Slinging Outrageous Fortune
Always have a Backup Plan
There could be any number of useful items in your BOB (Bug Out
Bag), or your GHB (Get Home Bag) that could help you feed yourself or your
family when resources like grocery stores aren't available. That's what
those things are all about, but some things are less useful over time.
Consider a hunting pistol (or rifle), for example. Unless you have a
reloading press and a lifetime supply of smokeless powder, cartridges,
primers, and lead, or unless you have a massive supply of tailor-made
cartridges, eventually those firearms are going to turn into clubs or
bludgeons.
That's why you need a method for obtaining food in a way that doesn't
rely on outside resources. As any Prepper, Survivalist, or Bushcraft expert
in the world can tell you, there are dozens of ways to make traps for
catching wild game, but they all come with a built-in problem—they take
time—which is hard to explain to a hungry five-year-old.
What to Choose?
Of course you could use a wire trail
snare, for example, or the spring snare, which
is ideal if you happen to spot a rabbit run. The
problem is that it takes about ten snares on
active trails, which may render one catch per
day. That might keep your family from
starving.
You can also use that spring snare for fishing.
The problem here is that you need several appropriate
saplings near the water, hooks, bait, and most
importantly, time; plus, of course, the fish need to be
present and biting.
As with all traps, however, you must check them
every day, or someone (or some critter) will walk away with your prize. You
and your family will be left with empty bellies.
But Dad, I'm hungry now…
What you really need is a tool
that you can fit compactly in your Every
Day Carry (EDC); one that goes from
stored to ready-to-use in less than a
minute; one that is stunningly accurate once you become proficient; and
most importantly, one where you don't have to rely on
civilization to supply what you need to keep it working.
Silent, deadly, efficient, and ready in an instant, a
professional, high-quality slingshot can be your best friend.
Grouse, pheasant, ptarmigan, hare, rabbit, squirrel,
turkey—it's all available to you with a good quality
slingshot. All of these targets will blithely let you approach
within accurate shooting distance for your hand-held
catapult.
That's why we recommend a powerful,
Heavy Duty Slingshot. It comfortably fits
any shooter and any shooting style. It easily
accommodates both left and right handed
shooters, too.
The comfortable knuckle-grip means
you're not going to drop it, and it also helps
to keep it properly aligned, eliminating fork hits, or worse, hand hits that
could cause you severe injury.
Strategy
As seen in the small game hunting videos above, there are a number
of hunting strategies to get food when the chips are down. Night hunting
roosting birds is illegal in some locales, and perfectly fine in others, so check
all of your local regulations, but when it comes to survival, anything goes.
You should always wear safety glasses when
shooting in case you hit a hard target and the shot
comes straight back at you, but more importantly, for
your own safety, in case a band breaks. Flat bands
can provide more power, but they are noisier and can frighten other nearby
game, but even worse, they are much more prone to breaking than the
round tube bands as supplied on a Heavy Duty Slingshot. One of the best
ways to mitigate breakage danger is to shoot horizontally rather than
vertically.
Fundamentals
The traditional handmade Y-shaped Bart-Simpson-style
slingshot is good for casual, instinctual shooting, or play time, but it is
going to be the least reliable for hunting actual food when needed.
The strongest preference is for precision-manufactured metal
slingshots for strength and durability, followed by cast resin for lower
weight. Wood is losing popularity because it can weaken over time,
and worse, a frame strike can critically damage it and you might not
discover that until it flies apart the next time you draw on it.
There are three vitally important factors for sling-shooting, and dozens
of helpful notes and tips. Those primary factors are:
1. Reference;
2. Anchor; and
3. Release.
Reference
Your reference is the portion of the
slingshot frame that you align with. Shooting
vertically it would be directly above the
centerline of the prongs. Unfortunately this means
that you must bring the pouch that holds the shot
directly below your eye so you can sight properly, so
always wear safety glasses, every single time,
because bands will eventually break!
Horizontal shooting allows you to use the
sights that are built into the forks, and that keeps
the bands out of alignment with your eyes.
Anchor
Directly below your ear, at the back of
your jaw is a notch where the knuckle of
your bent thumb will fit perfectly. Try that
position. You can put your thumb knuckle in
your ear if you're shooting too high, or
wedge it under your jaw if you're shooting
too low. Try the corner of your mouth if
you're shooting a little too wide.
Experiment as you're starting out and
find one position that works well for you,
and then stick with it. If you don't have a solid anchor, or starting position,
you'll never be able to build up your accuracy.
Release
Some people prefer to pinch the shot inside the pouch; some people
prefer to hold the leather with the thumb and forefinger just ahead of the
shot. Whichever you choose, do not open your thumb and forefinger quickly
when firing. Instead, just let your hand relax and you'll get a smooth
reliable release.
As with the Reference and the Anchor above,
there is no absolutely correct way to release. You
have to pick one Reference, one Anchor, and one
Release that works for you and then use that
selection every single time. If you are not
consistent you will never be accurate.
Practice Makes Perfect
Like any tool, it requires some practice to
become proficient but the time you invest is going
to pay off when the need arises. Creating a
shooting gallery for practice is simple and
straightforward; it could be as basic as thick towels hung over a bar to
preserve your ammo, but this nice design sports an automatic ball collector,
too.
Of course the ammunition of choice is steel shot. The big advantage
with a slingshot, however, is that just about anything will do for ammunition.
Large marbles will penetrate 3-4 inches into ballistic gel targets, which is
more than sufficient to take out small game. Smallish round river stone can
also transfer a lot of kinetic energy to your target, even if it is a little harder
to aim, so you can still be entirely self-reliant once your preferred steel shot
runs out.
Compact, efficient, and a potential lifesaver!
Click here to order yours now. Get one for your
GHB, your BOB, your EDC, and make sure that all
of your family members know how to use them.
They also make great gifts for your fellow
preppers, survivalists, and bushcraft friends.
Everybody loves a great survival tool, and they will
appreciate your thoughtfulness.