Sling Shots: No Longer A Kid's Toy

[JD Spydo]

I grabbed one of these for $5 a few weeks ago. Been trying to teach my kid how to use one.

Glanced through this thread last night and never realized how high end slingshots get these days!

If you can pull up that article in a past issue of OFF GRID magazine. I think it was about two years ago that they did that article on Slingshots. Some of those were very high tech. Some of them were as high as $800. But a lot of those slingshots listed in that OFF GRID magazine looked truly like a space age device. OH yeah slingshots have come a long way. So have air rifles>> which is another thread I'm thinking about launching soon.

[ChrisinHove]

I was just watching an archeology TV programme about a dig in northern Britain (now Scotland) on the site of a Roman army siege of a hill fort.

They were digging up dozens of little lemon shaped lead bullets, used as sling shot ammunition, both from the siege works and where they were fired at. Many had holes in, so the shot whistled as it flew.

A recreation showed the kinetic energy could be as high as a .44 bullet, and showed the shot passing through about 18” of ballistic gel block at considerable speed.

[JRinFL]

I think I saw the same program. Were they talking about the staff slings that were used by the Romans?

[ChrisinHove]

I think I saw the same program. Were they talking about the staff slings that were used by the Romans?

The recreation on TV was just using a hand held rope sling, no handle. Really quite impressive.

https://www.archaeology.co.uk/articles/ ... nswark.htm

[Doc Dan]

David slew Goliath with a sling shot, the rope/strap kind I'm sure. These were weapons of war in the old days and were nothing to take lightly. That Goliath did might have been an indication that he was not familiar with the technology or that he had disdain for it.

I saw a show recently where they had unearthed a skeleton where a sling stone had gone through the skull and killed him. These were used at distance, too. It was not just a close up weapon. If the Hebrews were the same people as the Hebaru, then they were mercenaries early on and David was trained for war (he alludes to this in Psalm 18.34 and Psalm 144.1).

Historically, armies would have slingers to take out the enemy at longer range and to break up charges. A good sling is a powerful weapon.

My dad used to be pretty good with a sling shot. He grew up during the Great Depression and he hunted with one to put meat on the table. They can be very accurate in the right hands.

[JRinFL]

The more I think about it, the Brits are correct to refer to rubber band powered launchers as catapults instead of slingshots.

[vivi]

I was just watching an archeology TV programme about a dig in northern Britain (now Scotland) on the site of a Roman army siege of a hill fort.

They were digging up dozens of little lemon shaped lead bullets, used as sling shot ammunition, both from the siege works and where they were fired at. Many had holes in, so the shot whistled as it flew.

A recreation showed the kinetic energy could be as high as a .44 bullet, and showed the shot passing through about 18” of ballistic gel block at considerable speed.

Siege of Masada?

[ChrisinHove]

I was just watching an archeology TV programme about a dig in northern Britain (now Scotland) on the site of a Roman army siege of a hill fort.

They were digging up dozens of little lemon shaped lead bullets, used as sling shot ammunition, both from the siege works and where they were fired at. Many had holes in, so the shot whistled as it flew.

A recreation showed the kinetic energy could be as high as a .44 bullet, and showed the shot passing through about 18” of ballistic gel block at considerable speed.

Siege of Masada?

I don’t know anything about Masada, except from the movie! In Burnswark, the spent lead bullets were embedded deep into the soggy ground, most only found recently with metal detectors. I would think the rocky, sandy soils of Israel would mean any were easily found and collected relatively soon after the Masada battle?

[Bolster]

Slingshot rifle. Many (most?) are of Chinese origin because firearms are heavily regulated in China...the Chinese gov't has totalitarian control and they want to keep it that way. So the Chinese citizenry have to rely on slingshots for pest control, or so I've read. Hence, innovation.

Not so different from where I live. You can't discharge a BB gun in my town without breaking the local law.

[JD Spydo]

Slingshot rifle. Many (most?) are of Chinese origin because firearms are heavily regulated in China...the Chinese gov't has totalitarian control and they want to keep it that way. So the Chinese citizenry have to rely on slingshots for pest control, or so I've read. Hence, innovation.

Not so different from where I live. You can't discharge a BB gun in my town without breaking the local law.

I'm afraid that draconian gun laws may be sweeping this country unless citizens who care about the Second Amendment will stand up and proclaim their rights. It's a "Right" and it's not a "Privilege" and we must not forget that ever!

That's pretty disgusting that a kid can't play with a BB gun>> I grew up on my Crosman BB and Pellet guns and have very fond memories of them.

And maybe that's why many of these companies are coming out with high tech sling-shots in the past 5 years or so. But irrespective of the Second Amendment problems that might be facing us these high tech sling-shots are worth checking into.

[James Y]

This guy is impressive with a sling:

https://youtu.be/6irNkhLdApk

Jim

[jpm2]

I’ve pinged more than a couple of rabbits with a marble myself but slingshots like most things (it seems) these days are illegal in Oz. :rolleyes:

I remember that, long ago.
Us kids cut eucalyptus forks to make them. The only place that sold rubber bands (called "rubbers" I think) was the post office. Kids couldn't buy them without a parents note. Fun times.

[kiwisailor]

Hi, if "rubbers" ( means differ in various countries) unavailable, try a Dive store.
They often sell rubber tubing for spearguns.
Or, a Chemistry supply store, as it is used to join glass tubes.
As a kid in NZ, we used red rubber from car tyre tubes. Very stretchy.

[odomandr]

I have picked up slingshot target shooting this past year (though not much lately with the cold weather as it is hard on the rubber bands). I have a couple simple shot frames a Fowler and a brnly slingpop. I'd like to check out a wasp or pocket predator frames too. My next endeavor is building a catch can target to recycle the ammo. I started with chick peas just to learn the muscle memory and the draw anchor spot. They curve occasionally though and getting accurate with them is tough. All my frames are sub 30 dollar pieces. No high end custom hand made yet. Not sure I'm interested in that quite yet as I have plenty of hobbies

[jpm2]

Hi, if "rubbers" ( means differ in various countries) unavailable, try a Dive store.
They often sell rubber tubing for spearguns.
Or, a Chemistry supply store, as it is used to join glass tubes.
As a kid in NZ, we used red rubber from car tyre tubes. Very stretchy.

I don't think there was any surface water within hundreds of miles where we lived, so no dive shops. :)
Fairly primitive there, not sure of chemistry stuff. :)
We did try cut up bicycle inner tubes, but the right size rubber bands worked much better.

[ChrisinHove]

I don’t know if you’ve seen those giant elastic 3 man catapults. I bought a couple for teenage nephews over the years. They are flippin’ hilarious, like water bomb artillery, although I discouraged reckless use, of course... :p

[jpm2]

I don’t know if you’ve seen those giant elastic 3 man catapults. I bought a couple for teenage nephews over the years. They are flippin’ hilarious, like water bomb artillery, although I discouraged reckless use, of course... :p

I can imagine one of those would have been great fun for us kids, until we got caught with it. They might have put us under the jail for something like that. :) :)