, then a couple low misses . Set up some logs (10 inch long 6 inch diam split in quarter's) on a shelf like skittles and knocked them one by one 70% hit rate, just a tiny little stone made them logs fly. One stone rebounded and landed exactly at my feet. Ah what bliss. I'm tempted by the big soft pigeons that sit in my garden but I think I would have to use steelball shot for that? As a mis spent youth I could hit flying pigeon's but stones never had enough stopping power, you heard the thud as the stone hit but not a kill. I dont really aim just go by instinct. Is any one else into catapultism?
cheers Jonathan

 

[dwardo]

Never been inclined to hunt with one but as a kid i had loads of black widows, diablo`s etc and they were great fun.

To hunt i would think they are probably illegal and a little inhumane as i cant see it being an outright kill possibly causing unnecessary suffering. Survival yes, sport no...

But hey im just a big softy so im sure someone more experienced will point out the real issues.

Oh i used to fire arrows from them as far as i remember which was also loads of fun

 

[Corso]

always wondered how good a cat would be with arrows would you recommend gloves/some sort of protection on your hand?

 

[dwardo]

A good pair of safetly glasses as i seem to remember getting one very close to my eye . I also remember making some kind of rest for the standard black widow that held the arrow better.

Probably easier to get a cheap bow to be honest lol.

 

[Black Sheep]

I had a Black widow when I was younger, used it for ratting at the local stables using ball bearings.

Didn't hit many but usually killed the ones it hit, but gave it up when I got an air rifle.

Found an old Ally handled "Millbro" (with square elastic) catapult in my late uncle's garage, had a play with it but elastic is perished.

Rich

 

[Sickboy]

Still have my Diablo, so powerful but not enough practice on my part makes it pretty inaccurate, bought it while i was working (?) in france to pass the time and needless to say it did the job

 

[BushTucker]

I use a diablo now, but in my youth used a black widow, slightly modified. Great for hunting and my diablo nowadays, uses quarter inch bearings. I dont often miss but when it hits, its a kill. I do however feel the diablo hasnt got the power of the widow.

 

[scottishwolf]

Cheap alternative to the steel BB's is the pound shop and get some bags of glass marbles

 

[Clark]

When i was younger at our old house i had a black widow and one day i say a crow sitting on the tv aerial and thought i'd take a shot, i hit it but i thought it flew away. In the evening when my dad came home i got such a hiding because it hadn't flown away, it had fallen and it left a trail of blood down to the bottom of the garden behind the shed where it was still in much distress several hours later. My catapult was then later destroyed by my dad and i didn't think i'd ever use a catapult again.... but a couple of month later i took down a pigeon, clean kill and no mess. Feel bad about the crow as there was no need to do what i did. Unless your sure you can get a clan kill then i wouldn't use one for hunting.

 

[w00dsmoke]

Yup, I've been into catapults since i was around 14! I've never strayed away from a black widow though. I used one a s a kid to take out mixi rabbits at point blank range, but not for hunting although I did try in my youth. I use mine now mainly for garden/house protection against intruders and to be fair, in the rare occassions that I have used it for such, it was very very effective.

It's good fun plinking with it down at the beach or when you are bored out and about, it amazes the kids and it's good to keep your aim in!

 

[ol smokey]

I have also used a catapult since the age of about 13 or 14, my grandfather made my first one , as he had been a country lad all his life. At one time I could Knock an old penny,
abpout the size of a fifty pence off of a wall on the opposite side of a country road. But at 72 I have not used mine for many years. I used to make them with 1/4 inch square elastic, which you could buy in the Gun shops for the purpose, I think it was a lot more powerful than the modern hollow tube stuff you get for the commercial catapults. I am not sure if you can still get it.
My Grandfather taughtme how to use it, and the one he made my and I have since copied was of Hazel or broom and had very short arms on the fork which you nearly enclosed in your grip, But as you released the stone you pulled down with the catapult hand, thus removing it from the line of fire . Yet you could still be very accurate. One day I was out a walk with my Father and had the catapult with me. It was an '' off-day'' and after I had several misses my Father ( a Townie) said Give me a shot (turn) He used a rough piece of granite about the size of a large glass marble, but in doing so he did not drop his hand holding the catapult. Well I had never heard him swear till then. He made up for it on this occasion. I did not know there were so many swear words in the English language.
He nearly took out the Knuckle of the index finger of his right hand. There was blood everywhere. He also missed the target which amused me no end. He never again asked for a shot of the Catapult. Nother lifetime toy is the Sling( David and Goliath) type but that is a story for another day, as my lunch is on the table.

 

[Chris G]

I've got an old BW somewhere.... ISTR that I bought it when I was about 14yo as well so I guess that teh rubber is probably perished. In fact I stumbled across a web page selling BW's the other day and was suprised that they still made them!

As for slings, I'd live to learn how to use them as you're supposed to be able to take out a running man at 100yds

Chris

 

[commandocal]

I used to catapult into the sea to see how far it would go but that would be it