A little reminiscence...

When I was a little boy (10 yr I think) I have this bitching slingshot that I made of a forked branch and strips of bicycle inner tube rubber.
I remember that I was THE King of the unkempt field in the fringe of Jakarta (Indonesia).
Back then, the Industrial revolution has not yet hit the third world countries, and we actually have paddy field at the end of the road, near the school.
My usual prey varies from the odd flying squirrels to field mice, and the occasional glass windows of course

The came a dude (11 yr old) that I shall call, the "Enemy", because he have this Ultra Modern Sooper Dooper slingshot that were made OVERSEAS!!!
It is made of STEEL BAR, twisted to Y shape, with SURGICAL rubber tubing and REAL LEATHER ammunition cup!!!
The gizmo could out-shoot my slingshot in distance, accuracy and payloads.
Long and hard and diligent I beg my father to buy me one of those gizmo, to no avail, and often a red ear from being scuffed.
Oh well, I still could shoot the left overs, the "Enemy" could not hit everything in sight.. there is too many targets available. But I am no longer THE King...

Oh well... that memory pops into my mind when I saw these pair of Surgical Rubber Tubing slingshot parts being sold in the gun shop.
Funny, I went the often but I never "see" it. I meant I saw it but I don't "see" it. If you know what I meant.

I got to get one of those and became THE King again......

Know exactly where you are coming from Gelan. Like you I had a bicycle tube powered slingshot, or ging as we called them. We had 2 different designs....the forked stick style like you and another that was basically just a single strip of bicycle tube with a leather ammo cup on the end. Both worked well, although a smack on the wrist as the cup passed by was not uncommon with the single strip type.

I have often thought about buying the latest and greatest style where you have a forearm support allowing for much higher power and accuracy. A mate has one and he uses either marbles or #2 lead fishing sinkers in it and boy does it hum.

Thanks for the walk down memory lane mate. Loved it.

Cheers, Vince

AHHH memories. My first gun, I was about 6 and it was my brothers. Double barreled, could handle any size round even if it was double or tripple loaded. Ammo was cheap. Then again it was made of wood and had two clothes pins and used rubber bands for ammo but man that thing was fun. Use the bands that came of brocolie and those would realy hurt. After mail would get delevered we would go behind them and get the rubber bands that they would drop.

Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

Never had a sling shot...I did make my own bows and arrows though...The chickens sure didn't like to see me coming when I needed feathers for the fletching...Got good enouth that I could take squirrels off the side of trees with it...Long time ago...

I got to make my own sling shot the fall I was six (after my Dad passed on, he wouldn't allow them). I used exactly the same materials gelandagan mentioned and I found this tobacco can with a bunch of 1/4 and 3/8 ball bearings in it in our neighbors garage, so I appropriated them of course. I managed to get a couple of meals with it, too--ptarmigan and grouse, when my big brother wouldn't take me out with the cooey .22. (He was getting to the age to be out girlin')

I got my first sling shot about 4 or 5 and played with alot.
got another when I turned 8 and could hit most anything I aimed at, pop cans, milk jugs, sister on her big wheel as she went peddling by
I took it with me to girl scout camp and got a rabbit with it. The leader was dumbfounded when she found me with my little fire eating roasted rabbit and wild onions/water cress.
I still play with them. Got my sons each one when they were 4 & 5 and had to taken them back when they started bringing me birds.
I just sent my grandson one just the other day for his up coming birthday along with my blowgun for him to practice with.

regards

I made alot of slingshots in my day when I was a kid. The typical forked branch and inner tube. Shot many a bird with them. My mom used to hate it cause shot lots of doves out of our trees. Still shoot em. Even bought a new one a couple of weeks ago. Still alot of fun--tr

I've only ever really used a commercial sling shot, it was fun to use, my No. 1 choise of "ammunition" was glass green marbles, reason for the green marbles was that I could get 50 of them for a dollar.

I did used to keep it in my camping pack, but the rubber band sort of worn out and I havn't got another one yet.

keetoowah,

Your 2 sons were only doing what they instictivily thought they were supposed to do with them, kill small animals to bring home to eat. If they realized they were doing that or not. Human nature is another topic but no matter how much we try to get away from out primative insticts the more I think its like climbing up a mountain, sure you may get to the top but you wont have enough oxygen going to the brain anymore.

Dimitri

I think you may have a point about the kids killing small animals etc Dimitri, but I was taught very young not too, and maybe because I got to hunt animals that were food at a very early age, I never did. Never shot song birds, squirrels, chipmunks etc, but a lot of the other kids my age (I'm surprised I can remember that far back) sure did. And, of course, some people don't need to climb a mountain to not be getting enough oxygen to their brains

tracker wrote:

Never shot song birds, squirrels, chipmunks etc,

Nether did I really but in my opinion all of these animals are eatable so I dont think its bad to kill them if you eat them after.

Song birds = Cooked on the BBQ like quail.
Squirrels and Chipmunks = Cooked in a stew.

Dimitri

I suspect a lot of our southern neighbors would agree and probably have some good squirrel recipes. I expect they've got bigger squirrels. Too much trouble to clean 'em in my books.

Tracker,

Never made or had squirrel stew myself but I do belive they make it into a stew because it takes less work to debone it. Sort of like boiling a chicken, the meat just falls right off the bone after some boiling.

Dimitri

I still hunt with a slingshot (as well as an atlatl, spear, sling, blowgun and bolo). I have a Trumark FSX 2000, and a Trumark 'Bat' night hunter (it holds a small Maglight for night shooting....great for rats), and a Crossman.

Slingshots are great for squirrels, opossums and varmints. I have some great recipes for opossums and squirrels if anyone needs them.

Here is a picture of the Crossman.



Semper Fi!

Most birds are protected by the International Migratory Bird Protection Treaty, of which the U.S. is a signatory. Except for birds that have a legal hunting season (or birds that are considered a nusciance, such as pigeons), there are fairly stiff Federal penalties for harming, or possessing birds, or parts of birds including feathers, bones and eggs.

As an example of how 'rabid' DNR officials can be when they have an environmental 'whacko' mentality: A pro baseball player accidentally hit a seagull that flew between him and the catcher, with a baseball, during a pro game. The seagull did not survive (duh???), and the player was actually arrested and charged with a violation of this treaty, and Animal Cruelty. Ridiculous, but true. It happened to Yankee Outfielder Dave Whitfield on August 4th, 1983 during a game againt Toronto.

The only thing we have here that doesn't have a hunting season is Beaver. You can hunt them all-year, anytime. The good thing is that they are delicious.

Semper Fi!

Dimitri wrote:

tracker wrote: Never shot song birds, squirrels, chipmunks etc, Nether did I really but in my opinion all of these animals are eatable so I dont think its bad to kill them if you eat them after. Song birds = Cooked on the BBQ like quail. Squirrels and Chipmunks = Cooked in a stew. Dimitri

Yup Canada is a signature to the same treaty relating to migratory birds.

Its also the same treaty that limits shotguns to 3 rounds when hunting them I believe.

Dimitri