wrist rocket

[rockriver]

recently I attended a group dinner and meeting...
before we started cooking a friend brought out 2 wrist rockets...
I called them sling shots as a kid..
and a large pouch of "marbles" they seemed slightly smaller than what I remembered.
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it was FUN!
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friend uses one when he hunts using a certain animal..
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we started off trying to shoot across a local river... possible.. but hard to do when the wind was strong..
then friend started aiming at junk floating in the river. he was best when he fired rapidly.... 2 or 3 quick shots...
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I hung with him on the cross river shots. (I waited for the wind to decrease!)
but he was in constant rapid fire mode... no time for wind to die.
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I wasn't in the ballpark shooting at floating plastic bags or small sticks.

then we shifted aim to standing items on ground...
friend in rapid fire mode was amazing... example... 2 shots to metal pole that 70-80 feet away then instantly changed to 7" tree trunk 120 feet away..
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he's shot 3 squirrels out of trees with his wrist rocket this spring. and the main purpose of his hunting trips this spring has been to train the animal to bring game home...
the squirrels he shot were a side by product.

I know this isn't 12ga or commie gun or an ar, but BUT...
I was impressed...
on our shots "crossriver" I doubt there was much force when that marble landed...
but, on shots at 75 to 120 ft. lots of power!
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and they've got to be cheap!..
another item added to my list!

rr

[Bama]

I own one, as to its force, I practiced shooting into a five gallon bucket about 15 Yards. The thought was to catch the marbles but the marbles shot straight through. I never found the marbles. Its alot of fun to shoot and packs a wallop.

[610Alpha]

I need to practice more with mine.

Dollar tree has bags of regular marbles & ornamental marbles for $1...not sure how they compare to the wrist rocket ammo in accuracy.

[rockriver]

thanks.
dollar tree here I come!

I keep thinking about friends accuracy and fast 2nd and 3rd shots!
thinking about what that thing would do to a head shot, if someone accidentally got a face/head shot..

[610Alpha]

thanks.
dollar tree here I come!

I keep thinking about friends accuracy and fast 2nd and 3rd shots!
thinking about what that thing would do to a head shot, if someone accidentally got a face/head shot..

My guess would be similar to how Goliath ended up, probably depends on where they were struck in the head ;)

[Benn Gleck]

I have a couple, great for squirrels.

The black power bands shoot with more force.

They dry rot if exposed to sun long term.

[Tackleberry]

I have a couple myself. One is actually just a slingshot, the other is a legit wrist rocket. I started hunting with slingshots/wrist rockets in the mid 70s in Oklahoma. They are excellent for taking small game. I have taken squirrels, pigeons, rabbits, doves, blue jays, mugwamps, crows & feral cats with them. Marbles and small rose rocks were the ticket when I was younger. I use steel ball bearings now. I also carry extra bands in my BOB/hunting pack. Admittedly I am not near the "sniper" I was in my younger days. I dusted off the wrist rocket last October while deer hunting and discovered that I am definitely in dire need of some target practice. Siiiiiigh....just like everything else now that I am 48 years it old.....the skills fade faster now......LOL

[rockriver]

I'm surprised at all of the expertise we have on the board!! but happy happy happy.

would you guys give us the rundown? which bands? which wrist rockets... features to get?

the ones I saw had 2 different color bands... I think it was yellow and orange.

are some more sun sensitive than others?

[Tackleberry]

I grew up shooting yellow bands because that is all that was available at the local 5 & Dime in Midwest City. I have shot with other bands but mostly it is just getting used to the trajectory of whatever bands you are using. You will have the same issue every time you switch out old bands for new ones even if you are replacing old bands of the same type.

With slingshots/wrist rockets it's all about shot placement. I have found that head shots are the way to go on squirrels and rabbits. You can kill a squirrel with a broadside shot but they have a tendency to get stuck in the tree when shot that way. A headshot will make them reflexively kick and they typically fall out of the tree. It's very similar to using a 22LR as opposed to a shotgun. You can get away with hitting a bird in the breast but shots to the wing can leave them wounded. I remember chasing a wounded bluejay for the better part of 2 hours. I was using a homemade slingshot made with rubber medical tubing. I had busted one of his wings so he couldn't fly away but the wound wasn't lethal. He was able to run/hop up & down the tree. I finally caught him when a missed shot ricochetted off of the trunk of the tree and hit him in the breast. That ****** cost me a lot marbles! Not to mention all of the fun my cousins had at my expense watching me burn through my supply of marbles.

There is a guy on YouTube, Gamekeeper John, who is INSANELY good with slingshots. (In the UK they call them catapults) Honestly, his ability with slingshots is sickening. He actually makes custom "catapults". Not sure about the prices but it sure is fun watching him shoot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bK4YWeW8A9c

Here is what I have and carry in different BOBs, packs, & kits:


The purple band on the right is one of those fitness bands I bought at a garage sale. I think it would be good for a sling spear for fishing but not so good for slingshots/wrist rockets due to the thickness and tension on the bands.

[DIM TIM]

I just got a great load of ball bearings for mine from a guy that often gives me metals for scrapping that he is getting rid of. It's a 3 gal bucket, and they are encased in plastic races. They're real easy to pop out of the races, but I have as yet to do so.

Not too sure how many there are, but it will be a good amount for sure.I plan on saving them for the future to shoot as designated ammo, and use marbles for practice ammo.

[Tackleberry]

Sweeeeeet!

[Bama]

I use a barnett cobra with a counter balance. It is accurate if you manage your release .

[Taxed2Death]

I use wrist rockets all the time! A roll of surgical tubing, a few 25lb bags of 000 buck pellets, and you have a lifetime supply of fun as well as a useful tool. I've killed grouse, rabbits, armadillos, opossums, skunks, quail...you name it. I also use them to move game without spooking them. A shot into a clump of brush where an animal is bedded down can get them to stand up or move without raising an alarm (unless you actually hit the animal, and THEN it will likely take off for parts unknown). They are also handy for running deer or other unwanted critters out of your garden without drawing a lot of attention. Handy tools they are!!