Catapults for huntin small game?

Marbles Marbles Marbles!!


They're cheap and hard hitting. I've shot the bearings but never could get used to the weight dropoff.

I have however taken many a bird, lizard and rabbit with good ol marbles.
 
Nic Ramirez is right. I have several bagfuls of marbles to back up his claim! :D
 
Just purchased a bag of marbles (102 per bag) from one of those "everything for a dollar" stores for a buck (about 68cents U.S.) for my slingshot!
 
As of a couple of months ago you could still find slingshots in Wal-Mart depending on the local laws. If you have the time check out some of the older style hardware stores they may have a few buried on the shelf.

Marbles work great and are cheap. For short range round lead fishing sinkers work great but they drop off really bad after about 15 feet.

I have actually used one on rabbits with some success, the trick is getting close enough and getting a head shot. If you hit them in the chest it will only stun them. Same with frogs however check local game laws before hunting either rabbits or frogs.
 
When I was a kid, we would make them from the bottom portion of wire coat hangers. All we needed was a pair of lineman's pliers(or any other pliers that also have a wire cutter), the heavy duty wire hanger, 4 to 6 heavy rubberbands, and an old leather shoe tounge. One of my friends had to take a trip to the ER from getting hit with a rock in the head from one of these slingshots. :eek:
 
Up here in Canada, Wal-Mart sells fairly decent looking slingshots, right out in the open, for under $10.

That is, until our federal Liberal Party gets wind and creates a national slingshot registry!
 
Here's my experience with a wrist-rocket. When I was a teenager in Texas, I used to pick-off 4" blue-tail lizards sitting on the backyard fence at 20+ yards. Pretty good accuracy.

More recently, I had a rabbit eating the new plants in my garden. I was brushing my teeth one morning and looking out the window. There was the little critter munching away. I got my wrist rocket and a steel ball bearing and got within about 20 yards. I nailed him in the ribs right behind the front shoulder. He went THUMP and fell over without a single step. But, as I was walking toward my prey, he got up, shook his head and ran off. Any ideas for a better kill ratio? I'm 0 for 1 on rabbits. Maybe a head shot?

PS - Will 62, I just read your post and you are right - a rib shot only stuns a rabbit. Maybe the greater velocity from using a lighter marble vs a ball bearing will help? Any thoughts?
 
Originally posted by roloss_valdes
I would like to know how can I aim with this kind of weapon ?

Thank you

Roloss
Click to expand...

Practice...same as with a blowgun or with knife throwing. The more you use one the more accurate you become.
 
Yes I know with practice but how can I aim ..... with one of the V side or with the leather that have the pellet, I need to touch my cheek with the back-upper part of my thumb... ????

Thank you for the info
 
This guy must have some awesome wrists to support the torque of the double banded slingshot without any wrist bracing like the wrist rockets have. Maybe it depends on what the definition of hunt is? I would hate to "hunt" a "medium predator" without a bit more power, control and repeating action!
 
I used to be quite the lizard sniper when I was a kid. I got a bird once and it bummed me out. I still shoot one once in a while. They are great to take camping in a state park full of brazen raccoons like they have here on the east coast!! :D
 
Originally posted by roloss_valdes
Yes I know with practice but how can I aim ..... with one of the V side or with the leather that have the pellet, I need to touch my cheek with the back-upper part of my thumb... ????
Click to expand...

Roloss, I always put the pouch just below my eye (facing away ;-), and looked through the center of the slingshot's fork -- sort of like shooting a bow and arrow. It took a little practice not to bump myself in the face when I released, but it made it easier to watch the trajectory of the stone and see where it went (and how far I missed the target by).

I always assumed that everyone did it this way -- do others aim differently?
 
Lizards are easy to hunt with a slingshot. Here in Brazil they have the wonderful habit of running at your first approach giving away their positon. They then stop and turn around to look at you, well within range. We hunt the rocks on top of ridges it he early morning when the sun is starting to warm the rocks. It brings the lizards out to bake. Mac
 
All this talk about slingshots has so fired me up that the other day I returned home with three slingshots in a bag.

Only after I have walked into the living room, I realised "hey, what are all these slingshots doing in the bag."

Seriously though, they were so cheap I couldn't resist buying them for sentimental reasons. Maybe they will make some kids happy down the road. :D :D
 
I always used the top of one of the forks, holding the slingshot at an angle. Constant angle and pull length give repeatable results.
-carl
 
We have turned the discussion towards sling shots, but you should also consider the simple sling. It is harder to shoot but has a far longer range and is very hard hitting.

n2s
 
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