The draw of the catapult
Sporting Gun|March 2021
Tom Sykes has rekindled a childhood passion and been out hunting with his ‘new’ favourite weapon. Here he explains how satisfying the sport can be
Tom Sykes
The draw of the catapult

During the original lockdown, I developed what my partner Charlie would describe as an obsession for the sport of catapulting. The lack of shooting available at the time left me longing to be out in the field but we had no option but to hunker down and find new ways to pass the time. This gave me the perfect opportunity to take up an old hobby in the garden, but I would never have believed it would become such a fantastic way to bag meat for the larder.

As regular readers may remember, last year I wrote about how I had ditched the common catapult of my youth for a Goblet EVO from Catty Shack. The Goblet revealed just how deadly accurate you can be with such a primitive tool. Months of daily practice firing thousands of ball bearings and wearing out countless bands followed, and before long I was hitting the mark consistently.

All this practice built up the muscle memory and accuracy required to consider taking live quarry. I cannot stress enough that this is a tool that should be taken seriously and, as with any weapon, we have a duty to our quarry to ensure we can deal a fatal blow efficiently before considering attempting to take a life.

Tools for the job

Esta historia es de la edición March 2021 de Sporting Gun.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición March 2021 de Sporting Gun.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE SPORTING GUNVer todo
Thermal spectrum
Sporting Gun

Thermal spectrum

Paul Austin explores both ends of the thermal market with latest high-end release from Zeiss alongside a surprising entry-level offering from Xinfrared

time-read
6 minutos  |
August 2023
Roe, rucks and new ground
Sporting Gun

Roe, rucks and new ground

Jon Snowdon and his team have much to keep them busy and a new tool to help them

time-read
4 minutos  |
August 2023
Tales from a lifetime of foxing
Sporting Gun

Tales from a lifetime of foxing

Join Mike Powell as he explores the evolving world of fox shooting, drawing from a career that spans seven decades

time-read
3 minutos  |
August 2023
Fox rot about Charlie
Sporting Gun

Fox rot about Charlie

Patrick Hook responds to claims that fox numbers are dangerously on the wane

time-read
3 minutos  |
August 2023
The sniff of success
Sporting Gun

The sniff of success

Join Ryan Kay as he navigates the fascinating dynamic between a handler and their canine companion

time-read
3 minutos  |
August 2023
Adventures of Nick & Ted
Sporting Gun

Adventures of Nick & Ted

A new chapter in the histories of Sporting Gun and Sporting Shooter has Nick Ridley reflecting on the dogs he has trained over the years he has been associated with the magazines

time-read
3 minutos  |
August 2023
The problem: Inflammation in the nervous system
Sporting Gun

The problem: Inflammation in the nervous system

Vet's advice

time-read
3 minutos  |
August 2023
Gundogs Q&A
Sporting Gun

Gundogs Q&A

No problem goes unsolved as Sporting Gun puts your questions to the gundog experts

time-read
4 minutos  |
August 2023
Stop-start!
Sporting Gun

Stop-start!

Fran Ardley continues her training tips on disciplining your dog to the stop whistle and the exercises you need to do

time-read
3 minutos  |
August 2023
Gundogs at the Game Fair
Sporting Gun

Gundogs at the Game Fair

Organising the Game Fair's prestigious gundog competitions: behind-the-scenes with Francesca Prentice

time-read
2 minutos  |
August 2023