# Broken slingshots and injuries?



## Dennis the Menace (Mar 9, 2011)

Hi all,

I was wondering if anyone has any experiences or pictures to share concerning slingshot malfunctions or breakage. It might be quite educative to share the information. 
From ammo rebound to slingshot impact, as well as other stupidity that you couldn't laugh about at the moment. There must be someone who has released the wrong hand while trying to shoot, or who has scars between thumb and index finger caused by fate. Please tell me if I missed any earlier topic about what went wrong with custom catties of typical defects with any retail slings and such. Or off-target destruction of any kind?


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## bleachbone (Nov 15, 2010)

making the handle to thin, luckily it broke when i was putting grooves on it, just got it epoxied back togther


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## dragonmaster (Dec 24, 2009)

Just had a bruise the shape of a smiley face fade that was from a miss fire when the pouch slipped wish I would have taken a picture.


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## Rayshot (Feb 1, 2010)

Good questions. These have been covered in the past but I will share this fresh.

I and a few others have had what we call "return to sender" episodes. Mine was from having the folded/rolled edge of the thera band to the inside and not the outside. Took two hits in the exact same place within 5 shots before I knew something I did must be askew. See photos for visual education of how not to attach flats. Always the loose edge to the outside. Photo on left, good. Photo on right bad way to set up bands.














Secondly, if you are making a catty from a board, you must be very careful of fractures, inherent in the piece or created by a fork hit or dropping the catty on the floor or hard surface. Board cut slingshots are susceptible to fractures and breaking. There can be an inherent defect undetectable or created. Since a fracture isn't always visible, upon pulling the bands back on a fork that is inherently or concussively compromised may fully break loose and come back into one's face. Therefore, be mindful of whether or not you want to go without putting a wood dowel or metal rod down through the fork reaching into the handle. I just made the catty on the bottom yesterday, and haven't colored the dowel to match yet, the one on top a while ago. But you see with these cattys I don't feel safe without them doweled.


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## Egregious Ed (Feb 17, 2011)

My worst one was the attachment swell of a bent rod commercial slingshot breaking free just short of full draw (upper tine) coming back and breaking the bottom of my glasses frame and taking a big chunk out of the side of my nose. I now believe in safety glasses. I've seen the near equal and I'm glad it wasn't me-back in the early 1970's while living in Colorado I hunted with a miner who used a gripless monoband with great success against rabbits. He also had what could only be described as a cauliflower thumb as a result of multiple hits from lead balls over the years to the top of his left thumb.


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## Zwiller (Jul 31, 2011)

Good day slingshotforum.

Just a few days ago I made my first little natural slingshot. (Well, not the first one, but the other ones were of bicycle rubber and wire.)

Anyway, I made about 50 successful (yet very inaccurate) shots, forks up (*Y*). However, couldn't figure out how to aim like that, so I tried the other style: *>-*
I could actually aim now! But.. I appear to be doing something wrong. I hit the upper/right fork a few times and then finally my index finger, which doesn't look to good now. Luckily I haven't pulled the bands very far for this shot. I may post a picture of the result later.

Guess I'll have to use 6mm BB pellets until I figure it out or someone here gives me a hint.


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## Guest (Jul 31, 2011)

there is a great one on youtube of a watermelon slingshot gone wrong.... poor chick looks like she has a concussion .... amazing race if i recall... when i have used too small shot , like 6mm (plastic) bbs in a pouch best served with 3/4 ... i have had them fly any direction you can think of lol nothing major yet tho...


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## GameKeeper (Jul 24, 2011)

Yes with my first stick slingshot







I dont like them, you must be carefull with every one shot. Projectile just slap ma hand. Watch out with these


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## Jimmy (Jun 8, 2011)

I was shooting the other day with bands that were starting to break near the pouch, I kept going thinking when the band snapped it couldn't slap me in the face.
One of the four strips of theraband gold snapped at full draw, this caused the catapult to twist 90° and fly out of my hand. It hit me in the shoulder and thumb. Thankfully I was using a lightweight wooden catapult so it hurt but didn't do any real harm.
Lessons learned; There's no 'safe' band break and lanyards are a good idea.


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## bootneck (Feb 20, 2011)

I've had a fork in the mouth, shotgun shot bury itself in the web of my hand, countless hits to the thumb and hand and the strangest one was i somehow shot my own back.

The hit to the mouth split my lip, the ones to the thumb just turns most of the nail black, the ones to the hand leave a lump and bruise, and the shot in the back broke the skin, left a large bruise around it and prevented me from pumping iron for a couple of days (hit my shoulder blade)

Also when finishing off squirrels sometimes they bite back lol


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## TacticalHuntingSurvivalist (Jun 11, 2011)

I had a homemade wire slingshot hit the fold where my left thumb is on the outside from shooting hamer grip style and the fork is also low but I was shooting like 1 inch rocks at the beach LMAO I wish I had a picture It was internal bleeding and I had a bump there for like 5 months I did this last year though before I found out about the forums!


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## conor98 (May 26, 2013)

a couple of years ago i thought it would be a good idea to schoot a wooden skewer out of my slingshot.. went through one side of my finger and out the other !


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## Tex-Shooter (Dec 17, 2009)

I had a buddy sit on a slingshot on his tractor and crack it! He saw it before it broke though. -- Tex


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## Imperial (Feb 9, 2011)

my casualty. its now fixed/pinned. has lighter bands on it. still shooting like a mofo.


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