Making a slingshot for hunting. Slingshot for hunting: an effective weapon. Classic wooden slingshot

A hunting slingshot may look exactly like a device familiar to everyone from childhood, or it may have a modern ergonomic design and additional options, like a comfortable palm rest and an adjustable handle.

A hunting slingshot differs from any other in several ways:

convenience and simplicity of design;
noiselessness of the shot;
it should make it possible to use specially manufactured industrially balls and any other objects suitable for shooting, such as pebbles;
the firing speed must be high.

Such a slingshot can be purchased in a store, or you can make it yourself.

What is a homemade slingshot for hunting?

Homemade slingshots for hunting are most often made of wood, plastic and metal and are distinguished by a wide variety of shapes, especially wooden ones.

There are woodcarving craftsmen who can make a real masterpiece.

But enough to make a high-quality slingshot and an ordinary branched branch, in fact simple version the bark is not even removed from it.

A video in which you can watch the process of making a slingshot from wood. Enjoy watching.

How to make a slingshot for hunting

Regardless of the material and manufacturing method, the approximate width between the “horns” should be from 4 to 7 cm, the length of the handle and horns are selected individually, they are not too important for successful shooting, more affect the convenience of the shooter. Therefore, try to imagine what will be more convenient for you, and choose the length and width of the slingshot according to these parameters. But remember that a slingshot cannot be too thin for hunting; it must withstand frequent shooting with heavy projectiles. The horns should be positioned at the same angle to the handle and be as uniform in thickness as possible.

Wooden slingshot. It is best to use walnut, oak, maple or ash. You will need either a naturally forked branch or a piece of board if you want to carve the slingshot yourself. Using a jigsaw, we cut out the slingshot into the desired shape; it is better not to make it flat - a flat slingshot does not lie very comfortably in the hand. If you manage to find a suitable branch, clear it of bark. We sand the workpiece with sandpaper manually or using a grinder.

We are preparing the place for attaching the elastic band. You can attach it in several ways.

We make slits corresponding to the width of the elastic band, at a distance of 1.5 - 2 cm from the ends of the horns. We wrap an elastic band around the horns and tie a knot.

We make slits as described above, place the ends of the elastic band on the horns so that they are not perpendicular to them, as in the 1st point, but serve as a continuation of the horns, and tie them at the slot with a thin elastic band.

We drill holes at the same distance from the ends of the slingshot corresponding to the diameter of the elastic band, thread it through them and tie knots so that the elastic band cannot jump out.

Slingshot made of epoxy glue. Mix Poxypol or any other epoxy two-component adhesive, mold it into a slingshot of the desired shape. When sculpting a handle, take the epoxy mass in your palm and squeeze it a little, but not too much, as if not squeezing. If you squeeze too tightly, the slingshot will be awkward to hold in your hand when shooting.

After hardening, we follow the papier-mâché principle - we glue the slingshot with 5 - 6 layers of paper using PVA glue. You need to tear the paper by hand; it is better to alternate plain paper and newspaper in layers - this way you will see whether the entire surface has been glued with a new layer. After the last layer has dried, drill holes for the elastic at a distance of 1.5 - 2 cm from the top edge of each horn. You can slightly widen the hole on one side so that the knot does not stick out, but “sits” in the recess.

We sand the product with sandpaper, and then prime with PVA, mixed with chalk, or water dispersion. Sand again with fine-grain sandpaper and paint.

This slingshot looks very aesthetically pleasing and is in no way inferior in quality to a traditional wooden one.

The holes and slots for the rubber bands in any version of the slingshot must be sanded as best as possible, otherwise the rubber band will quickly wear out.

The slingshot saddle (the part in which the projectile is placed) is best made from a piece of thick leather 3 cm wide and 5 cm long. We make small holes along the edges, thread an elastic band through them, and tie a knot.

The choice of gum, perhaps, most important for the killing power of a slingshot. Best indicator elongation - 80% of the length in a “quiet” state. The fastest contracting, and therefore the most powerful, will be flat latex. The manufacturer most loved by slingshots is Thera band, but you can purchase other types of rubber if you can’t find it. You can buy this latex in sports stores; it is used by athletes for training. From it you will need to cut a strip 1.5 to 2 cm wide.

You can also use a round rubber band - for example, a latex catheter purchased at a pharmacy. You can also buy a special rubber band for slingshots, but as a rule, it is not very easy to find.

Elastic length determined individually- it depends on the length of the shooter’s arm and on how well the rubber stretches. To choose the optimal length, you need to try to “shoot” the slingshot with different lengths rubber bands.

What to shoot with

Traditional rocks are not very good for hunting when every shot counts. Different dimensions and weight do not contribute to the development of automaticity when shooting.

For hunting, 8.5mm buckshot is best suited; it can be used to shoot quite far, it is cheap, and is always on sale.

Special metal balls for slingshots, fishing weights and lots (pieces of thin reinforcement) can also be used for hunting.

Who can you hunt with a slingshot?

They use a slingshot to kill small animals and birds. The slingshot performs best when hunting game that rises almost from under your feet - great snipe, woodcock, partridge, hazel grouse, pheasant. Those who like to experiment can also hunt blackbirds, larks, buntings, bullfinches, and waxwings - in traditional Russian cuisine, these birds were often used both as an independent dish and as an additive to pates and sauces.

When shooting at long distances, the effectiveness of the device decreases sharply, so, for example, you can shoot a duck, but it will be much more difficult.

Before you go after your prey with a slingshot, you should take the time to train, choose best position for shooting, adjust the length of the elastic band of the slingshot. If you have not had this experience before, you will most likely not hit the target very accurately at first. But over time, with practice, you will be able to successfully use a slingshot while hunting.

Below you can see photos on the topic of slingshots for hunting. Enjoy watching.

Attention! Hunting with a slingshot is prohibited on the territory of the Russian Federation; this information is provided for informational purposes only. Follow the hunting rules and laws of your country.

Many experienced hunters have a rather contradictory attitude towards this type of weapon, such as a hunting slingshot. And there are reasons for this, since without understanding this type of weapon, it is difficult to imagine how it could be better than a gun and a carbine. However, hunting with a slingshot has a number of advantages, you just need to study the “subject” in more detail. For example, using a slingshot you can successfully hunt squirrels, hares, muskrats and otters. There were cases when a small boar was even shot with a slingshot. Therefore, very often the choice of hunters falls on this type of weapon.

What is a hunting slingshot?

First you need to figure out what parts the slingshot consists of.

At first glance, it may seem that its structure is elementary:

Handle or base. A tourniquet is attached to the handle, which helps to hold the slingshot in your hands when firing;
Tourniquet - when pulled, it accumulates energy for a shot;
Kozhetok - holds the projectile in its grip during the shot.

The first material that was used to create homemade slingshots was wood (cherry, oak, apple tree and others). To do this, they selected the densest and tightest branch in the tree, then tied the slingshot supports together with twine. This structure was left for three months in order for it to acquire the required form and secured it. Only after acquiring the shape, the branch was sawed off from the tree and the bark was cleared. The form was fired over an open fire and polished with a cloth.

The main element is the elastic band; it is necessary that it quickly returns to initial position after the shot. An elastic band up to 30 cm long was put on the base, and it was pulled not in one, but in several layers. The tourniquet is attached in small strips to the base, they are called “harnesses”. The ends of the elastic are attached to the leatherette. A leatherette is a small piece of leather with two holes for a tourniquet. Tanned leather, for example, from an old belt, is suitable.

Advantages and disadvantages

Every hunter will ask the question, what are the advantages of this type of weapon?

The advantages are quite enough to choose this type of weapon for hunting:

This is a very inexpensive weapon.
High shot power with minimal noise.
The damage radius is up to 10 meters, and there are models with a damage radius of up to 70 meters.
It is difficult to carry a gun or bow unnoticed by people, and a slingshot for hunting, given its small size, few will notice.
If the hunter is well prepared, then a shot from a slingshot can be carried out in an instant, and due to the lack of noise, a second attempt can be realized in a few seconds.
A hunting slingshot can be used in any conditions, even while walking or fishing, because you can hit any target within reach.

But there are several disadvantages to this type of weapon:

Short aiming range and small killing range compared to a shotgun.
Due to the low shot force, it is not possible to hunt large animals.
The harness wears out very quickly.
For a successful hunt, the hunter must have extensive experience and good aiming skills.

Principle of operation

So, on what principle does this compact and fairly powerful type of hunting weapon work? A classic-sized slingshot can easily fit in a hunter’s fist.

We’ve already figured out what a slingshot consists of, but how it works needs to be studied in more detail. A projectile is placed in a tourniquet or elastic band. After the projectile is inserted, you need to stretch the elastic on the sides, then take aim and release the leather insert with the projectile in one movement.

The shot itself occurs according to the following principle: with a sharp contraction of the rubber band, kinetic energy from it is transferred to the projectile. This energy is enough for the projectile to reach a speed of up to 80 m/s, and the range can reach up to 200 m. These figures will depend on what material the slingshot is made of, what its design is and the type of ammunition.

The types of ammunition are quite varied. It can be:

Plastic balls of various sizes - used for training and practicing shooting skills. Multiple uses.
Shot, buckshot made of metal of various sizes. Used directly for hunting.
Small and medium stones.

Shooting technique

How to properly use a slingshot for hunting and make the most successful shots that hit the target? Hunting with a slingshot can be a pleasure if you know the shooting technique.

The main thing in hunting with a slingshot is the aiming and stance of the hunter. That is, you need to understand the essence of how to shoot from a slingshot. First, let's look at the aiming technique. There are basically two techniques: instinctive and targeted.

Instinctive shooting

The essence of this method is that the hunter aims “by eye”. In this case, two eyes are focused on the target, the hunter sees the slingshot and skin only with peripheral vision. In this way, the goal is achieved more by intuition than by sight. If, according to the hunter’s feelings, the direction of the weapon and the rubber bands is correct, then the skin itself goes down. The advantage of this type of aiming is that the projectile range is automatically calculated. And when hunting, calculating flight range is a very necessary quality.

Another advantage is that it does not matter which eye sees better. The disadvantage of this type of aiming is that when changing the slingshot or the rubber band on it, you will have to re-master the aiming technique, because the trajectory of the projectile changes from quality characteristics this type of weapon. In order for shots to be accurate when intuitively aiming, you must be able to mentally imagine the trajectory of the ammunition. And this requires shooting experience, which can be gained by shooting at cans or targets. During the learning process, you need to constantly imagine which line the projectile will fly along, try not to blink during shots, and see the point where the projectile hits after the shot.

Aiming with an eye

When shooting with an eye, the results are more effective. The sight can be any landmark on the slingshot that aligns the eyes, the shooting device itself, and the target. You can make your own guide. The point of aiming will be that the aiming eye, the sight of the slingshot, will be lined up strictly in a straight line. For this type of aiming, it is better to use one eye, which has sharper vision. The second eye can be closed for convenience.

Most often, when using an eye gauge, the skin will be in a tense position in the area of the face on the side of the dominant eye. But we must not forget about convergence, which can significantly deteriorate the quality of shooting. Therefore, the slingshot sight must be placed at some distance so that the lines intersect at the location of the target. The sight is convenient to use when several models are used for hunting, with different strengths tension and shot quality.

Depending on the hunter’s stance, and also depending on whether he is moving or standing still, several types of aiming and shooting can be distinguished:

Aiming technique while moving- keeping the sight steady while moving is a very difficult task, almost impossible. But this type of technique does not require the hunter to be completely immobilized. When moving, the sight should move along a line similar to a figure eight laid on its side, or along the line of the infinity sign. The point where the circles will intersect should be the target point. In fact, the point of aiming will be that the skin will be released when the line of sight coincides with the location of the target. It's important to act quickly here because great importance What matters is how quickly the skin is released. As you gain experience, your shots will be well-aimed and accurate. The sight line can move along other trajectories. Some use horizontal or vertical movements of the sight.
Fixed aiming technique. With this technique, you need to aim the sight at the target, lock it and fire the shot. With experience, this technique gives very high results. To achieve high results in this technique, the main thing is to learn how to hold your hands with the weapon in a stationary position for as long as possible, and when shooting, make a minimum delay, up to about 6 seconds. This tactic is mainly used when shooting from a sports slingshot.

Safety precautions

When shooting with a slingshot, it is important to follow safety precautions so that you don’t get hurt instead of the animal:

When hunting with a slingshot, you should always wear safety glasses;
You should not aim at animals if you do not intend to shoot at them;
you always need to see who or what is behind the animal you are aiming at;
do not shoot into the air over hills and buildings if the target is not clearly visible;
beware of ricochet.

The same rules apply when shooting from a sports slingshot.

Hunting tactics

You can hunt small animals or birds, such as hares, ducks, and squirrels.

The tactics of hunting with a slingshot are somewhat different from hunting with other types of weapons and have some features. In this case, the hunting tactic is to get as close as possible to the animal, or to lure it out of the hole. In this case, the ammunition is released silently and if the first attempt is unsuccessful, there is a high chance of making a second, more successful shot, since the animal may not notice or hear the first shot.

Review of popular models

Nowadays, the market offers a huge selection of slingshots for every taste, but among them there are the most popular factory-made models, and not homemade slingshots:

Slingshot for hunting produced by the company Dankung is a powerful slingshot for hunting. Simple in design, it perfectly performs its functions. Made of aircraft-grade aluminum, its weight is about 200 g. Its main advantage is shooting accuracy, which is ensured by a narrow spear. Ideal for hunting.
Company's fighting slingshot Gloveshot Made of anodized aluminum, it can be disassembled for ease of carrying. The rod is wide, which reduces shooting accuracy, however, with constant training, accuracy increases significantly.
Pocket Predator Hathcock Target Sniper- this combat slingshot fits perfectly in the hand and does not cause any discomfort when shooting. The base is made of steel, which is surrounded by a layer of rubber on top. Can be classified as a sports slingshot.
Survival Slingshot Archer Complete is a tactical slingshot designed for hunting. It is distinguished by its equipment, which includes a flashlight that helps with night hunting. You can also use arrows as ammunition.
Model FS-1 from Truemark on the market for more than half a century. It is lightweight and has a clip for charges. The hand rest can be removed.

Do it yourself

You can make a slingshot for hunting with your own hands, it’s not very difficult.

Materials needed to make a slingshot:

wood, plastic, metal for the base of the structure;
rubber for slingshot;
a piece of tanned leather.

Tools you will need to make your own slingshot :

jigsaw (if the slingshot is made of wood).
sandpaper;
scissors;
drill.

Stages of work

How to make a slingshot for hunting without spending a lot of money and time is described below. This is the most common and basic model for hunting.

Best for hunting slingshot A wood such as walnut, oak, ash or maple is suitable. You need to find a forked branch of the required shape or cut a slingshot of the desired shape and size from solid wood. If the choice fell on a branch, then you need to clear the bark from the rock.

The workpiece is sanded using sandpaper. Next, prepare a place for attaching the elastic band. Two slits are made on the handle, according to the size of the elastic band. The distance from the end of the horns should be about 2 cm. An elastic band is wrapped around each horn and tied in a knot. The ends of the elastic band are placed on the horns so that they are a continuation of each horn, and in place of the slots in the handle you need to tie them with a thin elastic band. It is better to sand all the holes and slots perfectly so that the rubber does not wear out too quickly.

The “saddle” of the slingshot is best made of leather measuring 3x5 cm. Small holes are made along the edges through which an elastic band is threaded and a knot is tied. The elastic band is the main part in this device. The elastic band can be replaced by using a slingshot tourniquet. The slingshot for hunting is ready!

You can make a slingshot with your own hands from other materials - for example, make a blank from metal or plastic. A powerful slingshot You can do it yourself if Special attention pay attention to the quality of the elastic, sparing no expense on it. It is better to buy rubber for a slingshot from a branded manufacturer that has all the necessary physical characteristics. Homemade slingshot can be a worthy alternative factory model. Plus, you can make a slingshot with your own hands to perfectly fit the size of the hunter’s hand.

Video

From our video you will learn how to make a slingshot with your own hands at home.

Once upon a time, hunting was one of the main human activities. Successful results provided people not only with food, but also with clothes, shoes and even jewelry. Nowadays, commercial hunting has practically disappeared, and now it is more of a hobby. Expensive, requiring not only desire, but also certain skills. There are so many weapons and devices of such quality that the hunter often only has to aim and pull the trigger. But real professionals do not recognize such tactics. Some of them also disapprove of this type of weapon such as a slingshot for hunting, considering it ineffective. However, this statement is controversial and to understand who is right, we should take a closer look at this ancient weapon.

No man needs to explain what a slingshot looks like. A homemade slingshot, made from scrap materials, has been in the hands of almost every boy. But it still doesn’t hurt to remember. Moreover, modern hunting slingshots have undergone some improvements, and manufacturers no longer use forked branches specially spotted on a particular tree. Although the principle remained unchanged.

So, a slingshot for hunting consists of three main parts:

The base, which simultaneously serves as a handle and a place for attaching the harness.
Tourniquet. Power and range depend on its elasticity and resilience.
Kozhetok. A specially selected piece of tanned leather into which the projectile is inserted.

Previously, the process of making a slingshot began with finding a suitable branch. The type of wood also mattered. Oak, ash, cherry or apple trees were best suited for this purpose. A dense forked branch was tied with twine and left for a while so that it took the desired shape. Only after this the blank for the slingshot was cut off. They removed the bark from it, polished it and burned it.

A multi-layer elastic cord was attached to the upper ends, in the middle of which a leatherette was attached - a small piece of tanned leather. Then the slingshot had to be shot, because it is impossible to make products identical in strength, range, accuracy and lethality.

IN modern models other materials are used. More durable and flexible.

Shooting principle

A projectile is placed in the skin. The tourniquet is stretched too much. The distance of the target in this case does not play a role. The projectile must receive maximum charge kinetic energy. Not only the power, but also the accuracy of the shot depends on this. Aiming is in progress. Then the skin is sharply released, the tourniquet instantly contracts and sends a projectile. In this case, the speed can reach 70-90 m/s, and the range is 200-250 meters. These indicators do not apply to all types of slingshots. Everything will depend on the material from which it is made, the design features and the type of projectile.

Ammunition

There's not too much variety here. But after many years and even centuries practical exercises, three types of projectiles for hunting slingshots were selected:

Plastic balls, different weights and sizes. They are not very effective for hunting, or more precisely, they are too light, but they are ideal for training.
Metal buckshot and shot. These are just combat options.
And, of course, small-sized and suitable-shaped pebbles. This type of shell can be easily found right on the spot.

Advantages and disadvantages

The debate on this topic will never subside. Some consider a slingshot to be an ideal weapon for hunting. Others, on the contrary, do not compare it with the same bow or hunting crossbow. And there’s nothing to say about a good branded gun or carbine. However, not all so simple.

The undeniable advantages of the slingshot:

Can be used under any circumstances. Even if you went into the forest to pick mushrooms or go fishing in the river, you can make a targeted shot at any time.
Having certain skills, preparing for a shot takes only a few seconds. Which, coupled with noiselessness, makes it possible for a second attempt to hit the target if the first was unsuccessful.
The slingshot is easy to carry and even with a supply of shells it is quite light.
Relatively high power. There are slingshots whose destructive power reaches 70 meters or more. Of course, it can’t be compared with a gun, but in a dense forest sometimes there are only ten meters left.
Silence.
And the last argument is cheapness.

What other arguments could there be that speak in favor of a hunting slingshot? They certainly exist, as well as disadvantages:

To learn how to properly and successfully use a slingshot for hunting, you will need many days of training.
Large game is not available for this type of weapon, although cases of wild boars have been reported.
No matter how high-quality the harness is, its service life is very limited.
Not a long aiming range. This point was also noted in the merits, so it all depends on the circumstances in which the slingshot is used.

Having considered both lists and having considered what outweighs the advantages or disadvantages, you will have to make a choice: will you take the slingshot into service and go hunting for hares, squirrels and other small game. Or will you prefer a more lethal weapon, which will provide the opportunity to kill a larger animal.

Correct shooting technique

This concept includes two components: aiming and the hunter's stance. By mastering both correctly, you can achieve amazing results. Experienced hunters are able to hit a target that is not standing still. And it’s also not uncommon to shoot while you’re on the move.

In this light, two aiming techniques are worth considering.

Instinctive shooting

This method is based more on imagination and feelings, although it does not abolish the laws of physics. Aiming is done with both eyes, and the slingshot is controlled by sensations, because it is completely outside the direct gaze. When the hunter feels that the direction of fire has been chosen correctly, by lowering his hand with the leatherette clamped in his fingers, the trajectory and flight range of the projectile is adjusted.

The undoubted advantage of this aiming method is that the shooter does not care which eye he sees better. But the disadvantages include two facts:

If a hunter is poorly able to imagine the trajectory of a projectile, he is unlikely to achieve any success. This is the very imagination on which the method is based.
The second is the fact that after replacing a worn out harness, you will have to spend some time shooting.

Mastering this method requires long training. But having mastered it, the hunter is unlikely to leave the forest without trophies.

Aiming with an eye

Installing a landmark on a slingshot for hunting can significantly increase the efficiency and accuracy of shooting even for an inexperienced shooter. But there are some nuances here:

You will have to aim with one eye, the one that is sharper.
The reference point should be set slightly to the side, since the hand with the skin will be in close proximity to the face, and this fact can negatively affect accuracy.
When choosing a reference overlay, you need to ensure that it matches your individual color sensibilities.

The essence of aiming with an eye comes down to the following: three points must be lined up on one line. Eye, sight and target. The flight range is determined in the same way as in the previous method.

A well-made and individually adjusted eye can easily be used with several types of slingshots, simply by moving it from one to another, which can significantly improve hunting results.

Hunter Stance

When hunting with a slingshot, sometimes there is no time left to take the correct stance. Find support for your feet, fall on one knee, or vice versa, straighten up. All these movements in the forest, where any movement means danger for the animal, can scare away the prey, and you will have to spend some more time searching for it. Therefore, the hunter’s stance comes down to two concepts, from which the method of aiming follows.

In move. Experienced shooters advise not to try to keep the sight exactly on the target while moving. It is almost impossible to do this, and by and large not required. The sight can move along a certain trajectory, the ideal example of which would be the infinity sign - an eight falling on its side. The junction of the imaginary lines will be the aiming point. As soon as the shooter feels that the movements have converged at this point, and it, in turn, coincides with the target, a shot is fired. "Infinity" is not the only option. The trajectory of the sight should be selected individually.
Fixed aiming. At first glance, nothing complicated. Point the sight at the target, make sure that all three points coincide and release the skin. But there are subtleties here too. Learning to hold a tense slingshot straight throughout the entire time of sight is not easy. And one more thing: between the moment when the sight found the target and the shot, the delay should be 5, maximum 7 seconds. In the forest when hunting, this method is rarely used, since you can’t sit in an ambush with a slingshot, so it’s more suitable for aiming sports competitions and shooting.

In general, there are nuances. However, having mastered all these skills, you can safely take the slingshot into service.

How to make a slingshot for hunting with your own hands

The hunting equipment store offers quite a selection of wide choose slingshots, but remembering your childhood and making one yourself is also not difficult. To do this you will need a very small set of materials and tools:

Suitable piece of branch. Can be replaced with a plastic or metal part.
Rubber or special harness.
A piece of tanned leather.
Jigsaw.
Drill.
Scissors.
Sandpaper.

The algorithm of actions is still the same as in a cheerful, happy childhood.

A carefully selected horned branch should be cleared of bark and treated with sandpaper.
On each horn of the sighting part, about two centimeters below the ends, remove the annular chamfer under the elastic band.
The elastic is wrapped around the antlers, tied in knots, and the knots are wrapped with thread.
The center of the elastic is measured and cut.
In a piece of leather selected for the leather, holes are made along the edges.
The ends of the elastic are passed through these holes and tied with a knot.

The homemade slingshot is ready and no drawings are needed. The main thing is that the ends of the elastic bands are the same in length, otherwise the skin will be shifted to one side. All that remains is to select suitable shells and start shooting.

Review of several popular models

But let's go back to the store. Choosing a truly high-quality slingshot for hunting, and even a strong, accurate and durable one, is quite difficult for an inexperienced person. Therefore, here are a couple of the most popular models:

Model FS-1 from Truemark. Very light. The kit includes a clip for shells. Removable hand rest. Designed almost 50 years ago, it is still one of the best-selling models.
Survival Slingshot Archer Complete. Purely hunting model. The kit includes a flashlight. Arrows can be used.
The so-called fighting slingshot. Collapsible model made of anodized aluminum. There is a large scatter when shooting, since the sighting part is too wide.
The base is made of aircraft aluminum, which makes it lightweight. Due to thin rubber, the accuracy of hitting the target is increased.

The list is far from complete, but the listed models are enough to understand that finding a slingshot to suit your needs will not be difficult.

Safety precautions

Shooting, no matter where or what it is made of, is quite dangerous. Especially when the view is blocked tightly standing trees, low bush or peeking out from behind a cloud Sunbeam. Therefore, it is necessary to observe safety precautions when hunting.

The first danger is ricochet. A projectile from a slingshot flies very quickly and can change its trajectory, hitting a stone, a tree trunk, or just a thick branch.
When shooting a slingshot, you must wear safety glasses.
Carefully monitor what is on the projectile’s flight path and, especially in the immediate vicinity of the target.
And never aim at an animal unless you intend to shoot.

This is where we can finish the review of this familiar and at the same time such an unusual weapon for hunting. Good luck in the fishing.

Almost all boys approach their fathers or older brothers with the question: how to make a slingshot? You can make it at home from all sorts of materials. There are options for plastic, wire, and wooden slingshots. You can even make a slingshot from a plastic bottle.

“Slingshot” made from elastic on fingers

This is the most common and simple slingshot, which only requires an elastic band. Make a loop at each end and place it on the middle and index fingers of your non-dominant hand (for left-handers - on the right, for right-handers - on the left). Now just take the dowels made of paper, fold them in half, place the fold on the elastic, pull and release. Here's how to make a slingshot at home in a few seconds. It is convenient because you can take it off your fingers and put it on at any second. This is great for those cases when parents are looking for the one who misbehaved...

A slingshot from a branch at home?

To make it, you need to find a twig that is shaped like the letter Y. Use sandpaper to remove any bumps and nicks so as not to damage your hand while shooting. Then fasten the elastic band to the upper corners of the spear. To make it more convenient, you can make grooves in the attachment points so that the elastic does not slip off. Or you can make holes and secure the elastic by threading it through the holes. Most convenient slingshot is considered to be the one that has a piece of skin in the middle of the elastic band. It is needed to hold a ball or pebble.

There is a “gift version” of the slingshot, in other words, a souvenir version. It can be made stationary, in other words, with a stand. In this case, you need to think about a stand. Basic distinctive feature of this type of slingshot is that the backbone has original form. This could be a bunny whose ears are used to attach an elastic band, or the face of a bear cub whose paws are raised up. Or you can do everything from an ordinary rolling pin with handles. It is only necessary to saw off a part about 15 centimeters long from it, carve a notch in the thick end (opposite from the handle), a pebble or dowel will fly out through it, and at the end, make holes in the protrusions on which the elastic will be attached.

How to make a slingshot from wire at home?

You can use a solid wire frame as the backbone. In this case, there is no need to make the branches Y-shaped. The metal needs to be bent in steps at a right angle, then folded in half and a symmetrical second part made. Wrap the lower part, where the wire is connected, with electrical tape, and at the diverging upper ends make loops in which an elastic band is attached.

How to make a slingshot from a plastic bottle?

You can use an ordinary pharmacy fingertip or a balloon and plastic bottle. Remove the cap from the bottle, measure 7 centimeters from the neck and cut it off. Pull a fingertip or ball over the neck and secure it well with wire or thread. From this device you can shoot an even piece of a branch, a pencil, a pen, a mountain ash, pebbles, etc., inserted into the neck. Hold what you are shooting through the rubber band of your fingertip or ball, pull the rubber band back and release it sharply.

No matter how trivial it may sound, our childhood was much more interesting than that of today’s younger generations. After classes, the girls hurried into the yard with rubber bands and jump ropes, and the boys, having abandoned their briefcases after school, did not let go of their slingshots at all. Moreover, no one bought them in the store then, but everyone made their own. Today, children have become homebodies and spend more time at the computer or tablet. Perhaps, having come across this article, some boy will find it interesting and take advantage of the advice given in it. And we will talk about how to make a slingshot with your own hands.

You can make a slingshot from the simplest means at hand. The most common and simplest option is made of wood.

How to make a slingshot from wood

Required materials and tools: stick Y-shape, rubber band, piece of leather (rubber), knife.

You may ask, how to make a slingshot quickly so that you can use it right away? Of course, from the branch.

To do this, you just need to find a suitable stick on the street, the right shape and strong enough so that it can withstand the load and not break. The stick will be the basis for the future slingshot.
Excess branches and twigs will need to be cut off with a knife.
Next, you may need to dry the workpiece if the branch is fresh. To do this, you can use a regular oven.
The next step will be preparing the rods. You need to take any elastic band, measure the required length and make two pulls.
At the edges of the horns of the branch, in the places where the rods are attached, it is necessary to make indentations so that the elastic does not slip off.
Next you will need to make a platform for the projectile. This could be a piece of leather or rubber. Need to give it rectangular shape and make holes along the edges for the elastic. It is convenient to use a hole punch, but if you don’t have one, you can make slits using a knife or scissors.
What follows are very basic steps - connecting all the parts into a single structure.

Homemade slingshot from board or plywood

You can also take a more complicated path - using a jigsaw to cut out a base for a slingshot from a board or plywood.

Sharp corners will have to be rounded off with sandpaper or sandpaper, or something should be wrapped around the handle. Most likely, every home has duct tape. This would make a great slingshot, considering that electrical tape comes in a variety of colors. You can also use soft leather or other material that needs to be easily secured so that it will not slide along the handle. Great idea will make a personal inscription or some kind of symbol on the handle or horns. It used to be fashionable to burn various patterns onto wooden products using a wood soldering iron. In the case of a slingshot, it can also come in handy.

Wire slingshot

Since making a slingshot from wire is also very easy and quick, any boy can use this method.

Necessary materials and tools: wire with a diameter of 2 mm and a length of 30-40 cm, an elastic band (money or fishing), pliers and a knife.

As you may have guessed, the basis of the slingshot will be wire.

The wire must be folded in half.
Approximately halfway through, pull both ends of the wire in different directions and bend them upward. Next you will need to use pliers to make the horns even. Bottom part the blank - a wire folded in half - will be the handle.
At the ends of the horns, approximately a centimeter or more from the edge, using a stationery knife or a regular one, you need to carefully cut off the insulation so that it can be removed and then put back on.
You need to thread the ends of the elastic band into the resulting cylinders of insulation and return the cylinders to old place. Now they fit tightly enough, preventing the elastic from slipping out.

Here's how to make your own slingshot using wire.

How to make a slingshot from a bottle

An unusual option, but also a very simple design.

Required materials and tools: ordinary plastic bottle, ball and knife.

To make such a slingshot, you need:

Cut the neck out of the bottle
Attach a ball to it.

All! It's faster to do than to tell how to make a slingshot.

What can you shoot?

All these slingshots are used for entertainment purposes. Any round berries, such as elderberry or rowan, can serve as projectiles for them. You can also make homemade bullets from thin aluminum wire. To do this, you need to cut the wire 2-3 cm long and bend it into a V shape.

You may also be interested in how to make a powerful slingshot.

Powerful slingshot

This design is no longer so simple, but it is also within the capabilities of anyone.

Necessary materials and tools: metal wire with a cross-section of 5 mm in diameter and a length of about 70 cm, 2 medical catheters No. 22, a piece of leather, a stick, electrical tape, pliers and tweezers.

Using pliers, you need to give correct form wire. Bend it in half and form a stop, handle and horns.
Then, if there is a soft rubber or dense foam cylinder, making it through hole in the center, thread it onto the wire and pull it to the stop. This is necessary so that the wire does not put pressure on your hand. You can also simply wrap it well with iso- or any other tape.
Next, you need to cut the stick to the required length, trying it on own hand. Make grooves on the sides of the stick for the wire.
Insert the future handle into the workpiece and wrap it with electrical tape or secure it with other material.
The ends of the horns also need to be insulated.
Now you need to prepare a platform for the shells. You need to make two holes in the leather rectangle.
Next, you need to cut off the tips of the catheters and make small holes in them along the edges, insert the catheter into the leather jacket. Through the hole made, using tweezers, insert the other end of the catheter into the hole and tighten. Do the same with the other thrust.
The free ends of the catheter must be put on the slingshot, having previously moistened them with any alcohol.

The article selects the most best options on how to make a slingshot at home. Use one of them, but don't forget that you can't shoot at people or animals! It’s better to make your own small shooting gallery, where the targets will be cans. Invite more friends and have fun together. At the same time, you can boast of a “personal weapon.”