# The Rat Attack



## Bill Hays (Aug 9, 2010)

The foul weather has moved in... and so have the rats!
This big boy decided he liked the chicken coop better than where ever he was before... big mistake!

That's my Pocket Ranger beside him... He was bigger than my slingshot!


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## Hrawk (Oct 25, 2010)

BOOM HEADSHOT!

Well done Bill


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## NaturalFork (Jan 21, 2010)

Nice job! Bill do you find you like the side attached bands (like you have above) more than the over the top attachment method?


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## Qucifer (Dec 27, 2010)

Nice shot. What was the distance? A rat head is a small target.

Q


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## Bill Hays (Aug 9, 2010)

Yeah... even though I can shoot over the top fairly well... shooting through the forks with that style of attachment is a lot more accurate for me... shot a bow to much when I was younger I guess.
Plus shooting with those a little heavier pull bands and light ammo, this method allows me to avoid handslaps... and my hands get pretty sensitive to those when it gets cold like it is right now.

If you look at video and howto's of some of the old timey guys that were super accurate with their slingshots... almost none shot over the top.


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## Bill Hays (Aug 9, 2010)

Qucifer said:


> Nice shot. What was the distance? A rat head is a small target.
> 
> Q


20-25 feet at the most. He was moving, but not fast, though!


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## lucifer93 (May 4, 2010)

I know your are a great slingshot shooter Bill, but the rat didn't.


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## stelug (Feb 6, 2010)

old milbro in new fashion shape? it rules







))) wich size ball's are you shooting with single bands???


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## shot in the foot (Jan 3, 2010)

Good shooting, only good rat is a dead rat, jeff


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## Frodo (Dec 19, 2009)

Good one! I don't like rats too much!


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## Bill Hays (Aug 9, 2010)

stelug said:


> old milbro in new fashion shape? it rules
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Like everybody, I suppose, I go through stages.... when strictly target shooting it's really hard to beat some of my larger frames. When speed shooting against the clock, or shooting for most hits in a row on a can... I WILL pick up a Hathcock Target Sniper, Dragon design or my Vergo... with their finger indexing, stable weight, proper handle cants and super feel... I simply shoot them better.
But when hunting... a lot of it is targets of opportunity. If your slingshot is fairly large then you might not have it with you and the opportunity is lost.
With the smaller slingshots... they're easier to carry, so you get more chances to hunt something than with the big target frames.... and if you use the correct balance of bandset to frame and ammo... they're proving to be accurate _enough_ too!

The only thing I had to figure out was the optimal sizes and shapes for ease of carry, able to be used with or without gloves on, and to get good accuracy with decent sized ammo.
I needed something that can shoot up to .50 cal and down to .177... and be able to use flats, tubes or squared with equal deadly effectiveness.

The Lil' Ranger frame platform is perfect to experiment with. Loosely based on the old Milbro concept and dimensions... the Lil' Ranger's frame is more ergonomic and versatile with more gripping surfaces and in my opinion better fork appliance.

What I've settled on for me, right now, is the frame in the picture. It's 5.75" long X 3.6" wide with 1 7/8" between the forks. The bands are full 1" wide straight cut Gold Theraband... and the pouch is one of the undimpled ones I just got from Tex. 
With this size I can shoot 5/8" marbles down to .177 bbs with equal accuracy... just need to make sure the bandset is appropriate.

Accuracy and power are due to a combination of things... First, choose the correct frame and size to suit your shooting style, hand size and carry requirements... 
Next, choose a bandset you can use well. You can have the best frame on the planet, but if the bandset is not correct for the ammo used... or if the bandset is not symmetrical in pull... or if the pouch doesn't have enough "feel"... then you're probably not going to shoot all that well.

So it's a good idea to experiment... a lot. You may _think_ wide and big is the way to go... and after experimenting you might still feel that way, but you might like to give smaller, balanced and concealable a try... it might surprise you. I know it surprised me!


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## BaneofSmallGame (Sep 22, 2010)

Great shot, happy to see you posting your kill pics .....I really enjoy seeing what other people can do with there slingshots while I sit at my computer waiting for the 15 degree weather, 10 inches of snow, and heavy winds to give way to Spring







.....so I can get back out there.

Good looking shooter, I too prefer a smaller, transportable frame for seizing opportune moments at any time.

Kill all the rats you can!

Cheers - John


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## NoSugarRob (Jun 3, 2010)

good shot.


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## Sam (Jul 5, 2010)

Impressive accuracy, I wouldn't dare shoot ball bearings - or anything come to think of it - in my house I'd definitely break something!


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## Sammy (Jan 6, 2011)

Great shot!
I live near a small stream... used to take my daughter down to toss old bread and cereal off the bridge to feed the birds and ducks that were down there...
Then one day we were watching it flow downstream to small waterfall... on the other side we saw a bunch of rats come out of the brush and jump into to water and eat the goodies...
Yuck!... got them critters around my house too... although don't see them much... just the pellets they leave behind....
Hmmmmm.... need to get going on some practice for myself :0)


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

Head shot, got one a couple weeks ago.


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## Bill Hays (Aug 9, 2010)

Sam said:


> Impressive accuracy, I wouldn't dare shoot ball bearings - or anything come to think of it - in my house I'd definitely break something!


LOL, that picture is not taken at my house! That's the 6 1/4" tile floor of the feed room next to the chicken coop.
What's remarkable about the picture isn't that I killed another rat... it's how freakin' big it was!
This thing was close to 16 inches long when stretched out.


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## Dayhiker (Mar 13, 2010)

Very excellent!


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## dgui (Jan 12, 2010)

You Clocked that Rat real good.


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## shot in the foot (Jan 3, 2010)

Rats are a night mare for the likes of Bill, i know people that have lost big strong deerhounds through rats peeing in there water or dog runs, i trap and kill loads a week on the farm, and for people who have them in there homes, people think rats only go to mucky places, but thats wrong even the queen will have them, 
kill them all bill,


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## e~shot (Jun 3, 2010)

Good shot!


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## Tobse (Nov 4, 2010)

hello Bill, nice shot! i have every winter problems with with these beasts on my farm! but i had never up to now the possibility to make it like you!


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## josephlys (May 4, 2010)

Awesome Bill you the man. Whats the draw weight on those bands and what ammo size did you use? There are tons of rats down town and I would really love to get me some.


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## HOE (Nov 13, 2010)

Rats are devils, they die and rot behind my heavy cupboards, under the fridge water trap, nibbling every single fruits on the table yet don't eat the whole thing, make one of our bedrooms its home, and many other problems. They are not scared of we humans anymore, the rat rushed through the bedroom even when there were a few people were standing inside. I have my little dog to detect where they are hiding.


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## josephlys (May 4, 2010)

At least slingshots are not illegal here right Hoe, Everything else down to the pellet gun is illegal here. Man Malaysia is too strict. I have 2 dogs myself, one of my dogs caught and killed a mouse 1 night. I really washed his mouth out. Haha.


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## HOE (Nov 13, 2010)

@joseph, I'm actually glad that airguns are illegal over here. Otherwise, most people won't use them responsibly, picking off any innocent small animals that they don't eat, putting people to danger. Just take a look on how malaysians behave on the road...


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## josephlys (May 4, 2010)

Bow and arrows are legal here, so are slingshots. I believe they are equally dangerous to people. A carbon arrow and easily penetrate someones body and cause grievous injuries. So can a slingshot, it could take out an eye, break widows or imagine a lead-ball/Hex-nut smashing into someones face at 180fps. Yet there is no laws and regulations on slingshots, they are sold freely by stores and vendors as if they are toys. So I don't see how this is different from a bb gun. What they should do is work on their law and regulation skills, and not just banning everything under the sun. Just a thought.


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