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Hi everyone, my name is Jacek and I'm from northern Poland. I started building and shooting slingshots long time ago when I was twelve. Back then in the old good days before computers imprisoned kids in their bedrooms my mates and me used to hang around outside playing real life games. We adored screen heroes like Geronimo,Robin Hood, Wilhelm Tell and the likes so we built our own gear and threw spears,shot bows and arrows and crossbows... It was an attempt to build a crossbow that introduced me to a slingshot. You see my friends had turned their bows into crossbows and my bow broke just the day before. What a pain and were due to rival another gang in a crossbow target shooting...in one hour! There was no time to get a decent haselnut branch for the crossbow so I had to think of something. Bear in mind it was years before MacGyver showed us the way! I refused to take no for an answer and could just remember buying aircraft rubber as we called it because it was primarely sold and used to propel model aircraft. It was a flatband very stretchable and powerful. So I borrowed my mother's wooden coat hanger which happened to imitate a nicely curved Mongol bow and attached a length of rubber slightly tensed.It really did work very well, in fact my makeshift crossbow turned out to be the most powerful although I didn't win the target contest. Well I put it down to lack of practice
When my friend were honing their shooting skills I had to work hard and put my weapon together. My crossbow adventure however was short lived. Same evening my mother needed that hanger...So the next day I went to the woods and came back with a natural fork and constructed my first slingshot. I loved it. Compact and powerful and I was amazed how quickly I could shoot pretty accurately... and free amo everywhere.I was using stones those days. I decided I preffered shooting instead of daily crafting new arrows to replace those lost in high grass. Slingshot replaced bow for good. I haven't shot slingshots any more for over thirty years until last year when I accidentaly came across an internet site of Robert Blair from US and his most innovative com bow. A sling allowing you to shoot short arrows.Wonderful! Bow meets slingshot.For me the best of both worlds.I ordered a set of short arrows and special arrow bands and I love it.I got hooked again.I searched the web for any useful info and I found Jorg's Slingshot Channel.This is amazing! I've just bought strong tubes and sheets of flat rubber and soon I will start experimenting.I built and successfully shot my own short arrows.I need to make new ones cos I lost the first two in snow! I hope I can find more help and support in my quest on this forum.I already have.Thank you guys!
