# Frogman Double Natural



## jmplsnt (Jan 1, 2010)

Recently I was able to acquire a Frogman/Bulletproof Double Natural and I'd like to tell you my impressions and evaluation of this piece.



When I opened the package I was struck by how long the tubes were. They were much longer than I used back in the day and for good reason as they are meant to be shot in the butterfly style. I will have more to say regarding this style later in the review. The elastic set is well-made of high-quality tubing (definately not inferior cheap stuff) and secured to the fork using a ball-in-tube attachment stye. The pouch is narrow and well-suited to shooting lead round balls, conicals, and for me at least, marbles. I did not attempt to fire stones out of this pocket as I have no experience shooting stones from butterfly and value my fingers. One attribute of this bandset that it was properly made in regards to the curve in the tubing all laying the proper way with zero twisting or kinking. It is also very well-secured to the pouch using a kink-and-tie setup that won't ever come loose!

The fork is a natural of what I believe to be water oak. It is finished in bark-on style with some sanding and wears a semi-glossy polyurethane to protect it from the elements. It fits my hand perfectly and I really do like this one. He cut it just right and it feels great in the hands. His 50+ years of experience in making and using slingshots really shows through in the way he set the fork up for shooting. It is very durable without being overly hefty and it doesn't crowd a pocket at all. It fits well in the front or rear pocket of a normal pair of jeans.

Now on to shooting. I admit that up until now I have not been a huge fan of the butterfly style but after some work with this slingshot I may become at least a semi-convert. The double natural seems to really like .44 lead round balls and shoots them with both speed and accuracy. Be advised, like with every other slingshot ever made, there will be a break-in period of around 150 shots on the bands to get them properly broken-in. Once I was able to get some semblance of proper butterfly style established I was able to start making hits on the end of a cinder block (about 8"x8") at around 30 yards with marbles. I was able to take a little heart from this and the next day started shooting lead .44 round balls with it. I performed what I call a 3-Shot Drill on a paper plate at a very long range of about 65-70 yards. The first was a wild flyer and went far off the target. I concentrated on using the proper technique, which is to release while still drawing and completely alien to my normal manner of shooting. I fired again and missed by about 8 inches. I knew I had the range and let fly once more. Watching a .44 round ball laser in and smack a target the size of a plate at that range is a rare and special treat and it was a wonderful experience. I realise paper plates aren't too good to eat but had it been a rabbit (and had we rabbits instead of thousands of hawks here) that would have been a long-range kill shot for certain.

Mr. Parker states that in the event of a band breakage in the field one must only pull the tubing out a little past the break and reinsert the stops. But I doubt anyone will be dealing with a breakage anytime soon since he states his bandsets will go beyond 2,000 shots easily with a little care and common sense. I haven't had mine that long but based on the high quality of the tubing, coupled with using them in butterfly style (which should keep them from "hitting the wall") I have no doubts of their lasting a long, long time. I inspected my bands after yesterday's session and found no wear on them whatsoever.

I also feel led to tell you of a short "Pocket Mooch" I had for some roosting pigeons a few nights back using this catapult. I had two shots in an abandoned industrial site but missed both due to the complicated nature of trying to shoot butterfly and hold a flashlight in my mouth. I barely missed on the first shot and decided to take another. Due to the great power of this slingshot, the lead .44 ricocheted back directly at me, passing so closely to my head that I heard its passage through the air. I then wisely decided to shut it down for the day and return with my spelunking helmet and Petzl lamp some other time, along with a set of safety glasses. So the lesson I want you to take with you from this story is this is a powerful catapult and well-suited to hunting.

I also have purchased his mighty and beastly Single Thud in purpleheart but haven't shot it as I don't have the confidence in my butterfly to send a .45 conical between my fingers at 210 fps. But I can draw it and when I have gotten it broken in I'll tell you about it also.

In closing, I would like to give this slingshot and maker a well-deserved thumbs-up. Mr. Parker also ships in a very timely manner and you won't wait long after paying before pulling your package out of the mailbox. These are a good buy for the money and anyone interested in a powerful hunting slingshot that won't break the bank (or its bands) should investigate these closely.


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## harpersgrace (Jan 28, 2010)

Great review Jmp, not to my taste but got to respect the power.


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## Rayshot (Feb 1, 2010)

I agree good review.

Some day I will give the larger diameter tubes a go again. Now that have a good understanding of different styles of shooting I feel the tug I really don't like from big tubes I I could minimize the tug and maintain decent accuracy. Your review helped.

Thanks for the time to write it up and share.


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## NaturalFork (Jan 21, 2010)

I was wondering why the tubes were so long. Butterfly? ... really? .............. I love naturals but I just cannot get into these. I have respect for frogman tough.


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## Dayhiker (Mar 13, 2010)

Good review, Jump. If I ever master butterfly shootin', I will try one of frogman's forks for sure. I really like his style and respect his opinions on everything outdoors.


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## e~shot (Jun 3, 2010)

Forgman's Slingshot in Jmplsnt' hands - I don't need a another review


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## philly (Jun 13, 2010)

Good review Jamie, frogmans slings are all business.
Philly


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## dhansen (Aug 31, 2010)

Excellent review. I have a few of Frogman's slings and really like them. My Frogman Double Natural is definitely one of my favorite slingshots.


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## Nest Buster (Nov 22, 2010)

Jmplsnt great review on the natural dubble bander. I had the privilege of shooting that one for a few min, and really liked how small and short the forks are. Fit like a glove and was very accurate. Great pic too. Jerett


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## Dan the Slingshot Man (Nov 21, 2010)

great review for a quality product


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