# Type of slingshot you use.



## rubberpower (Aug 16, 2011)

*What type of slingshot do you use?*​
*Which type of slingshot do you use the most?*

Traditional 15775.85%Wrist braced104.83%Both4019.32%


----------



## rubberpower (Aug 16, 2011)

*I have been having days of good shooting then days of really bad shooting. One afternoon after a shooting session I was playing with my slingshot and pulling it while on target and noticed that the more I pulled the angle of the bands would be in a different position. I talked to a friend of mine on the forum and he told me he went to a wrist braced slingshot. I ordered a new Falcon 2. Got it today and immediately found the grip too small for my hand and I have a small hand. I put one of Tex's grips on it and went out to shoot. *
*The first marble hit the target and so did the second then a miss. I kept shooting and my groups were very consistent. After several minutes I was getting tired but the point of the fork and band alignment always stayed the same. I have now been able to hit the target even when tired. What had been happening was when I was first shooting the forks would be well forward in my hand and as I got tired the forks would slowly start pointing toward me and then I would be shaking and having a hard time keeping the sight picture. I am pushing 70 and not as strong as years ago. Got me to wondering if others had the same problem. *


----------



## Henry the Hermit (Jun 2, 2010)

I had that problem when I first started shooting a bit over a year ago, but daily exercise with a length of Theraband Green Tube and a hundred or so squeezes a day with a grip strengthener straightened me out. I'm almost 69.


----------



## NaturalFork (Jan 21, 2010)

I shoot both styles. The grip on the falcon is designed that way for a reason, dont grip it. I shoot my falcon 2 completely open handed.


----------



## NaturalFork (Jan 21, 2010)

You should make a both option.


----------



## notchent (Aug 4, 2011)

That's one of the reasons I love shooting BBs, with light bands - very little tension, and very little fatigue, even after hundreds of shots. I shoot looped wire frame and Chinese style frames most often.


----------



## rubberpower (Aug 16, 2011)

NaturalFork said:


> You should make a both option.


Done


----------



## rubberpower (Aug 16, 2011)

notchent said:


> That's one of the reasons I love shooting BBs, with light bands - very little tension, and very little fatigue, even after hundreds of shots. I shoot looped wire frame and Chinese style frames most often.


I was going to set up one of my chinese frames for BB's. Only problem is I can't see where I hit because the BB's are so small.


----------



## rubberpower (Aug 16, 2011)

NaturalFork said:


> I shoot both styles. The grip on the falcon is designed that way for a reason, dont grip it. I shoot my falcon 2 completely open handed.


I do shoot open handed. I don't like the feel of plastic so I put on the rubber. Nice comfortable feeling. Try it and you will like it.


----------



## Wingshooter (Dec 24, 2009)

rubberpower said:


> I shoot both styles. The grip on the falcon is designed that way for a reason, dont grip it. I shoot my falcon 2 completely open handed.


I do shoot open handed. I don't like the feel of plastic so I put on the rubber. Nice comfortable feeling. Try it and you will like it.
[/quote]
I had the same problem so I went to shooting with a staight wrist like I shot my bows. I just rotate my wrist forward and hold the slingshot in line with my ring finger. I keep the other fingers close to the frame because when I shoot the sling jumps forward into my hand. This puts all the pressure straight back into your arm instead of holding it with your wrist. I'm 73 goin on a hundred. Slingshots keep you young.


----------



## johnny r (Sep 7, 2011)

I'm 68 but , I haven't found a wrist braced sling that I liked the feel of on top of my arm.All three that I have had a small diameter tube brace over the arm which felt uncomfortable. I've began putting lanyards on the five or six traditionals that I have and make the lanyard long enough to hook with my thumb on my holding hand and run it aross the back of my hand to take up the slack and it works great for me.


----------



## haertig (Jul 30, 2010)

I don't shoot wrist-braced slingshots anymore. I don't find them comfortable. I have a FS-1 that is about the most uncomfortable thing to shoot I've ever seen. I never shoot it. I also have a Marksman 3040 which is more comfortable than the Trumark, but still not what I'd call comfortable. The Marksman is tolerable for short periods, but not comfortable. Another thing I don't care for with wrist-braced slingshots are the heavy single tubes that slip on to the fork ends. These bandsets just feel "unfriendly" to me, for lack of a better word to describe it. They just don't have enough give to feel right in my hand

Is the Falcon 2 more comfortable than either of the above two? The area of discomfort for me is where the brace presses down on my forearm. I know the Falcon 2 uses flatbands, which would get rid of my concern with the large diameter tubes found on other wrist-braced models.


----------



## rubberpower (Aug 16, 2011)

haertig said:


> I don't shoot wrist-braced slingshots anymore. I don't find them comfortable. I have a FS-1 that is about the most uncomfortable thing to shoot I've ever seen. I never shoot it. I also have a Marksman 3040 which is more comfortable than the Trumark, but still not what I'd call comfortable. The Marksman is tolerable for short periods, but not comfortable. Another thing I don't care for with wrist-braced slingshots are the heavy single tubes that slip on to the fork ends. These bandsets just feel "unfriendly" to me, for lack of a better word to describe it. They just don't have enough give to feel right in my hand
> 
> Is the Falcon 2 more comfortable than either of the above two? The area of discomfort for me is where the brace presses down on my forearm. I know the Falcon 2 uses flatbands, which would get rid of my concern with the large diameter tubes found on other wrist-braced models.


The Falcon 2 is more comfortable, however the most comfortable slingshot I have shot is the Barnett Cobra. I may end up buying another one because of that plus your hand goes up through the brace which allows you to drop the slingshot while reloading and you can shoot it completely open handed without fear of dropping it.


----------



## notchent (Aug 4, 2011)

I like the falcon 2 a lot more than, for example, the Daisy or the Marksman, but that's just personal preference.


----------



## notchent (Aug 4, 2011)

rubberpower said:


> That's one of the reasons I love shooting BBs, with light bands - very little tension, and very little fatigue, even after hundreds of shots. I shoot looped wire frame and Chinese style frames most often.


I was going to set up one of my chinese frames for BB's. Only problem is I can't see where I hit because the BB's are so small.
[/quote]

I shoot very small targets (botllecaps, single serving cat food cans, etc.), and am happy just to hit the target


----------



## rubberpower (Aug 16, 2011)

notchent said:


> That's one of the reasons I love shooting BBs, with light bands - very little tension, and very little fatigue, even after hundreds of shots. I shoot looped wire frame and Chinese style frames most often.


I was going to set up one of my chinese frames for BB's. Only problem is I can't see where I hit because the BB's are so small.
[/quote]

I shoot very small targets (botllecaps, single serving cat food cans, etc.), and am happy just to hit the target








[/quote]
I shoot tuna cans at 30 ft. I paint the inside of them bright orange so I can see it in the sun. They make great targets.


----------



## pop shot (Sep 29, 2011)

i hang my roommate's kid's toys that i step on in the night. it makes it more satisfying.


----------



## slingshotwizard (Jul 23, 2011)

Are there any reccomended ways of cutting theraband


----------



## shawnr5 (Feb 16, 2011)

Cut the Theraband with a cutting mat, straight edge and rotary cutter (the sharper the better.) I use my mother-in-law's quilting straight edges. They are 1/8"clear acrylic and have a grid printed on them marked off in 1/8" increments.


----------



## pop shot (Sep 29, 2011)

rotary cutter and steel ruler so the rotary doesn't jump and bite your finger


----------



## Alex Jacob (Jan 24, 2010)

Never had much joy with wrist braced catties, but that might have been for all sorts of reasons. Until recently I was a firm tree-fork hammer grip fan, with a bit of a flip but am now a total convert to the dankung-style gangsta-flip method


----------



## cheese (Nov 16, 2011)

i hate wrist braces.


----------



## newconvert (Dec 12, 2011)

Henry in Panama said:


> I had that problem when I first started shooting a bit over a year ago, but daily exercise with a length of Theraband Green Tube and a hundred or so squeezes a day with a grip strengthener straightened me out. I'm almost 69.


amen Henry! you cant depend on support devices, they just assist. in the end you are in charge of all positioning, release............. exercise helps all these factors


----------



## XxDollarBillxX (Apr 28, 2011)

My Wrists are both injured but i always find a way to push through the pain, If i went to Physio, theyd probably tell me to do wrist exercises and ask me if i'd ever heard of resistance bands


----------



## Hoosier (Jan 6, 2012)

_I shoot bb's at a target that is leather_ 2and1/2 inches in dia. at 33feet hit the target about 40% of the time.Shoot indoors in cold weather I also have the shaking problem,I am 82 years young.


----------



## newconvert (Dec 12, 2011)

XxDollarBillxX said:


> My Wrists are both injured but i always find a way to push through the pain, If i went to Physio, theyd probably tell me to do wrist exercises and ask me if i'd ever heard of resistance bands


mine are too, arthritis, i always push for the golden stretchy exercise rubber bands


----------



## WILD BILL (Jan 26, 2012)

My wrists have been road hard, and put up wet ,way to many times. They were just about to feel good, until I hand split a load of wood yesterday.my shooting yesterday was much better (before the wood) than today.

I have both and shoot both. I do like my Pro-Diablo II. I can shoot it many more times than my Heavy banded antler forks before becoming too shaky.

I have to shoot with a straight wrist to be half way accurate.This why, any thing, I build will be straight wrist. When my wrist is stressed, my focus, is stressed..

My Rhododendron is as straight as it gets.


----------



## newconvert (Dec 12, 2011)

pop shot said:


> i hang my roommate's kid's toys that i step on in the night. it makes it more satisfying.


yeah buddy! hood rat toys make excellent targets


----------



## Jakerock (Mar 8, 2012)

Any chance that you guys who are getting tired / painful wrists could use some thinner bands or something?
I think there is something I am not understanding here.


----------



## pgandy (Aug 15, 2011)

When getting back into slingshots a few years back after the homemade naturals that I used as a kid I bought a wrist brace. That was mostly due to merchandising, and the lack of other options known to me. Besides that brace seemed like a good idea. I never could shoot that thing and pitched it after get a PS from A+. Eventually I wound up with several of those. Then I more or less retired those for small Dankungs. I find the PSs more comfortable to shoot and as I do flat bands. I also get more accuracy out of them, probably for that reason. However, the Dankungs seem to melt into my pocket lending themselves much better to carry and that is the over ridding factor. Each has their good points but since a Dankung is always with me because of the easy carry that is now about the only ones that I shoot. 73 years is around the corner and I can manage a 25# draw although my daily practice bands are 15.5# and I carry 18.6# when away from the house. I have trouble hanging onto the pouch when the draw reaches 25#. I haven’t had one to get away from me yet but it would only be a matter of time.


----------



## KennyCannon (Aug 24, 2011)

I use a wristrocket pro and have seen a HUGE difference in my shooting.

I can hold on the target as long as I want and aim much better. The WRP stabilizes my front hand and almost all the variables out of my shooting. As long as I anchor in the same spot and release correctly, the ammo goes where I want it.

And no, it's NOT the shooter.


----------



## pop shot (Sep 29, 2011)

I shoot hays covert hunter and pocket hunter and my own shooters. And I got a hammermil in the mail


----------



## newconvert (Dec 12, 2011)

Jakerock said:


> Any chance that you guys who are getting tired / painful wrists could use some thinner bands or something?
> I think there is something I am not understanding here.


its about ageing, ha ha if we decreased bands as the pain set in, the shot might not clear the forks lol


----------



## NightKnight (Dec 16, 2009)

I use both, but I am most accurate with my Saunders Wrist Rocket Pro. FWIW


----------



## Kipken (Feb 6, 2012)

rubberpower said:


> That's one of the reasons I love shooting BBs, with light bands - very little tension, and very little fatigue, even after hundreds of shots. I shoot looped wire frame and Chinese style frames most often.


I was going to set up one of my chinese frames for BB's. Only problem is I can't see where I hit because the BB's are so small.
[/quote]

I use paper targets from WalMart that change color when you hit them, so its easy to see where you hit.. thats how I sight my slings in before I start plinking with them...


----------



## mopper (Nov 17, 2012)

I shoot all types of slingshots.

Finger and thumb hook designs are practical because they are so easy and quick to make and they can be made so small and flat that they can fit in any pocket. My preferred designs are all hammergrip shooters though, like my "Bad Company". I find the rather narrow but deep handle makes it very easy to "point" the slingshot at the target to aim and it is easy to avoid canting. After many thousands of shots I have never had a fork hit with a Bad Company.


----------



## rapidray (Dec 15, 2012)

I have shot and owned both. I like the traditional. The brace seems to bug me while loading and then to readjust?


----------



## ruthiexxxx (Sep 15, 2012)

My fave SS and slingbows are fitted with ringbolts at the base that can be clipped to a tight leather wrist cuff so that bracing is optional. With black theratube I am very glad of it !!


----------



## Gardengroove (Feb 13, 2012)

I shoot gangster style in the traditional way. I am most confident with the thumb and forefinger support style and I have never shot hammergrip though. In the future I want to check out the knucklegrip style too. Wrist braced slingshots are illegal here, so I can't use them.

Cheers, Simon


----------



## pgandy (Aug 15, 2011)

ruthiexxxx said:


> My fave SS and slingbows are fitted with ringbolts at the base that can be clipped to a tight leather wrist cuff so that bracing is optional. With black theratube I am very glad of it !!


I like TBB. What size do you cut yours?


----------



## ruthiexxxx (Sep 15, 2012)

I havent tried theraband black yet ...though I would like to. The black Thera tube I've been cutting around 6" tie to tie. But I will experiment with other lengths. I'm liking Thera tube blue too...looped into a pseudo taper


----------



## poekoelan (Jan 1, 2013)

Though my first ss was a whamo sportsman, I owned and shot many wrist braced models until recently. I "rediscovered" slingshots over the past summer with my son, I ordered a model from a vendor here. I was amazed at how easily the single TBG bands drew yet they threw the 3/8 steel balls noticeably faster than the heavy RR2s I was used to using on my old, trusty, modified whamo folding powermaster. My son noticed this too and had to get this model himself. We've had tons of fun since, and it's still going strong. He also has a Trumark wrist rocket.

BUT...just for kicks I ordered a double TBG band set and put it on my new traditional slingshot. Even at half draw, there was NO comfortable way for me to hold that frame. None. I'm no stranger to draw weight, I've shot 55lb longbows for years. Pulling and controlling the weight wasn't the problem, it was trying to find a way to hold that frame comfortably under the weight.

After a couple sessions of trying, I decided to try this bandset on my old folding wrist brace. WOW!! No problem at all!! I guess they called it the "powermaster" for a reason. I'm currently trying to make a homemade traditional frame that better handles a heavy draw weight for me. "Ergo" for me might mean terribly uncomfortable for my neighbor.

You can say what you want about wrist braces, They ARE clumsy and bulky compared to traditional types. The development of the folding brace improved that somewhat. And I'll never get rid of my powermaster. I got rid of it's thin plastic handle years ago and replaced it with a solid hickory one. Now it's all can ask for in a wrist braced ss.

The problem with folding commercial wrist braced models is none of them are built to last IMO. The design of most of them doesn't have a metal to metal lock up. The wrist brace locks against a brittle or thin plastic handle. The Trumark folders are the worst. The forks only go into a thin hollow plastic handle about an inch or so. Not very safe IMO.

A folding wrist braced ss will never be as simple and as pocketable as a traditional one. But like anything else, what you lose in one area is gained in another. I don't think a traditional ss will ever be as stable or comfortable as a wrist brace when it comes to shooting heavy ammo at high velocity. We just need someone to start producing folding models that are built to last.

Solid steel frames ( or even aluminum ) with metal to metal lock up, sturdy hardwood ( or even synthetic ) handles, and a thick leather brace would be a great start. Vendors take notice!

All that being said, I love traditional wooden, non braced braced slingshots.But when it comes to this kind of ss, I'd rather make my own than buy from someone else. No one knows what's comfortable for my own hand better than me.


----------



## ruthiexxxx (Sep 15, 2012)

There is a compromise solution Poekoelan. A ring bolt set into the base of any SS which attaches by a spring clip to a sturdy wrist strap. This does the job perfectly. I think it might also get round the law in those countries where braced SS are illegal.


----------



## Rdug113 (Oct 22, 2012)

I have a bill Hayes target sniper. Not wanting a hard wrist brace I made a survival bracelet with a long tail. Put the tail thru the lanyard hole and tie at a comfortable length. That gives me a more stable grip without a hard brace across my forearm. I am 59 with arthritis in both hands. The wrist lanyard also helps keep the slingshot from hitting the ground when my grip gives out.


----------



## poekoelan (Jan 1, 2013)

I like that idea Ruthie. Then you could use the slingshot with or without the brace.


----------



## HerecomestheBOOM (May 9, 2013)

ruthiexxxx said:


> There is a compromise solution Poekoelan. A ring bolt set into the base of any SS which attaches by a spring clip to a sturdy wrist strap. This does the job perfectly. I think it might also get round the law in those countries where braced SS are illegal.


What is the brush for? I saw you post another one that also had a brush on it but I've never seen that before, I suppose it has another purpose then just to insure a "clean' shot?


----------



## August West (Jan 21, 2012)

Not Ruthie but the brush is an arrow rest.


----------



## HerecomestheBOOM (May 9, 2013)

Thanks, interesting. What kind of arrows do you use with that Ruthie?


----------



## ruthiexxxx (Sep 15, 2012)

well, I mainly make my own. I've found some beechwood dowel that is strong enough at 10mm and I also use bamboo.
I had a lot of problems with materials that just couldn't cope with the forces, some arrows even shattered in the bow on send-off which was a bit scary, not wanting a face full of splinters.
All my slingbows are now on pseudotapered black theratube and need arrows with a high spine rating. This one needs 12mm arrows and feels more like artillery than archery !


----------



## Dave1 (Sep 11, 2012)

Have had both styles, years and years ago I had a Barnett Cobra. Which was alright. Then I went over to traditional forks. I am 27 years young though. I use my Milbro with the traditional 6mm square rubber, which has a lot harder pull than theraband....And the 6mm square black rubbber is one of the easier square rubbers to pull. There are even more powerful and harder to draw square elastics upto 8mm!

That being said I am now experimenting with another Catapult style. A shooting stick, from Catapult Elite. I will start a seperate thread on that when I have some decent range time on it.


----------



## Dr J (Apr 22, 2013)

I use naturals. I do not like braces, the one I had I put a hack saw to it. I use my fingers and wrist a bit as one of my other hobbies is Lapidary. At 76 I keep a small sponge ball in my pocket and squeeze it constantly, it really works.


----------



## Jeff Lazerface (May 7, 2013)

I like big natural slingshots with wide forks.


----------



## Alaskashot (Jun 17, 2013)

All natural "Y" for me, just don't ask Y.


----------

