# what led a big decline of slingshot sports in America?



## crazyslingshot (Dec 25, 2009)

Slingshot sports was so popular in 60's last century.

But what led a big decline of slingshot sports in America?

The wide spread of firearms shooting?


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## Tex-Shooter (Dec 17, 2009)

I think it is simple; tube style slingshots caused the decline! The early ones were horrible, very slow, a lot of recoil and low energy. Most of the few shooters that were dedicated to the sport were shooting flat bands all along. Then after the tube style slingshots became popular with first time shooters, it became very hard to get flat bands. For a long time (until Saunders started making them again) flat band slingshots were not available commercially. -- Tex


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## ZDP-189 (Mar 14, 2010)

I think you can't pin it all on tubes. Kids these days have other things to occupy them. Also personal and corporate liabilities are more developed and there are ever more laws restricting potentially dangerous and/or hunting activities. Slingshots are not constitutionally protected, so are following blowguns and crossbows into legal oblivion in some jurisdictions.


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## Saxon (Mar 17, 2010)

Both good points. Id like to add that it seems these days kids lives are very busy running from one organized activity to another. They dont spend alot of time entertaining themselves. And when they do its TV or video games or texing.


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## Melchior (Dec 27, 2009)

I think that part of the answer is the rise of the airgun. Early airguns were rather expensive, had no standartized ammunition and suffered from leaking leather seals, unrifled barrels, relatively low power etc. This started to change during the 60's. People got richer, mass production lowered the prices, airgun ammunition was easier to purchase and synthetic seals greatly improved the airguns.
Today - like it or not- you can buy a 150$ airgun and will get a shooting device that will out-shoot the slingshot in about every respect. The big trump the slingshots still hold are their compactness in relation to an airgun.


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## njenkins (Feb 3, 2010)

Well I agree with you sort of Mel. I had an airgun as did all my friends growing up. But they weren't anything great. Cheap airguns were common and contributed. I played with slingshots growing up because it was more fun for me. But anybody and everybody had bb guns as a kid and the older generation had better ones. The airgun in general was a factor here.


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## crazyslingshot (Dec 25, 2009)

I agree the airgun was a factor in General. But I don't think it played a big role.

First the cheap airgun is not as powerful as slingshot. Please refer to Joerg Sprave's video onyoutube.com

second shooting slingshot has different funs from airgun. Slingshot shooting is the physical training rather than just hit the target objects,

another case is, the bow and crossbow are still popular with the broad spread of firearms in Amercia.
why slingshot wasn't ? There must be some other reasons.


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## Melchior (Dec 27, 2009)

I totally agree that a slingshot gives you a different shooting sensation, which you may like more (or don't) than shooting an airgun. But take the average farmer who wants to clear out his shed from rats. He'll opt for the airgun, as it is so much easier to shoot. Or the 14 years old who (like every 14-year old) wants some shooting device and has adventerous hunting stories in his mind...not to mention that an airgun resembles a firearm, and firearms are prominently displayed in movies, stories etc. and are liked by many people - to a point that some spend a lot of money on an airsoft gun that resembles a real firearm, yet is not much more than an accurized pea shooter.


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## A+ Slingshots (Jan 22, 2010)

I don't know that any "one" factor can be blamed for the decline. Everything that others have posted and more "combined" to make a downward "trend" for slingshots. All hunting and outdoor sports took a hit during the same period of time due to anti-lobbying. Other contributing factors were changing values which included more youth perpetuated vandalism and resulting "attitudes" and laws. I still can't talk with people here in So. Cal. about my slingshots business without someone saying with a nod and a wink "Oh going to shoot out some windows?" Sales themselves could even have contributed, being that once a market is flooded a subsequent cessation of buying results. One must also remember that the appeal of slingshots is a comparatively small niche market. There is also just a natural cycle to "common interest" items such as slingshots. There was a "peak" period in the past followed by decline, level out, small interest spikes and most recently I think a new increasing interest trend again.


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## Marbles (Jan 23, 2010)

Crazyslingshot has the answer in his question THE 60s (I M O ) when the "LONG HAIRED HIPPY TYPE LIBERALS" started "BITCHING" about every thing, boys should be more like girls kind and more gentle they shouldnt play with toy guns or G I Joe figures.


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## Fork Hunter (Apr 19, 2010)

All of you have valid points, now put them together with "MANS" constant desire and way of thinking that"BIGGER IS BETTER" and we must look to the future it only natural that things go in and out of favor. In addition to that , take a look at our towns. What used to be a few hundred people in a village / town is now a few thousand and vice versa , look at rural living. What used to be many small farms and few larger farms is now is many larger farms and few small farms. From what everyone here is saying I have the feeling that many of you guys have memories of being able to go walking somewhere near where you grew up or during your daily travels when you were younger and being able to carry a slingshot, an some plinkin along the way.Well, were do the majority of kids these days get to do that ??? People these days are not self reliant minded any more these days and that also has an impact, But it's adults like us that have the memories , that will keep this thing alive !And that's the Wisconsin perspective on things ! LOL









-Scott


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## dgui (Jan 12, 2010)

Everyone including me has two cents to put in so here it is. I think sling shooting got to be regarded as infantile or unsofisticated or even a worthless pursuit. Whatever. But, I love more than ever. Im hooked.


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## Fork Hunter (Apr 19, 2010)

Let's make a new start and call it leave- a- legacy by mentoring at lease one person and more if possible to the great sport of slingshots


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## Tex-Shooter (Dec 17, 2009)

If you have not shot a flat band slingshot yet, you need to try a good one. I think that about everywhere that the slingshot sport has made a comeback, you will find that flat bands have been leading the way. I have good air rifles, fire arms, but they don't give me the satisfaction that hitting the mark as much as a slingshot or a bow does. I have loved the challenge of bow hunting most of my adult life. Tubes were one of the main reasons that I and many older shooters like me gave slingshots up in the sixty's. I know this for a fact because a great number of my customers have told me that they had given up on slingshots, because there distaste for tube style slingshots. Ninety percent of my band customers are over 60 years old. Most of these started shooting again in later life when they found out that they could get flat bands again. Even today, *if I was only limited to tubes*, I probably would not be shooting a slingshot. Some of the new small multi-strand bands are narrowing the gap, but are not quit there yet for my money. I believe that Large thin wall tapered dipped tubes might be great, if the air was removed (sucked flat) at the time of mounting. A person might even design a fork that would let you remove the tube air after mounting. Hmmmm -- Tex


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## Marbles (Jan 23, 2010)

When you become skilled at something it gives you a sence of PRIDE or it should , and (I M O) that is something that is sorely lacking in todays youth sitting on their A__ in front of one of these things is about as good as it gets for alot of them [just like I am doing now]!


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## Marbles (Jan 23, 2010)

I have nothing against flat bands but when I put my flat banded slingshot away after dicovering GIRLES way back when , when I picked it up again damb if it didnt have tubes on it (I M O) todays surgical tubing is way better than the origenal tubing!!


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## Fork Hunter (Apr 19, 2010)

I think Marbles figured out the single one pivital event in history that spelled out the demise of slingshot shooting as we know it today.........it was...........IT was............IT WAS...............G I R L E S !!!!







LOL

Just kidding ya Marbles,
-Scott


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## Marbles (Jan 23, 2010)




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## Peresh (May 3, 2010)

I'm just amazed that Slingshots have such a large following that it has forums, groups and orgs out there. Good!!!


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## Flatband (Dec 18, 2009)

It was by no means just the change over to tubes that caused the decline.The 40's,50's and even the early part of the 60's were "innocent" times compared to later years. Magazines were filled with slingshots, BB guns, big knives,blowguns, arrow shooters etc.These were available mail order. I even remember a black powder gun being offered through the mail.The mid 60's to the late 70's saw a very steep decline in just about every mail order weapon you once were able to get-reasons? Corporate liabilities (sueing became very popular),death of innocence,disgruntled citizens,rebellious youth,different behavior protocols,increase in violent crimes,increase in all crimes totally. Basically a change in societies behavior made these changes necessary. Years ago we would carry a BoyScout knife or Pen knife to school or any place we went,do that now and you'll have problems. Changing times and ideals ruined a lot of things. Ah,the good old days!







Flatband


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## wvbob (Feb 22, 2010)

Flatband said:


> It was by no means just the change over to tubes that caused the decline.The 40's,50's and even the early part of the 60's were "innocent" times compared to later years. Magazines were filled with slingshots, BB guns, big knives,blowguns, arrow shooters etc.These were available mail order. I even remember a black powder gun being offered through the mail.The mid 60's to the late 70's saw a very steep decline in just about every mail order weapon you once were able to get-reasons? Corporate liabilities (sueing became very popular),death of innocence,disgruntled citizens,rebellious youth,different behavior protocols,increase in violent crimes,increase in all crimes totally. Basically a change in societies behavior made these changes necessary. Years ago we would carry a BoyScout knife or Pen knife to school or any place we went,do that now and you'll have problems. Changing times and ideals ruined a lot of things. Ah,the good old days!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Flatband, I agree with you, except your last statement about "the good old days". I don't know about you, but these days I'm having more fun with slingshots now in my "good OLD days". This second childhood is fun! Enjoy every day shooting while you can.


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## ZDP-189 (Mar 14, 2010)

Fork Hunter said:


> Let's make a new start and call it leave- a- legacy by mentoring at lease one person and more if possible to the great sport of slingshots


There are many things you can do. Start a forum; run a tourney; sell slingshots and accessories, or buy them; post some videos, a tutorial, some cool slingshots, or just give encouragement. That's why we're having a resurgence.


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## harpersgrace (Jan 28, 2010)

In addition to what Flatband said there was a huge swing from "going outside to play" to staying inside and watching TV, Playing the stereo etc. There was much less incentive to go out and find something to do. Every house suddenly had its own entertainment. Plus boys playing with anything that could be considered a weapon was starting to be looked on as taboo.


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## JoergS (Dec 17, 2009)

I do not disagree with Mel, Tex, Flatband and others here in general, but there is one thing you overlook.

The power of marketing.

Marketing creates demand, but the lack of marketing puts whole movements to rest.

For some reason, slingshots never saw major marketing campaigns. I mean of course slingshots - like any other product on this planet - have competition (air guns, bows, crossbows), but there are enough advantages to justify a good marketing campaign.

Inexpensive ammo. Unproblematic practicing. Lots of possible variations. The nostalgic factor. It is all there.

While bows saw fairly good marketing by big companies (which led to an amazing amount of innovation), slingshots never went through that process.

The sole reason - if you ask me - why slingshots are now a little more popular than a few years back is the internet. We here - pretty much all of us - conducted our own marketing campaign. Aaron started this forum, several people (myself included) brought out interesting youtube videos, and that started a wave of new designs and bolstered the community. Now there is much more dynamics in the whole community.

The miracle of the web! In the 70s through the 90s, only big $ could have created something similar. During that time, nobody came forth and spent that money. Now it is no longer needed, which is a good thing.

If we keep up our joined efforts, then no doubts we will see a continous growth of our sport. Eventually, the corporate world will notice and then they will do their part.

Until then - let's keep slingshooting!

Jörg


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## Brooklyn00003 (Feb 28, 2010)

Well said Joerg.I totaly agree.


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## ZDP-189 (Mar 14, 2010)

Well, Jörg, fish started a thread on a couple of forums I'm on, but then I found your videos, and the rest is (recent) history.


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## Tex-Shooter (Dec 17, 2009)

I don’t mean to beat this topic into the ground, but there is still a lot of work to be done to overcome the misinformation of the early tube type slingshot advertisements. I am not saying that there were not other factors, but I think that the poor performance of the early tubes was a major contributor. Another one was lawsuits. They put many of the smaller companies under or scared them off. There was major advertising campaigns when tubes first came out to promote there power. There was flat out exaggerations about there power and speed. A lot of people bought into this including me at first. But when I tested them against my old Victor flat banded slingshot the tubes came up lacking. One of the other things that brought the decline was the pushing by big companies of 1/4 inch (6mm) steel ball ammo. A few of the old time shooters like me were using a slingshot as a kill weapon on trap lines with 44 caliper lead. The first of the tube slingshots with 1/4 steel shot would not kill very much of anything. As the tubes became popular because of the advertising it became harder and harder to find flat band material. There were no privately owned chronographs to check some of the outlandish claims made. There was one claiming that there slingshots would shoot 600 FPS. I have shot some of the old tube slingshots with extruded tubes liked they used over a Chrony with 1/4 inch steel and only got 145 FPS at a normal pull length. All the advertisements for tubes being very powerful, sold a lot of slingshots to one time buyers, but did little to uplift the sport. We still have those that don’t understand what delivered energy really is mainly because of this aria. I know this because they ask me for very strong custom bands and when I ask what they will be shooting, they say 1/4 steel ball bearings. When I tell them that they are not using but a fraction of the energy, they don’t believe me. I recommend heavier shot and believe that it was taken to heart, only to have some re-contact me and ask why they are getting such heavy hand slapping. -- Tex


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## JoergS (Dec 17, 2009)

Bill, what you are saying is the truth, every word of it.

My point is that it would only have taken one courageous manufacturer who would have started a campaign advertising a GOOD slingshot, with flat bands of course, and history would have taken a different route.

However we now have another chance. Let us exploit it to the full.

Jörg


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