I've spent the last few weeks getting to grips with my old slingshot. I was wondering if anybody else hunts with them. At the moment I'm only accurate to about 30ft. I decided to take it with me for a stroll and managed to bag a wood pigeon. Very tasty too. I was just wanting to hear from other people who know a thing or two about the slingshot. Like what distance will they kill from? I don't want to go around maiming animals. So as my accuracy and range improves how far is humane to shoot from. Also any other advice on bands etc
Catapult/slingshot hunting
- Thread starter Raybennett
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Fishfish on here makes/sell's and bags all manner of things with his hunters! good stong catty's aswell!
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I've done longbow archery since I was a kid and if you can do barebow shooting you can be accurate with a catapult - the same or a very similar technique applies.
Basically you want a repeatable technique - as in, grip it the same way each time, draw to the same place (anchor point) each time and so on. Once you have that down you can start to adjust where your shots are falling. No point trying to be accurate if you aren't consistent.
A small number of folks manage to be truly instinctive when they shoot, but most rely on a foundation of repeatable technique combined with learned aim that becomes subconscious with practice.
I use one of the Hunter catapults http://www.huntercatapults.co.uk/ and take all kinds of table fare with it
Basically you want a repeatable technique - as in, grip it the same way each time, draw to the same place (anchor point) each time and so on. Once you have that down you can start to adjust where your shots are falling. No point trying to be accurate if you aren't consistent.
A small number of folks manage to be truly instinctive when they shoot, but most rely on a foundation of repeatable technique combined with learned aim that becomes subconscious with practice.
I use one of the Hunter catapults http://www.huntercatapults.co.uk/ and take all kinds of table fare with it
It's been posted before but I'll put it up again.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ieWrWLjii0
ATB
Ogri the trog
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ieWrWLjii0
ATB
Ogri the trog
If you want to get seriuos about catapault hunting then you could worse the spend a bit of time in Jack's Shed:
http://jacksshed.myfreeforum.org/forum26.php
You also need to be aware of the law, a surprisingly you cant legally just shoot what you want on other peoples land.
http://jacksshed.myfreeforum.org/forum26.php
You also need to be aware of the law, a surprisingly you cant legally just shoot what you want on other peoples land.
Interesting post this - I've posted in 'bushcraft and servival skills' as I'm looking into buying a catapult from Hunter.
I have a Black widow only had it out a few times but will get it out more this summer not had anything to shoot at apart from a few trees for target practice. I started using stones for target practice but they fly all over the place BBs are much better.
Cheers. I'm using a black widow too, with the red power bands. Although I don't notice much difference in power. And use 3/8 steel balls. How much better are hunter catapults? I've seen them and thought about it. I used to shoot recurve bows. But got fed up of targets, and want something for the pot. As for hunting. I'm lucky where I live. Plenty of friendly farmers that let me take what I want aslong as it's for the pit and not for fun. I've read you can drop a bunny or pigeon at 25 yds. Is that true do you think?
Impossible to compare a Black Widow with a Hunter - they're chalk and cheese.
I hunted with a Black Widow for a long time and brought higher power bands in from America for them. Once I became aware of the Hunter catapults I jumped ship and haven't looked back since. You couldn't get me back onto a Black Widow for love nor money now, but until I knew the difference I was happy and successful hunting with a Black Widow, so...
I guess if you have one use it and once you know what you're doing with it you can consider what a different type of catapult can offer you. The kit matters less than how you use it.
I hunted with a Black Widow for a long time and brought higher power bands in from America for them. Once I became aware of the Hunter catapults I jumped ship and haven't looked back since. You couldn't get me back onto a Black Widow for love nor money now, but until I knew the difference I was happy and successful hunting with a Black Widow, so...
I guess if you have one use it and once you know what you're doing with it you can consider what a different type of catapult can offer you. The kit matters less than how you use it.
Theraband gold & .44 lead musket balls is what I use, on a cut down Black widow frame. We chronoed it doing 24foot/pounds, twice that of a normal (non-FAC) air rifle, so it has some hitting power. As for accuracy, it is one of things where you just have to put the hours of practice in. Get a bit of loosly hanging garden netting, old curtain or similar & set yup some coke cans on their ends, which is how I set up my practice range. At 25 yards I get about 2 shots out of 5 dead on, one near the edge & a couple miss by a few inches. Like archery or shooting, it's all about doing the same thing every time. Great feeling when you send a coke can flying from 25 yards out, which is about as far out as most people who hunt with them will aim to get something for the pot. Good luck with it, setup a practice range & keep at it as it is a really good skill to be good at onceyou have it sussed.
I had one of the hunters, they are excellent, very powerfull and I found it fairly easy to get accurate with. But I found the bands came undone and whilst its not to much of a chore to re-fit them, it is in the woods at dusk!
So for that reason I gave up on it, not a criticism its just not for me.
I have another custom one from smallholder1 off of BB which is pretty good, based on the old Milbro ones. But the one I use all the time now is the humble Strike 9 with red bands. I forget how much they are (£6?) but they are cheap as, and if the bands come off/break at the frame it can be easily re-attached in seconds with nothing more than a pocket knife and a spit and a push!
I have the Catty, spare band and a little leather dispenser of ammo (9mm bollies) in a little MaxP. pouch. Perfect for a little trip out!
So for that reason I gave up on it, not a criticism its just not for me.
I have another custom one from smallholder1 off of BB which is pretty good, based on the old Milbro ones. But the one I use all the time now is the humble Strike 9 with red bands. I forget how much they are (£6?) but they are cheap as, and if the bands come off/break at the frame it can be easily re-attached in seconds with nothing more than a pocket knife and a spit and a push!
I have the Catty, spare band and a little leather dispenser of ammo (9mm bollies) in a little MaxP. pouch. Perfect for a little trip out!
Any chance of a pic of this? I have a fish hunter but find it a bugger to use, putting the bands on on a black widow and have the wrist rest would make things a lot easier
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When we were kids me and a couple of mates had black widows , we started of with stones but later found a local railway goods yard
that we used to play in had dumped old signal boxes hundreds of them , each had a couple of hundred half inch hex nuts .
we were using them for years and never ran out .
they flew very fast and straight and made a nice whiring noise when fired , very accurate.
Craig...........................
that we used to play in had dumped old signal boxes hundreds of them , each had a couple of hundred half inch hex nuts .
we were using them for years and never ran out .
they flew very fast and straight and made a nice whiring noise when fired , very accurate.
Craig...........................
Thanks guys for your experience, I think I will get the Hunter. Just a quick question - am I right in thinking the Black Window is more for compitaion use? And what makes Hunter & the Black Widow chalk & cheese?
I have a hunter that I persevere with but never really got on with it. The Black Widow is cheap & cheerful but works for me, especially with the Theraband Gold bands from a Fish Hunter Catty on it. I cut down the wrist support & it is a neat small package; not a small as a catty with no wrist support but I get a lot more power if I use a wrist support. Here is a pic:
Don't know why ive not thought of this sooner...will have to get the black widow out of the garage and give it a dust off and have a practice. Cheers for reminding me i have one. Could become a regular addition to my outings, they are pretty small after all.
Thanks again
Shutz.
Thanks again
Shutz.
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