slingshot a good survival item?

I was wondering how many of you would find a slingshot /w ammo a good survival item to carry? Although it'd take some practice, I'd imagine it could be used for small game but I was wondering if its worthwhile. I've always had materials for, or premade snares... But what if you saw a furry nearby, could slingshot take down an a rabbit?

Thanks for stoping by,
Geoff

A couple of previous discussions on the topic of slingshots:

http://forums.equipped.org/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=166760&page=1

http://forums.equipped.org/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=239285

+1. It is a good piece of survival gear for small game.
Use any convenient ammo - you need nothing special.
small stones, ball bearings etc. easy to acquire.

Pete2

I shoot slingshots for fun, not hunting. But they are very good for hunting small game a close range. Provided you have practiced and become proficient. You will not pick up a slingshot, never having used on before, and start harvesting yourself rabbits on your first attempt. You'd be hard pressed to hit a cow from 15 feet away! So, practice is your first order of business. It takes a while, but not too bad.

You will need spare bands. Don't hold out false hope that you can steal the elastic from your underwear or bra to power your slingshot in an emergency. Bands die from use (obviously) but they also die from UV radiation. So keep them stored in dark containers. Inspect frequently for signs of wear. The smallest crack/nick on a band will cause it to fail very quickly.

Remember your safety glasses (or at least regular glasses or sunglasses at a minimum)! Many people don't understand that when a slingshot band breaks it is at one of two places. Where it attaches to the pouch (which will most likely be a "harmless" break - whacking your hand/arm possibly), or where the band attaches to the fork. If it breaks at this second place, you have a broken band flying right back at the eyeball you are aiming with. That is not an injury you ever what to have, let alone in a survival situation. In addition to safety glasses, before drawing the band and raising the slingshot up in front of your face (this is the way most, but not all, people shoot), inspect the bands closely for damage and then stretch them a couple of times - away from your face! - so that if they are just about to break it won't be in front of your eye on your first shot.

I would think ammo has some effect on its deadliness? But, here at least, there's all kind of small game. Steel shot should have slightly more kenetic force, but I imagine a marble size rock would do the trick.

You aren't kidding. I had one slingshot break and sent the small pvc piece and the band straight onto my knuckles. It was not pleasant….

I have one thing in favor of a slingshot. I use stretch bands (elastic) for stretching and warming up. They are in fact a little stronger than regular slingshot bands.. plus ammo is relatively available.

Absolutely correct you can't just pick one up, but I have the same handicap for any weapon. Its been ages since I shot a gun, I'm starting out in archery & a good crossbow is as much or more than a decent .22cal. It definitely shouldn't replace a good weapon. I definitely agree with you on that.

Oh wow! I followed those posts…. and found this as suggested vid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NshtEe_TsRA&feature=relmfu

If you practiced assiduously with it it would probably be a good weapon for harvesting small game. But I would point out that in the space it takes to store a slingshot, extra bands and some suitable ammunition you could simply carry a PLB and not need to hunt in the first place! While I'm being a bit facetious, conventional wisdom holds a pretty low place for hunting & fishing in survival kits. Food is seldom a high priority since you won't generally live long enough to starve to death. I can think of a couple fairly high profile cases where the person was lost long enough for food to become an issue but I'm not sure a slingshot would have helped.

My take is that it doesn't hurt to have it in your pack if you're proficient with it but I'm not sure it's the best use of space if you're talking just survival gear.

broadhead arrow would probably take a deer sized animal, though not humanely...

Yes,Mrs didnt believe me that I spent more for her crossbow than her rifle.

Awesome link,that guy has some skill and a cool cool slingshot.

That said,Im going to make coffee,put on a warm jacket and drag mrs and the dogs to a couple hours at the range,nothing like it for entertainment,a little shooting,mutts running in the great outdoors,Gotta Love it!

Edit,OBTW,Mrs likes her slingshot and while half way competent I wouldnt rely on it for game without being very proficient....now that slingshot bow,I see a Christmas gift,great link again.

Check this out,40lb draw for arrows,I'll get the quick release from amazon like in the video,boy is Mrs going to love this Christmas morning!

http://www.chiefaj.com/hfx_hunting__fishing_slingshot.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_Gg8XSHmXk

New Model "The Elk Hunter" that has bagged a Moose. New "Comfort tubes" down to the base of the forks to pad Full Fist Grip. Then 40# New real rubber fast snap tubes stamped "chiefaj.com" to the real rubber dipped tubes. Super pouch that shoots arrows and balls or rocks. Matching Wrist brace in boxed set with 12 min "How To" DVD.

10/29/12 Since Chief AJ made the shot on a Moose with this "Elk Hunter" model He mostley builts us these. Made in the USA $82.50





ARROW OF DELIVERANCE: Special arrows for the HFX slingshot proven on small and large Game:28", setback fletching, takes all screw in points, Light wt carbon 258grains, Set of 3, $40.00 post paid to your door in the USA. Order here on line now:
Phone orders: (217) 253-2959 vis mc, dic

I keep meaning to pick up a slingshot from this guy: A+ Slingshots. He also sells lead ammo that is intended for hunting.

However, as others have said, I think a lot of practice would be required to consider it a viable survival tool. That said, it is relatively light & compact which in my mind makes which makes it a great choice for this if you can pair it with skill.

It depends on where you live too. In discussions like this someone often points out that a .22 pistol is a better choice for the weight & size and they'd be 100% correct. However, for those of us in Canada, that simply isn't an option. Heck, in a lot of the wilderness areas I frequent, firearms of any type are prohibited. So, for us, I think the slingshot has definite merit as a survival tool.

That said, if I were to get serious about wanting to catch small game in a survival situation, I'd want to also develop my skill with various trapping techniques.

I have bought several slingshots from Perry (owner of A+ Slingshots). They are top-notch items. He is a great guy in all the email and forum correspondance I've had with him too. You can buy without hesitation from Perry.

Thanks,bookmarked it,looks like real quality.

If one is interested in sling shots,they need to GOOGLE Madison Parker.He is a former Navy SEAL and teaches a survival school in Florida.He hunts any thing up to deer size with slingshot.He hosts pheasant hunts for slingshots only.You should also check out the Slingshot Channel on Youtube.It is hosted by a,Joerg Sprave.You will laugh at his machete shooting sling shot.....


BOATMAN
John

Yeah, that dude is a hoot! I saw his slingshot-machette video a couple years ago. He's definitely a sling shot ninja!

I've also done some research on sling shot bows. Some of them are pretty comparable to a recurve! Of course, in a survival situation if you had room to take a slingshot set up as such and a bunch of arrow, you probably could have had room for something even more useful...like a PLB!

Still, I don't mean to knock the sling shot. Perhaps I should pick one up and seriously try to learn to shoot it well. How many shots should one expect before changing the power band? Ammo is relatively compact and light, and while having real ball bearings or lead shot is going to be the best, improvised ammo would be easy to come by in the field.

It's always good to at least handle what you're going to pooh-pooh before pooh-poohing it.


Depends. Usually I get several hundred shots. With some bands, even more. Flatbands don't last as long as tubulars, but I enjoy shooting the flatbands more. Tubulars for Dankung style slingshots last a long time. I've probably got a thousand shots on some of those bandsets, and they're still going (but these high shot count bandsets are lightweight target bands shooting light ammo, not heavy duty hunting bands shooting lead).

Keep the bands stored in dark containers away from sunlight and they will last far longer. UV really destroys rubber.

Hey, I'm not pooh pooing your toy! And I actually have a fair bit of time using the "wrist rocket" as we used to call it. I was fair with it but pretty much quit messing with it in favor of focusing on practicing with my firearms.

Maybe I'll have to pick one up again. Ironically it's probably going to be easier to find a good place to shoot the guns!

Try something other than a Wrist Rocket (or any "braced" style for that matter). Other types are so much smaller, more accurate, and easier to shoot (in my experience). I now shun my old braced slingshots. They are just no fun, can't hit much with them, and their bands are horrible in both "feel" and longetivity.

Here's a good start:

http://www.trulytexas.com/wusa6.html

Here is my favorite (of this "Dankung style" slingshot):

http://www.trulytexas.com/bpth.html

But this "Palm Thunder" model above is VERY small. You will probably like these ultra-smalls after you have become proficient with a slingshot. If you haven't shot this Dankung type of slingshot before, you might do better starting out with a larger model like the Jungle Hunter II. You do not hold them like you might think (like a hammer). You hold them with your fingers high up on the forks, like this:

http://www.dankung.com/dk/images/XIE.JPG

This grip takes the strain off your wrist and gives you more power and accuracy.

You can buy these same slingshots, and many other variations, direct from the manufacturer in China for little more than half the price of buying in the US. You just have to wait about two weeks for your slingshot to be delivered (assuming you choose the cheap shipping option, which is ridiculously cheap at about $2, at least the last time I ordered it was that cheap). Don't let "China" bother you. These are extremely well made slingshots. Some Chinese places, and eBay, sell knock-offs made of cheap metal that can break and be dangerous. This Dankung website is a reputable place that uses stainless steel in their slingshots, not chrome plated pot metal like the knock-offs.

Here is a link to that Palm Thunder slingshot, except direct from the Chinese manufacturer rather than from their USA importer TrulyTexas:

http://www.dankung.com/emart/black-palm-thunderusa-p-342.html

Much cheaper!

A sling shot is a fine piece of survival gear, I have one. But when it comes to securing meat...I will take 3 or 4 Rat traps and a little Peanut butter, everyday ending in Y. (In the Eastern woodlands region anyway)

I practice with a slingshot and take it with me in my car bag. Don't carry it in a pack, nor have I ever killed an animal with it. Mostly just target practice with store bought sligshot pellets and to see what rocks on the ground will do if I ever ran out.

I guess I'd have to "work up" to 40lb... OR if they had different band draws..
I'm currently on 20lb draw on my recurse bow.. (Started about a month ago)

The one thing about chief aj.. It "seems" they ship only to usa. Maybe there's a canadian supplier, or if I emailed them they might be willing...

I stumbled by the dankung website the other night, not sure how, I definitely need to look into a slingshot /w some ammo. Worse case is I'm a terrible shot, and I'm out $40. It doesn't have to be anything besides a "backup"