# Finally going conventional



## ruthiexxxx (Sep 15, 2012)

I felt that I had taken my slingbow technique as far as it was possible with the format I'd used from the beginning. I'd always shot my heavy duty arrows (1100 grains plus) by gripping the arrow between the fletching and the nock. Even with latex wrapped there for extra grip it was not easy to draw pseudotapered Theratube Silver.

So I decided to try the conventional route. I've liked the very wide forks on some of the American models like Badass Slingbows and Rattlin Randy use......and I was also curious to see how quickly I could put something like this together in an emergency (about two and a half hours). It's not pretty but it is very effective!

I used a whisker biscuit and got a cheap mechanical release and The Boss fitted a D-loop to my arrow string. I've had to use conventional arrows as my monsters are a bit big for the hole in the whisker biscuit.

It's taking a bit of getting used to. The whisker biscuit spoils my line of sight a bit and I was very unsure about the release for a while. I tend not to trust mechanical things and was unsure whether it could take the poundage I was pulling. But apart from the hyper-sensitive hair-trigger it seems to be holding up well (touch wood!)

At first I fitted it with ultra heavy medical latex tubes and it performed fine but then I was influenced by the video from Badass slingshots (on YouTube "The numbers do not lie"..can't make the link work) and switched it over to 4 a side of TBG. He was absolutely right. The 50 lb pull was 20 lb lighter than with the heavy tubes and arrow speed seems phenomenal. He says around 200 fps but I have no chrony so will have to take his word for that. I do know that it's not easy to pull the arrows out of my backstop !

I still think my old slingbows and home-made monster arrows would have advantages from a survival point of view but am enjoying shooting with this one. I might make a prettier version.


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## leon13 (Oct 4, 2012)

Cool ????
Cheers


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## LazarusLong (Dec 19, 2013)

Cool! More pictures if you find time....


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## flipgun (Nov 14, 2012)

Anything that stops growing, dies. Always nice to explore Yeah?


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## Beanflip (Sep 11, 2010)

I like it. These type sling bows have been in the back of my head for a while. But the prices were to much for me and I didn't have a simple home made construction I liked. You've made it easy!


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## Whitewolf (Mar 13, 2014)

sweet


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## GrayWolf (May 14, 2012)

Nice looking rig! I'm pretty sure I couldn't pull a 50 pound draw anymore...but I bet those lighter arrows are screaming all the way to the target.

I can't wait to see the next one...I bet it will be beautiful...just like all of your creations.

Todd


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## ruthiexxxx (Sep 15, 2012)

Thanks for the lovely feedback guys 

Construction was SO simple. A wooden hand grip (roughly hacked from a broken table leg); an 18" x 1" bar of steel (needs to be quite thick); the ringbolts, etc. The only item that would cost anything would be the whisker biscuit . A couple of nails would have done for the string stoppers (essential!) but I had the brass bits handy.

The steel bar was let into a slot I cut at the top of the handle and screwed very deeply in place. The brace is just 2 lengths of threaded rod sunk into the handle, covered with old TTS and with some paracord braiding by The Boss for the cross band.

Bad Ass was absolutely right about the rubber. 50 lb is a lot easier pull than 70 and to get better speed....well, it just makes sense !

I suppose i just need to carve a fancier handle now I know I like the design and transfer the bits over.


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## oldmiser (Jan 22, 2014)

Cool Ruthie..good for you..Like you said on your first one here ..maybe crude for looks ..but very effective for shooting

to get the job done....does not have to be fancy looking shooter....So with all that said I like it dear lady...

mercy 50#pull...I got all I can do too even pull 14# at my age being 70 yrs old.....Best to you..Love your creations.AKAOldmiser


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## PorkChopSling (Jan 17, 2013)

Awesome as always!!


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## Bob Fionda (Apr 6, 2011)

your special slingbows....I love them.


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## Greavous (Sep 29, 2013)

Why is it that I get this feeling that "going conventional" is a major step into the wild-side for you Ruthie? Good luck with the flinger.


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## nutthrower (Dec 18, 2011)

oh how I'd like to see a vid of you shooting this - do you have others we might like to look at - would love to see THEM also - I'm liking it - I too have always been a "Tube" sort of person but more speed, less draw weight kind of make since - so maybe there is something to these flat bands...... can't believe I just said that. thanks for the look


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## ruthiexxxx (Sep 15, 2012)

nutthrower said:


> oh how I'd like to see a vid of you shooting this - do you have others we might like to look at - would love to see THEM also - I'm liking it - I too have always been a "Tube" sort of person but more speed, less draw weight kind of make since - so maybe there is something to these flat bands...... can't believe I just said that. thanks for the look


The video could happen-----eventually

But I've started on a fancier version of this now...this time with a massive 22" between the forks, working on my principle of "If more is good then much more is better" (though this has sometimes proved fallacious, especially in regard to alcohol and 'certain substances'!).

I'll put up pics as soon as it's done


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## nutthrower (Dec 18, 2011)

ruthiexxxx said:


> nutthrower said:
> 
> 
> > oh how I'd like to see a vid of you shooting this - do you have others we might like to look at - would love to see THEM also - I'm liking it - I too have always been a "Tube" sort of person but more speed, less draw weight kind of make since - so maybe there is something to these flat bands...... can't believe I just said that. thanks for the look
> ...


LOL - the last 2 items I'm familiar with, days gone by mind you  looking forward to your new version -


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## alfshooter (May 11, 2011)

Eres genial Ruthie , :wub:


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## ruthiexxxx (Sep 15, 2012)

I'm not sure I ever posted the pics of the rebuild of this one or of the 22" fork width monster made along the same lines.

So here are some pics.

There have had to be modifications. I soon discovered that 4 or 5 inches of TBG a side will demolish string stoppers that are not very robust !

But on the plus side I have discovered (and my heartfelt thanks to whomsoever first published this idea...I can't remember who it was) that putting a length of rubber tube over a large D-loop meant that I could dispense with mechanical arrow releases. I like this much better. I feel more in control.

I like the leather arrow rests and wish to experiment more to find the optimum shape and thickness. i might try another whisker biscuit as well.


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## alfshooter (May 11, 2011)

Muchas gracias Ruthie , siempre aprendo mucho de tu arte y maestria :wave:


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## GrayWolf (May 14, 2012)

Ruthie...those look fantastic...and lethal! Instead of putting rubber tubing around the D-loop, try tightly wrapping leather, cut to the width required, and super glue as you wrap. It will give you added thickness for protection of the fingers, and won't harm the frame or bands.

I also tie a cinch knot on both ends to help keep things together.

Todd


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## nutthrower (Dec 18, 2011)

SWEET !!!!!!! wider forks seem better or worse to ya?


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## ruthiexxxx (Sep 15, 2012)

@ Alfshooter Mucho gracias querido amigo. Eso es exactamente lo que siento por ti ! Y todo mi mejores deseos para su nueva empresa

@ Todd That sounds a very good idea amigo. I shall give that a try. I have a LOT of slingbows to convert!

@ Nutthrower Well I do seem to be using the 22" fork one more than any other at the moment. I do like it. And the one with the wide oak forks in the bottom picture...that's becoming a frequent choice too


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## leon13 (Oct 4, 2012)

Nice update ????
Cheers


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## SharpshooterJD (Oct 9, 2012)

Very cool Ruthie! I'm going to make me one of these real soon after a trip to the hardware store. What thickness and length would you recommend for the forks considering I am proficient at archery but new to the slingbow?


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## ruthiexxxx (Sep 15, 2012)

sharpshooterJD said:


> Very cool Ruthie! I'm going to make me one of these real soon after a trip to the hardware store. What thickness and length would you recommend for the forks considering I am proficient at archery but new to the slingbow?


I think I'd go for the 16" which seems to be my favourite now. That's inch wide steel by 3mm thick.

Subsequent mods have been...a better quality whisker biscuit, much stronger string stoppers to save the biscuit from destruction and switching to full width TBG rolled into a tube to save cutting it.

Also a wider D-loop covered with 50/8o tube so I can draw without a mechanical release


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## SharpshooterJD (Oct 9, 2012)

Thanks! I think I might just do a paracord lanyard for the brace. That will be much easier to do. As soon as it's done ill post it somewhere on here so you guys can see assuming I can actually do it . Hey one last thing I'm assuming metal drill bits can go through the steel?


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## ruthiexxxx (Sep 15, 2012)

sharpshooterJD said:


> Thanks! I think I might just do a paracord lanyard for the brace. That will be much easier to do. As soon as it's done ill post it somewhere on here so you guys can see assuming I can actually do it . Hey one last thing I'm assuming metal drill bits can go through the steel?


If they're sharp!


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## ruthiexxxx (Sep 15, 2012)

and kept cool


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## SharpshooterJD (Oct 9, 2012)

OK got it thanks for the help!


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## SharpshooterJD (Oct 9, 2012)

Hey Ruthie just wanted to tell you that I started work on my slingbow and it's going good i'm drilling the holes in the steel now and I will post pictures and maybe a video in a couple of weeks. So thanks for the help I can't wait to see if I can make it work. Thanks Josh


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## ruthiexxxx (Sep 15, 2012)

Great to hear Josh. I shall really look forward to seeing it.

I'm afraid I've taken the 'finally going conventional' to a whole new level. Just shooting with a compound bow nowadays.


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## SharpshooterJD (Oct 9, 2012)

Ha nice I have a compound with a rest and sight and stabilizer and release and all of that junk but I don't enjoy shooting it very much anymore especially because I have a little target panic so I prefer slingshots and trad bows at the moment.


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