# High-level Slingshot Safety Best Practices



## NightKnight (Dec 16, 2009)

This thread is to identify some high-level best practices when it comes to slingshot safety. As stated in the site terms and conditions, each person is responsible for their own safety when making and shooting slingshots.

Slingshots are not toys. They are weapons, and should be treated with the same level of care and respect as one would a firearm or a bow and arrow.
Always wear Ballistic Rated Eyewear when shooting or drawing a slingshot.
Never aim a slingshot at a human being.
Use narrow forks to reduce the chances of a Return-to-sender shot.
Never shoot if you don't know what is behind your target.
Make sure that bands and pouches are fully fastened before each shot.
Continually examine and maintain your equipment. This includes checking bands and pouches for signs of wear and imminent breakage, and checking forks for potential stress fractures.

If you have other best practices that you believe should be added to this list, please post them below.


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## Rapier (May 28, 2011)

Constant examination and maintenance of equipment. Especially checking bands and pouches for signs of wear and imminent breakage.

"hey, whatch where I'm goin'"


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## riverman (Nov 26, 2011)

I'm curious about comment #4, concerning fork width, how wide is "too wide"?


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## NightKnight (Dec 16, 2009)

riverman said:


> I'm curious about comment #4, concerning fork width, how wide is "too wide"?


There are varying opinions on that. I don't have a good answer, but Generally speaking you want the bands to be moving forward with the projectile, not at an angle to the side.


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## slingshot_sniper (Feb 20, 2011)

Beware of ricochet!s!!

can be dangerous to yourself and or others around you


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## bootneck (Feb 20, 2011)

With 4 i would say it's best to remember that the narrower the forks are the more likely you are to hit your thumb so remember to flip and twist with very narrow forks, plus with forks as narrow as milbro's i would suggest using long elastics, short ones don't give you much chance, if any to flip and thumb whacks are more likely, above all don't worry, as someone else said all sports have risks and slingshooting isnt that bad compared to most, I've hit my face a couple of time's and hit all around the rest of my body a few times and apart from pain there's no lasting damage, eye's are very small targets compared to your body.

What I'm trying to say is, take safety seriously but don't let the potential risks put you off.

I've worse damage done by camping, running or weightlifting than slingshooting


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## Classic Slingshot (Apr 27, 2011)

Very good information


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## JetBlack (Mar 9, 2012)

Hold it tight, almost broke a rib when my dankung popped a tube and it shot up out of my hand back into my ribs. I was aiming up about 30 degrees and did not have my pinkie in the hole. Now i use a lanyard and gloves for grip, limited slingshot range ( to my face ) and no handslaps.


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## newconvert (Dec 12, 2011)

JetBlack said:


> Hold it tight, almost broke a rib when my dankung popped a tube and it shot up out of my hand back into my ribs. I was aiming up about 30 degrees and did not have my pinkie in the hole. Now i use a lanyard and gloves for grip, limited slingshot range ( to my face ) and no handslaps.


wow thats a first for me, i never seen a sling return when the tubes broke, sounds painful. i do like the lanyard idea.


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## JetBlack (Mar 9, 2012)

Btw the agile toucan has that sharp point by the thumb grip that made it worse than other slingshots.


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## Tex-Shooter (Dec 17, 2009)

Also when stretched to the limit, sometime latex will break linier instead crosswise. When this happens it can cut like a knife. I don't recommend stretching latex to the ultimate. -- Tex


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## Sharkman (Jan 15, 2012)

I definitely agree with the lanyard. A while back I made a small boardcut and I think I put some over powered bands on it. Went shooting out of my hand the third time I shot it. I had added a lanyard just because I thought it looked cool. Lucky for me.


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## Haken (Jan 14, 2011)

Another one ; pay attention on how you fix the bands to your slingshot, always cut a grove for the rubber and wrapping material to be squeezed in. One of my very early models dindt have that grove and the band slipped and hit my ex GF right in the face she was bleeding like ****, not nice. Some pics of this can be found here; http://melchiormenzel.de /making a slingshot /how to tie . last pictues on the bottom of the page. The slingshot that is pictured here was made from very soft wood also with the grain running in the wrong direction this also caused the left fork be break off while pulling out. So be sure to use only wood that is suitable to make a slingshot. If you are not sure post it here and we will help.


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