slingshots/catapults

[Knoll]

For highest performance, don't believe medical latex can be beat. The material needs to be stored in dark cool place. UV is enemy of latex. It's not the most long-lived but, man, does that STUFF make a steel ball zinnnng!  :-)

Primo exercise band, imo, is Theraband. Not quite as snappy as latex, but is bit more durable and maybe less costly.

Lesser band materials were avail back when slingshots were serious hobby of mine. Such as #107 rubber bands, a conveyor belt material used in mining industry (this stuff is very durable), and the cheaper exercise band materials. Don't know if those heavy rubber bands or conveyor belt materials are still avail. I just bought the low cost exercise band stuff, but haven't made any band sets yet.

The best online source, imo, for slingshot materials is SimpleShot. https://simple-shot.com/

There's also tube, instead of flat band, configurations/materials. I was not accurate with them, but many guys are.

I'll post some slingshots have made later tonight.

[bjrogg]

Sure brings back memories. In 7th grade most every boy in our class had a slingshot. We made they from big cotter pins and heavy rubber bands. We used folded up tin foil from gum wrappers for ammo. Pinch grip. It wasn’t safe to walk down the hallway as groups would ambush each other. One of my buddy’s laughed as he shot me as I was walking in the classroom. I couldn’t shoot him back as class was starting. He was hiding himself behind some other students. I looked under our desk and I could see his bare ankle. I came to full draw and let my tin foil wad loose. It got him right square in the center of his ankle. He had know idea it was coming. He yelled Oouucch!!!!! Really loud. I can still see his ankle in those “flood pants” as we called them back then. I got a huge smile on my face just thinking of it.lol
Bjrogg

[Knoll]

Here's a few images.

[stuckinthemud]

They are all lovely, but the one in the second picture is stunning; what timber is it?

[bjrogg]

That second one is sweet Mike. Is that it’s natural color? Very nice.

I like your ammo recovery system to. Your can looks like it’s mortality wounded.

Bjrogg

PS anyone have any catapults?

[Knoll]

2nd one is a natural. Made by someone else. Have tried naturals several times and not been pleased. 

Thanks bj.

[stuckinthemud]

This was what I came up with.  Made it from a piece of oak from an old church pew.  Credit card-size mini side-shooting light-weight lefty for plinking and tree-stumping.  One day I'll re-band it with therabands but for now its really good fun and fits in my jeans back pocket

[WhistlingBadger]

PS anyone have any catapults?

I do!  And detailed instructions how to build them, that a reasonably sharp fifth grader can follow!  It's all on google drive...Is there a good way to share google docs on here?

Stick and Knoll, great looking slingshots!  I used to be a fair hand with one back in my college days, and I'm getting the old skill back chasing deer off my hay bales...

[DC]

This was what I came up with.  Made it from a piece of oak from an old church pew.  Credit card-size mini side-shooting light-weight lefty for plinking and tree-stumping.  One day I'll re-band it with therabands but for now its really good fun and fits in my jeans back pocket

That looks kind of awkward to hang on to compared with the old forked stick. Is there something I'm missing here?

[Knoll]

This was what I came up with.  Made it from a piece of oak from an old church pew.  Credit card-size mini side-shooting light-weight lefty for plinking and tree-stumping.  One day I'll re-band it with therabands but for now its really good fun and fits in my jeans back pocket

Chained rubber bands will do the job.

[Knoll]

Do need to have confidence that ammo will clear top of ss.     Because hand is so near bands, there's virtually no leverage on hand.

[stuckinthemud]

You don't grip it in a fist, its more like a pinch: the right side edge lays across the base of your fingers, the thumb tip snugs into the scoop on the left edge

[Ed Brooks]

This was what I came up with.  Made it from a piece of oak from an old church pew.  Credit card-size mini side-shooting light-weight lefty for plinking and tree-stumping.  One day I'll re-band it with therabands but for now its really good fun and fits in my jeans back pocket

I seen a little slingshot like this, had a hole in it with a small loop of 550, used to wrap around the wrist to help with leverage. I’m looking at making a metal one right now.

[Traxx]

Thats a variation,of a PFS or Pickle fork shooter..Its really not designed to shoot through the forks,but over the top..Many PFS shooters have no gap at all.

[Knoll]

My catchbox is "rubbery" container picked up at a big box store. Don't use one made from "hard" plastic ... won't survive for long. There's couple towels suspended on dowel rods at rear of box. That's sufficient to stop ammo and they collect at bottom of box.
The milk crate on shelf holds supply of alum cans awaiting death.
White waste basket holds cans that are shot through 'n' through.