# The Buffalo - ZDP's legacy



## Metropolicity (Aug 22, 2013)

At last, something I've wanted to build for a long time but didn't know how to do it.

ZDP's legacy, his crowning glory is his Shootist slingshot. A steel core, highly carved, ergonomic slinger designed to take heavy bands (2x TBG). It was one of the first threads I saw here on SSF and one day vowed to make one. I tried to contact him but Dan hasn't been around for a long time. 

So I forged ahead, using his great build photos as reference and digitizing the frame. I am having some of these cut in aluminum but I traded Peppermack some Metbro Classic frames for a rough cut black, 1/4" g10 core. When it showed up today, I could wait it get started on it. I wanted some stark contrast between the black g10' so I chose some simple spruce because it is easy to Is easy to shape and the result is quite light in colour. I am very happy with the shaping, and like ZDP, it was a shape, fit, shape fit, shape fit process. 

I used internal brass 1/4 pins so as to keep the grain consistent. Sanded down to 000 steel wool, a warm bath of BLO for an hour, and 5 coats of CA glue. 

My goal is practice with this and other of the same type for next year's MWST and ECST. 

Thanks for looking and stay tuned for an aluminum one.


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## Metropolicity (Aug 22, 2013)

Some more pics


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## Metropolicity (Aug 22, 2013)

And a couple more pics. 

The edge is sanded for flat bands to last longer.


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## e~shot (Jun 3, 2010)

Awesome buddy!


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## Henry the Hermit (Jun 2, 2010)

Very nice. I think Dan would be pleased and I wish he would come around again.


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## NaturalFork (Jan 21, 2010)

It is like a work of art. Thank you for sharing.


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## Bajaja (May 13, 2011)

NaturalFork said:


> It is like a work of art. Thank you for sharing.


I think it is not "like" a work of art. It is "definitely" work of art.


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## GrayWolf (May 14, 2012)

Very nice!! Can't wait to see you shoot that in person next year!

Todd


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## Aries666 (Feb 22, 2014)

Well crafted sir! And looks like it would be lots of fun to shoot


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## DukaThe (Apr 9, 2011)

Amazing!


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## PorkChopSling (Jan 17, 2013)

Awesome!


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## Danny0663 (Mar 15, 2011)

Good stuff man.


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## Lug (Nov 12, 2013)

Quite a handful! Beautifully sculpted. Google says this is "art," so it looks to me like you're pretty close:


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## peppermack (Dec 10, 2013)

Nice Eric! Looks really good man. Aptly named cause that frame was a monster even before you put the wood scales on it.

Lets see some shooting videos now Sir.


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## Sharker (Sep 15, 2013)

Very nice design and looks comfort to!


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## Mister Magpie (Apr 10, 2013)

Great design and wonderful execution!

Darren


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## squirrel squasher (May 17, 2013)

sweet!


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## oldmiser (Jan 22, 2014)

Looking real sweet there my friend...so get'er banded up & fire some ammo ..want to see this in action..

Nice work Best to ya...May your ammo fly straight..~AKAOldmiser


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## Metropolicity (Aug 22, 2013)

OH man...I just shot this thing for the first and she's SCREAMS.

I just modified the file to accept TTF/OTT configs and getting a few (just a few, not for sale) cut out of aluminum for myself. I want to have one KILLER dedicated target shooter. This Buffalo deserves a suit case like Gaboxolo .


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## GrayWolf (May 14, 2012)

Eric, that's looking great! For bands, try some TBG cut to 7/8" x 1/2" and active length of 6 1/2"...it has a little zip, but is still very light pull.

You won't have to worry about needing much power for the targets at the MWST (the main event)....they were being knocked down with 1/4" steel, no problem.

Looking forward to seeing the next evolution of this frame!

Todd


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## Metropolicity (Aug 22, 2013)

GrayWolf said:


> Eric, that's looking great! For bands, try some TBG cut to 7/8" x 1/2" and active length of 6 1/2"...it has a little zip, but is still very light pull.
> 
> You won't have to worry about needing much power for the targets at the MWST (the main event)....they were being knocked down with 1/4" steel, no problem.
> 
> ...


Def. The tips are only.85 wide so I had these cut at .75 to .5 taper but VERY short. I had them cut and did't want to make new ones, I suspect that why it was such a hard pull (I have been shooting a LOT of bb's with TB Blue so anything beyond 1-2 lbs of pull seems like a lot)

What I really want is TB black TTF. The next evolution of this will use this amazing wood I got from a friend a while back, I believe it to be acacia. It will look and feel amazing.

I have this urge to make myself a set of target shooters, 1 for 1/4" SB's, 1 for 3/8 SB's and 1 for 3/8 marbles, all in one suit case.


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## wd40 (Jul 19, 2010)

Very nice, Metro. Excellent work.


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## GrayWolf (May 14, 2012)

Metropolicity said:


> GrayWolf said:
> 
> 
> > Eric, that's looking great! For bands, try some TBG cut to 7/8" x 1/2" and active length of 6 1/2"...it has a little zip, but is still very light pull.
> ...


A man after my own heart. When I find that "one perfect frame" I want to have several of them set up for different types of shooting, from .177bbs up to 1/2" lead, one for speed shooting and one for long distance shooting. I Like the idea of always having the same grip for all of them.

Speaking of grip....I love the looks of the thicker palm swells you did in the video...it looks like it does a good job of filling the hand. If you ever get around to doing that frame with the thicker palm swells in a TTF version, let me know.

Keep up the great work.

Todd


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## TLG_Catapults (May 5, 2014)

This is so cool , can I copy it ?


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## Metropolicity (Aug 22, 2013)

GrayWolf said:


> Metropolicity said:
> 
> 
> > GrayWolf said:
> ...


I have the TTF frames coming to me this week (1/4" aluminum) but the sculpting process is soooooo individualized. Like ZDP said in his original post: http://slingshotforum.com/topic/769-the-shootist/

LOL:



ZDP-189 said:


> The process of shaping the wood is more troublesome to document. It involves carving and sanding to fit the hand. It's kind of "a bit more, a bit more.... oooh, perfect fit".
> 
> At least that's what she said.


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## Samurai Samoht (Apr 6, 2013)

Wow, all of these look incredible Erik!

Are the 1/4" Alu TTF cores going to be for sale on your site?


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## Metropolicity (Aug 22, 2013)

SamuraiSamoht said:


> Wow, all of these look incredible Erik!
> 
> Are the 1/4" Alu TTF cores going to be for sale on your site?


I cannot ethically sell them since I haven't truly had ZDP's blessing. So I only made 3 of each for myself to play around with. If anyone knows where he is, I would to speak to him about this. I would have to offer carving kits since each one is very individualized. He mentioned on his thread that he would post the template, I made one that can be printed on any letter sized paper.

Here's the modded version for TTF/OTT a screen snap shot.


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## Danny0663 (Mar 15, 2011)

He's active on twitter, spoke with him couple weeks ago - /ZDP189


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## Metropolicity (Aug 22, 2013)

Danny0663 said:


> He's active on twitter, spoke with him couple weeks ago - /ZDP189


Sweet. Thanks Danny! I tweeted him just now. I hope to get his attention and his blessing so we can all shape out own Shootist!


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## Metropolicity (Aug 22, 2013)

GrayWolf said:


> Looking forward to seeing the next evolution of this frame!
> 
> Todd


You want evolution? How about this? Big fat acacia scales ready to be shaped on an aluminum frame when they get here.


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## Metropolicity (Aug 22, 2013)

Just rebanded this with a short section of 3/4" straight cut TB Black, big different in aiming since I am not fighting the bands. Shot 10 shots or so...3 hit the the tip of the carbon arrow I had stuck in the ground. I use this arrow to hold up a can so I can shoot it, eventually after tearing the can apart, the can would slide down it. I was shooting for a bit and didn't want to get a new can so I decide to shoot the orange fletching on the arrow instead!

I popped off the last 4 shots at the soup can lid I have set up as a spinner and POW the marbles really give that thing a spin.


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## ZDP-189 (Mar 14, 2010)

That looks great! Thanks for the heads up on twitter.


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## Mister Magpie (Apr 10, 2013)

Metropolicity said:


> Big fat acacia scales ready to be shaped on an aluminum frame when they get here.


You're not going to make us wait are you?


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## ZDP-189 (Mar 14, 2010)

"I cannot ethically sell them since I haven't truly had ZDP's blessing."

I won't stop you using the design, but for legal reasons, please note:

The design was intended as a one off experimental model for my own use and I accept no responsibility for its design and make no representation of the design's appropriateness.


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## Metropolicity (Aug 22, 2013)

Mister Magpie said:


> Metropolicity said:
> 
> 
> > Big fat acacia scales ready to be shaped on an aluminum frame when they get here.
> ...


They aren't here yet!!



ZDP-189 said:


> "I cannot ethically sell them since I haven't truly had ZDP's blessing."
> 
> I won't stop you using the design, but for legal reasons, please note:
> 
> The design was intended as a one off experimental model for my own use and I accept no responsibility for its design and make no representation of the design's appropriateness.


Thank you ZDP. It was a honour retracing your steps. 多謝!

I have to say...I have been shooting it non stop since it was created and wow....


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## ZDP-189 (Mar 14, 2010)

That design worked well for me, but was more of an artistic experiment in seeing what target pistol-styled woodwork would look and feel like. I also wanted to encourage people to think in terms of ergonomics and break out of the box in terms of materials and construction methods. At the time, hardly anyone made anything other than tree forks, spaceships and pakkawood cut-outs.

My best advice to you is to go back to fundamental principles and work out what is important to the shot and what is not. That is why I made an extensive study or ergonomics, biomechanics and the physics of elastic and projectile motion, both during release and in flight. Apply your own theories and come up with fresh designs. Don't get hung up on appearance; that will come naturally if the slingshot works.


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## Metropolicity (Aug 22, 2013)

ZDP-189 said:


> That design worked well for me, but was more of an artistic experiment in seeing what target pistol-styled woodwork would look and feel like. I also wanted to encourage people to think in terms of ergonomics and break out of the box in terms of materials and construction methods. At the time, hardly anyone made anything other than tree forks, spaceships and pakkawood cut-outs.
> 
> My best advice to you is to go back to fundamental principles and work out what is important to the shot and what is not. That is why I made an extensive study or ergonomics, biomechanics and the physics of elastic and projectile motion, both during release and in flight. Apply your own theories and come up with fresh designs. Don't get hung up on appearance; that will come naturally if the slingshot works.


Thanks ZDP for your sage advice. This is one of the few slings that I actually coveted when I started getting into slingshots, so when the opportunity came up to actually make it, I jumped on it.

I've read your articles many times and have learned a lot.

Thanks again for jumping back in the forum to say hi.


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## Metropolicity (Aug 22, 2013)

dankungmaster said:


> This is so cool , can I copy it ?


Oh, I didn't see this. It's not my design but if you do, make sure you credit ZDP-189 for his Shootist design.

www.slingshotforum.com/topic/769-the-shootist/


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## Urban Fisher (Aug 13, 2014)

That's another awesome SS Metro!! You make some of the coolest SS I have ever seen!


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## Can-Opener (May 11, 2013)

This slingshot looks great. Good job!  You have been AWESOME productive!!!!  Way to go!  Have you considered shooting the video from the other side so we could see your hold and shooting style better????  Maybe put the camera on a tripod?


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## Metropolicity (Aug 22, 2013)

Can-Opener said:


> This slingshot looks great. Good job!  You have been AWESOME productive!!!!  Way to go!  Have you considered shooting the video from the other side so we could see your hold and shooting style better????  Maybe put the camera on a tripod?


Great idea, it is on a tripod. I'll shoot the next shooting video from the other side


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## carboncopy (Jan 14, 2014)

Very cool!

Looks very ergonomic!


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## Metropolicity (Aug 22, 2013)

Can-Opener said:


> This slingshot looks great. Good job!  You have been AWESOME productive!!!!  Way to go!  Have you considered shooting the video from the other side so we could see your hold and shooting style better????  Maybe put the camera on a tripod?


Here ya go!


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