Let's talk slingshots again

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craftsman

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So I've seen some mods on standard slingshots to make them into slingbows, and beef them up a bit - some only use .50 or .56 cal. steel or ceramic balls for ammo (some are more for competition shooting only) - some have sights - what a difference from when we had our Dennis the Menace Y-forked branched wood with strips of bicycle inner tubes and a piece of the tongue from an old shoe!

Anyway, I had done a mod on a Marksman, adding on a wisker biscuit so I can do a sling bow ... added an ultra strong black powerband ... picked up a tip to add a piece of old dress shoe lace to make a nock string across the pouch. It all looked great. Set up my arrow backstop (huge foam cube) in the backyard. Walked back around 12 meters, nocked the arrow ... set it in the wisker biscuit, drew the rubber tubing bands back ... took aim ... and the danged plastic handle broke apart in my hand! ROFL! I was soooo ticked.

So .... I was thinking of going for something already made to withstand the force generated (bite the bullet and spend way more money than I wanted to) ... Cheap replacement - add on the more powerful bands and wisker biscuit again. http://www.slingshots.com/html/the-bat-slingshot.html
 
I built a slingbow with a Marksman 3040, whisker biscuit, black bands, and some paracord. Works fine! But the hard part is getting the arrow seated properly so it doesn't fall out during the draw. Then again it was still below freezing when I shot it last so there was some fumbling involved.
 
OK, I'm saving up my weekly allowance and am going for the PS-62 plus a spare powerband. I hope to have it sometime late May or early June. (I could always use a green laser sight - already have a red laser sight on the blowgun, a red dot sight on the Beeman air rifle, and pin sights on my recurve bow! LOL )
 
My Marksman's plastic hande broke into several pieces on the first draw with the black powerband. I removed the plastic handle, the metal in the handle is only about 3" in a loop. I have an old metal tube curtain rod that I'm deforming to make into a metal handle for it - that may or may not work well ... we'll see. It'll be a month or so before I can order the PS-62, then a week or more before it arrives.
 
WOW! Thanks - great resource site! Even a page with a glossary of terms for slingshots .... and a suggested series of shooting distances, free to download targer, and rules for "qualifying" for propsed proficiency badges (Blazing Saddles - "We don't need ... " LOL ) Lots of home made models, reviews of commercially available models. Super!
 
I have downloaded and sized their official target face to the recommeded final size for competitive shooting (the size of a soda / beer can ... 5 inches), and attached it here as a PDF file for anyone who wishes to print it off for some practice.

They do not specify the height of the target face centered above ground - however, from vieing their videos, it appears to be about 50 inches.

Ammo is ball type, metallic or ceramic, 0.50 cal. or smaller (1/2 inch). No arrows, etc.

They shoot from 32.5 ft, 65 ft and 83 ft. A qualifying hit must at least break the bulls-eye outside line. 3 or more bulls-eyes out of 5 shots taken.

No mention of sighting devices being prohibited, so allowable would be iron aights (fiber optics); Red/Green-Dot Sights; and/or Red/Green laser sights.

Looking forward to seeing some scores posted here.

Good shooting!
 

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  • Slingshot Official Target.pdf
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I re-watched their demo videos. Again, no indication of how high above ground the target should be centered, but based on the video, it still looks about just over 4 ft. The video specified "the size of a soda can "bottom". They are about 2 inches (said becaiuse some folks on the forum there had download issues to get the target file).

That being said, using the existing target PDF file, the inner white ring has an outside edge of just over 2 inches. So, for clarification - using that target face, all hits have to be inside that line to qualify. Any shots breaking that line into the next red circle, are out of bounds.
 
A challenge to the members of this forum: re-invent the slingshot.

For your review, I am attaching the 1906 text and image for the first U.S. patented slingshot. You will notice that it has not changed much (other materials used, still using vulcanized rubber or similar elastics, minor additions like a wrist brace, sights, storage handle) since its inception.

Here's the specs:
1. something that can be hand made in the field using a pocket knife, using only natural materials (no rubber bands or tubes, no 6mm diam. steel or aluminum wires or plastic)
2. capable of hurling a 0.25 - 0.50 cal. projectile (marble, stone. lead or steel ball) at least 20 meters (66 ft.)
3. accuracey to within 12 cm at 10 meters (4 in. diameter target face at 33 ft.) 5 shots at this distance. (break a paper target face).

Anyone up for this?
 

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  • Oldest slingshot patent.txt
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  • Oldest Slingshot Patent diagram.jpg
    Oldest Slingshot Patent diagram.jpg
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I bought a Daisy slingshot (wrist braced) at Dick's Sporting last Thursday, and 150 "marbles" (0.5 cal ceramic ammo), and brought it with me to the AKTA NE Regional championships. I printed off several copies of the "official" Slingshot target, and set it up for folks to play with. We shot backstopped against and old wooden shed, with two layers of very thick corrugated cardboard behind my "silent pellet trap" from which I suspended the paper target face. Used standard printer paper, weighted down with a two small paperclamps.

1. Next time, I'll use card stock paper, and heavier clamps
2. The pellet trap worked beautifullt, as designed, marbles that hit inside, would roll out
3. Next time, backstop with 4 layers of cardboard, not two. Size was perfect (about 2.5 ft. wide, about 3.5 ft. tall - trap reseted on the ground - shed was slightly uphill from the 33 ft. firing line setback.
4. No one wanted to even attempt to shhot at the 2 in. diameter inner ring from the other (66 ft. and 87 ft ... 20 and 25 meters) firing lines - "... can't even SEE the target from that far!" LOL

But you could see the "Dennis-the-menace" come out in all the shooters. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed this activity - highly recommend it for your next "macho" get together.
 
I just bought a slingshot for use when camping (and maybe just out in the backyard!) - I always wanted one as a kid!
 
I ordered my PS-62 slingshot (catsdomain.com to check it out) with a spare maxi-band, a 0.5" diam. x 5" ferrocerrium stick, and a set of 5 "spear" (2.5" - 3") arrow points. (different vendors). Should start having the new toys come in in about a week.
 
But you could see the "Dennis-the-menace" come out in all the shooters.
Click to expand...

Especially my two boys, eh? :) Yes they found quite a love of the sling shot and we refurbished my old one and picked up a couple bags of shot, which I'm now finding regularly in the laundry! :)
 
Sam1911, It was an honor and a privelege to meet you in person, and help provide a learning experience for your sons. You should be very proud of them, you're doing a fine job raising them.

So, its been a few weeks now since the order - nothing. No updates, no postings online. So I sent an e-mail. Waited a few days - still nothing. >sigh< Hope this wasn't a bad idea. I decided to call. Spoke directly to the head honcho (Lee) - didn't expect that. Turns out, they are getting ready to launch the PS-72 (upgraded model), my order came in when they were changing production from the 62 to the 72, so i get a 72 at the 62 price. Not even shown on the website yet. Should be shipping on Friday - says he'll get me tracing info once its shipped. Lee has me all psyched up about it. Says he's doing testing, and the engineers (- What? REALLY? Enngineers for slingshots? LOL) have really done an exceptional job with the improvements in how the laser tracks. Says he's been hitting targets at 170 ft. (arrow slinging).

I am soooooo looking forward to getting my hands on this one and getting out in the back yard. I'll keep you posted.
 
Oh, the spear style arrowheads came in - I used the "Clovis point" style as a spear ... picked up a 7/8" x 4' dowel from Lowes, shaved down the tip, cut a notch in and used cord to attach. Mean looking - will have to test it next time I go fishing.

The ferrocerrium rod from China also came in. This is massive! I can strike 2 fires from it daily, until my grandchildren are grandparents, ans still not make dent it in. For $7 on e-nay with free shipping - well worth the cost. 1/2 ' x 5" - get them while you can.
 
Sam,

Yes, waiting to get the exact coordinates from the wife - only ones from the extended family not going will be the wife's oldest brother in NJ (closing on a house), and my nephew (godson), they just had a baby. It's going to be one of those eat and talk all day events. ROFL. Bringing some games for the kids to play (volleyball, etc.) - no real toys (knives and tomahawks not allowed). But it will be fun.
 
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