Sling Shots: No Longer A Kid's Toy

[JD Spydo]

In three of my different survival type magazines I read each month I've found three different articles this year on "SLING SHOTS". And I'm here to tell you all that they are not the ones you used to see "Dennis the Menace" carry in his late 50s/early 60s TV Show>> No they now have some high tech, serious high velocity weapons that they now call "SLING SHOTS" :cool: I was reviewing some of them in an earlier edition of OFF GRID magazine last night and I'm very seriously thinking of getting one of these new high tech SLING SHOTS.

Maybe some of you guys here at Spyderville are already aware of these newer/better versions of a kid's toy. Some of these newer high tech SLING SHOTS I've been looking at have velocities rated close to some of your compound bows on the market :eek: . I do remember back in high school a good hunting/fishing buddy of mine got one through mail order at the time and it was called a "Wrist Rocket" and we used to have a lot of fun with that bad boy (early 70s era). But I'm here to tell you all that some of these newer ones even make that Wrist Rocket look like a kid's toy. The newer, high tech Sling Shots are truly a viable weapon for hunting and other purposes.

Some of the more high tech Sling Shots in these recent magazines are all the way up around the $500 price tag but some really good ones can be had for about $150 to $200 or so. I"ve been doing some serious shopping for a good high tech air rifle because I'm now living close to some wilderness which I could nail a few gray-devils ( Squirrels) and possibly some cottontail rabbits which are making quite a comeback here in Missouri. But I'm now thinking that one of these newer Sling Shots might be a better alternative. I'm wondering if any of you guys have checked out any of these new high tech SLING SHOTS? Or maybe some of you guys have made your own concoction of a high velocity SLING SHOT. I've seen blueprints of ones you can make in earlier editions of some of the survival magazines in the past few years that are supposed to be serious weapons but I never really got serious about it till now. But I'm here to tell you all that these newer high tech Sling Shots have great possibilities. So let's talk about these newer/better SLING SHOTS

[Evil D]

I have an uncle who used to hunt with a slingshot. He'd get squirrel and rabbits all the time. It was wild how accurate he was.

[JD Spydo]

I have an uncle who used to hunt with a slingshot. He'd get squirrel and rabbits all the time. It was wild how accurate he was.

I'll try to find which issue it was in OFF GRID where I recently saw some of those really high tech sling shots. They said that not only were they super high velocity but some of them were wickedly accurate as well. Oh I'm sure it takes a great deal of practice to get as good as your Uncle is. But I'm sure that practicing an hour or so a day you could probably hunt efficiently in a couple of months of practice ( or maybe a lot sooner if you have natural talent).

Two of the articles stated that the popularity of high tech sling shots is growing at a pretty fast rate. I'm still stunned at how pricey some of the better ones are. They must be selling a few of them because some of the companies I checked out have been in business for a while.

I would think for small to medium sized game if you got good with a sling shot you might even prefer it over a gun.

[Evil D]

I would think for small to medium sized game if you got good with a sling shot you might even prefer it over a gun.

It would be interested to compare the prices of ammo. I also wonder if the popularity has anything to do with gun laws.

[JD Spydo]

I would think for small to medium sized game if you got good with a sling shot you might even prefer it over a gun.

It would be interested to compare the prices of ammo. I also wonder if the popularity has anything to do with gun laws.

Well there were a few of the models I seen pictured and listed in the American Survival Guide magazine about a year ago. They said on some models you could even use gravel, pebbles, kid's marbles or even ball bearings for that matter. That's one big thing that interests me about it is that the ammo can be about anything you can find to use. I've seen boxes of stainless ball bearings where I've sold some of my scrap copper and aluminum and I bet you could buy those junk ball bearings from them for a song.

But now they do have regular ammo that is meant for high tech slingshots as well but they did say that it wasn't all that expensive according to that recent article in BACKWOODSMAN magazine. I bet that kid's marbles which can be bought at thrift stores for a very low price would be great ammo for these new sling shots.

[Evil D]

Ammo choice has a lot to do with accuracy. I'm pretty sure my uncle used ball bearings.

[JD Spydo]

Well like I said earlier I've seen at least two or three different sized ball bearings where I sell my metal scrap at. I'm wiling to bet that I could get them for a little over what they pay a pound for them ( which isn't much at all because steel and stainless both have been down in the past few months). Even kid's marbles which I've seen at some of those "Dollar" discount stores that are made in China are really cheap and they would make a decent, perfectly round ammo.

Yeah I'm sure you're right that rocks and pebbles wouldn't be as accurate. There are people that collect the older marbles but if they aren't the collectible variety you could probably buy them for a song as well. I don't think that ammo for a slingshot will be much of a problem with a little searching and resourcing.

[ChrisinHove]

.... or ice cubes for that “perfect crime”.

I’ve had various cheap ones over the years - great fun!

[SkullBouncer]

Man, I sure remember the old 'Wrist Rocket ' days of yore. I would use marbles and ball bearings, my choices over rocks and pebbles as David said. Now I upgraded to a model made by the same company.... just don't remember the name offhand. JD, if you can scare up a brand and link to go off of that would be totally excellent. Would I sell one of my Spydercos to afford a $500.00 price tag? Well, it'd take some convincing but I wouldn't rule it out if deemed worthy. Cool Thread!!

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:spyder: :spyder: SB / Bruce :cool: :cool:

[SkullBouncer]

I want the semi - auto model with a 20 round clip, a scope... that'd be a good start, n'est pas? :D :D

[Evil D]

If you think about it the tech is fairly similar to a bow and arrow, so it shouldn't be a surprise that it can be made accurate and deadly. I'm pretty surprised that small "pistol crossbows" haven't become more popular. My uncle was an all around outdoors guy but he was more like 50% Daniel Boone and 50% Johnny Knoxville, he would hunt squirrel with a .45. We did a lot of bow/crossbow hunting back then.

[SkullBouncer]

Squirrel hunting with a .45?? I'm forced to wonder how much was left of the squirrel after it got shot, haha!! :p
The squirrel / bird hunting I got into early on was at the business end of a Crossman .177 pellet gun and .22 scope. Still have it, but the barrel's slightly bowed from years of being stuffed in a closet. Hmmm gonna have to pull it out and try to further straighten it.

Now a crossbow I would seriously consider given the opp'y; I was under the impression they were all illegal. Wouldn't know where to start looking for one but it would sure be a HOOT!!
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:spyder: :spyder: SB / Bruce :cool: :cool:

[Michael Janich]

I wrote the slingshot article in the current issue of OFFGRID. The slingshots I reviewed were all collected by OFFGRID and sent to me for testing. My favorites were the Simpleshot Hammer and the PocketShot with Pocket Hammer attachment. The former gives you a full length of pull. The latter achieved the highest velocity of all tested, but the length of pull was short and the shooting technique was different.

Any way you look at it, getting accurate with a slingshot takes a fair amount of practice, but it is lots of fun.

Stay safe,

Mike

[SkullBouncer]

I wrote the slingshot article in the current issue of OFFGRID. The slingshots I reviewed were all collected by OFFGRID and sent to me for testing. My favorites were the Simpleshot Hammer and the PocketShot with Pocket Hammer attachment. The former gives you a full length of pull. The latter achieved the highest velocity of all tested, but the length of pull was short and the shooting technique was different.

Any way you look at it, getting accurate with a slingshot takes a fair amount of practice, but it is lots of fun.

Stay safe,

Mike

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Thanks Again for the additional background subject details as well your provided and surprisingly impressive little- known skillsets therein of which I seek instruction. I will pursue securing the current copy of 'OFFGRID' to glean your copious wisdom and factoids regarding Slingshot incorporation and mastery!!
- SB / BRUCE :cool: :cool:

[SkullBouncer]

Michael -- I searched out 'OFFGRID' Magazine; this is what I came up with but cannot locate your Slingshot article / current edition.

https://www.offgridweb.com/subscription/
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EDIT: Belay the aforementioned; I've hunted down your submission(s) in a very recent OFFGRID featuring your name and addressing a variety of slingshot availability, features and performance + pros and cons of a good number of modern slingshot makes and models.

https://www.offgridweb.com/gear/take-yo ... t-roundup/

Any corrections and further guidance is Most Welcome!
Thanks Michael!

- SB / BRUCE :cool: :cool:

[JD Spydo]

Michael -- I searched out 'OFFGRID' Magazine; this is what I came up with but cannot locate your Slingshot article / current edition.

https://www.offgridweb.com/subscription/
==============================================================================
EDIT: Belay the aforementioned; I've hunted down your submission(s) in a very recent OFFGRID featuring your name and addressing a variety of slingshot availability, features and performance + pros and cons of a good number of modern slingshot makes and models.

https://www.offgridweb.com/gear/take-yo ... t-roundup/

Any corrections and further guidance is Most Welcome!
Thanks Michael!

- SB / BRUCE :cool: :cool:

It was an OFF GRID magazine about 5 or 5 issues back that had a section showing many high tech sling shots and some small reviews on them as well. Also there was an issue of American Survival Guide that listed about 20 different high quality sling shots. I was absolutely amazed at how high tech many of these newer sling shots have become. They are like small compound bows in many instances. And they are truly serious weapons too.

[kiwisailor]

The Pistol Cross bows mentioned are not worth the price or trouble to bother with.
Ammo is expensive, not enough power to Hunt with,(maybe a cornered Rat in a rubbish bin on a good day), BUT enough power to take out a Eye, so NOT a kids toy.
Bleh, get a Slug Gun or a Good Slingshot.

Or, the ultimate in accuracy, quietness and stopping power (with Mechanical Heads, Grim Reaper etc.) a Compound Bow.
Some areas forbid Full size Cross Bows.

OR a Sling Bow,a Slingshot which can fire a Arrow when adapted..

[Evil D]

Squirrel hunting with a .45?? I'm forced to wonder how much was left of the squirrel after it got shot, haha!! :p

Yeah, "hunting" is a bit of an exaggeration, more like being a jackass. I only remember this happening once and like you said, the results were pretty gruesome. That's where the 50% Johnny Knoxville comes in lol.

[JD Spydo]

Squirrel hunting with a .45?? I'm forced to wonder how much was left of the squirrel after it got shot, haha!! :p

Yeah, "hunting" is a bit of an exaggeration, more like being a jackass. I only remember this happening once and like you said, the results were pretty gruesome. That's where the 50% Johnny Knoxville comes in lol.

That's reminiscent of a good friend of mine I used to hunt with years ago :rolleyes: He was a great guy but sometimes I thought he was really "out there" :rolleyes: :rolleyes: He had a Ruger model #1 Single Shot in a .375 Holland & Holland caliber. On a dare one day another friend of mine bet him he couldn't hit a squirrel with that super, big bore rifle :eek: Well he put his money where his mouth was and did shoot a Missouri red squirrel with that literal canon of a gun. The squirrel was only about 60 feet from where we all were standing. Oh he hit the squirrel all right :rolleyes: :D :D but you couldn't find much more than the tail and one of the legs dangling off the hide :eek: .

I ended up laughing so hard I truly thought I was going to get a hernia :D :D >> not only did that rifle sound like a "Howitzer" going off but you could hear a crackling noise lingering for a couple of seconds after the shot :rolleyes: :D It's a darn good thing we were way out in the country close to a game reserve. I asked him why he used such a monster rifle to kill these rather small Missouri White Tail Deer and he said he was just too lazy to track them down anymore :rolleyes: :rolleyes: I seriously doubt if he would have any use for a slingshot. I know he's still alive but I just haven't seen him in quite a while. I guess you could use a .460 Weatherby to hunt cottontail rabbits with :D :D :o I'm now wondering what Brother BLOKE might have to say about all of this :rolleyes: :D

[SpyderEdgeForever]

I have an uncle who used to hunt with a slingshot. He'd get squirrel and rabbits all the time. It was wild how accurate he was.

This is what I like to know. Thank you, David. Then a well-made sling-shot can be a very good outdoor survival tool if needed.