I've decided to get back into Slingshots

Is it just me? Those "Flip Clips" dont look like a very secure attachment method.

Slash McCoy said:

Is it just me? Those "Flip Clips" dont look like a very secure attachment method.

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Apparently they work great though. I've seen a few other systems that hold it in place with ball bearings too.

Here is another quick change system.

http://simple-shot.com/slingshots/ocularis-axiom-poly/

brucered said:

Apparently they work great though. I've seen a few other systems that hold it in place with ball bearings too.

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I used ball bearings with tubing.

simon1 said:

Dang you Bruce!!!

I drug out my old Wham-O Sportsman slingshot. The flat bands and pouch are long gone. I picked up some Daisy replacement bands, the tube style, and figured I could squish them to go into the slots for the flat bands...didn't work. When I tied them around the forks it only had about six inches of pull length. Couldn't even get close to an anchor point like on my bow.

I wonder what I need to do to the wood on the old Wham-O to get it kinda back in shape. I've had that thing for ages. An nope, the black discoloration by the left side of the band slot is not deterioration...it's leather dye. That thing has sit in my box of holsters for years.

Thanks a lot Bruce....

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You can get flat band wham o style rubber for that on line

Xnykid said:

You can get flat band wham o style rubber for that on line

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I noticed that...I just ordered two sets of 1/16" by 5/8" gum rubber bands, along with some 3/8 and 1/2 inch steel shot today.

I'm not going to the tapered bands, OTT or other things with that slinger. I just wanna get it kinda like it used to be when I was a kid so I can murder some tin cans...or harass the cats with some small rocks.

Got my catch box set up today Bruce. I cut the dowel for the towel backstop into a short piece so I can set it upright, and a longer piece so I can set it sideways and line up several targets.

I'm gonna have to get some more substantial backing than the old towel...got several bounce outs. I have a BIG piece of left-over carpet from when we had the house re-carpeted a few years ago...I think I'll try that.

I hit the water filled V-8 bottle several times with marbles from about 10 feet with the Daisy F16. It seems that my aim is better holding the slingshot at 90 degrees and using the top fork as an aiming reference, but I haven't shot one in years. I can't get the pouch on the Daisy but to within about 6 inches of my chin without getting the shaking hand thing. It will be interesting to see how the longer flatbands do for the Wham-O when they get here so I can do a proper anchor point at the corner of my mouth like with a bow.

It's a frigid 15 C here today.

Looking good Mike....your surroundings look a lot more inviting them mine.

Here is a shot from our sunroom, it was too cold to go outside and take a real pic

I'm looking forward to hearing how the Wham-O works out for you.

simon1 said:

Got my catch box set up today Bruce. I cut the dowel for the towel backstop into a short piece so I can set it upright, and a longer piece so I can set it sideways and line up several targets.

I'm gonna have to get some more substantial backing than the old towel...got several bounce outs. I have a BIG piece of left-over carpet from when we had the house re-carpeted a few years ago...I think I'll try that.

I hit the water filled V-8 bottle several times with marbles from about 10 feet with the Daisy F16. It seems that my aim is better holding the slingshot at 90 degrees and using the top fork as an aiming reference, but I haven't shot one in years. I can't get the pouch on the Daisy but to within about 6 inches of my chin without getting the shaking hand thing. It will be interesting to see how the longer flatbands do for the Wham-O when they get here so I can do a proper anchor point at the corner of my mouth like with a bow.

It's a frigid 15 C here today.

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You are getting bounce outs because the material is too heavy. Carpet will be worse. You want a very light material that gives when the projectile hits it. I found an old T shirt to be about right.

Thanks David. I'll give that a try.

I shoot my slingshots some in the summer. I was into it pretty good a few years ago but after getting a new wood fence the Wife frowned on my missing my catch box.

I finally got around to measuring my draw length and active band length. Cut my red Trumark tube band and reattached. Did the same thing for one of the kids too, but on his stock band.

We'll see if velocity or accuracy is improved tomorrow.

I used to shoot one of those all day long. We lived out of town so had zero restrictions or worries about stuff like that. My dad brought them home one day and we went into the woods for a slingshot battle; dad, me, both of my brothers. We were using 1/8" steel shot I believe. Not so smart in hindsight, I think we all underestimated the power of these things. Dad was uphill next to a tree about to shoot me so I pulled back and shot him right in the hand. Broke his knuckle! We switched over to bbs after that and had to wear safety glasses.
The worst I ever got hurt with one was a time I was camping with my brothers and some friends. We were in a great big tent and started shooting each other with marshmallows of all things. As we kept reusing them they became packed hard, lost their fluff. A friend shot me from a couple feet away right in the forehead with one, I saw stars! Had a knot the size of a golf ball That was an embarrassing injury to explain.

I think I'll get another one, maybe a couple for my daughters. They will have to be a little more cautious then we were.

Simon,

You should also raise your target up a little and put a strip of cardboard across the lower part of the box to act as a fence to keep the balls from just rolling out the front.

otto76 said:

I used to shoot one of those all day long. We lived out of town so had zero restrictions or worries about stuff like that. My dad brought them home one day and we went into the woods for a slingshot battle; dad, me, both of my brothers. We were using 1/8" steel shot I believe. Not so smart in hindsight, I think we all underestimated the power of these things. Dad was uphill next to a tree about to shoot me so I pulled back and shot him right in the hand. Broke his knuckle! We switched over to bbs after that and had to wear safety glasses.
The worst I ever got hurt with one was a time I was camping with my brothers and some friends. We were in a great big tent and started shooting each other with marshmallows of all things. As we kept reusing them they became packed hard, lost their fluff. A friend shot me from a couple feet away right in the forehead with one, I saw stars! Had a knot the size of a golf ball That was an embarrassing injury to explain.

I think I'll get another one, maybe a couple for my daughters. They will have to be a little more cautious then we were.

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Kit Walker said:

If you're going to be traditional, you need to learn to use one of these:

I played with one of these as a kid, made from the laces and tongue of a worn out boot. You need lots of room, because you can easily chuck a stone the length of a football field (and sometime miss by almost that much when you're learning how).

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i used to play with these, made mine from paracord and old jeans usually. I never got skilled with one, best I could do was hit a tree trunk from 20' away or so. I loved skipping stones across ponds with them though.

Legion said:

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Ha, always something more embarrassing I guess! I think it would more embarrassing anyway. Lipstick wound...marshmallow wound...they both make you sound pretty soft.

otto76 said:

i used to play with these, made mine from paracord and old jeans usually. I never got skilled with one, best I could do was hit a tree trunk from 20' away or so. I loved skipping stones across ponds with them though.


Ha, always something more embarrassing I guess! I think it would more embarrassing anyway. Lipstick wound...marshmallow wound...they both make you sound pretty soft.

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Soft, maybe. But man, that looks like it would hurt! A rubber bullet doesn't seem like much when someone throws it at you.

Kit Walker said:

Simon,

You should also raise your target up a little and put a strip of cardboard across the lower part of the box to act as a fence to keep the balls from just rolling out the front.

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Do you mean the entire catch box or raise the target itself off of the bottom of the box? Yeah, I'm gonna put something up as a fence...right now I'm just experimenting to get the box set up. I switched from the dowel rod to 99 cent spring clamps to hold the towel up. Much easier to set up.

The flat bands came in for the Wham-O...much, much better than the stock Daisy F 16. I also ordered some red Trumark tubes for the Daisy that should be here any day now. At least I'll have two usable slingers. I also saw a post on the slinger forum about a guy not being able to pull his F 16 bands all the way back that was from about a year and a half ago. It appears the Daisy bands are rubbish. I also got some 3/8" and 1/2" steel ammo that seems to work much better than marbles.

I've got a couple of tin cans saved, and just finished off a can of coffee. Gonna poke some holes in the coffee can lid and run a string through it and clamp the string to the top of the catch box. I also have a regulation sized .22 silhouette steel swinging target that has all four of the animals on it. That should be fun. It's supposed to be in the high 40s here today with no wind so I'll see if I can get a couple of pics later in the day.

Wow Mike, you're jumping in head first here.

Happy shooting in your warm weather. The kids and I will probably get out today as it is supposed to me a high of -2 this afternoon that's shorts and It's for us.