# The Loneliest Hobby



## Byudzai (Aug 31, 2013)

Do you guys ever feel like this when you start telling ppl about slingshots?










It sorta gets me down that the one thing I spend most of my time enthusiastically doing and thinking about right now is also the one thing absolutely guaranteed to make people instantly stop listening to me.

I'm sure y'all know that look in peoples' eye, like a candle just snuffed out, and any glimmer of interest they might have had for what you were about to tell them just vanished.

Thank goodness for this forum!


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## Lacumo (Aug 18, 2013)

Get another hobby that you can talk about. Maybe blowguns (ha,ha)...


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## YHY slinger (Aug 18, 2014)

Yeah and it's also hard to find a friend has the same hobby that live around u and play with u...


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## HMIB (Jul 30, 2014)

Yes, but I quickly drop it if they don't bite. It is still a delight when you mention slingshots and you see the person's eyes light up with a twinkle. I have promised a woman a sling shot after she started reminiscing about shooting slingshots as a girl. There is another woman, a luthier by trade, who had the same look of delight when i mentioned slingshots to her.

Still having fun as an old man; HMIB stands for Honoring My Inner Boy!


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## Tag (Jun 11, 2014)

At least we have the forum. I'm fortunate to have MJ and Jodi just twenty minutes away. I don't think people realize how slingshots have evolved over the last few years. I proved to a guy that I could hit a plastic golfball at 35ft, then I shot at a playing card. I did not split the card, but I at least hit it. Have them check out Bill Hays, Treefork, or one of the many other videos.


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## SonoftheRepublic (Jul 3, 2011)

Ha Ha . . . Very true. As a boy, slingshots were popular and interesting to my friends. But as a grown man, few understand my passion for them. Except that most know I love to "shoot", and slingshots just naturally fit in with my other pursuits.

Fortunately, I like the solitude of a walk in the field with my slingshot and Mother Nature as my only sole companion. Sometimes its not so bad to have an activity you can enjoy all by yourself. I believe it was Natural Fork who said "shooting a slingshot is the greatest form of meditation".

And of course as Tag said, we do have a wonderful forum here to share with.


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## quarterinmynose (Jan 21, 2012)

**** 'em. Some folks man...I tell ya.

I like that pic though.


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## Beanflip (Sep 11, 2010)

I know exactly what you mean. Where you describe it as a flame going out is a perfect description.


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## M.J (Nov 1, 2010)

I have people actually coming up to me and asking about slingshots all the time now. I try to be pretty general in my answers as to not get the candle-snuffing effect of really going in to all of it.


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## treefork (Feb 1, 2010)

Seems like most adults get caught up in the rat race of life ( working, bills ,house, kids ect. ) and forget how to play and have fun. Life is short.


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## Alfred E.M. (Jul 5, 2014)

*I too like the solitude and serenity of our lonely sport; modern living can be so jarring. The forum provides access to other kindred students of concentration, and I'm grateful for that.*


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## leon13 (Oct 4, 2012)

I am hear ! And with ya ????cheers


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## Underachiever (Oct 17, 2013)

I´m with you too, some people seriously ask me if I never grow up! But as soon as I demonstrate what a 10mm Steelball does with a tin can they suddenly blush.... :screwy:

Have a good one!

Luke


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## Underachiever (Oct 17, 2013)

Lacumo said:


> Get another hobby that you can talk about. Maybe blowguns (ha,ha)...


...or stamps :neener:


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## oldmiser (Jan 22, 2014)

Well I am single..so that would be I guess called lonely...(I choose it too be that way) I slingshots shooting is a sport..

Ha Ha at my age of 70yrs old..I do not need another hobby...one is all I can afford at present.....

To me the SSF Forum is my so call Family......So other than going total off the grid for living in the country away from cities

or in the mountain area(back country) I am fine...I am on the KISS program~AKAOldmiser


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## Devoman (Oct 15, 2010)

Well as a pastor, I have learned that there are a few things in life some people don't want to talk about. Now add your love of Slingshots and you can be really boring at a party lol. Still, it is important that we tell others about our interest, but do so with gentleness and respect not "stuffing the candle" that is burning.


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## hashbrown (Mar 10, 2014)

Well, aside from the people on this forum, I don't really care what other people think about my hobby, cause it's usually negative. As long as I'm having a good time and constantly learning, I'm happy.


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## flippinfool (Aug 22, 2014)

I've just recently picked the sport back up. My youngest daughter saw me shooting in my shop and wanted to try it. She now loves it and wants to shoot every time she's home. Got to build her a catchbox so she can practice in her garage now. Most people don't understand it or want to. Others just have never thought about it and when they try it they get hooked too. Guess it takes all kinds of people to make this world tick.


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## SharpshooterJD (Oct 9, 2012)

It's not a problem for me I just tell them about the throwing spikes and knives and tomahawks and the bull whips and ect.  but yeah I know what you mean I don't really tell people at all anymore unless they see what else I do and they can appreciate it as a real weapon. Thanks Josh


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## SharpshooterJD (Oct 9, 2012)

That's awesome Flippin! Not many young people on this forum besides me  And not many young people are interested in it I hope she enjoys herself!


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## Urban Fisher (Aug 13, 2014)

I guess my story is very similar to others in one way or another. My close friends know I have taken up the hobby over the last few months. Some seem very interested and some still kinda view them as chlidren's toys. My goal is to just have fun experimenting and making HDPE slingshots and I'll just give them away to friends that seem like they would appreciate and use them.

But another reason for me to enjoy this hobby so much is that I had to downsize a few years ago. A divorce took me from a nice house with a big garage to a very small efficiency apatrment. The only thing about the divorce that I'm upset about...is that I should have done it years earlier!!!...LOL!!! But anyway I love working with my hands and making things. Without my garage it's hard to find an outdoor type related hobby that you can build your own stuff in a small space and without tons of tools. Well the slingshots fill that need for me. Simple hand saws, files, dremel tool, sand paper and I can make my own little super cool slingshots in my small apartment!


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## An Evolving Ape (Aug 16, 2014)

DUDES! If you want to impress the ladies you have to brag about your slingshot collection and slingshot forum badges! :bonk:

Seriously, you might as well ask them to join your Dungeons & Dragons club. But with life these days in the 1st world we have so many entertainment and leisure options that is near impossible to find people with more than one or two similar interests.


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## Pebble Shooter (Mar 29, 2014)

Unfortunately, many people seem to link slingshots with the notion of a child's toy, or something used by youngsters to cause trouble in the neighbourhood (the smashed windows scenario is a classic) . They somehow fail to see that slingshots are just another shooting tool such as bow, crossbows, airguns, or firearms, and can be great fun and challenging when used responsibly. It's an image problem that needs to be addressed by a respected slingshot association or similar organisation.

Being aware of this fact, I actually never say outright that I make and shoot slingshots, but generally speak of how I played with slingshots as a kid just to see how the person I'm speaking to reacts to the subject. If the reaction is generally positive, I then proceed with saying that I also now have fun with slingshots, and that I would be more than happy to let them try one of my slingshots.

As already mentioned here by another forum member, it is when people realize how hard hitting a modern slingshot actually can be

(the 12 mm steel BB shot penetrating a half-inch particle board like butter tends to be very convincing...) that the "wow!" factor tends to set in quite rapidly, along with a marked increase of interest in how to make them, etc.

What really is needed are more "open days" at specific events where people can try out various kinds of slingshots while hearing the right kind of reasons from experienced slingshot enthusiasts as to why they should take up slingshot shooting. Cheap ammo might well be a highly motivating factor these days: sounds like you have a .22 LR shortage in the States...what's going on?


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## Randysavage (Aug 4, 2014)

All my buds have responded positively and all come out to shoot with me. Even my wife, we all know we did it as kids and now being able to call the shot and nail it its just as fun as adults, or whatever you call 28 year old guys running around in the woods with slingshots haha. I think only one person has asked me why I shoot them everyone else just wants to shoot with me. I make them go buy small game licences and we pop squirrel all together. Its a really fun time!


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## Themexicanshooter (Mar 12, 2014)

I love this hobby and i love slingshots


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## DogBox (Aug 11, 2014)

Byudzai said:


> Do you guys ever feel like this when you start telling ppl about slingshots?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That is a beautiful picture!

As to your question, I feel like that without even opening my mouth!.... :iono:


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## Quercusuber (Nov 10, 2011)

Your very interesting thread brings up a lot of questions to me.

To find your own niche in society, without being on the mainstream, can be hard and, sometimes, frustrating.

I know exactly the feelings you're referring to. Seems that this hobby of ours, which has become a form of sport/art in various ways, is quite underrated and regarded as something odd or "undignified". Paradoxically, for me, the more people have this kind of view of slingshots, the better.

I consider this hobby to be a very closed one and fit only for a minority or genre of people. It seems to me that for mastering slingshots (both in construction as in shooting), you have to be a person with certain natural qualities or inclinations, perhaps something like a musician...You don't have to "rationalize" nothing: Just to feel. What I mean to say is that not everyone can relate to this hobby in the passionate way we do.

So, how they say, to have the approval of the majority isn't always a sign of quality. By the contrary.

Sometimes I wonder if this hobby would have had the same projection as archery has now. It would have been bad or good for slingshots? I really don't know... Nevertheless, I agree that slingshots need that further step ahead. Perhaps making this hobby a little more "official" can contribute to a better acceptance of slingshots by people.

Cheers ...Q


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## Susi (Mar 3, 2013)

Frankly we could not care less about what others think of our hobby of SSing. Yes they sort of look at us strangely like we're collecting antique sexual devices or something weird but again, what matters to us is our enjoyment, not public acceptance. Fact it though, there are thousands of SSers all over the world, this forum houses between 1 and 2 thousand enthusiasts as members and who knows how many lurkers. My neighbors walk past the house's garage where the "range" is set up as well as drive by, often stop and watch a bit and ask, "'who are you going to shoot?" We say with a smile, "pop cans". That adds wonderment as well and they go on about their way. Weird how folks think that whatever shoots is to shoot people. That would be the very LAST thing we'd shoot with an SS anyway, LOL.


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## Alfred E.M. (Jul 5, 2014)

flippinfool said:


> I've just recently picked the sport back up. My youngest daughter saw me shooting in my shop and wanted to try it. She now loves it and wants to shoot every time she's home. Got to build her a catchbox so she can practice in her garage now. Most people don't understand it or want to. Others just have never thought about it and when they try it they get hooked too. Guess it takes all kinds of people to make this world tick.


*I used to say that ... 'it takes all kinds of people'. Now I just say 'there are all kinds' ... I'm not sure all of them are necessary.*


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## ghost0311/8541 (Jan 6, 2013)

Well I have a bunch of young men that are pretty good shots and slingshot makers in there own right I get to stay young by shooting with them and I think all of them will stay with it and show other kids and help out the ones that ask for help when they start to gray and slow down.


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## Tentacle Toast (Jan 17, 2013)

...you'd be surprised at the seeds you're planting. I know what you're talking about, but I also know that I've lit a spark in more than a few people. Its funny when, out of the blue, THEY bring it up weeks or months later (usually with a request to "take a look at one"). If you're an interesting person, people seem to be inclined to see what interests you -even if their initial reaction is a glazy eyed "meh"...


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## DougDynasty (Jul 8, 2013)

I know exactly what u mean. People just don't get it. They really dont. I have nobody in my world that's into them. My son loves shooting them with me though. When I went to the ECST this year and got to hang out with people that are just like me into slingshots it was amazing. It meant more to than I Cuda imagined. To get to hang out with guys like Lee Silva and Dick Riley and Nathan masters was mindblowing. They are soo soo passionate . It was unbelievably awesome


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## leon13 (Oct 4, 2012)

Once again a good time to be together right now ! And share something like this Slingshot moment ! I say "Bullssai" in banzai meaning ;-)
Cheers


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## Volp (Aug 25, 2014)

People don't understand If you have a unconventional job and this job doesn't give you money, people don't understand if you have a unconventional hobby,.............people don't understand why barefoot on the grass with a slingshot you are sooooo happy.

Maybe 'cause they can't have the same happiness with so few things, but this is good, because in a small way we can appreciate what we have and give smiles.

Volp


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## flipgun (Nov 14, 2012)

Sometime wen we go out to dinner, I will set one out on the table. Someone always shows an interest and I direct them to the forums.


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## LucasDay (Jul 21, 2014)

For me it's a good way to get out in the woods alone and enjoy nature. I love walking the creek and clearing my mind. I have also found it threraputic as when I return home my mind is not racing as it does more often the not. When I draw back all that's on my mind is shot placement. I feel that others can take it or leave it, to each their own. I'm getting what I need from it.


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## Tag (Jun 11, 2014)

I show them the slingshot of the month nominees. That adds a WOW!!!!!!!! Factor. I tell them the talent of these craftsman is amazing. The generic response is, I was just thinking about a slingshots like you see in the big box stores.


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