When you think slingshot, then you probably remember all the good old days of your childhood when you used to use the slingshot to hit cans or birds. Although it seems like a childish thing, a slingshot is also a useful hunting weapon. Now, you probably weren’t expecting that, were you? Well, maybe it’s time to lay down the hunting rifle or bow for now and try your hand at a classic slingshot. In this article, I’m going to teach you how to aim a slingshot.
What Is a Slingshot?
A slingshot is a useful hunting and survival weapon. Basically, it’s a wooden piece in the shape of a fork where an elastic band is attached. With this elastic band, you can use it to propel a marble or stone at your target.
It shoots the stone in a projectile motion, and if you’re going for longer distances of targets, you may need more knowledge on how to aim it properly.
What Type of Slingshot to Get
There are a lot of commercially available slingshots at hunting shops. You can find different types of frames and elastics, as well as different kinds of slingshot ammo. If you’re going to ask me which type of slingshot to get, then I will find it difficult to tell you which the best one is.
It all depends on your preference. However, I can provide a general description of the type of slingshot I recommend. You might want to get one that has a sturdy frame, yet is ergonomic so your hand won’t feel too tired. Moreover, a slingshot with a strap can help ease the hand fatigue.
A good elastic will also help you get a good pull weight. You want to get a high quality slingshot with this type of elastic in order to maximize your potential with the slingshot.
I get asked all the time who makes the best slingshot for hunting? Here is my recommendation: COOY Slingshot, Wrist Sling Rocket Professional Hunting Slingshot with Heavy Duty Launching Bands, High Velocity Catapult
How to Aim a Slingshot
Using a slingshot may have seemed pretty easy if you’ve experienced it back in the day. It’s essentially a small catapult that allows you to shoot objects in the air. Now, using your slingshot for something other than shooting cans off a fence may need more than just amateur aiming.
For this article, we are going to learn how to aim a slingshot like a pro so in no time, you can use the slingshot to hunt.
Get The Feel Of Your Slingshot
Once you’ve got your new slingshot, it probably won’t feel familiar in your hand at first. Thus, the first thing you have to do is get the feel of your slingshot. To do this, hold the slingshot in your hand and learn how to hold it properly.
If you’ve gotten an ergonomic slingshot that has a hand mold, then it’s much better. You can probably get the feel of the slingshot much better and get acquainted with it quicker.
You should also practice extending the elastic and see how far it will go. Chances are, your elastic needs to be broken in so that it will perform to its utmost when you start practicing.
Set Up Your Targets and Goals
After you have your hands acquainted with your slingshot, you can start setting up your goals. What distance do you aim for? It’s best if you start with short distances before moving on to longer ones, especially if you’re a little rusty. And if you haven’t used a slingshot in a long time, you’re probably going to start with short distances first.
Once you’ve set your short-term goals and long-term goals, you can choose your targets. Still targets are the best ones you can practice with in the beginning. Maybe go through the recycling and use a few cans as your targets?
After you’ve chosen your targets, set them at the appropriate distance congruent to your goals. When you get better and better as time passes by, you can start going for long distances and even moving targets.
Selecting The Best Size Slingshot Ammo
When choosing the right ammunition for your hunting slingshot, you need to take into account both the weight and size of the projectile. Slingshot ammo come in a variety of weights and sizes, so it’s important to find ammo that fits your needs. You can also choose ammo with different types of projectiles – steel shot or clary. Additionally, be aware of wind speed and direction when selecting ammo – this will help you hit your target more accurately!
7/16-inch (11mm) steel shot is the optimum kind of ammunition for slingshot hunting. This shot retains its ability to bring down game while providing the greatest accuracy across the longest distance range. Pigeon-sized birds to squirrels, rabbits, ducks, and turkeys will all benefit from this size shot.
Our recomended steel shot ammuniation is: (100 Pieces) PGN – 7/16″ Inch (0.4375″) Precision Chrome Steel Bearing Balls G25
Environment-friendly biodegradable and dissolved clay materials are better to shoot at shorter distances against smaller prey. The clay ammo balls used in the slingshot are bio-degradable and can be dissolved in water after 12 hours. The slingshot ammo balls have no impact on the ecosystem if you leave them anywhere. Non-toxic and natural clay is used to make the slingshot ammo ball, which is perfect for hunting small animals or birds.
The best clay slingshot ammunition in our option is the: Doursloe Slingshot Ammo Ball 2100PCS Natural Clay Slingshot Ammo 3/8 inch Biodegradable Clay Ball 9mm-10mm
Hold Your Slingshot
To aim, hold your slingshot at arm’s length towards the target. Then, place your thumb and index finger on the pouch of the elastic. Hold it firmly and pull back the elastic until the pouch reaches your cheek.
Aim Your Slingshot At The Target
Aiming the slingshot can be more difficult for first timers since it doesn’t have a sight or crosshairs. However, you can get the hang of aiming the slingshot if you always envision the target to be in the middle of the fork.
You should also remember to not misalign the pouch since the ammo needs to fly straight. Moreover, you should also learn how to estimate the angle of your slingshot relative to the distance of your target.
You need to be consistent with your angles so you will learn properly. Here’s a diagram on how to do just that:
Release Your Slingshot
The release is also important in shooting a slingshot, as in how to shoot a compound bow. You need to release the ammo without moving the hand that’s holding the slingshot. If you do, your aim will be misaligned at the last second.
Practice, Practice, Practice
You’re not going to get better if you don’t practice. As always, practice will help you aim better and estimate your angles better. Other than that, practice will let you move onto longer distances. As I’ve said before, once you’ve got the shorter distances done, you can move on to longer distances.
To practice it is fun to have a nice target set up like this: Highwild Adjustable Paper Target Stand, Frame with 8 Clips | Clear Bullseye Targets Sheet for Shooting Practice
Conclusion
The slingshot is a very simple and useful weapon that can be used for hunting and survival. It’s relatively cheap and easy to maintain, and once you’ve gotten the hang of using it, it can serve as a good weapon for you. Other than that, it holds a lot of nostalgia, doesn’t it?
In this article, we’ve discussed how to aim a slingshot, which is a pretty fundamental part of using the slingshot. The aim is everything. And your aim is not going to get better if you don’t work on it constantly. But let me tell you, once you’ve got the slingshot mastered, the skill is going to prove itself useful over time.
I hope this article shed light on the dying art of slingshot shooting, and I hope you’ve learned a lot. If you have any questions or comments, leave them in the section below. Don’t forget to also share this with your friends who might be interested. Thanks for reading!
Product References