Wrist Rockets/Slingshot Advice?

[TiaScout]

Any suggestions for setting up a safe, fun, dog kibble shoot? A BSA friend told me about wrist rockets. I think my Girl Scout troop (a dozen girls, 12-16) would LOVE this for a scout challenge at our opening meeting next month. I've seen a couple small photos in Scouting and one You Tube video showing Cubs shooting wrist rockets with those inexpensive safety goggles on. Otherwise, I have no clue. Gotta test drive ideas before I teach girls. Thoughts?

 

(1) Best but cheapest brand of slingshot? Amazon reviews say $5-8 models are lousy. True?

(2) Better to make our own? Materials? Costs?

(3) Are cheesy, clear plastic eye protectors, like the ones in my tool box, enough?

(4) Should I hang disposable pie plate targets from a limb? Or put cans on a stump?

(5) Gallery distances?

(6) Actual experience with bio-degradation of dog food?

 

I don't even know what to ask. If anyone's got a resource to point me to, or advice, I'd love to hear it.

 

Tia

[scottteng]

You want to find the ones that rest on the wrist they are much safer than the average slingshot. Dog chow is good to shoot if the critters don't eat it up it is pretty much gone with a moderate rain. It is better if you have targets that will make some noise pots, pans, metal cups, plastic bottles, buckets because the penetration is very minimal you won't get holes in plates or targets. Eye protection is mandated by BSA and is a common sense precaution yes even the cheesy ones from your tool box but it might be better to get youth sized ones. The distance for the range is 15' from firing line to target area. Last I looked walmart had wrist rockets for sale.

[TiaScout]

Thank you! I'll think "things that go DING." Tia

[IM_Kathy]

when my son did this they strung a few ropes - 1st line was where the boys shooting would line up facing the targets the 2nd line was for boys to stand waiting for their turn.

 

if you have coffee cans (metal are the best, but hard to find any more) we used those as targets had them on another line dangling done just took a small hole and strung them onto it that would be the 3rd rope LOL.

[Melgamatic]

 

I know that most states have more reasonable firearms laws than New Jersey..... Wrist rockets, and in fact all slingshots, are considered handguns in NJ. Having a slingshot in your hand is the same as holding a Glock in NJ, so you need to be aware of your rights are requirements...

 

-Melg

 

[kenk]

Also remember to have eye protection for Scouts who wear glasses.

 

I think objects hanging are just as fun, and don't need resetting as you'd need for cans on a stump.

 

In my activities with Girl Scouting I've not found a document similar to Boy Scout's GTSS. I'm hoping it exists. Make sure you ask if such an activity is allowed, and under what controls.

 

It sounds like the girls will have LOTS of fun!!

[JoeBob]

Popcorn makes good ammo. Cheap and plentiful, it won't attract the wrong kind of critters...

[Sephrina]

Kenk,

 

I would look for to a book called Safety Wise as the girl scout equivalent.

 

Karen

[SSScout]

UNPOPPED popcorn. But it is harder than dog kibble, and can ricochet.

 

Right on, New Joisey!

 

Set up a range, control access to the range, roped off with yellow tape or rope. Targets to firing line, about 15'... 5 or 10' behind firing line is the ready line. Dead area at least 20' behind the targets and either side. Safety tape/rope is 3 to 4 feet off ground,ALL TH WAY AROUND THE RANGE. Firing line staked on ground, wait line 3 - 4 ' up.

 

Shooting Sports for Cub Scouts Guide:::

 

http://www.stlbsa.org/NR/rdonlyres/42BDA04E-AE7A-40EC-832B-3CB4B7C68E15/0/CubScoutShootingSportsbook.pdf

 

Pick a safe area away from casual passersby. Trust me. Rope the area off and do it by the numbers, even slingshotted dog kibble can injure.

 

But have fun, anyway!

 

 

[TiaScout]

Thanks, all! Good stuff, esp. the measurements and link from SSScout to that wonderful Cub Scout Shooting Sports Book. I'm having BSA envy again. Holy cow, the book even gives adults a script to use for BBs: Point to the muzzle and say, This is the muzzle. It is the end the BB shoots out. Page 41 starts with advice on slingshots & wrist rockets.

 

For those who wondered, GSUSA's Safety-Wise does not prohibit slingshots; rather, shooting projectiles AT people is a no-go (e.g. no paintball); see p. 80. Following the checkpoints, I'll let parents know ahead of time and make them giggle with yet another electronic permission slip that I've marked "high adventure" (yes, I do that for campfires and stream cleanups, perhaps silly, but them's the rules). I'll follow the advice here with a simple marked safety perimeter and waiting area, and let them shoot in pairs. I know these girls and their families very well and look forward to them reviving me with CPR someday -- so yeah, I trust them with knives, fire and even slingshots, provided I know what to teach them and warn them about! (What I don't trust is the slingshots themselves, until I know what they do and have a clue. I figure dog food or elastic bands in the face can put a dent in your day. So fun times ahead for me and my daughters in the back yard with a wrist rocket, while I practice.)

 

As for state laws, we're in Virginia, Land of Guns. (The VA Code actually does mention slingshots under the concealed weapons law, but whatever we use won't be loaded nor concealed!)

 

Last question for now: can anybody recommend a BRAND of manufactured wrist rocket? Or good instructions for making sturdy, homemade slings?

[scoutldr]

Safety goggles are a must...and can be worn over prescription glasses. Those that meet ANSI standard Z87 are necessary...they will have "Z87" stamped either on the lens or the frame. Anything else is junk.

 

A full face shield is also good and will provide impact protection to the face, head and neck. Some of that dog food can be pretty durn hard.

[TiaScout]

Thank you, everybody! The girls had the best time today!

 

For anyone diving in archives, the advice given in this thread was very helpful (particularly the link to BSA's "Shooting Sports for Cub Scouts," kind of goggles to use, and distances for range layout). I used kidney beans, three pairs of Z87 glasses of different sizes, and had girls use a table at the shooting position. Backstop was big, grommeted tarp strung between trees and staked in ground. Targets were recycling junk (plastic Coke bottles were the best) stacked up on the orange crates I transported gear in. The wrist rocket slingshots were the FS1 folding ones by Trumark (US made) -- see http://www.slingshots.com/html/sling-shots-fs1.html I got extra bands, but note that if one busts, and you follow the directions to replace it, you must wait overnight before using. None of ours busted.

 

For my GSUSA buddies, the only paperwork was hi-ad permission slips & council notification.

 

The girls' questions? "Can we shoot each other?" "Can we eat the beans?" and "When can we start?"

 

The vendor I used was Netlink Enterprises via Amazon. Very happy. But you can also order direct from the maker at slingshots.com

[eghiglie]

This was a great post! Going to use this for an upcoming meeting.

[artjrk]

We did this last year when we invited the Webelos out to our campout. It went over great. In fact we are doing it again in two weeks. The only thing we did different from whats posted is we created a walking trail where the scout walked the path and had to hit the targets as he came upon them. This was similar to an archery trail the boys did at Summer Camp one year.

[SctDad]

We did sling shots at a Cub Family Camp this year. The range officer made it more difficult than it needed to be. He had the boys shooting one at a time and they were not using the dog food that I suggested. I guess when you are the event coordinator then you can only expect so much. Guess I left too much up to the range officer to figure out.

 

That is just something that I need to plan on for next year.