So, How Far Can a Slingshot Shoot?

The slingshot is an ancient weapon, and one that still sees plenty of use today for hunting, target practice, and even insurgent operations. Shockingly powerful and nearly silent in use, it is easy to see the benefits of this primitive but useful weapon.

Any prepper worth their salt should consider himself wise and add a slingshot to their survival repertoire. Better yet, learn how to craft one from a variety of natural and man-made materials! Slingshots are definitely a niche weapon, and like all niche weapons have their own fair share of myths.

One such myth is the effective range of a slingshot. Depending on who you ask, they might answer that a sling shot is effective anywhere from in-the-room distance to well in excess of a hundred yards.

That is quite the spread! But if we are going to rely on any weapon we must have a thorough and realistic understanding of its capabilities.

How far can a slingshot really shoot? The generally effective maximum range of an average slingshot used for hunting game is accepted to be between 30 and 50 feet depending on the type of slingshot, the type of band, the draw length and the ammunition. Other factors like angle of attack and wind conditions also play a part.

A shooter using an optimized slingshot with specific ammunition is capable of extending this range significantly, where a shooter that is less accurate or using a non-optimized slingshot will suffer from reduced effective range.

In the rest of this article we will examine a few of these factors, how they interact and ultimately how they will determine your slingshots effective range.

The Realities of Slingshot Range

One should never underestimate a slingshot, especially a modern design with a long draw and equipped with a powerful band.

Slingshots of this type firing steel or lead balls as ammunition can easily pierce both sides of an aluminum can out to 10 feet and even beyond, break bones and cause serious injury. They can only do this because they are launching their projectiles at substantial velocities.

Using a typical .36 caliber lead or steel ball, a modern slingshot can propel this projectile at speeds anywhere between 130 feet per second all the way up to 200 feet per second and even faster.

This is velocity capable of causing substantial wounds at close range and is more than adequate enough for hunting small game and varmints, and could potentially even bring down a larger game with a precisely placed shot to the head anywhere from 10 to 50 feet.

This is a far cry from the typical boyhood slingshot of yesteryear that broke so many windows!

Despite this respectable and admirable performance from such a simple weapon, it is definitely removed from the claims we sometimes run into on the internet that feature users of slingshots in a hunting capacity bringing down game out to 25, 50 or even on an astonishing 100 yards.

Those are ranges where actual firearms, pistols, shotguns and rifles, perform. To be completely clear, it is possible for a slingshot to fire a projectile many hundreds of feet, even beyond a hundred yards or so on a ballistic trajectory.

However, the typical spherical projectiles used as shot in a slingshot lose velocity quickly compared to bullets, and the velocity that the slingshot itself can generate is not even in the same solar system compared to a handgun or even a shotgun.

That being said, increasing velocity will make shooting easier, and enable you to take game more effectively at any given range, or extend your maximum range and is a worthwhile endeavor.

Model / Type

The type of slingshot you are using will play a big part in determining its effective range. The draw length is one important consideration, as is the presence or absence of a brace and other components that can aid in accuracy.

Better accuracy equals a longer effective range. Certain modern slingshots are designed with a grip and brace arrangement that places the fork very far forward ahead of the hand, increasing the draw length substantially and garnering more power using the same type of band.

You should not expect tremendous effective range using a primitive slingshot, or one made from scavenged materials. Conversely, you can expect excellent or even best-in-class range from a modern slingshot with all the ergonomic and performance enhancing trimmings.

Band

The material a slingshot band is made from, its type, and its length will all contribute to how much power it can generate shot-to-shot and correspondingly how much range you will get with a given projectile, all things being equal.

Most bands are made from vulcanized rubber, but other material options are available, including some high-tech synthetic elastic fibers.

Consider to that the lifespan of the chosen material will also contribute to the effective range. Repeated stretching and relaxation cycles will degrade any elastic material over time, and one that has lost much of its “snap” will not provide as much power as one that is fresh and new.

A more powerful band that is nearly worn out will probably produce less velocity than a weaker one that is brand-spanking-new.

Ammunition

Not all ammunition is created equal. The typical projectile fired by a slingshot is a ball, often one made from steel, lead, glass or some other material.

External ballistics is a complicated subject, but simply stated assuming that two projectiles of the same type are the exact same size and present the same surface area subject to drag, the lighter projectile will have a higher initial velocity given the same launching force, but will also lose that velocity more quickly due to wind and other sources of drag.

The heavier projectile will have a slower initial velocity given that exact same launching force, meaning its trajectory will drop more noticeably over distance, but it will “buck” the wind better than a lighter projectile.

Also consider the type and shape of the projectile. Balls are not particularly aerodynamic, whereas arrows, bolts and even things like airgun pellets launched from specialty pouches or holders offer significant aerodynamic advantage over spheres, increasing range. But once again, all of these factors must be considered in totality.

Conclusion

A modern slingshot in the hands of a good shooter, and equipped with suitable ammunition can reasonably produce an effective range for small game hunting between 30 and 50 feet, with longer ranges being achievable under ideal conditions, or with increased mechanical performance.

While they will never rival any firearm as is sometimes erroneously reported, slingshots are still accurate and reliable if short ranged ballistic weapons.

9 thoughts on “So, How Far Can a Slingshot Shoot?”

  1. Other than for fishing, you dont want a slingshot. What you really want is a sling, David vs Goliath. In Iraq I had a 8ish year old kid smash a ballistic window with one on a daily basis as we drove by on a partyroute

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    • I’ve got all the makings for one from scratch. Just have to do w/o the DP asking what I’m doing. LOL. Very few stones in my area that are anywhere close to round, but I always keep looking. Now if my shoulder would hurry up and heal.

      BTW, there is a slinging website.

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  2. I can’t say for sure what the range is however, we use to shoot lead nuggies out of wrist rockets and M80s. I had an interesting childhood. ?

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    • Making a cheap slingshot, 8 rubber bands, a piece of leather or even cloth and a Y branch from a tree. The nice thing about a slingshot is ammo can be free and unlimited. I have 2 slingshots in bug out bags with 1/4 inch and 3/8 inch steel ballbearings.

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  3. i am not sure about the slingshot being an ancient weapon, the kinds of elastic needed would seem fairly hard to make before modern rubber. the sling however was a very powerful ancient weapon. in trained hands like a shepherd (who basically sat around all day watching livestock, nothing to do all day but fling stones at stuff so they had like 40 hours a week of practice at least for years and could fling with incredible accuracy) they were devistating, i have heard smaller lead projectiles (the romans issued them to their slingers) they had the penetrating power of a 44 magnum, goliath never stood a chance, it was a totally one sided fight (sure in close combat he was the better fighter but not at ranged).

    the celts used slings that flung softball sized rocks that shattered limbs and skulls. in a battlefield or a seige just having lots of people fling rocks they might hit something (like musket falanx tactics, volume of projectiles over accuracy).

    personally i have used both slings and slingshots, i have always had a very hard time finding good elastic for a slingshot and never really liked them, the sling however i was able to send baseball sized rocks 100 yards and accurate enough to hit a 10 foot area at that range, in closer range i never practiced to be really accurate but the power of impact was devistating and it olnly took a few bits of leather to make the sling.

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    • I have no experience with slingshots. Since I am a senior with arthritic hands, any recommendations for a short girl with stiff hands?

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  4. Thor and nemo, whew, sure is good to know I wasn’t the only one who had fun. I almost always had a slingshot when I was a kid. Shame that most kids today have no idea the cool things there are to do.

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