I was outside today, playing with my slingshot, just shooting at a handy tree stump, when I got to wondering: Has anyone actually tried to use a slingshot against small game, like rabbits or squirrel? is it actually effective, or just a waste of space? The slingshot is attractive in that you could just pack the band/pouch and fashion a frame later, if need be. But, is it really worth it? And, speaking of small game, does anyone have any clever and tasty ways of fixing dinner? Thanks everybody.

-Kyle

Yes a slingshot can be used on small game, you may not kill it out right but you will at least stun it long enough that you can finish it off with your knife or a club. As for just packing the pouch and band unless you are a skilled wood worker take the frame too. They are light and take up little space and if you run out of the steel shot you can use rocks as ammo. The down side of slingshots is that they take time to get good at them and the range, but like all things if you work at it your aim will improve

In my younger days I took the occasional rabbit and squirrel with my trusty old Whammo wooden slingshot. I still play around with a slingshot, but have upgraded to a WristRocket. I haven't shot at anything alive in years, but can hit cans often enough to have a pretty good chance if needed, as long as I can get in range. Do not plan on using rocks as ammo, unless you can find real round rocks. Most rocks are not areodynamic enough to fly straight. Marbles work really well as ammo, if you can find them in todays world...

I have gotten some rabbits & birds with a slingshot (while skipping school in the 70's) & we roasted them on a spit over an open fire. Another easy weapon to make is a sling. Two lengths of cord & a small piece of leather. It takes a lot of practice to master & I never did get good enough to hit a rabbit but I have bounced some dirt clods off of my friends at times.

By the bagful, at the dollar store...

Good to know. Will a body shot be enough to stun a rabbit, or is it worth the extra effort to try to sneak closer for a head shot? Obviosly, closer is better anyway, since you'd get more power, but the closer you are, the more likely the rabbit is to bolt. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess, since I don't have any experience with it, but I'd venture to say that even if you don't stun your target, it's small enough you'd probably hurt it badly enough to slow it down enough to knock it over the head with a big ol' stick, right?

I like the sound of a sling. That's an idea I've heard of, but never really applied to this kind of situation. Do you have any advice on how to make one, or perhaps more pertinently use one? It seems like the two lines would just twist around each other rendering it useless, but I'm clearly missing something. There has to be a way of holding it to keep that from happening while keeping the ammo in the pouch, because the sling is a really, really old weapon. So I know it works, I just don't know how to make it work! <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />
-Kyle

That kind of weapon is called a Throwing Sling, rather than a slingshot.

Here is a site on them: http://www.slinging.org/7.html

Sue

I've looked all over dollar and toy stores in Alaska and Washington, haven't seen a marble yet. I assumed that todays kids are too high tech for marbles...

Marbles can be had by the 1000's at hobby/craft shops like Hobby Lobby/Mardel/Michael's/Etc. They are glass and very inexpensive. Also try Walmart in the craft/sewing section. Happy hunting!!!!!!!!