DIY slingshots, one of which is always in my left back pocket when I go out the door. 2 are flatbanders made with #107 rubber bands, the little one in the middle has gypsy tabs and braided # 64 rubber bands, which are extremely quite and will handle big heavy rocks better than the flatbands, but has a lower velocity in it's cast. The flatbands work well with marbles, cast lead of .36 & .44 caliber balls. The pouches on the left two are made from old baseball leather which is my favorite, and everything is tied down with stout cotton cord. Already nailed 2 copperheads and a small rattlesnake this year with hot weather snake season just starting. Will handle rabbits and squirrels in the garden, and a good shot to a mans temple will put his lights out if it doesn't kill him outright.
I like them how do you like the chain band set up. Also the snakes if you skin them out and tan the skins with 91% rubbing alcohol it will make a good handle wrap for your slingshot. Have you ever used natural gum rubber it's a little faster than the 107s. Here is one I made for a kid that mom plays coed softball with me.
The braids start at the pouch, pass two 64's halfway through, push ends together and pas another pair of 64's through, repeat for a total of 6 pairs, then last pair is put in the gypsy tabs which are then tied down, makes for a good over the top shooter. The natural gum rubber makes a faster harder hitting band for sure, I use the 107's because they are readily available and durable, averaging about 750 shots before breakage. This one was hanging around my front yard, broke his back with the first shot & finished him off with a few more .44 balls, then bashed his head in with a club. Lots of people are bitten by dead snakes, so always be careful, even after they are dead. That was my favorite slingshot, but lost it cutting brush a few weeks ago, cherry with a perfect bend for my thumb the way I hold.
Here's a link to another board where Jörg Spave (of The Slingshot Channel) discusses the impact characteristics of slingshot projectiles vs. bullets. Slingshots stronger than a .22? On par with 9mm Luger? - Survivalist Forum It pretty much boils down to fact that just about any slingshot can put a real hurtin' on a guy, no matter where you hit him. It's just that some places hit better than others. I think slingshots are very underrated weapons, both for hunting and for expedient combat.
The way that fat body tapers quickly to a thin tail tells me this is some kind of viper that has had his head removed, about the same color as the "black" rattlesnakes we have around here, but I don't see any rattles on your's. Nice shootin!
@Oltymer im still contemplating the braided sling shot band. What does the braiding do? as opposed to a single rubber strap/band? nice one@Bishop
Braided bands are just a reflection of available materials, I had #64's from Wally World, and used them as I was out of 107's when I made that flip. These are the most commonly used bands in Mexico, and those folks harvest a lot of game with them. The braided bands shine with rocks, and will handle 3/4" - 1" diameter rocks better than flat bands, and in Mexico that is about all they use for ammo, freely available for the picking from any creek bed, and as effective as lead or steel at 15 - 20 yards. The braided bands also have a silencer effect, and shots with them produce very little sound, which is preferred by poachers. It's good to know how to use different materials to achieve the same effect, and makes you more versatile at creating things that work well from what you can easily obtain.
