I've been told that this could be interesting for this sub, so here I am.
One of my favorite hobbies is slingshot shooting.
I don't hunt with slingshots, some people do but in some countries is illegal, so I will not discuss about it. What I do is target practice and I enjoy it a lot.
You can check my history on /r/slingshots to verify that I know a few things about this topic.
It's a fairly inexpensive hobby and it will give you hours of entertainment. I like to shoot alone to relax (it can be almost Zen 😄) and I like to shoot with friends for the banters.
You can do it indoor if you have enough room. But the best thing is going outside, set up your targets and enjoy the sun or the fresh air while having fun shooting at soda cans.
I'll try to give you a general idea of the thing. For every question or curiosity you can come to /r/slingshots and ask anything you want.
Modern slingshots are pretty different from the "old school" image we all have. The fork can be made of materials like HDPE, PVC, micarta, G10, aluminum, and of course wood. Wooden slingshots can be made from a "Y" shaped tree branch or cut from plywood.
Do not buy crap slingshots on Amazon or random Chinese web shops if you don't know what to look for. The risk of getting a shitty and dangerous item is very high.
There are some online vendors specialized in slingshot, you can buy from them all you need to start for 25-40 dollars. Depending on the frame you choose.
Or you can watch some tutorials on Youtube and learn how to make your own frame.
What is really important to enjoy slingshot shooting is the elastic.
Modern latex developed purposely for slingshot use is fantastic (forget the inner tube strips you used as a child). You can buy them pre-made, cut to size and with the pouch already attached, or you can buy the latex in rolls and learn how to cut and assemble them by yourself. Second option is cheaper and it gives you the possibility to make them exactly as you want.
Projectiles are steel balls, usually in diameter from 6 to 10 mm, or 10mm clay balls (forget stones, they are dangerous and they will ruin your set up).
Shooting in a catchbox will allow you to retrieve most of the projectiles (very limited waste). You can buy a catchbox or make your own from an old bucket and a piece of thick cloth.
Watching a few tutorials on Youtube it's enough to get started, after that you will need a lot of practice. When you get good at it, shooting at always smaller targets or increasing the distance will give you an infinite challenge to keep up the interest.
March 26, 2023 at 07:28AM
