At first I met a slingshot craftsman who was also a regional competitor. I inquired about the possibility of just pinching together a rubberband/leather pouch set between my thumb and forefinger. He said that it could be done but you would need to rotate your hand downward at launch as you released your projectile. I bought the set from him and then decided on what ammunition to use.

 
 
 
 
Steel bearings (or shot) was expensive as were clay pellets, so I went to Walmart and found “Cherry Sours” candy that was cheap, biodegradable, environmentally safe, and coincidentally just the right size.
 
 
 

 
 
 
I was careful at first, trying to apply the rotation technique and actually hit a 3 inch can lid on my DIY Simple Spinner Targets from 7 meters away, but shortly afterwards I got careless and smacked my thumb multiple times really hard, with the result of creating a blood blister under my thumbnail. If you choose to try this method I would recommend wearing a leather glove on your hand at first.

 
 
 
Deterred by the difficulty and pain, I considered trying an alternative safer method of tying the ends of the rubber bands into loops that I could slip over my thumb and forefinger to use as a frame. Voila! It was smooth shooting and I hit my target a number of times… it’s quite intuitive for aiming. However, unless you have very strong fingers your draw back will be somewhat limited, but, it would have knock down potential for small game.

For purists… using your fingers to hold the bands would in essence be a frame, but you wouldn’t need a mechanical frame that would have to be constructed, and be potentially awkward to carry. Eliminating a frame would make for ultra light weight and convenient when backpacking or for easy storage.

Awhile back I decided to make a spinner target so that it would signal a hit without having to replace a toppled can or a perforated paper target. I could open my backdoor to shoot from either inside the threshold or step out onto my porch while observing safety precautions from either position to confirm a clear down range. Although commercial spinner targets are very robust and durable when used with conventional gun ammunition, they are not needed for most BBs, small rocks, or acorns.

The materials needed to make a DIY simple spinner target are made with household items such as a metal coat hanger, tin can lids, and one and a quarter inch binder clips. The only tool needed would be a pair of pliers for bending the coat hanger.

I wanted to use different sized can lids for targets that ranged from three and a quarter inches to two inches in diameter and hung them in descending order by size. You can vary the lid size, quantity, and distance to your own liking. I bent the wire to include small “bumps” to act as barriers between each can lid with a slight sag between them that enables the cans to recenter after being hit. Then I opened a binder clip over the wire and clamped it onto the top edge of the can lid.

I found that sometimes a can lid may be sprung out when hit but that is the advantage of having multiple lids hanging on the coat hanger wire so you can continue practicing. Because the stones or acorns used with a slingshot have more mass, the can lids are more prone to be sprung loose.

I have had a lot of fun using the DIY simple spinner target and it has enabled me to sharpen my shooting skills. I recommend making one for your own benefit and enjoyment that will help you be better prepared.

My interest in throwing knives have come and gone over the years but recently I gained an interest in the no-spin technique. My reasoning to pursue this technique is that the point of the knife will always be pointing at the target during it’s path so even if you don’t throw it exactly right your changes of the point striking a target are greatly improved. I began to watch videos on social media and tried to take mental notes on technique then I would try to apply them in practice.

The method of no-spin throwing is not natural for me and is quite different than the spin-throw method. You begin by placing your forefinger on the spine of the knife blade and “pinch” lightly the handle with your thumb and side of your middle finger. The butt of the handle for me rests in the middle of the palm of my hand.

To begin the throw you raise the knife above head height and slightly to the rear then cast forward while at the same time keeping the knife upright as you throw forward. The knife sort of slips from your hand as you throw it forward and make sure that your forefinger slides down the top of the handle as you release it. The duration of that contact with your forefinger inhibits the rotation of the knife and can be adjusted for the target’s distance.

It’s best to begin throwing at a target at a close distance and as you get comfortable begin to back away slowly, adjusting to that new distance before backing away further.

I initially used a wood pallet as my target but it had slits between the boards and so occasionally the knife would pass through them. In addition, the grain of the wood would be resistant to being stuck with the knife so if not perfectly thrown the knife would just bounce off.

After watching a number of videos I observed that many of the throwers had made a throwing target board composed of 4×4 wood blocks mounted like a checker board with the end grain sides mounted facing outward that better receives the knife points so I decided to make one for myself.

I did some math and decided to cut up 2 eight foot 4×4 timbers into 4″ long pieces which I arranged into a 7×7 block pattern minus the four corners. The timbers were treated lumber so I’m letting them dry a little before adhering them together on a plywood board that can be mounted on a tree, fence, or stand. The photo illustrates what the finished target will look like.

Now, after many throws, I am starting to get the feel of this technique and having more successful throws. It’s a little addictive like throwing horse shoes or darts and combines a special skill with pleasure and satisfaction.