How to Make a Slingshot at Home? – The Step by Step DIY Guide in 2021

From the very beginning, slingshots have been a fantastic way of hunting. As slingshots’ appeal in haunting has never decreased, nowadays, it is an exciting method of passing leisure with your homies!

No matter if it is a competition or just for a mere time pass, you must always know how to make a slingshot as it is one of the oldest haunting methods. So, let us know how to DIY a slingshot at home!

Check our easy slingshot crafting trick to make it at home and pass your leisure with fun!

Materials & Tools Needed in a Slingshots

Essential Features in a Slingshot

Strength

When it comes to the first feature of a slingshot, it must be strong. The wood piece you use while making a slingshot is the essential material in this game.

If you want to know how to get a slingshot, you must know which wood to pick up. So, make sure that the wood piece is strong.

It is always better to wood from an Oak tree. You can also rely on the Hackle or Ash tree for this purpose.

Flexibility

If the whole wooden body and the pouch are not flexible, you cannot make the perfect shot. And so, the slingshot should be flexible enough that it doesn’t break down.

On the other hand, it should not be too flexible that the distance or the strength of the shot is decreased. A perfect slingshot has perfect flexibility.

Elasticity

You have to move the wood piece and take it back to make the sling. But in this case, if the slingshot band has less elasticity, it won’t make it up there. Instead, it will break. So, it might be elastic.

Also Read: Slingshot for Hunting Review

How to Make a Slingshot? – Perfect Step by Step Guide

So, what is a slingshot? You already know it if your childhood was interesting. The forked wood stick is added with the band to throw stones, small rocks, pebbles, marbles, or other stuff for shooting.

And why do you need a slingshot? For shooting small baits like fish, rabbit, etc. If you don’t know how to make a slingshot, you must follow these steps so that you can do it at home!

Step 1: Selecting a Y-shaped Wood Piece

The first job for you in this recipe is to get a wood piece or a tree branch. The sad part is, you cannot just pick up any wood piece out of the crowd.

Make sure the piece of wood is Y-shaped! On the contrary, don’t forget that it must be sturdy enough to endure the procedure.

All you need to do is check the fallen branches, and we bet you will find the one you are searching for. All it needs to do is be sturdy enough to hold the sling.

If you are a newbie, you must check the length and width of the wood piece. It can be 17-20 cm in length, and 2.5-5 cm in width.

And if you are a pro and want to make it better, search for the stripping loose or wet ones from the forest.

Step 2: Drying the Piece

When you already know how to craft a slingshot, but your slingshot is not working correctly, the reason behind this might be the wetness.

After you have found it, you have to make it dry enough to work with it. Wet pieces are great, but before you start your game or haunting, it must be dry enough to make the proper sling.

Keep the piece of wood beside a heat source; it is better to hang it. Whether you have a stove or a campfire, you can use the source to heat it but certify that you do not burn it. It will take some hours to get dry.

If you do not have these methods available, try to take a thick towel and wrap the wood piece. Now, put it inside the microwave and set the timer for 25-30 seconds; trust us, it will save your time.

Step 3: Shaping the Piece

People often get into dilemmas about how to build a DIY slingshot, and for this process, the shape of the wood is the key.

Now, it is time to give the wood piece the shape of the slingshot. For this, you have to use a sharp knife. However, we recommend you use a pocket knife, which will make your work easier.

Now, you have to make trivial notches on the sides of the Y-shaped arms. The notches should not be more than 2.5 cm.

In short, you have to make the sling neat. Make sure you do not cut too deep or too above because eventually, you will miss the shoot.

Step 4: Finding the Elastic

When you are almost done with the shaped frame, you have to search for an elastic band. While searching, verify that the elastic band is thick enough not to split.

In most cases, thick elastics are not much stretchy, but you have to find the opposite. Go for the stretchier material you can find.

You can rely on the medical tubing along with the latex sheeting strips. The most straightforward idea is to pick up a heavy rubber band.

Now, double the material first and then divide the piece into two different but of equal length. In this case, you must keep the elastic band a little longer than you need.

It will help you in attaching the sling to the wood frame without any discomfort. Also, in between shooting, the sling can be a bit loosen. If it is long, you can adjust it any time you want.

Step 5: Adding the Elastic

Now it is time to add both of the pieces together to make it a workable gear. When you already know how to make a slingshot, attaching the elastic will not be challenging for you.

First, you have to check the two even elastic bands and pick up one. Now, you have to wind the sling around the one hand of the Y-shaped properly. Keep it tight.

After this, you can use a thread to help you out here. With the thread or electric tape’s help, tie the sling so that it is secured with the notch.

With the help of the scissors, you have to cut out the extra band, or you can glue it on the other side. Repeat the same process with the other notch.

The loose ends of the sling should be almost even so that you can quickly fire with the slingshot.

Step 6: Designing the Pouch

Get a stiff fabric; you can choose leather or any other thick canvas for this process. Cut it down and make it 10 cm by 5 cm. in size.

Now, open up a hole first from both ends of the rectangle. Make sure that it is no longer than the ends of the sling.

Just make the hole to ensure that the ends of the sling fit properly. This leather pouch will hold the workpiece (whatever you want to shoot with.)

Step 7: Shooting the Slingshot

Now you are almost close to the throwing process. All you have to do is take the end of any band and then push it through the hole made on the pouch.

You have to make a right knot on the opposite side. Do the same for the other end of the elastic band.

We hope you know how to hunt with a slingshot, don’t you? Now, take a marble, stone, rubber balls, steel balls, or metal BBS, and hold it against the inner side of the pouch. Pull it behind with force and shoot!

If you’re in a hurry, Watch the Video for Quick info

Final Words

The whole process of how to make a slingshot is mentioned above. Though we always recommend getting the commercial slingshot for professional use, this homemade slingshot method can be excellent for hunting and leisure.

Check this and DIY it at home! Also, don’t forget to comment below on how you craft your slingshot!