Introduction: Minimalist Survival Slingshot

About: Outdoors person _ Mediums: rope, wood, paper _ Activities: slacklines, climbing, woodworking

The handle was junk on my F16 Daisy slingshot, so I decided it was time to upgrade to a more survival friendly grip. I didn't want to go overboard but rather keep the functionality of the slingshot in a small package.

Step 1: Materials

16 ft. o' 550 paracord

another 4 ft. gutted paracord

fids

scissors

lighter

metallic object with a flat side

Step 2: Survival/other Items

slingshot with a metal frame

325 paracord

rubber bands or two 2-1/2" strips of rubber

jump ring (keychain ring)

ferro rod

small knife

fishing hook, line, and weights is advised for wet and coastal regions

fire tubes could also be used instead of a ferro rod

aluminum foil would be great for this project

Step 3: 1st Wrap

Gut 4 ft of 550 cord and wrap it around finishing off with a diamond knot or any other two stranded knot.

Step 4: Half Hitch Wrap

Start half-hitch wrap with either the full 16ft or 8 ft will do. When getting close to the bottom of the handle put on fids to finish by weaving the cord through the backside.

Step 5: Fitting Knife Into Pocket

Wedge the pocket knife into place. It may take some pliers and manipulation to get it into the pocket. I ended up putting the ends through the top half hitches. I made it with an ergonomic grip in the process by shifting the top knots forward on the slingshot. I didn't realize this while in the process of making but I could have continued onto the next step with the full 16 ft strand of paracord instead of cutting it in half at the start.

Step 6: Overlap Wrap

Start with fids on an 8 ft strand of paracord. Put both sides through from the back then twist 180 doubling it through the same hole. When wrapping the back stick the ferro rod underneath try to keep the "knots" centered on top. Under the front wrap can be used to store a hook and aluminum foil folded up, and I would store fishing line around the ferro rod. Finish by weaving through the front like in picture 7 then putting the fids completely under the wrap alongside the ferro rod in the back. Tie a overhand knot in the back to keep from pulling through.

Step 7: Poacher's Knot

This running loop will be needed for the next step. Make two of these out of 325 paracord with a 1"-2" diameter loop.

Step 8: Arrow Guidance Sys.

The goal here is to have the bands stretch equal when making this. I cut a piece of dowel to stretch one complete side so that I could tie the other side without too much struggle. What's great about this feature is that now I am able to shoot make-shift arrows and rocks which can be found everywhere out in the wilderness. It gives the option for bigger game (something a typical pellet gun can't take down).

Step 9: Finished

Practice with your survival slingshot before you get out there into the rough wilderness. The best trick to learn quickly is moving from bigger closer targets to father and smaller targets. If you can cut a card when set up horizontally or vertically then you can hit anything. I haven't had to use this for survival purposes, but when I will have to, I know I will be able to survive.

Thank you for reading!

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