# I'm Just Wondering...



## Dayhiker (Mar 13, 2010)

Why do so many slingshooters on the forum like small slingshots all of a sudden? :nerd:

. . . or is that just a false impression?


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## M.J (Nov 1, 2010)

I've liked small slingshots (but not PFSs, mind you) for a long time. I think Charles' recent Altoids contest really stoked the fires of small slingshot love.


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## Nicholson (Sep 25, 2012)

I like small slingshots because they are pocketable and when banded right can still shoot large ammo. When I have nothing to do I enjoy shooting large naturals though. The weight and positive feel in my hand while shooting a larger sljngshot adds to the enjoyment. But even while huntjng I use a smallish slingshot because it conceals better


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## squirrel squasher (May 17, 2013)

I think it is the weather. Can't shoot outside so you build slingshots and build small slingshots is fun. Challenging for me.


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## Nicholson (Sep 25, 2012)

squirrel squasher said:


> I think it is the weather. Can't shoot outside so you build slingshots and build small slingshots is fun. Challenging for me.


Lol! Yea, it's the weathers fault! Hahahaha


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## quarterinmynose (Jan 21, 2012)

If small is frames roughly the size of the Maxim Champ, or the Lil' Plinker then it's got to be because it just feels good.

When I look at the frames I first made/shot they seem HUGE. I think many people start with a larger frame just because that's what they picture in their head when they think 'slingshot', but over time I think many if not most end up shooting smaller frames.

As far as PFS, or luck rings....well that's beyond me, though I don't mind a BB shooter session every now and again.


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## CanH8r (Dec 3, 2013)

They make me look big?


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

I have always liked small slingshots. My hands are not big, so the small ones feel better to me. And I like to carry my slingshot in my pocket. Those big frames weigh too much for my taste, and many of them will not fit in my pocket. As for the PFS, I fail to see any advantage to having a gap too small for the ammo to pass; and the required shooting technique is certainly detrimental to my accuracy. But to each their own. My boo shooters are the same size as a PFS, but you can shoot them like a normal slingshot. The frames that I really like to carry and shoot are about the same size.

Cheers ... Charles


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## e~shot (Jun 3, 2010)

DH don't your know people always like small and tight things :naughty:


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## Nicholson (Sep 25, 2012)

Is that what she said?


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## Imperial (Feb 9, 2011)

e~shot said:


> DH don't your know people always like small and tight things :naughty:





Nicholson said:


> Is that what she said?


she was being too kind.


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## Flatband (Dec 18, 2009)

I've actually went a little smaller myself. I didn't take it to the extremes like others but a bit smaller works!


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## honorary pie (Feb 12, 2015)

I dunno, I just got here.


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## flipgun (Nov 14, 2012)

I don't know if it is "All Of The Sudden", It seems as skill levels go up, the size of frames and catch boxes go down. Rayshot's slices, your Chalices and Plinkers are fine examples of this concept. The newly inducted tend toward larger shooters with higher forks because they are easier to shoot and not as scary.The majority of people here are experienced shooters and damned fine shots. A few are exceptional to amazing. IMHO you are just seeing the curve on experience


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## e~shot (Jun 3, 2010)

Imperial said:


> e~shot said:
> 
> 
> > DH don't your know people always like small and tight things :naughty:
> ...


 :rolling: :rolling: :rolling:


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## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

I consider the Torque to be a small good size carry sling for me. I have a few slings in that size range, the 95% size "Mule" being one of them. My "Daisy F-16" modified slings are in effect, very thin and although they have a 3+inch fork spacing, which I like a lot are still not overly big.

I do have slings that are small, but those are for playing around, although easy to carry.

wll


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## Rayshot (Feb 1, 2010)

CanH8r said:


> They make me look big?


One of the best answers yet. LOL

Maybe that is why I came to love the small shooters like the Axiom and Maxim Champ.


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## Rayshot (Feb 1, 2010)

Nicholson, QIMN, Charles said much of what I believe.

And well put; "with experience" often comes diminished sizes. Though I considered the Milbro on the small side.

I agree with the real small sized cattys, luckring etc I don't shoot as much.

When I look at the history of my slingshots, I noticed a rapid diminishing of size as I was wishing to find my grail and as I became better and more confident I wasn't going to shoot my hand off. Before I knew what was happening the Maxim Champ 1/2 inch thick or less, was my first diminished sized frame that became a regular shooter. Likewise, then the Axiom Champ.


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## Aefr (Jul 20, 2014)

Easy carry mostly.


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## reset (Apr 13, 2013)

Thats a interesting question. I have been thinking recently how i ended up in the niche im in where i shoot PFS's only, nearly all the time. And along with that mostly .177 bb's. I can give the standard answers like pocket-ability which includes the small ammo etc. and the stealth thing. I can carry alot of bb's in one pocket or small pouch and its real cheap to shoot. Bands last forever shooting bb's and they are fast and can be very accurate. Also i used to shoot air guns alot which included bb's for ammo so ive always liked bb's. And those are attractive reasons for me.

I never noticed that perhaps theres a movement to smaller in Slingin. Guess i wasnt around say at the start of these forums where it mighta been different maybe. As Spock would say "fascinating." But really i can think of no real good reason otherwise except to answer for me, that its just what ive found to be the most fun which is what its all about in the end.

Perhaps if i hunted id go bigger. In fact i keep one big one and some big ammo of various types just in case i want to sometime. This is probably not helpful Bill but i tried.


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## Winnie (Nov 10, 2010)

I went small when I finally figured out I could build easy pull bands that will give me adequate power.

A small slingshot that fits easily in my pocket, and looks like a toy but hits like a hunter.

Small and simple.

winnie


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## Aefr (Jul 20, 2014)

I started of with small shooters as a kid because they fit my small hands. As I got older i went through a phase of shooting wider forks. But I've since gone back to smaller ones for obvious reasons.


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## Dayhiker (Mar 13, 2010)

Well I guess I'm not crazy. I agree with those of you who say that as one gets more experienced he tends to start making (and buying) his forks smaller. I myself am now liking my forks smaller. And I wondered if that was what was happening to others. Guess I was right. I don't shoot anything as small as a PFS though. But I do enjoy shooting my BB shooters from Perry at A+ Slingshots and Bill Hays. (I don't shoot BB's with them, though, I use 3/8 steel.)

Also, I made one of Bill Hays's Ferret Hunter forks, which is about as small as I go normally and found that I can handle the strongest of bandsets with it. It's an excellent design for a small hunting slingshot. The best I've tried.

Thanks for the replies, fellas. Really clears up a lot of questions for me. :cookie:


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## Nobodo (Nov 5, 2014)

So summing up the info in this thread....

As a slingshooter ages his weapon gets smaller.


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## Dayhiker (Mar 13, 2010)

Never looked at it that way... hmmmm :lol:


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## Metropolicity (Aug 22, 2013)

I shoot a lot of 117 bbs, I size my frames accordingly since they don't need to handle too much stress from heavy bands. I also have a LOT of 3" wide wood stock so my recent (although limited) slingshot adventures are smaller than most.


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## reset (Apr 13, 2013)

Nobodo said:


> So summing up the info in this thread....
> 
> As a slingshooter ages his weapon gets smaller.


Good thing im only 68, but you do have me a little worried now.


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## Nobodo (Nov 5, 2014)

reset said:


> Nobodo said:
> 
> 
> > So summing up the info in this thread....
> ...


Yeah, no kidding. The wife hasn't said anything yet, so maybe I'm ok for now.


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## wombat (Jun 10, 2011)

It definitely seems to be experience. I started out making large ones, thinking they had to fit my hand and then gradually started making them smaller. I now shoot a small to medium size catty.

I also sell a few to the boys at the pub, actually quite few which is surprising considering they're sort of illegal here!!  Anyway these guys are all tradesmen i.e. they seem to baseball mitts for hands and every time I bring a "Joey" or "boomerang" for show and tell, they'll say "that's nice but it's too small". So I just keep making them a full size "Opus" or "Goblet" and they're happy. The only exception is the "Devil" which is made to fit into the palm of your hand (small with an exaggerated palm swell ). Once anyone holds it in their hand, that's the one they want.


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## Arber (Mar 30, 2013)

I have large hands but prefer smaller slingshots because I can build them quicker. Although the slingshot still takes above 10 hours to build, it still takes less time to build than a larger slingshot.


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## Susi (Mar 3, 2013)

Inspired by the genius designs on the Altoid contest, wow what diversity, I just finished my second wee SS, it's a take down and fits very nicely in my shirt pocket yet assembles to a full size SS, 20 ball ammo storage in the handle, wire frame fork yet takes double 12mm TBGs...it's a hard hitter, compact to carry, one thumb bolt to assemble, couldn't be much simpler, will post when I finish a 2nd fork, for bands, it's set up for tubes at this point and I jerry rigged bands on it too...but wanna make a slotted fork interchangeable...and maybe an arrow rest one for a triple threat SS. I went on a picnic with a bunch of neighbors a few weeks ago, forgot my smallest shooter and we picnic'd at a river full of nice round shootable gravel. Shucks! So this little hummer I just finished is gonna be called "The Picnic Piece".

Buying and making any size slingshot is entirely up to the whim and tastes of the owner. Slingshots are a highly individual thing and wee SSs have always been pretty popular on this forum, it's not a new thing for the couple years I've been around here. The neat part of slingshot enthusiasm is "try it, you may like it". I've tried forks so small they were tragic...didn't work, fork hits, me hits...ouch...so I tried....I can't master the PFS wrist flip, my fault, not the slingshot's fault..plenty of folks can shoot circles around me with pickle forks and minis. Good for them, they've mastered something I'm not willing to or simply can't. But the point is, why do folks buy and make small sling shots? Because for one reason or the other they like them just as some like sushi and others would puke..

I think Charles' small shooters made of wooden spatulas gleaned from thrift stores are one neat idea. I'd like to try that at least...I'm leary of fork hits but he says properly shot, no issue...so fine, will try one someday, the idea is cool, a small packable SS that SHOOTS well is a great idea for diversity, straying from the gigantic micarta arm braced "Goliath" and "Micarta Magnum" SSs and HDPE super ergo I'm known to build. Each has it's place. Frankly, I would be missing a lot of diversity and adventure had I just stuck with one type of frame. Look at for example what you'llshootyoureyeout Matt has in his gallery...or Bill Hays or many others? Diversity and original designs...it's fun to try new stuff.


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## jazz (May 15, 2012)

Although not a native english speaker, I gues that size and width are two different concepts here to consider:

small AND narrow;

small AND wide;

big AND narrow;

big AND wide;

I like them small and wide, how's that?

cheers,

jazz


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## Urban Fisher (Aug 13, 2014)

My answer would be very similar to many others...and that's pocketability! That too me is one of the greatest things about a slingshot. Something small that easily fits in a pocket yet has plenty of power for shooting fun. I even made a slingbow, but used a regular slingshot frame (no wrist brace or extras) because the whole purpose I wanted it is so I could fit a weapon that shoots full sized arrows my pocket!


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## Susi (Mar 3, 2013)

A+ has take down arrows.. go to the "arrow" .three segments shock corded so they self assemble...about 7 3/4 invches long when folded down. They self assemble in a flash to shoot. Go to the "arrows & accessories button, click it. If you want compactness, that's the ticket for arrows.


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