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· Premium Member
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Responses will vary based on what others are used to shooting with.

Best advice I can give you no matter which brand or vendor you go with,
start with some light bands to find the technique that feels comfortable to YOU.

I started out with a sling shot from Gary "Flatband" Miller and was thrilled. This purchase
also lead me to what I believe to be the BEST band sets out there anywhere. This statement
is based on my experience with his band sets compared to others. I'm NOT saying that others band sets
are no good because they are good. I'm a fanatic about taking records on all my shooting sessions and
my input is based on this data which includes durability, consistency, price, etc.

Start inexpensive until you find your niche for your shooting style then progress to some of the more
high end sling shots.

Hope this helps in your decision.

Merry Christmas and Happy Shooting!!!
 

· Premium Member
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A slingshot suited to an advanced shooter is also suited to a beginner. That said, I suggest a simple symmetrical and traditional fork if you don't know what style suits you best and avoid something that is overly fitted to one particular hand.
As for brands, the forum's approved vendors all offer good custom slingshots. Check out the Vendors' Classifieds section. Otherwise, Saunders and Trumark are well respected.
 

· Registered
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A good natural fork will work as well as any, plus it has the advantage of being cheep, easily customized, and did I say cheep. you can pick up a couple sets of bands from one of the vendors here and go to town. If you want to purchase one you have some great vendors here....but it really depends on what you're looking for.
 

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I have many of the inexpensive store brand slingshots as well as others I have bought from around the world. I would still consider myself a beginner of sorts as I have only been back into slingshots for about a year (since reviving a boyhood hobby). I have my favorites for sure but I still shoot most of the slingshots I have on a regular basis (I have about 30 slingshots). My advice, for whatever it's worth, is to get a slingshot with a medium to lighter pull to start out with because it will be easier to become accurate with that. Any slingshot that feels comfortable can be shot accurately with practice.

Of the slingshots you can by out of a store, I like the Daisy and Trumarks better than Crossman. But you can buy several and test them out, they are cheap.

My current favorites and the ones I shoot most accurately with are my Chief AJ slingshot and my Dankung slingshot which uses double small tubes. My most expensive slingshot to date is my Barnett Cobra but for some reason I shoot less accurately with it than any other even though it feels good in my hand.

With all the slingshots I shoot I quickly get used to what I am shooting and then when I switch to another it may take 10 or 15 shots before I am shooting well with the second one. Some of them feel and shoot very differently from each other.

I am one of those persons who enjoys all kinds of slingshots with different types of bands but there are other persons you mostly want to find one good slingshot and become as expert as possible with it. So depending on what you want to do with your slingshots you may search for a while and find your personal best or you may become like many of use and quickly amass a large collection.
 

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As a beginner you'll want to get a slingshot that feels right in the hand and can be held comfortably in the style of shooting you prefer. Meaning if you prefer the slingshot to be held in an upright position with a hammer grip... get one that has low enough forks so that you don't get to much strain against your wrist and has some wideness to the lower handle where the ring finger grips to help with slippage.
If you like to shoot in an upright fork position with an index finger/ thumb support grip... get one that is not to wide through the forks so that you can comfortably extend to reach easily and naturally.
If you think shooting with the forks to the side (gangsta) is the way to go... then get yourself a slingshot that accomodates your hand size and grip but also consider the torsion of the wrist at the same time... a canted handle with an ergonomically designed frame may be an option here. Just pick up a pencil, put it in your hand, close your eyes and extend your hand like you're holding it in a sideshooting hold... relax the tension in your wrist and forearm, open your eyes and see the angle created... find a slingshot that can achieve that angle, usually 10-15 degrees off horizontal yet have the bands line up perfectly up and down on top of each other.

Okay, if you have a weak wrist and or grip... consider either getting stronger, or going the wrist braced route. If you look at the wrist braced models think about the method you aim with and then buy one that fits you the best... look through slingshot ads on ebay... see something that just seems like it'd fit you right, then find a quality product in that style.

Now, all that said... it doesn't matter even a little bit which slingshot you make or buy if you don't have the right elastics and pouch to suit you as well.... some people shoot well with and prefer tubes, either single per side or multiples depending on philosophy. Some people like and prefer squared rubber. Some like and prefer tied (chained) together rubber bands, like you use in an office setting. And some people prefer flat bands, gum, theraband, latex etc...
Each elastic propulsion system has pros and cons. Tubes are usually more resiliant and longer lasting than flat bands, and readily available at many stores but are not the fastest on the snap back. Chained rubber bands are extremely readily available and cheap, yet are not all that long lasting. Square rubber is not readily available in the USA and doesn't snap as quickly but it is tough and long lasting... Flat bands are usually the fastest, can be found fairly readily by simply cutting your own from exercise bands, are not that expensive if you cut your own but usually don't last as long as tubes.
If you were to make a comparison between elastics and cars... you could say the rubber bands are like Yugos, square is like the VW, tubes are like the Ford Mustang, and flats can range from less than a Mustang to a Ferrari depending on cut, taper and material.
Which ever elastic suits you the best... you need to make sure it's attached well and the force is symmetrical for both sides.

The pouch... material... leather is the go to material. Supple and strong are keys here. It must be able to grip the ammo yet release easily... there's some other materials that may work fine... just don't worry with them right now though... go with leather. Five ounce, smooth on one side with the suppleness of thicker driving gloves works very well.. it'll last a long time and will grip/release right too.
Wet formed ball indentions, centering holes or just a flat "utility" pouches all work well and you should experiment with which one suit you the best.

Just keep in mind... There's a scene in the classic movie, The Good, Bad and Ugly... where Tuco goes into a gun store to get a pistol. He takes parts from several different new guns and ends up assembling "the perfect" pistol to suit him from the parts.... MANY people do the same thing with slingshots!
 

· Philly
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Great thread, loaded with good advice for beginers by some of the most knowledgeable and top builders and shooters on the forum.
Philly
 

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For a starter a good trumark or saunders slingshot would be good. But I am partial to the A + slingshot would be great. If you get a ps2 or larger it will be free of fork hits. The price is like 12 for a trumark and the A+ ps2 is $35.
you can get an A+ for as little as $15 for the und=finished roughnready for $20 for the finished version, seems like great value to me, havent tried it yet but from what ive heard theyre great slingshots, they have a whole section to themselves so cant be too bad


personally id stay away from factory produced slingshots, tried a couple myself and ive found that a simple metal frame from china with chained rubber bands to be alot more powerful and more accurate yet with a lighter draw weight. but if starting out a out the box ready slingshot would be the best way to go. the roughnready seems idea since its cheap handmade and suitable for all shooting styles, should be getting one myself soon.

a good handmade slingshot can last a long time (decades possibly) and being handmade it will be of good quality provided you get from a decent supplier =)

all the best,
Paul
 

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I learned on an A+ PS-2 model, and would highly recommend that. If you want to save a little money, you can get the A+ Rough-n-Ready model. It's mostly the same as a PS-2, but with a simpler finish. I love my PS-2! I am so happy that I found it as my first slingshot. My second slingshot was a Dankung "Jungle Hunter II". This is another great slingshot. I like both of these much much better than my metal frame braced Marksman or my similar Trumark FS-1. I am eagerly awaiting my next slingshot that I ordered a short while ago ... a "Traditional Boardcut" from Gib. I'm sure this new one will rank right up there with my existing A+ and Dankung that I love.
 

· Tex-shooter
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I also am a fan of the Daisy F-16. Take those stock tubes off and put a set of Trumark Red RRT tapers and you'll be rocking. Another good one is the S-9 from Trumark. Saunders Hawk is another option. Tex Shooter does a nice little modification to that slingshot that makes it much more comfortable. Hope it helps Bud! Flatband
 
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