Interesting ways to use a slingshot + 5 easy options for making it yourself

The slingshot has long been perceived as nothing more than an attribute of defense and attack by all the boys in the yard. Due to the easy way of its model, which can be made with your own hands, it has become a favorite toy and even a weapon among adult men for small game. Currently, the slingshot is still very popular and has unconditional respect among boys of different ages. Despite its apparent simplicity, its manufacture can be different from each other, as well as the material used.

It is a mistaken belief that a slingshot is just a small mini weapon for hooligan boys. A professional slingshot in the hands of a fighter can become a real weapon with which you are not afraid to go at the enemy. To obtain such a weapon block, specialists use the highest quality materials: titanium, carbon fiber. Supplemented with a laser pointer or red dot sight, it was often used to restore order during riots. A combat slingshot is also used as a first “assistant” when firearms were not used appropriately. The purpose of the slingshot is not specified; everyone uses it for different purposes. Later we will describe ways in which you can do without a slingshot, but with its help make the work easier. Let's look at what a slingshot is for, how to make it yourself, and figure out which material is preferable in everyday use.

A slingshot is a throwing weapon in which the projectile acquires the kinetic energy of the potential energy stored in a stretched rubber band.

Origins of the slingshot

The meaning of the word “slingshot” itself, according to some unreliable sources, comes from the word “horns”. Indeed, they do have certain similarities. It is often compared to a catapult, only in this case it is a miniature device. Like many inventions that have survived to this day, the slingshot was created by Leonardo da Vinci. The original device was a slingshot without rubber, and instead there were special rollers on the axles. Inside there were springs with pulleys. A cord is attached to them, when stretched the springs stretch and create conditions for an accurate and long-range shot. Over time, this mechanism was replaced by a simpler one replaced by rubber.

Blitz tips

The skill of using a slingshot will appear after several fishing trips. The eyes and hands will begin to adapt themselves and understand at what angle they need to cast to the planned distances. You will only be able to vary your efforts when stretching the elastic band to increase flight accuracy.

The wind always becomes a hindrance:

• Lateral - the casting distance will, of course, remain the same, but the bait will scatter a little along the wiring line.
• Head-on - the distance will change when throwing, especially during gusty winds. We need to wait, wait for at least a little calm.

Slingshots of a new design will soon go on sale; it was invented by the British. The handle will serve as a place for tamping the feed. There the food will turn into a dense cylinder, and from there it should fly out over long distances.

The Shcherbakov brothers in the 60th issue recommend retracting the hand with the slingshot, and the cone with food is fixed at one point.

What does a slingshot consist of?

In appearance, the slingshot does not have a complex mechanism, however, it is divided into several important units:

• The body of the slingshot, consisting of wood or less often metal;
• A throwing tourniquet that accumulates energy;
• Boot, heel or saddle. Serves to hold the projectile. It may be absent if the projectile protrudes in the form of metal brackets.

A slingshot, similar to the standard model, is mainly made of wood (walnut, cherry, elderberry). For the ideal Y-shape, young branches are taken as a basis, the young “horns” are tied together and left in this form for approximately two months. After which the shape of a regular slingshot is formed.

A serious approach to the manufacture of a slingshot determines the accuracy in the symmetrical placement of the horns relative to the handle of the base.

After two months, the slingshot is cut down. In order for the device to acquire a strong appearance, it should be cleared of the top layer of bark and dried, wrapped in material, for about two weeks. The slingshot is then fired over an open flame. From this point on, the ideal thickness and surface are achieved using sandpaper.

Flyer in winter

Summer slingshot jerlitsa are an ancient and very catchy Samovo catch even in our time, often caught with a spinning rod. No less reliable equipment is the winter girder. Fishing in winter also sometimes produces huge fish, especially when the fish are not active and they only weigh 2-3 kg. Winter hunters hunt underwater predators in the ice period.

You can talk about how it can be about becoming someone else, and someone else. Sometimes it happens that you need to fish at night, and when you need to spend the night, and fish at night in the warm land on the Volga island. To return home one day and return to new supplies of food and bait. This happens during a pike feast that coincides with a vacation or simply free time. Get lost for a few days and you might not forget about it. It’s not often that you successfully catch a predator. The extreme pike emergence in the spring before spawning is especially short-lived. And especially active. This means that it is impossible to achieve success within a few weeks, especially in the so-called “wilderness”.

To place summer girders under the ice, it is necessary to use relatively heavy and massive girders, the flyers of which were cut out of organic glass or vinyl plastic. Other materials and plastics that have weight and strength can also be used. What is it for? The vent must be immersed in water. And even if the surface of the hole is still covered with a crust of ice, despite the fact that the hole was tightly closed and covered with snow, the tackle will still work and catch fish. And then it’s much easier to break off a nylon cord with an ice pick without loss than a fishing line frozen in ice. Worst case scenario, you can replace the damaged cord.

Just like in the summer on the sixth, when there is water, and it draws in, and the water goes away so that the water goes under water. To do this, the crossbar stick must be pressed into the snow. There is no need to change anything in the equipment.

This is such a universal tackle - a flier.

Correct selection of material

• Slingshot body. Having become a favorite among young men, slingshots today are made of metal, plastic, wire, wood, and cardboard. Naturally, the most durable material from the above is metal, and then wood. It’s just that a slingshot made of wood is more common due to the fact that the complexity of working with metal cannot always be used at home. Plastic is no less durable, even mechanical stress is not harmful to it. Cardboard is only suitable for playing with children, but do not underestimate its power for throwing bullets.
• Choosing a rubber band. According to numerous reviews, the most suitable option is rubber cable sheaths. The simplest option is a medical tourniquet, but only because it can be bought at a pharmacy. Many people recommend a Martens bandage, a GP 5 gas mask. A latex surgical drainage tube is considered very durable and malleable, but it is very difficult to get. Simpler options are used by those who need a slingshot only for playing, for example, rubber from a ball or a bicycle tire is used by young men. It is affordable, and its throwing properties absolutely meet their needs.
• Kozhetok. Almost always it always has a rectangular shape. The material from which it will be made must be durable and provide reliable wear resistance. Usually it is leather, less often suede, dermantin.

Which projectile to choose

The good thing about a finished slingshot is that you can pick up shells for it even on the street; these can be ordinary stones. The size and shape are chosen by the owner himself for personal reasons. If you want to increase destructive power, speed, and impact when thrown, then opt for special metal bullets purchased in stores. These can be steel balls, lead shot, chopped lead, or drawing lots.

A simple option to make a slingshot with your own hands

• A strong slingshot will be no worse than one bought in a store, if you approach your homemade product responsibly. Find a branch that looks like the letter Y. It is advisable to use sizes that are between 15 and 20 cm long.

1. To ensure the branch is strong and secure, make sure there are no cracks or chips before breaking it from the tree. It’s okay if there are small scratches on the branch; they can be easily cut off with a knife;
2. The bark will become redundant, so it is often removed. This is done for aesthetic reasons.

• The best option would be a fresh branch. But the moisture it contains is excessive, otherwise the structure will lose reliability. How to dry it. The easiest way is to wrap it in material and dry it in the microwave. Use the correct step-by-step instructions:

1. Wrap the future slingshot in a small towel. Place in the microwave and leave on the highest setting for a few seconds.
2. The stick will create a hissing sound, when it stops, put it down again for a few seconds and do this several times.

The photo below shows what can happen if the stick is left for a long time without a towel. It may turn black or even catch fire. So be careful, watch what you do.

• Let's move on to creating notches. For this you will need a construction knife. Make cuts on the top of each branch, as shown in the photo.

• Let's move on to the choice of tires. In this example, a medical tube will be used; you, in turn, can use another rubber band, for example, a tourniquet, rubber from an old ball or a bicycle inner tube. The diameter is 80 mm, and as for the length, you decide what it should be. The traction force depends on this. The shorter the band, the stronger the throwing. Don’t forget that it still needs to be stretched, so you shouldn’t make it too short either. Once the length is chosen, cut the two tubes in half and tie the end of each to its own notch.
• Tie a piece of dental floss around the tube. The thread will tighten the tube and make it strong.
• Let's move on to creating the skin. It is not difficult to cut from any durable fabric, preferably leather. A 10x5 rectangle should have a small hole on each side (0.8 - 1.20 cm). Later we will thread the traction tube through these holes.

• Now everything is simple. Pass each end of the rubber tube through the holes. Make a knot on each one. Manipulation with dental floss can also be used in this case, the structure will become much stronger.
• The slingshot is ready. Practice using your new slingshot to shoot down any inanimate object, train your eyesight and accuracy.

This example is more suitable for the amateur method of throwing stones or other small equipment.

Pike fishing

Choosing a fishing spot

Install the girders in promising places, securing them to the top of a pole 2-3 meters long

In summer, pike most often prefer such places as:

• thickets of water lilies and reeds;
• creeks and small backwaters;
• areas with weak currents below lying trees, snags, and driftwood that have fallen into the water;
• stuck whirlpools.

The coastal zone is a habitat for grass pikes and medium-sized specimens weighing up to 1 kg. Larger individuals stay in deep holes and pools.

Installation of the vent

Install the girders in promising places, securing them to the top of a 2-3 meter long pole, cut directly on the shore of the reservoir. Sharpen the thick butt of the pole with a hatchet and firmly stick it into the shore so that the slingshot with fishing line hangs above the water at a height of 40-50 cm.

To correctly place the poles from the boat, stick the poles into the bottom at a slight angle.

Installation diagram of the vent

Techniques for catching pike on girders in summer

Catching pike with summer fishing rods includes several stages:

• choosing the right place to install the vent with the possibility of approaching it;
• measuring depth using a fishing rod with a sinker-depth gauge;
• live bait bait;
• arrangement of vents with a distance between them of at least 20-25 meters;
• periodically checking gear with removing caught pike and replacing dead or damaged live bait with fresh ones.

Checking gear

The pike bite and the presence of a catch are clearly visible from the unwound and stretched fishing line

Check the placed vents at least once every few hours. Leave gear installed in the evening overnight and check it early in the morning.

If there are no signs that the pike has taken the bait and hooked, check the girders only to make sure that the bait has not fallen asleep. If you find a sleepy fish on the hook, replace it with a fresh one from the cane.

The pike bite and the presence of a catch are clearly visible from the unwound and stretched fishing line. In such cases, as a rule, you don’t have to hook - the pike is already very firmly and reliably “sitting” on the hook.

With a sufficiently strong and thick fishing line, fish out the prey confidently and quickly, while removing large specimens with a voluminous landing net with a long handle or hook.

Remove a small pike from the water by holding it under the gills.

An original slingshot for homemade work with children

It's no secret that most children who like slingshots are boys. Therefore, you can use this master class as a development activity for your son or grandson. To start the process you will need the following tools:

• Toilet paper tube. You'll have to prepare in advance; you won't unwind a whole skein;
• Insulating tape;
• Pencil;
• Rubber;
• Scissors.

1. Take a cylindrical shape of toilet paper and cut it vertically, this will make it easier to roll. Roll it into a stick and wrap it with electrical tape.
2. At the end of the cardboard stick, make a hole the diameter of a simple pencil. Insert it, turning it round and round.
3. Let's move on to the skin. To make it you will need durable cardboard. Using scissors, cut out a rectangular shape and use a hole punch to make holes for the elastic along the edges.
4. You determine the length of the elastic yourself; if you don’t stretch it on one side only, it is approximately equal to the length of a pencil. Insert it into the holes of the leatherette, tying each end into a knot. And twist the other end onto the end of a pencil and tie tightly. This way you will get a slingshot that you can play with at home, and you can come up with anything you want in the form of bullets. For example, soaked paper from which you form bullets with your fingers.

Slingshots made of cardboard will be stronger when the handle, which bears the main force, is strong. Therefore, it is better to additionally wrap it with adhesive tape.

Rules for using a slingshot: caution

Some types of slingshots are considered melee weapons, but even if the slingshot you buy is legal to use everywhere, this does not open up the boundaries for you to shoot animals and people. Do not hold the slingshot at eye level and do not aim at the eyes of the person standing next to you; even a small bullet can lead to dire consequences.

Gear equipment

Jerlits on the shield in the form of real flyers require a fairly thick fishing line

Please note that this requirement is not random. The fact is that as a result of an attack on a live pike, unwinding the fishing line, it goes into the grass to swallow the fish

The same goes for fishing on the shore or on a boat. A thick fishing line can withstand fish and food, allows you to literally “rip” fish out of the grass and does not cut your hands when fishing, like a thin monofilament fishing line or, worse, braided line. The food and vegetation around the girders, which absorb and force these efforts and sharp blows, helps to restrain the furious knights. This allows you to fish very successfully anywhere.

As mentioned above, the width of the forest should be quite thick, at least 0.5 mm, and better - 0.6 mm wide. In addition, it must be colored, for example, brown, green or rainbow-colored. Such colors and patterns to some extent conceal the thickness of the forest among the stems of water lilies and hornworts.

The carrying capacity is of an average size and no more than 8-10 g of weight, since the catches are high in depth, in grass and usually in standing water. This usually requires a half-water position. Why? After all, live bait is usually located at the bottom. But at the same time, it often happens that he sleeps in the grass and is covered with moss, especially in forest peat lakes. Below the sinker, a helicopter with a hook is attached, where a metal leash with a double is fastened, or better yet, with a so-called “Finnish hook.” This is the most ideal option for equipping a summer flyer. Additional information: “Finnish hook” is a sharp tendril made of spring wire approximately 1.0 mm, extending back at an angle. These sharp stings are barbless. A relatively stiff metal leash, such as one of these, is passed through living creatures, and then brought out from under its wings and stares at the clasp with a loop at the end of the leash. And it really does resemble some kind of antennae. The short shank of the hook obtained from the seabi mustache should not be available in the stock of the standard factory double with a long shank. This could result in a very low lifespan.

Pike baiters with a Finnish hook never let go of their prey. After attacking a living creature, it turns into a mystery and is swallowed. Nazca hooks are located along the body of the baitfish and do not interfere with the predator’s swallowing of the fish. They return to the “deaf” space. She can jump while you don't have time to perform the famous "candle". It is at such moments that the spinners are transferred from the mouth of the pike. But here such a technique will not help with food and the “Finnish hook” carpet.

How to make a hunting slingshot with your own hands

What makes a slingshot ideal is the correct design, and it doesn’t matter what material it consists of. The elastic band, in turn, ensures fast and accurate flight. To find the required forked branch you will have to work hard, but you can use a jigsaw. In order to make a slingshot for hunting we will need:

• Jigsaw and wood or ready-made slingshot branch;
• Sandpaper for sanding;
• Rubber;
• Construction knife;
• Drill;
• A small piece of leather.

When the slingshot-shaped branch is in your hands, we begin sanding away the tree bark. If you decide to use a jigsaw, know that the handle should not be flat, and the horns must be made the same in distance between each other and in length.

We cut out a flat flexible plate from leather. We make holes on the sides for the elastic and thread it through, tying it at the ends.

To attach the elastic band to the slingshot, you can use a drill and make corresponding holes at the ends of the horns, or you can make cuts with a knife. Both methods are welcome. The main thing is that the knot is strong.

The horns should be at the same angle from the handle. And the handle, in turn, should not be too thin, since you will have to shoot from it often, the design should be durable.

Installation of a summer pole

The installation of flyer girders usually takes place along the coastline or at a depth of no more than 1.5 m. Sometimes such girders are placed at a depth of 0.7-1 m. What kind of fish can catch in such shallows? In summer, on grassy reservoirs, especially on the shores of islands and islands of the Volga reservoir. And in forest peat lakes, which are usually shallow, pike weighing more than 10 kg are found near the grasses at a meter depth.

The pole is usually selected dry, strong, about 3.5-4 m long. It should be at an angle of 45 degrees next to the grass, in runs, in windows, in corridors between grasses, along the edges, in stripes of water lilies, but so that they could survive in grasses and forests. If you have a site deeper than 1.5m you will need a very long six year lifespan or it needs to be upright.

Slingshot from a plastic bottle

You can expand your imagination and create a completely different type of slingshot using a plastic bottle. You will need:

• Plastic bottle;
• Construction knife;
• Rubber band for money;
• Finger cap.

Cut off the top of the plastic bottle. We don't need a lid. We put the fingertip on the neck and tighten it with an elastic band. That's it, the slingshot is ready, all that remains is to put the projectile inside and take aim.

The best stretch for a slingshot is 80% of the resting length. A good option for a throwing harness is latex.

Pocket Weapon: Where to Use a Slingshot

The first thing that comes to mind for a person who is not interested in this type of weapon is the boys playing in the yard. But the slingshot has a much broader horizon and its properties very often become useful at home. Let's figure out where you can use a pocket weapon.

1. Anyone who has a vegetable garden or garden knows that very often it is attacked by petty thieves such as crows and other types of birds. You can save yourself with a scarecrow, but if it doesn’t help, you can drive away the ill-wishers with a slingshot. Just be extremely careful so that if you miss, there is no other person far away from you.
2. “The pear is hanging - you can’t eat it” - this is how the well-known riddle begins, but today is not about it. The slingshot can be used to aim to hit the fruits that are located at the very top of the fruit tree.
3. The tourist needs to give the slingshot its due. A foreign country is full of unexpected surprises, unless, of course, you are aware in advance of some of its dangerous zones. In this case, a slingshot can be useful in scaring away wild animals and protecting yourself from dogs. If you decide to stay overnight in the forest for a few more days, then this is the perfect time to try your weapon on small animals. Such hunting does not require licenses or special permits.
4. Anglers often use a slingshot to throw food into the distance of a reservoir.
5. With the help of a slingshot they develop accuracy. Using it for such purposes, in a very short period of time, you will shoot down targets from a very long distance.

As you can see, a slingshot is a very useful throwing device that is accessible to every person. You can put it in your pocket and carry it with you as a protective device.

Conditions for successful fishing

Just collecting the gear is not enough, you need to know where to put the girder, and another important factor is the bait. Only in the totality of all factors will it be possible to accurately detect and win a trophy specimen of a toothy predator

What you should pay special attention to is discussed below.

Selecting a location

For fishing, homemade girders must be installed in promising areas of the reservoir, such as:

• along coastal vegetation;
• near snags and fallen trees;
• at the exit from pits and at pools;
• in the heat near aquatic vegetation.

On rivers, it is effective to place girders where the current makes a turn. Usually, holes form in this place, in which small fish stand, which the pike eats with pleasure.

Choice of live bait

Without high-quality bait, summer fishing for pike with your own hands will be useless. Active live bait is used as bait. It is advisable to get it from the same reservoir; a float rod will help with this.

The following is used as bait for summer bait:

• crucian carp;
• minnows;
• roach;
• ruffs;
• bleak.

The freshly caught fish is carefully placed on the hook and the gear is set, and then it’s a matter of small things

The pike will definitely pay attention to the fry splashing nearby and attack it in the near future

Installation of vents

In summer, a pike rig can be used both from the shore and throughout the entire area of ​​the reservoir. They are installed in different ways, it all depends on the type used:

• The spears are attached to bushes or a rigidly fixed peg near the shore. Then they unwind the required amount of fishing line and place the live bait with a sinker in the chosen place.
• The mugs are displayed from the watercraft, they are placed in promising fishing areas throughout the water area. The live bait is lowered to a depth of 1 m to 2 m and the fishing line is fixed. The circle itself should notify the fisherman about the bite; it should turn over with its white side.

Both types of jigs are used for pike both in still water and in rivers.

Checking gear

In summer, the zherlitsa is usually displayed in the evening or early morning. During the heat of the day, the predator hides in holes and comes out to eat at night or early in the morning. It is before this period that you need to have time to set up your gear.

They check the gear in the morning, when the sun rises sufficiently above the horizon. If the fish is hooked, you should not immediately jerk the tackle sharply, it is better to lower the line a little, but do it in such a way that the predator does not go into snags or grass. Next, you should make a sharp jerk and gradually tighten the fishing line, winding it on the reel.

The converted winter girder catches in the same way as the circle. Everything is carried out in the same sequence, and the equipment is absolutely identical.