# Hathcock G10 review



## davea

Hi everyone,
new to the forum and slingshots in general, so a newby here with just a few months experience.

I came from doing archery for a number of years and then discovered these types of slingshots.
I have to say, this was a total revelation for me, as I started to find archery too restrictive, too expensive, so when I discovered ergonomic slingshots like Bill's models, it was a total revelation. Basically, all the advantages of archery without any of the disadvantages (..and you can use any ammo you want!).

Anyway, I went ahead and ordered the one you see - Hathcock G10 with ballistic resin.
I had already bought a cheap version from eBay and even had a go at making one myself from some wood I had laying around.
When I received the Hathcock, it was immediate that this was a far higher quality product than the ones I had - better design, better materials and much better to shoot.

As Bill says on his website, the feel, weight and balance of G10 can't be compared. It's like an archery riser that has a bit of weight to it, you can just feel it better in your hand.
The new type of attachments also make it a breeze to change bands and get them exactly lined up. This is a massive timesaver.

Overall, I have worked out that for the research and development time Bill has put in over the years, the cost of materials, the cost of labour and his personal touch to the product, basically means he is more or less giving them away ( especially with the cost of materials in the UK), so I would seriously be more than happy to pay double for the same slingshot, as I think it will outlast me - quite cheap really for a product that lasts a lifetime.

I can now go out and get the same enjoyment and benefits from a top end slingshot and get the same level of consistency and accuracy, at least at short distances as I could with my archery gear.
Basically, could not be happier. GT10 slingshots all the way from now on!

I have a lit a match up to now, but it was a total fluke...!


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## treefork

Good review . I always find myself going back to the HTS . I've put a lot of shots down range with it . It is one of the most copied designs out there . Many sling shot makers have taken the concept and changed it a little to claim a new design . Congratulations on picking a winner .


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## bigron

welcome to the forum,and that was a great review :wave:


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## davea

Just a note - the Hathcock is the smaller version which fits my hand perfectly (i'm 6ft 1in and have average size hands) The regular version must be for those with hands like earth movers.

Its also a lefty (hold the slingshot in my right hand) if the band attachments look back to front in the image!

..and that G10, its a weird material in a very good sense. Its counter intuitive.

It looks like its made from something like a fibrous plastic type material (a bit like a very fine, roughed up carbon fibre), but it sounds when tapped and feels as solid as a metal.

The G10 also gives a 'grippiness' to the feel. The polymer one i have is very smooth and until I compared the two, didn't realise the benefit.

The ballistic resin target in the image does feel like a plastic, so G10 and the resin must be the ideal combo. or get a metal one. I think an all carbon fibre slingshot would be just overkill, unless that is what you wanted. I bet in a material strength test against G10 and carbon, G10 would at least hold its own, but I think realistically, to put the pressure on the forks enough to break a G10 or Carbon slingshot, I would have to borrow that exo skeleton-thing Sigourney Weaver has at the end of Alien.


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## Tag

Great review


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## Bill Hays

Thanks for the review Dave.... I kind of think it wasn't to much of a fluke that you've already lit up a match... coming from an archery background everything should be pretty close to intuitive for you and easy to master.

Also, G10 is made from layers of woven fiberglass with a phenolic or epoxy like binder between the layers, heated up and sandwiched together under pressure to produce an extremely strong laminate... the black G10 is further strengthened with the addition of carbon and carbon fiber and is a little lighter weight than the regular..


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## Mr. P

The HTS is my go-to slingshot. Although I like using other frames I just can't get the accuracy and consistency as I can with the Pocket Predator. I have one from Bill and one from Milbro. Love' em both! Someday I'm going to get the smaller version and see how it works for me.

Great choice davea. Have a blast!!

Mr. P


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## CanH8r

I have a poly version, was my first slingshot not bought at a sporting goods store. It's a super hand cannon!


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## leon13

Good revue and welcome on board
Cheers


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## davea

After a few weeks of shooting the Hathcock, a few things have I started to discover, maybe of help, maybe a total waste of time!

Grip -
In archery we are taught to not grip the handle, as as it should jump out of your hand when the arrow leaves the bow.
I have found this is counter-productive with a slingshot!
So, even after a few weeks of shooting I found my grip strength has increased and it's about getting 'a happy medium' grip on the slingshot, so you are not squeezing the crap out of it and it is not so loose in the hand so your shot moves due to lack of grip.
I found this just simply comes with repetitive practice. no way round that.

Learning curve.
This is very generic, but I found I got 'information overload' with archery, many, many ways to do the shot cycle, and each one adamant that that is the exact way to shoot.
With slingshots, it seems the ethos is to have some generic rules for how you shoot, then the rest is going by feel.
From what I've seen, vastly different techniques can be just as accurate, in other words, once someone has decided on the way they want to shoot and stick with it, with enough practice, your way will be just as accurate as any other way.
This I think is one of the reasons why in other target sports, the learning curve is far longer.
The human body has been throwing things, launching things at other things since we have been humans, so our natural hardwiring is pretty good at aiming and hitting a target if we let it do its thing..... with regular practice( don't tell other target sports any of this!)

Hathcock Build
I was arguing with a friend saying that the G10 slingshot I have, unless put in a furnace or blown up, is more or less indestructible. He disagreed.
So we have both agreed to put the slingshot through its ultimate destruction test and given the slingshot frame to his 4-year-old son to test - (as we all know 4-year-olds can destroy anything on the planet), so I will feedback with my findings in probably 2 hours.....(disclaimer - do not give a banded slingshot to any 4 year old, unless its a horrible little **** like this one........)


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## bmlodge

CanH8r said:


> I have a poly version, was my first slingshot not bought at a sporting goods store. It's a super hand cannon!


Yeah Poly Hathcock was the first Bill Hays sling I bought, the first of many I later found out...Still use it and even managed to fit the PPro attachments myself, amazingly. Advantages of working in a school with access to the relevant equipment. G10 one looks lovely Dave,

Ben


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## WindLvr

Nice review! I love My Hathcock Target Sniper. It was the first slingshot I bought when I started in this hobby. I have a few shooters, but my HTS and my S.E.R.E. are the ones I always come back to for the time being. It really is a great slingshot.


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## davea

As a side note, i think I've just gone through a period of what they call, 'the yips'??!!?? (moving my shooting hand fingers unconsciously.....i think, but that's what i was doing!)

Problem - totally missing and only concentrating on lining up the band/forks.

Solution - keep shooting fingers perfectly still and keep in place until ammo hits. I had a symptom from archery where you don't grip, but let the riser jump forward. I wasn't doing that with the slingshot, but i wasn't gripping enough.

..and 'feel' the shot, rather than 'think' it. Every time I over concentrate, i cockup........and breathing out helps....!


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## Grizz

I was on the PP website and didnt notice the HTS with thumbscrews for the band, is that something new? I emailed Bill yesterday but have not heard back yet.

- for some reason my spellchecker does not work on this site?


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## davea

They are here - http://www.pocketpredator.com/three.html

Worth the money. I had mine pre-fitted.


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## BockBorg

So I've got the HTS on order, and I'm getting really excited. Haven't read anything to worry much about, but I was wondering. I have pretty spidery and reasonably large hands, so I figure I'll grip it just fine but I've read that some people find the grip stance really wide... is that a common sentiment or mostly an anomaly?


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