# The Big Iron---Trade Up!



## MOJAVE MO (Apr 11, 2018)

As a newbie to this forum I became a candidate for The Big Iron by Jolly Roger when I posted a photo of a ground-down Ebay purchase that I feebly needed to discover if it could actually become a slingshot!

Jolly's response was the easiest. He said, "looks nice, wanna trade it for a ready-to-go slingshot?". I did give it a few hours to decide because this is the 21st century and weird things happen.

I received one steel and one aluminum TBI a few days ago which gave me time to head out to my favorite can-killing spot and shoot it straight out of the box. I may not be the ideal guy to do a review because my comparison experience will be weak. However I can see if I am going to hang around this site I need to do my part.

Reviewer:

Mojave Mo. 50+ years of shooting. Rediscovered my old slingshot two months ago. I went online a month after a re-tuning of my 43 year old pocket wrist-rocket and bought a couple of good finished birchply catty's on Ebay and proceeded to beat them nearly to death.

Review:

The Big Iron---Steel

I put 12--7/16 steel balls in my pocket and lined up at the magic 33' mark and it went like this:

1. line up but felt awkward with my stance, missed left grazed the can.

2. high by a foot

3. low by a foot

4. low by six inches.

5. high by two feet.

Before the next shot I felt a little frustrated and thought I might need a few hundred shots to learn how to shoot upright OTT.

6. line up for another shot and decided before my release to drop them forks over and just see what would happen if I sighted the top right edge of the fork------DRILLED IT.

7. Drilled It.

8. Drilled It.

9. Drilled It.

10. Drilled It.

11. Grazed Left.

12. Grazed Left.

The last twelve shots were all shot sideways and I knocked the cans silly. I was so pumped! I felt like I could thread a needle with TBI. One thing that I really liked was how much 'light' the wide fork blocked in my target view. What?? I might be my vision, but the bigger forked seemed to make the whole picture seem more in focus. The other slingshot that I have been shooting is lighter wood with a smaller fork frame filling the target view. Wow.....do you see what I am saying? Regardless, I like that very much and will use it has a comparison as I shoot forward.

CONS: I am not sure yet but there is going to be something. The Steel TBI is a heavyweight contender. The aluminum frame will go into my back country pack. The steel frame in the truck.

Summary: I went out again today and changed my hand position a little, it feels better than I think it should. I spent hours sanding another wood frame to fit my hand and somehow this TBI feels a little better in my hand that I figured the remedial design could achieve. The low profile allows it to easily fit in places my wrist rocket could not.

I can also tell that given particulars that I am already experiencing I might be favoring the use of Gypsy Tabs on my frames. Time will tell, but I like that ease of changing to another prepared bank and pocket. I needed a lanyard and a little grip to go with it. Of course I could not pass up the opportunity to use this monster brass bead to go with my monster Big Iron!

Thanks to Jolly Roger and to the rest of the forum for this shooting inspiration. MM


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## mattwalt (Jan 5, 2017)

I like gypsy tabs.


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## KawKan (May 11, 2013)

Nice report!

Glad you found a shooter that fits you!


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## Tag (Jun 11, 2014)

Congrats on a great trade, JR is one awesome individual


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## Jolly Roger (Aug 14, 2017)

Nice review of The Big Iron to wake up to this morning. I haven't been logging on first thing in the morning but this being The Sabbath, I decided to relax a bit this morning before going out to shoot. What a great review of The Big Iron with some incredible insights. Glad you got it figured out. Sounds like you could do a pretty good video tutitorial on how to shoot The Big Iron.

By the way, those two PFS you sent me arrived yesterday evening and they are both real beauties. I'll see about getting a couple of shots posted.


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## BushpotChef (Oct 7, 2017)

Very thorough review, I felt like I was standing next to you while you shot and shared your thoughts lol. I love my TBI as well, it's a real 'duty' frame. Really feels solid in the hand as you mentioned.

Glad you like it! 

Sent from my SM-J320W8 using Tapatalk


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## 31610 (Aug 20, 2017)

Well JR you have to be happy with that review.I think that’s the worst part of making something for someone if they going to like it


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## Jolly Roger (Aug 14, 2017)

Port boy said:


> Well JR you have to be happy with that review.I think that's the worst part of making something for someone if they going to like it


Very true. I thought long and hard about on deciding on a frame design that would be accepted. It is a rather basic frame without all the bells and whistles but can be dressed up to accept a few bells and whistles allowing for a bit of a personal touch. Some have added paracord to the grip ,Raventree78 added Gypsy Tabs, Chef figured out how to shoot looped tubes with it, I'm looking forward to having my two personal frames decked out with grip scales. It will also support Pro Clips. Yes a versatile OTT frame. And as Matt mentions, the powder coating really did the trick. I have two steel frames that I have been shooting without powder coating. I experimented with them and one I dipped in Red Tool Handle Plastic Grip material and the other I used cold gun blue. When that first batch came back from being powder coated I took those two frames back to the wire wheel to be prepped for powder coating. I should have them back in a couple weeks.


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## MakoPat (Mar 12, 2018)

Jolly Roger, I sent you a pm asking what a Big Iron is... then found this review. Very nice. Are these Big Irons for sale or only trade?


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## Jolly Roger (Aug 14, 2017)

I have no problem with cash. I answered your PM.


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## rosco (Jan 10, 2012)

Shame this states rules prohibit my importing a slingshot. I would have had a TBI on the list for sure.

Nice review MM! Always good when it all comes together and the desired outcome achieved. I suspect you are like a lot of the members here and pick up where you left off in your youth, only to discover that what used to be such a simple straight forward thing is no longer the case. An extraordinary range of satisfactions can now be had through the sport. I'm ridiculously fond of it.


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## BushpotChef (Oct 7, 2017)

rosco said:


> Shame this states rules prohibit my importing a slingshot. I would have had a TBI on the list for sure.
> 
> Nice review MM! Always good when it all comes together and the desired outcome achieved. I suspect you are like a lot of the members here and pick up where you left off in your youth, only to discover that what used to be such a simple straight forward thing is no longer the case. An extraordinary range of satisfactions can now be had through the sport. I'm ridiculously fond of it.


Would it be the same thing if you received one as a gift sent by standard post..?

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## rosco (Jan 10, 2012)

Could do and gawd knows but thousands get sent stuff sent in the mail that you could hanged for and get away with it, but we have had packages opened and checked by the authorities before so I'm not up to chance it.

Wife has the kind of job where any indiscretions could be blown out of all proportions and a shitstorm would be raging down upon our head and shoulders. Best not, but if you were offering, then thank you mightily for the offer, but sadly must be declined.

????


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## BushpotChef (Oct 7, 2017)

rosco said:


> Could do and gawd knows but thousands get sent stuff sent in the mail that you could hanged for and get away with it, but we have had packages opened and checked by the authorities before so I'm not up to chance it.
> 
> Wife has the kind of job where any indiscretions could be blown out of all proportions and a ****storm would be raging down upon our head and shoulders. Best not, but if you were offering, then thank you mightily for the offer, but sadly must be declined.


A sad state of affairs to say the least, but I commend you on your self control lol. At least they're not outright banned where you are, happy shooting anyhow! 

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## MOJAVE MO (Apr 11, 2018)

rosco said:


> Could do and gawd knows but thousands get sent stuff sent in the mail that you could hanged for and get away with it, but we have had packages opened and checked by the authorities before so I'm not up to chance it.
> 
> Wife has the kind of job where any indiscretions could be blown out of all proportions and a ****storm would be raging down upon our head and shoulders. Best not, but if you were offering, then thank you mightily for the offer, but sadly must be declined.


Anybody remember that Johhny Cash/Wayne Kemp song called 'One Piece at a Time'?.......Whatever new slingshot you want we can each mail you a piece over a few months. I think we could do the same with Harley Davidson parts too.

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## BushpotChef (Oct 7, 2017)

Mojave Mo said:


> rosco said:
> 
> 
> > Could do and gawd knows but thousands get sent stuff sent in the mail that you could hanged for and get away with it, but we have had packages opened and checked by the authorities before so I'm not up to chance it.
> ...


HAH! Like when Radar from MASH sent himself a Jeep one piece at a time.

" His mailman is going to have a retroactive hernia when he realizes he hand delivered delivered an entire Jeep!" - B.F. Hawkeye Pierce

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## 31610 (Aug 20, 2017)

Mojave Mo said:


> rosco said:
> 
> 
> > Could do and gawd knows but thousands get sent stuff sent in the mail that you could hanged for and get away with it, but we have had packages opened and checked by the authorities before so I'm not up to chance it.
> ...


HD parts ya send me some want my list


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## 31610 (Aug 20, 2017)

BushpotChef said:


> rosco said:
> 
> 
> > Could do and gawd knows but thousands get sent stuff sent in the mail that you could hanged for and get away with it, but we have had packages opened and checked by the authorities before so I'm not up to chance it.
> ...


our customs will hook stuff to I lost some folding knifes to them and it was stuff u can buy here nothing illegal but had lots make it luck of the draw


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## Buckskin Dave (Apr 4, 2018)

mattwalt said:


> I like gypsy tabs.


I never used them but I do like the look. Great review Mojave.


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## rosco (Jan 10, 2012)

"Anybody remember that Johhny Cash/Wayne Kemp song called 'One Piece at a Time'?.......Whatever new slingshot you want we can each mail you a piece over a few months. I think we could do the same with Harley Davidson parts too"

I know that song! Johnny Cash knows stuff.

Trouble is I've been humming along to that old Bobby Fuller song " I fought the law and the law won..."

????


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## 31610 (Aug 20, 2017)

Merle Haggard mama tried is another one .Well the part that’s cool is u can still get your hands on a template and u have the skill to make it work and sounds like you r having fun with it to .Keep that chisel sharp Rosco


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## Brook (Mar 4, 2018)

Good review, the big iron loves tabs????


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## Jolly Roger (Aug 14, 2017)

Port boy said:


> Merle Haggard mama tried is another one .Well the part that's cool is u can still get your hands on a template and u have the skill to make it work and sounds like you r having fun with it to .Keep that chisel sharp Rosco


You are correct Port Boy. It is a lot more fun to make and shoot your own than to buy them.


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## 31610 (Aug 20, 2017)

JR u r right it’s a lot of fun wish I would of found this forum sooner than I did and got into it sooner the only slingshot I thought existed was black widow and trumark and the diablo.I never thought it was this big .Its pretty cool all the different frames and bands and tubes set ups I am blown away with it all


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## Buckskin Dave (Apr 4, 2018)

Jolly Roger said:


> Port boy said:
> 
> 
> > Merle Haggard mama tried is another one .Well the part that's cool is u can still get your hands on a template and u have the skill to make it work and sounds like you r having fun with it to .Keep that chisel sharp Rosco
> ...


I agree with Jolly R. its fun to make and shoot your own. BUUUUTTTT,,,,,,there are so many fantastic slingshots pictured here every day and man, I just want to try them all. Starting to think about rolling south to Alverton in June and try some out.


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## MOJAVE MO (Apr 11, 2018)

Mojave Mo said:


> As a newbie to this forum I became a candidate for The Big Iron by Jolly Roger when I posted a photo of a ground-down Ebay purchase that I feebly needed to discover if it could actually become a slingshot!
> 
> Jolly's response was the easiest. He said, "looks nice, wanna trade it for a ready-to-go slingshot?". I did give it a few hours to decide because this is the 21st century and weird things happen.
> 
> ...


Recap. The Big Iron is going to be my hunter. I pulled it out yesterday and was nailing beach cans from a boat. It won't float for beans, but my confidence is soaring at targeting TBI. I know I need to own a Bill Hays in part because my hand is the same as his and it easy to see the why the excitement for his design. MM

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## Jolly Roger (Aug 14, 2017)

Nice. Great to hear or read that is. I also found The Big Iron to be addictive once I figured out how accurate I could be with it. Go ahead, order a slingshot from Bill Hays and you'll find that his frames are addictive like Mother Goose potato chips....remember the add...Bet you can't buy just one of Bill's slingshots. The Scorpion and the HTS fit a big hand very well but all his models are great to shoot.


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## 31610 (Aug 20, 2017)

Top shot is my poison I can not lie it rocks for me


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## MOJAVE MO (Apr 11, 2018)

Port boy said:


> Top shot is my poison I can not lie it rocks for me


Hola PB. The Topshot a Hays design?

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## 31610 (Aug 20, 2017)

Yep it’s one of bills children


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