The frame matters far less than people think. Energy comes from bands and ammo; a clean harvest comes from accuracy you've proven before you walk out the door. Here's the whole setup.
Updated October 2026 · Prices and lineup checked against simple-shot.com
Any well-made slingshot hunts. What makes it a hunting slingshot is the bands and the ammo, not the frame. Set up a Scout LT2, Scout X, or Scout XT with Heavy Duty 7/16" flat bands and 7/16" steel, plan for at least 10 to 12 foot-pounds of energy at the target, and don't hunt until you can hit a ping-pong ball eight times out of ten at your intended distance. Slingshots take small game by blunt-force trauma, which means head shots and honest accuracy. Check your local regulations first; that part is on you.
The energy you need
A slingshot can absolutely take small game: squirrel, rabbit, pheasant, pigeon. It does it with blunt-force trauma, not penetration, so the setup has to deliver real energy to a vital zone. Most people underestimate both the energy and the accuracy it takes.
Plan for 10 to 12 ft-lbs delivered to the target. Some sources quote 7 ft-lbs as the minimum; treat that as the floor, not the goal. In practical terms, that's a projectile of 125 grains or more moving at 200+ feet per second. A chronograph isn't optional if you're serious. Heavy ammo moving slowly won't do the job, and neither will fast light ammo.
Where does the energy come from? Mass and velocity, which means ammo and bands. The frame's only job is to hold the bands and fit your hand. This is the single most misunderstood thing about hunting slingshots: people shop for a "hunting frame" when they should be shopping for a hunting bandset and the ammo it's matched to.
Why heavier ammo for hunting
For target shooting, ammo size barely matters; competition is trending toward 9.5 mm and under. For hunting, the math flips. A heavier ball carries more mass, has a better ballistic coefficient, and delivers more energy on impact. The trade-off is trajectory: heavier ammo arcs more at a given band, so you either run more powerful bands or get closer. Both are fine. Closer is usually better anyway.
Steel, not lead
Lead has real ballistic advantages: at the same weight it's smaller, so it concentrates energy, and it deforms instead of ricocheting. SimpleShot doesn't sell lead and doesn't recommend it, for environmental and safety reasons, and neither do we. Build your hunting energy with heavy steel and powerful bands instead. 7/16" steel behind Heavy Duty bands reaches hunting energy reliably.
Slingshot hunting: the bands, ammo, and skill you need to do it right (SimpleShot, YouTube)
The accuracy standard
Here's the test, and it's the one that decides whether you should be hunting at all this season.
A ping-pong ball is roughly the size of the vital zone on most small game. If you can't hit one eight times out of ten at your intended distance, that is not your hunting distance yet. Shorten it until you can. Then stalk closer than that in the field. The constraint makes you a better hunter: closer approaches, more patience, cleaner shots, no wounded animals.
Practice the way you'll hunt. Hang a ping-pong ball on a string, shoot it from unknown distances in the woods, and shoot it with the exact bands and ammo you'll carry. Consistency in equipment is what top shooters have in common: one frame, one band tune, one ammo size, so the trajectory your eye has learned is the trajectory you get.
The hunting setup
This is the combination that works, in the order it matters.
Tubes are tough and quiet, loop on in seconds, and the 1842 handles 3/8" through 1/2" steel. Sized by draw length.
Draw length
Measured, then bands trimmed to about 5x elongation
Untrimmed bands at a lazy draw lose velocity. Measure once, cut to fit, and the chronograph will show it.
Want more? The Nitro 1/2" bands sit at the true top of the ladder, built for 1/2" steel. The draw is serious and it's more power than most hunters need. Match the band to the ammo you'll actually shoot; a bigger band with lighter ammo wastes the extra energy and wrecks your release.
Frame picks for hunting
Three frames, and the honest reason for each. All of them shoot OTT or TTF and take Heavy Duty bands on clips. Any one of them with the setup above is a hunting slingshot.
#1Best overall hunting frame
SimpleShot Scout LT2
$44.99★ 4.9 (915 reviews at simple-shot.com)
Integrated Clips (3mm hex)
Fiber-optic sights
OTT or TTF
Pinch or fork-supported grip
5 colors
Our verdict. The frame most hunters we know carry, because it fits and because it rides in a pocket all day. Clips make it easy to keep a heavy set on for the hunt and swap to a light set for practice.
Fits almost every hand, pinch or fork-supported.
Pocket-sized, so it's with you when the shot shows up.
Fiber-optic sight for a consistent reference in low light.
This has become my favorite slingshot. Fits my hand comfortably and is still small enough to pocket and forget it's there. The clips make band attachment quick and easy… Not flashy, just a sturdy well built tool that will do its job if you do yours.
Our verdict. If you shoot heavy bands with a hammer grip, or you wear large gloves, the Scout X gives you more frame to hold onto under a hard draw.
Hammer, pinch, or fork-supported.
Optional handle weight adds steadying mass down low.
This is my first serious premium built slingshot! I love everything about the Scout X slingshot: the way it fits my medium sized hands, the material, the ergonomic design, the band clips, and mostly, this slingshot shoots scary accurate!
Our verdict. Full-size, rubber grip, and FlipClip X screws you can open with a coin in the field. A proven hunting frame since 2012.
Textured over-molded grip holds when hands are cold or wet.
Coin-driven clips, no tool to lose.
Fairly new to slingshoting but have tried a few other slingshots that were smaller than the Scout and found it fits my hand size better and made me much more accurate. I am a male with medium sized hands.
Prefer looped tubes? The Torque ships with 1842 tubes in drop-in slots, and the Axiom Ocularis takes flats, tubes, or looped tubes at any angle.
You'll notice no wrist-braced frame on this list. A wrist brace lets you pull ultra-heavy bands, and some people like it. It is not necessary to hunt, and wrist braces are illegal in some jurisdictions. Heavy Duty bands on a Scout deliver hunting energy without one.
Laws and ethics
Slingshot hunting isn't legal everywhere, and where it is legal the seasons, species, and methods vary. It's up to you to know your hunting regulations wherever you are. Confirm with your state's Department of Natural Resources or game agency before you go. That's the answer on everything: if you want to hunt, it's on you to make sure you're doing it right and legally.
Ethically, the standard is simple. Deliver enough energy, hit the vital zone, and don't take shots you can't make. The ping-pong-ball test above exists so the animal never pays for your optimism. Head shots on small game, inside your proven distance, with the setup you've practiced.
And a safety note that applies to hunting more than target shooting: steel ricochets. Shooting up into treetops means a miss can come back in a direction you didn't plan for. Know what's behind and around your target.
The hunting bandset: Heavy Duty 7/16" flat bands, cut from SimpleShot Black Premium Latex. Pair with 7/16" steel.
Any well-made frame set up with powerful bands and matched heavy ammo. The frame doesn't make a slingshot a hunter; the bands and ammo do. Our picks are the Scout LT2, Scout X, and Scout XT, each with Heavy Duty 7/16" bands and 7/16" steel. Pick the frame by hand size and grip.
What size ammo for hunting with a slingshot?
7/16" steel and up. 3/8" is a target and plinking round. 7/16" behind Heavy Duty bands carries enough energy to take small game cleanly, and it's the largest ammo most hunters will ever need. 1/2" steel on Nitro bands is the top of the ladder, with a draw most people find more than they want.
How much power does a slingshot need to hunt?
Plan for 10 to 12 foot-pounds of energy at the target. Roughly, that's 125 grains or more moving at 200+ fps. 7 ft-lbs is sometimes quoted as a minimum; treat it as a floor. Measure with a chronograph rather than guessing.
Can you hunt with a slingshot?
Yes, small game like squirrel, rabbit, and pheasant, where it's legal. Slingshots kill by blunt-force trauma, so shots have to land in the head or vital zone with enough energy. Check your state or country's regulations; legality varies widely.
Do I need a wrist brace to hunt?
No. A wrist brace lets you pull ultra-heavy bands, but hunting energy is reachable without one using Heavy Duty bands and 7/16" steel on a standard frame. Wrist-braced slingshots are also restricted or banned in some places, so know your local rules before buying one.
Is lead ammo better for hunting?
Lead has ballistic advantages: denser, so smaller at the same weight, and it deforms instead of ricocheting. But lead is toxic and restricted in many places, and SimpleShot doesn't sell or recommend it. Heavy steel behind powerful bands reaches hunting energy reliably, and that's what we use.
How close do I need to be?
As close as it takes to hit a ping-pong ball eight times out of ten with your hunting setup. For most shooters that's well inside 10 meters. Closer stalks are the skill; the slingshot just rewards it.
