Slingshot Review
Sheffield Catapults - Hammer Hunter
2012 has been a fantastic year for slingshots. The international community is growing and growing, we have more latex and rubber choices than a dominatrix can shake a whip at, tons of unbelievable slingshot eye candy and a host of new vendors offering up high quality wares to the discerning consumer.
Of all the new vendors, one that really impressed me was Sheffield Catapults, specifically the Hammer Hunter slingshot. After seeing many photos of the various combinations of wood, I finally settled on a Walnut and Zebrano frame. After a quick trip to paypal and around 11 days wait, my new toy is here to play with.
I suppose the first thing I really noticed and something that I am always rather critical of, it the packaging. The slingshot came packaged in a nice sturdy cardboard box stuffed with shredded paper packing. Hiding in the middle of all this in its own separate plastic bag was the Hammer Hunter.
It was a bit smaller than I expected but keep in mind; I never really checked the dimensions before ordering. Although I was expecting a slightly larger than my normal shooter size, I was pleasantly surprised to find this was about the perfect size for me. I was even more surprised to see just how good the combination of Walnut and Zebrano looked up close compared to the photos. The mild earthy tones of this slingshot look fantastic out in the sun and the hard wax finish used gives it a pleasurable lustre while remaining very grippy.
After tossing it around a bit from hand to hand to get a feel of the weight the thing that really struck me was the precision of which the laminates had been put together and how the fork was attached to the handle. You need to look really closely to see the almost invisible glue line and perfectly flat faces. Some rather complex geometry going on here which has been executed to perfection.
Moving onto the important bits, how does it feel in the hand and how does it shoot. In the hand it feels great. The handle is perfectly sized and shaped for my hand. No protruding handle out the bottom of the hand and a nicely curved front and back that fits the curve of my palm and fingers great. You get a great sense of security and purpose when you grip this beauty.
Probably one of the most noticeable features of this slingshot is the canted or angled forks. This took a bit of getting used to as I had been shooting a lot of straight hammer grip slingshots recently. A few minutes in front of a mirror had this sorted out though and wow, what a difference it makes. The concept behind the fork arrangement is to ensure you are holding and shooting with a straight wrist to maximise strength and minimise strain and stress on the wrist. To this effect, it works beautifully. I was able to shoot bands double my normal shooting strength with little or no strain at all.
Let's take a quick look at the geometry of the forks. Fork tips are 18mm wide with a fork gap of 42mm and throat depth of 30mm. This happily took my first set of bands which are 20mm wide at the fork as well as my second, double 1745's tied on the same way as the flats.
With a fork gap a little narrower than I am usually used to shooting I started off with some smaller ammo for fears of getting a fork hit. I quickly realised my fear was unfounded as this slingshot makes it very easy to ensure you are holding correctly each and every time. After 100 shots or so with ¼" steel I moved up to 3/8" and then onto ½" lead. I found this was a great combination; Hammer Hunter, double 1745's and the half inch lead. Empty beer cans were only lasting a handful of shots before needing replacement. That's ok, I enjoy making the targets as much as I do shooting them.
After around 400 shots or so, a point at which I usually give up shooting for the day, I was still ready for more. The strait wrist hold is excellent, even with the heavier bands and ammo.
I would highly recommend this slingshot to anyone who is looking for a quality product with looks to match. I would very much recommend this to any shooter who finds themselves unable to shoot stronger band sets due to strain on the wrist.
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Hammer Hunter basking in the sunlight
![]()
Check out that awesome sheen!
![]()
Note the precision in which the joins are made
![]()
Fit and finish gets 5 stars from me!
Sheffield Catapults - Hammer Hunter
2012 has been a fantastic year for slingshots. The international community is growing and growing, we have more latex and rubber choices than a dominatrix can shake a whip at, tons of unbelievable slingshot eye candy and a host of new vendors offering up high quality wares to the discerning consumer.
Of all the new vendors, one that really impressed me was Sheffield Catapults, specifically the Hammer Hunter slingshot. After seeing many photos of the various combinations of wood, I finally settled on a Walnut and Zebrano frame. After a quick trip to paypal and around 11 days wait, my new toy is here to play with.
I suppose the first thing I really noticed and something that I am always rather critical of, it the packaging. The slingshot came packaged in a nice sturdy cardboard box stuffed with shredded paper packing. Hiding in the middle of all this in its own separate plastic bag was the Hammer Hunter.
It was a bit smaller than I expected but keep in mind; I never really checked the dimensions before ordering. Although I was expecting a slightly larger than my normal shooter size, I was pleasantly surprised to find this was about the perfect size for me. I was even more surprised to see just how good the combination of Walnut and Zebrano looked up close compared to the photos. The mild earthy tones of this slingshot look fantastic out in the sun and the hard wax finish used gives it a pleasurable lustre while remaining very grippy.
After tossing it around a bit from hand to hand to get a feel of the weight the thing that really struck me was the precision of which the laminates had been put together and how the fork was attached to the handle. You need to look really closely to see the almost invisible glue line and perfectly flat faces. Some rather complex geometry going on here which has been executed to perfection.
Moving onto the important bits, how does it feel in the hand and how does it shoot. In the hand it feels great. The handle is perfectly sized and shaped for my hand. No protruding handle out the bottom of the hand and a nicely curved front and back that fits the curve of my palm and fingers great. You get a great sense of security and purpose when you grip this beauty.
Probably one of the most noticeable features of this slingshot is the canted or angled forks. This took a bit of getting used to as I had been shooting a lot of straight hammer grip slingshots recently. A few minutes in front of a mirror had this sorted out though and wow, what a difference it makes. The concept behind the fork arrangement is to ensure you are holding and shooting with a straight wrist to maximise strength and minimise strain and stress on the wrist. To this effect, it works beautifully. I was able to shoot bands double my normal shooting strength with little or no strain at all.
Let's take a quick look at the geometry of the forks. Fork tips are 18mm wide with a fork gap of 42mm and throat depth of 30mm. This happily took my first set of bands which are 20mm wide at the fork as well as my second, double 1745's tied on the same way as the flats.
With a fork gap a little narrower than I am usually used to shooting I started off with some smaller ammo for fears of getting a fork hit. I quickly realised my fear was unfounded as this slingshot makes it very easy to ensure you are holding correctly each and every time. After 100 shots or so with ¼" steel I moved up to 3/8" and then onto ½" lead. I found this was a great combination; Hammer Hunter, double 1745's and the half inch lead. Empty beer cans were only lasting a handful of shots before needing replacement. That's ok, I enjoy making the targets as much as I do shooting them.
After around 400 shots or so, a point at which I usually give up shooting for the day, I was still ready for more. The strait wrist hold is excellent, even with the heavier bands and ammo.
I would highly recommend this slingshot to anyone who is looking for a quality product with looks to match. I would very much recommend this to any shooter who finds themselves unable to shoot stronger band sets due to strain on the wrist.
Hammer Hunter basking in the sunlight
Check out that awesome sheen!
Note the precision in which the joins are made
Fit and finish gets 5 stars from me!
