Catapult for hunting post SHTF

[Straight Shooter]

Rocks if you go the air gun route, don,t make MY mistake ...i bought one (new) that uses those air things ...two at a time...big mistake .....buy one with a spring....old tech but more reliable and always delivers the power from the getgo , going to geet me one this year ....years ago a mate of mine MADE a rifle ....he used to pump it up with an old stirrup pump ....only one shot..defo not legal packed BIG power .177 .....i wish he was still around to show me what he did and how......one shot ....he did not miss much...if at all.

[T-oddity]

Rocks what is your priority? is it to hunt small game to put food on the table or is it to develope the skill of using a catapult to hunt with incase of a shtf situation, if its is the prior, invest your time and money getting yourself a decent air rifle and scope, if it is the latter then invest your time in learning to make a catapult and practice on targets in your back yard every spare minute you can, because that is the only way you will get accurate enough with one to go hunt with.

I'm the opposite to Steve in that I put a lot of value in learning as many different skills as possible particularly old tech including knowing how to knapp a flint arrow head and make a bow from scratch, but when I go to hunt to put meat on the table I will always choose my rifle with all the bells and whistles on it because that makes fulfilling the task that much easier the other skills are only there as back up.

[CharlesHarris]

As a kid I have used a catapult to dispatch animals caught on my trapline, muskrat, beaver, fox, raccoon, coyote and bobcat.

A US 00 (.33 inch) or SSG buckshot in the head from about 10 feet is more effective than an air rifle or even a .22 LR bullet.

Quieter too!

It only takes a velocity of about 60 m/s (200 fps) for a 3.85 gram (60 grain) lead 00 buckshot to perforate a human skull (5.3 ft.-lbs) This has been well documented in police forensic literature and is quite within the capability of a home-made catapult constructed using 7mm diameter latex surgical tubing. You could do as every bit as well within the 6 ft.-lb. legal limits for an air pistol and at some distance with a legal-limit air rifle.

[Steve]

(28 February 2016, 19:25)T-oddity Wrote: I'm the opposite to Steve in that I put a lot of value in learning as many different skills as possible particularly old tech including knowing how to knapp a flint arrow head and make a bow from

I'm not against old tech, last weekend I built a forge and my sons and I made knives from old ring spanners, beaten into shape on my recently acquired anvil. Make do and adapt is my motto, but why spend ages trying to find a suitable piece of flint when there is wire fencing and metal scattered all over the UK ?

I'm not going back to the stone age whatever happens.

[Rocks]

(28 February 2016, 18:07)Steve Wrote:

(28 February 2016, 16:34)Rocks Wrote: Hmm, I've hunted all sorts of animals, including humans, so I know a little bit. You really seem to have a chip on your shoulder, don't you? I posted a question about catapults, in a sub-forum called 'bows sticks and stones' in a survivalist forum.
Have I stepped on your toes or something?

No chips, no toes, no offence meant.

I'll write why I think the catapault is a bad choice for hunting small game. If you don't want to know then skip now.

You will dedicate considerable time and effort to learning to use a tool that is obsolete for the task. It's your time, of course, but in my opinion it's in the same league as learning to make flint arrowheads.

In a shtf situation you will have much more pressing things to do than spend all day trying to kill a rabbit with a catapault, and make no mistake, when everybody ( and their dog ) is after a rabbit stew those rabbits aren't going to let you get close. If you do manage to get in range, maybe after 15 damp minutes crawling through the grass, you'll be gutted to see your stone fly over the rabbits head because you're firing from an awkward position. Shooting from prone is out, and shooting around cover difficult.

You will have read that the catty was a favourite poachers tool, and it's true that if you want to steal a few stocked pheasants from the local shoot it will do the trick. Pheasants are extremely stupid, used to being fed by humans, and often so preoccupied with courting displays that you can catch them in your hands. 99% of the pheasants you see now might be dead shortly after humans stop rearing them, I think this because I tried to raise them in my own woodland and they seemed to have an uncanny knack of finding a hungry fox. I would often find a pile of feathers on the path, with an appreciative and sizeable fox turd beside them. No matter how many foxes I shot, more would come in for the easy meal.

Give a poacher the choice and he'll choose a crossbow, air rifle or silenced shotgun. I think you would be advised to do the same.

Excellent points.
But your argument was pro-air rifle because of it's legality and humanity in killing.

I'd wager post SHTF, you won't be able to get close enough to a rabbit with an air weapon to kill it either.
Thanks for your input.

[Rocks]

(28 February 2016, 22:50)Steve Wrote:

(28 February 2016, 19:25)T-oddity Wrote: I'm the opposite to Steve in that I put a lot of value in learning as many different skills as possible particularly old tech including knowing how to knapp a flint arrow head and make a bow from

I'm not against old tech, last weekend I built a forge and my sons and I made knives from old ring spanners, beaten into shape on my recently acquired anvil. Make do and adapt is my motto, but why spend ages trying to find a suitable piece of flint when there is wire fencing and metal scattered all over the UK ?

I'm not going back to the stone age whatever happens.

You built an actual forge? any pics? how did you do it? Having a workshop is my dream

[Rocks]

(28 February 2016, 19:25)T-oddity Wrote: Rocks what is your priority? is it to hunt small game to put food on the table or is it to develope the skill of using a catapult to hunt with incase of a shtf situation, if its is the prior, invest your time and money getting yourself a decent air rifle and scope, if it is the latter then invest your time in learning to make a catapult and practice on targets in your back yard every spare minute you can, because that is the only way you will get accurate enough with one to go hunt with.

I'm the opposite to Steve in that I put a lot of value in learning as many different skills as possible particularly old tech including knowing how to knapp a flint arrow head and make a bow from scratch, but when I go to hunt to put meat on the table I will always choose my rifle with all the bells and whistles on it because that makes fulfilling the task that much easier the other skills are only there as back up.

To develop skill and a tool to use to hunt with. I'm already proficient with an air rifle.
Thanks.

[Skean Dhude]

Rocks is in the Socialist Republic of Scotland which is now licensing air weapons.

The side effect of this is that people won't have them and use things like catapults. May be less humane but the lords and masters have decreed and they simply don't care.

The old technology is the best for us so just find one you like and practice. There are several on the market.

[Tartar Horde]

(28 February 2016, 14:20)Rocks Wrote: [quote='Steve' pid='96053' dateline='1456663040']
[quote='Rocks' pid='96052' dateline='1456660586']progress to hunting small game once I get my aim in. Any recommendations?

Try one of the "bloodshot" cattys on that website I gave you in an earlier thread mate, they are pretty damn good and plenty powerfull for small game.

[bigpaul]

I prefer the wooden catapults to the new black plastic with the wrist braces, I don't personally like Therabands, I prefer the double bands.
but whatever anyone uses like anything else its down to practice, practice,practice.