Charles Goodyear’s process of making vulcanized rubber was revolutionary, leading to the eventual creation of a wide range of products beneficial to society — from automobile tires to inflatable life jackets.
But the development of the slingshot was likely an unintended consequence of the self-taught chemist and manufacturing engineer’s invention, which was patented on June 15, 1844.
The classic slingshot started out as a backyard do-it-yourself “toy” made from a forked stick, elastic strips of rubber cut from an inner tube, and an oblong leather pouch to hold a pebble. The strips of inner tube were cut to the appropriate length for the shooter’s draw, and tied to the frame and pouch with stout cord, sometimes reinforced from unravelling with electrical tape.
The 1930’s image of the typical “shooter” was a rowdy boy in overalls roaming the neighborhood with a pocket full of carefully-selected rocks and a homemade slingshot in his back pocket.
Early accounts of slingshots and their use (abuses) are quite humorous. The slingshot was characterized as a tool of the juvenile delinquent, used to shoot out street lights and windows, terrorize dogs and take pot shots at songbirds.
But the slingshot has come of age in design and power, so much so that it is now accepted as a legal hunting weapon in more than 30 states, Kentucky included.
For details turn to page 10 of the 2017 Kentucky Spring Hunting Guide click here.
In the box marked legal spring squirrel hunting equipment it reads “slingshots with manufactured hunting ammunition.” Lead and steel balls are examples of manufactured hunting ammunition. Rocks are not legal for use when hunting squirrels in Kentucky.
Post-War Slingshot Popularity
The popularity of the slingshot in the U.S. increased after World War II. Popular Science and other magazines published articles on how to make slingshots at the family work bench.
Several companies, including Wham-O, founded in 1948, began manufacturing slingshots for mass marketing. The Wham-O slingshot was made of ash wood, and used flat rubber bands.
Another popular model of that era was the Victor 20, made by the Victor Animal Trap Company. It was marketed to trappers, who needed a way to dispatch furbearers caught in leg hold traps or snares, with a shot from a short distance.
Typically, a .22 caliber rifle was used for this chore, but the company’s sales pitch was that a slingshot was less expensive and could be used in inhabited areas without disturbing the residents.
The Victor 20 was made of white molded plastic, had a contoured grip and an ammunition reservoir with sliding door at the base of the yoke. The original flat bands were made of soft gum rubber, secured to the yoke by the so-called “match stick method,” in which the bands were threaded through parallel slots, and secured by dogbone-shaped plastic or metal wedges.
Today, the Victor 20 is considered a prized collector’s item, and when offered for sale on E-bay, these vintage slingshots often command high prices.
Slingshot Improvements Bring Risks
In the decades that followed there were several improvements and upgrades to the basic design of the slingshot.
This included aluminum alloy frames, a padded brace that extended backwards over the wrist, and provided support on the forearm to counter the torque of drawing back the slingshot, and the use of surgical rubber tubing rather than flat bands.
With more power, the risk of injuries increased.
At full draw, if the rubber bands or tubing broke where it was attached to the forks, the rubber could snap back into the shooter’s face, causing bruising or cuts, or even worse, damage to eyes or teeth.
While material upgrades have helped to reduce the risk to shooters today, it is always recommended that eye protection be worn when shooting slingshots, as is the case in all shooting sports.
Circular Design Innovation
The Pocket Shot, with its patented circular design, has elevated the slingshot to a unforeseen level of safety, accuracy and performance. There are several obvious advantages to this innovative design.
For more outdoors news and information, see Art Lander’s Outdoors on KyForward.
The Pocket Shot loads fast, two to three times the rate of a regular slingshot, and steel balls are shot from a rubber bag, rather than a strip of leather propelled by stretched rubber bands or tubing.
When the rubber bag fails, it typically rips where the shooter holds the steel ball, so there’s no chance of a snap back into the shooter’s face.
The pocket shot is fast, shooting steel balls up to 350 feet per second, generating enough kinetic energy to dispatch small game (rabbits and squirrels), and nuisance wildlife.
Its compact design makes it ideal for recreational use, or as a survival tool, small enough to fit in a pants pocket, zippered pocket of a backpack or tackle box. There’s even a water tight compartment for ammunition storage.
With a Whisker Biscuit arrow rest attached, special arrow pouch, nock attachments, and handle, the Pocket Shot is capable of launching full size arrows at about 120 feet per second, and can be used for bowfishing.
For more information, and to buy online, visit their website at: www.thepocketshot.com.
The slingshot is no longer a primitive toy, but a serious, sophisticated weapon for hunting, and a valuable tool that every outdoors enthusiast should own.
Art Lander Jr. is outdoors editor for NKyTribune and KyForward. He is a native Kentuckian, a graduate of Western Kentucky University and a life-long hunter, angler, gardener and nature enthusiast. He has worked as a newspaper columnist, magazine journalist and author and is a former staff writer for Kentucky Afield Magazine, editor of the annual Kentucky Hunting & Trapping Guide and Kentucky Spring Hunting Guide, and co-writer of the Kentucky Afield Outdoors newspaper column.