Anyone use...sling-shots?

A hand sling can handle a 3 or 4 ounce bullet - I used weights from the throw-nets that I recovered when snorkeling.
Not as accurate as a slingshot for most folks but much more powerful.
A sling staff will give you even more range and power.
I never got very good with them.

We have a few that we use during the summer months to plink cans from the porch. Strictly a fun activity for us, not for hunting or self defense. Must be a sling shot thing- I keep my ammo in a Crown bag, too!

Simple Shooter said:

keep my ammo in a Crown bag, too!

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The purple one or the green one?

I just got a pair of folding wrist rockets from Amazon.....range report to follow

Okay, now I’ve got this idea I’d like to try a slingshot, THR strikes again [at my wallet]. At least this time the stakes are a lot lower.

I see a lot of ads for 3/8” clay balls, are these okay as ammo?

Also, inexpensive slingshots on Amazon similar to the OP’s. Some are all composite, some partially stainless steel, but basically same design. Any reason to go for the SS?

Speedo66 said:

Okay, now I’ve got this idea I’d like to try a slingshot, THR strikes again [at my wallet]. At least this time the stakes are a lot lower.

I see a lot of ads for 3/8” clay balls, are these okay as ammo?

Also, inexpensive slingshots on Amazon similar to the OP’s. Some are all composite, some partially stainless steel, but basically same design. Any reason to go for the SS?

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I bought 3/8" clay balls off Amazon when I got mine.

I, somehow, royally goofed up apparently, because I got something like 35,000 of them!!

Aside from feeling like a moron for that, they make excellent plinking/practice slingshot ammo!

I already had a .375" roundball mold for my son's '51 Navy and I cast some up but, the clay balls do 99% of what I'm doing with my slingshot: having a blast!

*edit*

Even if you don't end up buying from here:
https://simple-shot.com/collections/slingshots
Check out their site.

They make it really easy to match up bandsets with ammo to get the best performance and avoid things like the recoiling band coming back and slapping your fingers.

Here's a pic of the ⅜" clay.

Came in 2 black, nylon drawstring bags.

Pretty sure it was all less than $30 shipped

Seen this year's ago, shocked it came up.

ericuda said:

Seen this year's ago, shocked it came up.

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I remember that!

I too saw it years ago and I think that planted a seed back then.

I use one as a line launcher w/ a 3/8 inch steel nut.
I'm way more of a stickler for safety glasses than when shooting firearms when doing this.

I have killed many large Jack Rabbits with a slingshot and marbles, it works better than a .22lr if they are 40yds or less.

This is a pretty cool thread that I have been following with interest.


My dad must have liked slingshots at least a little; I remember him having a couple around when I was a child. Sometimes he would give one a spin on a fishing outing.

Dollar store bag of glass marbles

-kBob

Growing up my dad owned an auto repair business. I had all the steel ball ammo I needed from discarded old wheel bearings.

Oh yeah... been into slingshots for years, having started off with the tube-band "wrist rockets" and got pretty good with them. Through my teens, I must have burned through 3 or more dozen powerbands.
I've moved on to flat bands that are both easier to draw and yet still proved higher velocity with all but the heavier projectiles, in my experience. One could stay fed if he gets good with a sling shot.

I would love to learn how to use a sling shot of the biblical days but the limited experience I've had so far has been disastrous, including nearly knocking out a window... behind me.

I haven't shot one in decades, but have one (never used) in my BOB. This thread has relit my interest, so maybe I'll dig it out and give it a whirl!

When I was elementary aged elastic sling shots were made from strips of inner tube. The best were from red inner tubes of actual vulcanized rubber.

The yokes were typically of Y shaped Tree branch or a flat bit of board someone use a hole cutter on then finished with a jigsaw.

the Ne’Plus Ultra of ammo was Steel ball bearings. Marbles were a great ammo but in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s young boys and some girls thought them far to valuable to shoot away. Those little brown pebbles they lay in driveways at the time were in third and most common place, but one had to carefully sort them to good sizes and shapes.

Thanks to my father I had a Concealed Carry elastic sling shot. He called it a “Flip” and it was a single straight stick with a single band og inner tube and a pocket.Lean the stick about 45-60 degrees toward the target, load the pocketpull back and release. Leaning the stick further toward the target could get the meaty bit at the bottom of your thumb slapped with rubber or bashed with your ammo. With the band wrapped end to end and slightly stretched so the pocket held on to one end You could hide it away much easier than a huge Y shaped bit.

-kBob

kBob said:

the Ne’Plus Ultra of ammo was Steel ball bearings. Marbles were a great ammo but in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s young boys and some girls thought them far to valuable to shoot away. Those little brown pebbles they lay in driveways at the time were in third and most common place, but one had to carefully sort them to good sizes and

-kBob

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Living close to the railroad tracks my friends and I would take our wagons and load up on Iron ore pellets.

Also, my dad, who worked in the steel mills of PA in the 70's&80's would bring home jars of blue, glass marble.

I have no recollection of what they were used for but I just remember having a limitless supply!

I'll bet, if I went over to my moms basement/garage they'd still be a jar or 10 still collecting dust!

JShirley said:

There's a member here who makes those. I have two, one made specifically for throwing larger objects like tennis balls.

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I wondered how they were working. I still like making the braided ones but the paracord and leather ones are pretty hard to beat.