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The Boo Shooter

32K views 111 replies 54 participants last post by  SLING-N-SHOT 
#1 ·
The term "Boo Shooter" is based on two ideas. First, these slingshots are quite compact ... sort of peek-a-boo slingshots. Second, most of the slingshots of this type that I have made have been made from bamboo. Here are three examples to give you an idea of what they are:



The one on the left is made from laminated bamboo strips. The one in the middle is solid bamboo. And the one on the right is some unknown hardwood. They are all made from more or less flat spatulas which I find everywhere in second hand stores and in dollar stores.

Like many folks, I became enamoured with the pfs style of slingshot. They are compact and easy to make out of simple materials. But after making a few and shooting them for a while, their allure gradually faded. I just was not as accurate with a pfs as with other slingshots I made. And I frequently got fliers, although I did not get fork hits after a few weeks of familiarization. From comments on the forum, many folks seem to have a lot of trouble shooting a pfs.

After making some very small slingshots, I realized that the distance between the forks did not need to be over an inch or so to allow the ammo to pass freely ... and I shoot some pretty chunky rocks, as well as lead ball up to .5 inch in diameter. If you are having trouble with a pfs, I urge you to try a boo shooter ... I think you will be pleasantly surprised. For those not having trouble with a pfs, you will find shooting a boo shooter to be a breeze. For comparison, here are a couple of pfs slingshots along with some boo shooters.



On the left is one of the first pfs slingshots I made. It is aluminum plate, painted black, and made to Dgui's original design. Next to it is a pfs I made from a bamboo spatula. Next is a boo shooter made from a hardwood spatula. And on the right is a boo shooter made from a bamboo spatula. So you can see that they are all about the same size. They are about 5-6 inches in length (12.7 - 15.2 cm), and about 3 inches wide (7.6 cm). The major difference is that the boo shooters have a fork gap of about 1.25 inches = 3.2 cm.

Here is how I make my boo shooters. The raw material is a more or less flat spatula, in bamboo or an appropriate hardwood.



I lay out a midline, and then draw a line perpendicular to the midline at the widest part of the spatula that still has reasonable thickness. The line will be the top of the forks. I measure down 3/4 of an inch from the top of the forks and make a mark on the midline there, where I will drill a hole.



Next I cut off the spatula at the top of the forks, and cut the handle to suit the length I want.



Then I drill a 1/2 inch hole at the marked spot.



Next I rough in a 1/2 inch wide slot from the top of the forks to the drilled hole.



Next I use a 1 inch diameter drum sander to form the final slot and the throat of the slingshot. In practice I find that by the time I clean up the forks, I get a fork gap of about 1.25 inches.



Of course if you do not have an appropriately sized drum sander, you can just carefully cut the throat by hand.
After the forks are finished, I sand the whole thing down and round the end of the handle.



If the spatula has actually been used, it probably has vegetable oil on it. I use a good wipe with acetone to get rid of all traces of vegetable oil. Then I apply a finish.



These little characters can be banded in any way you like. I have used both Theraband Gold and Alliance 105s. The design is meant to be gripped high up near the band ties, so there is not much strain on the forks. I shoot them sideways, with a finger hook and thumb brace. Boo shooters shoot very well for me ... accurate, no fliers and no fork hits. They are a snap to make, and those spatulas are readily available. Give a boo shooter a try, especially if you are having trouble with a pfs. Boo shooters are just as much fun as a pfs, and a heck of a lot more forgiving.

Cheers ...... Charles
 
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#8 ·
Fantastic Charles! Thanks for the tutorial, really cool slingshots. I agree with Hrawk this should be moved so it's easily accessible as I'm sure
we will be seeing a few more of these being made.
 
#13 ·
Thanks for the very kind comments everyone. These guys are easy and fun to make and shoot. I do hope others will give them a try. As per your suggestions, I will move this thread to the Tutorials section ... I just did not really think of it as a tutorial when I posted it!

As for decorations ... I tend to be pretty minimalist myself and just stick with my chop. But of course to each their own ...

Cheers ..... Charles
 
#20 ·
Charles,

I am new to the forum... I loved your Boo Shooters tutorial and tried my hand at making one today. Here's the result. Thanks for sharing your super idea!

Hand Wood Finger Thumb Nail
 

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#21 ·
i made a few myself, after getting yours in the mail...
i'm not the ony one who loved it, by the way... my wife and daughter both had a blast with the boo!!
thanks for all the help and generosity!!
 
#22 ·
Glad to hear you guys are enjoying those boo shooters. I find them a lot of fun to shoot, and they are dead easy to make! I have been keeping my eyes open at the second hand stores recently, but have not found any more of those spatulas. I hate to buy them new, although the local dollar store carries them for $1.50 or so. Ah, well ... I will just be patient. I am sure more will turn up before long.

Cheers ...... Charles
 
#24 ·
Yep ... it's that "so far" part that is telling!!! Boo shooters are just so easy to make that it is hard to resist bamboo kitchen ware whenever I see it. I suppose that before long half the population of West Virginia will be sporting Bo Boo shooters ...


Cheers ...... Charles
 
#26 ·
Mine sits hung by the calender with care along with the rest until I'm able to shoot again, what a drag. I hope to have this splint
somewhat off or modified tomorrow. What can I say other than boo-hoo.
 

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