# Slingshooting vs archery



## slinger16 (Nov 3, 2013)

Which of the two do you seem to find most enjoyable and what are the advantages to each? Im in the forever 2nd amendment believing, pro american, pro arms, land of the free state of good old New York where everyone is free to do what they enjoy and where there are no restrictions on any shooting activities whatsoever. Of course if your familiar with the state you know how it is , so basically i was going over some factors in my mind earlier and i came to the conclusion that why not get involved in archery/bow hunting as well since its kind of similiar to slingshooting! My only concern is that it is much easier to go about slingshooting whatever and whenever since neighbors dont find it a threat or atleast a serious one at that, ive gone as far as putting on a show for them since they were actually looking pretty interested the other day! Also, its much easier to store and conceal for any reason. As opposed to a compound/recurve/longbow where somebody sees a person shooting a pointed stick a little longer then a foot, then that might raise some concerns. Of course all of this is done or would be done in a controlled environment with appropriate backstops and the like. But you know how it is these days im sure. Plus, you cant hunt with a slingshot here, as opposed to a bow where you can take various game with one. I believe slingshooting prepares you in a way for archery/bow hunting if youre planning to do so, since you're working out the same muscle group generally


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## Sunchierefram (Nov 16, 2013)

Well, it's a lot easier to find and store ammo for slingshots, that's for sure. And of course, people don't really see slingshots as dangerous weapons, which is a good thing for us slingshooters.


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## treefork (Feb 1, 2010)

I have done archery for many many years. It's great. I've been at slingshots for a few years.In my few years with slingshots I have excelled. I would say slingshots without a doubt for me. The ability to shoot more rounds in a day vs archery is the key. I can shoot a slingshot more places safely than a bow. The key to being a good shot is the availability of being able to put lots of rounds down range. Slingshots allow this almost more than anything given my geographical and economic situation. I can do 500 to 1000 rounds a day time permitting.Not giving up on archery. Its just on the back burner momentarily. I'll be better when I get back to it as a result of skills developed here.


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## Lacumo (Aug 18, 2013)

You really shouldn't say things like you're in "...the forever 2nd amendment believing, pro american, pro arms, land of the free state of good old New York ... where there are no restrictions on any shooting whatsoever..." because many people really don't know "how it is" and your hints, implications and cute little smiley faces are lost on a lot of people. New York is a true police state and our fearless leader Emperor Cuomo Junior is an unrestrained tyrant running wild. The way he circumvented the legislative process to ram through his so-called "Safe Act" and make the sale or transfer of many legally owned semi-automatic firearms illegal speaks volumes about his tyrannical strategy and tactics. Cuomo Junior will be a serious contender for President of the US sooner or later, so joking about his iron-fisted, constitutional rights-hating and gun-hating tyrannical attitude, strategy and tactics is both inappropriate and unwise. This is a situation that people need to be informed about -- not misinformed about through silly jokes and smiley faces.

The fact that wrist-supported slingshots are already illegal in New York should give you a clue about how hostile New York State really is to any kind of weapons -- including slingshots.

Edit... Sunchierefram---I'm guessing you've never tried to purchase slingshot ammo in NY. You won't find any in the hunting departments of Dick's, WalMart or almost any gun or archery dealers either. I've been unable to find even one steel BB after extensive searching. I got my ammo from via UPS after placing a phone order with Royal Steel Balls. You can buy hex nuts in hardware and building supply stores here, but that's expensive and that's about it for retail slingshot ammo available in NY..


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## Sunchierefram (Nov 16, 2013)

Lacumo said:


> You really shouldn't say things like you're in "...the forever 2nd amendment believing, pro american, pro arms, land of the free state of good old New York ... where there are no restrictions on any shooting whatsoever..." because many people really don't know "how it is" and your hints, implications and cute little smiley faces are lost on a lot of people. New York is a true police state and our fearless leader Emperor Cuomo Junior is an unrestrained tyrant running wild. The way he circumvented the legislative process to ram through his so-called "Safe Act" and make the sale or transfer of many legally owned semi-automatic firearms illegal speaks volumes about his tyrannical strategy and tactics. Cuomo Junior will be a serious contender for President of the US sooner or later, so joking about his iron-fisted, constitutional rights-hating and gun-hating tyrannical attitude, strategy and tactics is both inappropriate and unwise. This is a situation that people need to be informed about -- not misinformed about through silly jokes and smiley faces.
> 
> The fact that wrist-supported slingshots are already illegal in New York should give you a clue about how hostile New York State really is to any kind of weapons -- including slingshots.
> 
> Edit... Sunchierefram---I'm guessing you've never tried to purchase slingshot ammo in NY. You won't find any in the hunting departments of Dick's, WalMart or almost any gun or archery dealers either. I've been unable to find even one steel BB after extensive searching. I got my ammo from via UPS after placing a phone order with Royal Steel Balls. You can buy hex nuts in hardware and building supply stores here, but that's expensive and that's about it for retail slingshot ammo available in NY..


Then again, I've never been to New York before and I never plan on going there.


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## Lacumo (Aug 18, 2013)

Sunchierefram said:


> Then again, I've never been to New York before and I never plan on going there.


20 or 30 years ago, I would've responded to that statement with a vigorous, loyal defense of NY. With NY being the way it is now, I'd no longer even dream of doing any such thing. I'm with you 100% on that sentiment. I've been here my entire life and I've got 1 or 2 years left before I can leave NY permanently---which I'm really looking forward to. I wonder if I'll need a NYS govt travel permit and approval to leave when I'm finally able to. The way things are going these days, I may have to sneak into Pennsylvania through the woods after dark...

But... back to our regularly scheduled program here... I was thinking about getting into archery a few months ago, so I researched the possibility of joining a local club. They have a 2-year waiting list that's one of the many consequences of Emperor Cuomo Junior's "Safe Act." A year ago I could've applied for membership in this club, been voted in at the next monthly meeting and been an approved, active member in under two months. If you don't have a place to do archery in NY these days, just becoming a member of an appropriate club or facility is difficult and time-consuming.


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## NaturalFork (Jan 21, 2010)

I grew up with archery. Competing all over the northeast as a kid. I still shoot bows all the time. I shot slingshots as a kid but I never put as much energy into it as I did archery. A few years ago I was living in a condo without much room to shoot. One night while walking around wally world I saw a small marksman slingshot on sale for $4. I picked it up with extra tubes and some ammo ... it has been insane from that day forward. I honestly believe that the greatest shooting sport that exists today is slingshot shooting. I think that more people need to be exposed to it.

I now have a house with plenty of room to shoot both bows and slingshots. I have grown FAR more accurate with a slingshot these days. Heck I can shoot a can more accurately with a slingshot now than I can with a gun!


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## slinger16 (Nov 3, 2013)

NaturalFork said:


> I grew up with archery. Competing all over the northeast as a kid. I still shoot bows all the time. I shot slingshots as a kid but I never put as much energy into it as I did archery. A few years ago I was living in a condo without much room to shoot. One night while walking around wally world I saw a small marksman slingshot on sale for $4. I picked it up with extra tubes and some ammo ... it has been insane from that day forward. I honestly believe that the greatest shooting sport that exists today is slingshot shooting. I think that more people need to be exposed to it.
> 
> I now have a house with plenty of room to shoot both bows and slingshots. I have grown FAR more accurate with a slingshot these days. Heck I can shoot a can more accurately with a slingshot now than I can with a gun!


Oh how i wish i was you good sir, you're very fortunate


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## slinger16 (Nov 3, 2013)

Lacumo said:


> Sunchierefram said:
> 
> 
> > Then again, I've never been to New York before and I never plan on going there.
> ...


I think somewhere like texas would make you feel like youre in a different country, i myself probably and unfortunately have many more years ahead of me here. I dont know what i dislike most here, but im definately having my mind on moving


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## Lacumo (Aug 18, 2013)

Almost anywhere other than the Police State of New York would make me feel like I'm in a different country. A two-year waiting list to get into a small gun club just so I can use their archery range is insane. That situation being that way because our Emperor Cuomo Junior pulled an anti-2nd amendment grandstand play to use as a sound bite and photo op to set himself up on the Presidential nomination trail is obscene. That's regrettably how things are in NY these days.

If you're in NY --- enjoy your slingshots while you can. They may not be in immediate danger today, but their permanent existence isn't certain, either. Wrist-supported slingshots are already illegal here, which is a screwball law. There's nothing that precludes an even more screwball law banning slingshots.


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## Sunchierefram (Nov 16, 2013)

Lacumo said:


> Almost anywhere other than the Police State of New York would make me feel like I'm in a different country. A two-year waiting list to get into a small gun club just so I can use their archery range is insane. That situation being that way because our Emperor Cuomo Junior pulled an anti-2nd amendment grandstand play to use as a sound bite and photo op to set himself up on the Presidential nomination trail is obscene. That's regrettably how things are in NY these days.
> 
> If you're in NY --- enjoy your slingshots while you can. They may not be in immediate danger today, but their permanent existence isn't certain, either. Wrist-supported slingshots are already illegal here, which is a screwball law. There's nothing that precludes an even more screwball law banning slingshots.


Even California, Washington D.C., New Jersey, etc?


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## Lacumo (Aug 18, 2013)

Sunchierefram said:


> Even California, Washington D.C., New Jersey, etc?


Parts of NoCal and NW NJ are OK. DC is the probable future home of Emperor Cuomo Junior and has other problems, so it's not on my short list.


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## JUSTJOB (Dec 26, 2013)

I love to shoot slingshot for sure, but.... I do prefer archery over slingshot shooting if I have to choose, glad I don't have to choose though.

I have been shooting Mathews compounds for the last 15-16 years, and my favorite one is my old MQ1, great little compound, has served me well!


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## Atlatlista (Feb 1, 2013)

I've got national and world titles in longbow archery (NFAA and IFAA, though I choked at indoor nationals this year hardcore), and slingshotting for me wasn't even on my radar until a guy on slinging.org (for the OTHER kind of slinging) asked if he could send me a package. I wasn't sure if it would be a dead cat or a mail bomb, but I said "sure" and I wound up with a great sideshooter and another a little while later. I played with them a bit, got a lot of fork strikes, went back to shooting arrows. Well, fast forward to a couple of weeks back, mired in the expense of changing my archery gear over to olympic style barebow, tuning plungers, figuring out stringwalking, and I thought to myself, "Maybe I should try those slingshots again."

It's been two weeks of intense shooting. I broke the bands on both of them and need to get them replaced somehow. I still don't know how to do that yet. I think I put like 5000 rounds downrange though, maybe more. Tonight, before my second bandset broke, I scored a perfect hit on a dandelion head at 15 yards - man that felt good. Almost as cool was going 6 for 6 on a little kick the can drill, knocking the can back from 5 yards to 25 yards before finally missing. I'm still not nearly as accurate as I'd like to be with a slingshot, but coming over from traditional archery feels like a big advantage. It's just like gap-shooting a longbow, but with a small gap owing to that top fork. Super cool.

If I had to choose between slingshot and archery I'd pick archery - I've got more invested in it, and I'm currently more accurate (put 4 out of 4 arrows into a coke can at 30 yards yesterday, with no sights, and wood arrows to boot). But slingshots have a bunch of really cool advantages. The ammo is dirt cheap. I bought all the daisy 3/8 steel balls out of both Dick's sporting goods in town in one week and my bank account didn't even feel it. By contrast, I'm still scraping up for a dozen carbon-aluminum hybrid arrows for my outdoor archery season. The ammo is easy to carry in your pocket. The weapon can be carried in a pocket. I don't care if I lose steel balls out in the woods. The targets you can hit are more variable, as the ammo is so cheap and resilient. I can shoot rocks and trees and such and just not worry with a slingshot, whereas I'd be losing or breaking arrows.

Overall, I see these two sports as complementary. I take archery way too seriously. It's like a job for me. I'm constantly training, constantly pressuring myself to score higher, and constantly competing. I haven't ruined slingshotting yet. It's still the sheer joy of plinking in the woods right now (though that might not last long). I think they do help each other though. Being a good archer seems to give me a huge leg up with a slingshot. Good form is good form, a good release is a good release, and the follow throughs are scarily similar. Even the aiming methodologies are quite similar. So, for the moment, I feel like the slingshot is my go-to plinking machine when I'm in the mood for some fun, and the bow is my serious training rig for when I want to hate myself for not putting all the arrows in the bull.


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