Old school catapults are far from a thing of the past!

With the huge range of hunting paraphernalia on the market, it could be easy to forget the simple catapult or slingshot. However, this would be a grave mistake as the slingshot is a fantastic tool and shouldn’t be overlooked. Easy to transport, maintain and use, you simply cannot go wrong with a simple old school catapult.

Although the slingshot is considered a child’s toy in many circles and yes, it can be a great plaything, there is no reason you can’t use it when hunting or training. In fact, in many indigenous tribes it is the main weapon of choice for catching food and sources of clothing.

Some of the great advantages of the catapult when hunting small creatures such as birds are:

• Great accuracy: if you purchase a slingshot with a wrist brace your accuracy will be impeccable and expert advice suggests you shouldn’t spend too much time on aiming and just go with what feels natural, very often you’ll have success!
• Easy to build: if you don’t want to buy a slingshot you can very easily build your own with a few basic bits of kit and a little perseverance. There are many online sources telling you exactly how to build your own.

The slingshot is limited in its range because it is only a small piece of equipment and is dependent on its elastic “launch” but it is great for spontaneity and if you carry it whenever you go off to hunt, you may catch something you didn’t expect too! The maximum range of a good quality slingshot is around 20 metres.

Old school catapults should be an essential part of your arsenal, especially if you like the thrill of spontaneity and natural hunting. There is no reason that a catapult should be condemned to the past and you’ll realise this too if you go out and buy one today!