Slingshots

Most of you know, in Australia owning and shooting firearms is prohibitively difficult and expensive. Well, that puts most folks who like target shooting $!@# out of luck.

My solution was to go back to my childhood, and start making my own slingshots again.

In fact, that was my first foray into the world of internet forums. Long before wet shaving, I was a member of a slingshot forum, swapping hints and tips about making and shooting your own backyard artillery.

It's been a while since I had time to mess with the catapults, but I'm thinking it is something I should get back into. It is quite relaxing just shooting off a few ball bearings, marbles, or whatever in your own yard. And even though they are still not entirely legal in Australia (don't get me started...), what the neighbours don't know won't hurt them.

So what about you guys? Have any of you chaps enjoyed the simple pleasure of plinking cans with a home made slingshot? Share your photos and stories if you have.

Here are some of mine.

Awesome, we had pretty big problems in the nearby town of wodonga with a crazy person shooting people roofs with a slingshot some time ago, but like you said what ur neighbours don't know won't hurt them

-dave- said:

Awesome, we had pretty big problems in the nearby town of wodonga with a crazy person shooting people roofs with a slingshot some time ago, but like you said what ur neighbours don't know won't hurt them

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Haha. I love the Wodonga Version of "pretty big problems". The "phantom slingshot midnight roof shooter" is hardly a drive-by with an Uzi. But I get your point. Some idiots have to ruin it for everyone.

Haha, yeah no drive by that's for sure

Nice work. Are the laws strict for air guns too?
In Canada if they are under a certain FPS you don't need a license.

maxman said:

Nice work. Are the laws strict for air guns too?
In Canada if they are under a certain FPS you don't need a license.

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Nah, In Aus air guns have the same restrictions as all other firearms.

Sad, my little slug gun I had as a kid is now considered a prohibited "weapon". I just shot paper targets with it. Who knew?

Well dangit, I suppose my little collapsible target rifle is right out then!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AR-7

That's groovy! I would have liked one of those as a rabbit gun when I was a kid.

I remember having a sling shot. We'd use it to scare the seagulls away out at our camp/cottage/whatever-you-call-it.
Those things make such a dirty mess.

Same with geese. I wonder if we still have it?

Are there as many regulations on archery? I really want to get into that, I did it a bit as a kid just shooting targets and it was lots of fun. All my hunting friends in NY would go turkey bow hunting but I never did.

There are regulations, but it is easier than with guns. There is actually an archery club near my home. SWMBO and I have talked about joining. I should make some enquiries.

Never had one, how accurate are they? I have a couple dozen geese in mind, that seem to see the pellet rifle too soon

I have a 12 inch spread at 10 paces for just picking up my "wrist rocket" type sling shot. I get the same accuracy with pebble as I do with shot...none. I don't go plinking very often, my accuracy would surly improve quickly with a few dozen shots per day for a few weeks.

Phil

Pkrankow said:

I have a 12 inch spread at 10 paces for just picking up my "wrist rocket" type sling shot. I get the same accuracy with pebble as I do with shot...none. I don't go plinking very often, my accuracy would surly improve quickly with a few dozen shots per day for a few weeks.

Phil

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So you are saying better off using a tree limb ?

http://slingshotforum.com/
Great site

garyg said:

So you are saying better off using a tree limb ?

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As a club, yes.

Phil

garyg said:

Never had one, how accurate are they? I have a couple dozen geese in mind, that seem to see the pellet rifle too soon

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When I was shooting regularly and competitively I could shoot ~2" group of six at ten meters. there are guys that can do better, including hitting moving targets like tennis balls thrown with speed. I was never so good at that. I'm not so into hunting, but knocking down pest birds like starlings and Indian miner birds is very easy, if you need to. On something as big as a goose you would want to head shoot them, which will take some practice, depending on the range.

Check out this site. It is where I found a lot of info, help and interesting folks.

http://melchiormenzel.de/

Ever try a real sling?

All it takes is two pieces of cord and a patch of fabric (leather works well).

About one of the oldest ranged weapons in existence, the de facto 'issued weapon' for shepherds going back to pre-Biblical times. David used one against Goliath.

The Roman army used them (slingers from the Balearic Islands were considered the best in the world, and most still are apparently).

A missionary i once knew in high school went hiking with us in the Sierra Nevadas. We found a rogue, lone Reebok one day off the trail, and he cut out the shoe's tongue, used the laces, and in 20 minutes had a functioning sling.

We all tried it out, but he grew up using one (in Indonesia) hunting. He could hit very small targets at 40-50m without any issue and not too much warm-up practice to get back into it. Usually smaller rocks (or lead pellets/bullets as the Romans used, or fired clay) worked best, but we got some serious range out of some bigger ones a few times, chunking them in like little mortar shells.

MrMurphy said:

Ever try a real sling?

All it takes is two pieces of cord and a patch of fabric (leather works well).

About one of the oldest ranged weapons in existence, the de facto 'issued weapon' for shepherds going back to pre-Biblical times. David used one against Goliath.

The Roman army used them (slingers from the Balearic Islands were considered the best in the world, and most still are apparently).

A missionary i once knew in high school went hiking with us in the Sierra Nevadas. We found a rogue, lone Reebok one day off the trail, and he cut out the shoe's tongue, used the laces, and in 20 minutes had a functioning sling.

We all tried it out, but he grew up using one (in Indonesia) hunting. He could hit very small targets at 40-50m without any issue and not too much warm-up practice to get back into it. Usually smaller rocks (or lead pellets/bullets as the Romans used, or fired clay) worked best, but we got some serious range out of some bigger ones a few times, chunking them in like little mortar shells.

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You bet I have! Near where I used to live was an entire hollowed out mountain. I'm not kidding, they scooped out the insides of this mountain to get blue rock for making roads. Anyway, if you were prepared to hike for about an hour through the bush, and then climb over, and through a few fences, you could trespass in Gods own amphitheatre. The thing was massive! And totally deserted. I use to take an old fashioned sling, and just see how far I could fling rocks. Hundreds of meters! I cant really say I had much accuracy, but if I was part of an army, all flinging missiles in the same general direction, I could see how they would be very effective.

Another similar weapon that's easy to make is the atlatl, you just need a branch with a smaller branch coming off, and something spear-like. When I was a kid I had one I made from an pecan branch and used switch-cane for the spear. You could get some impressive speed out of that setup.