Making a Slingshot Target Holder/Ammo Catcher From a Wine Bottle Case

When you are honing your slingshot shooting skills (for fun, competition, or hunting), you need a means of capturing your shot ammo, so you can re-use it, help prevent ricochets, and to muffle any sounds made. The simplest, least expensive, and easiest method is to reuse an empty wine bottle case.

Materials needed:
1. one 12 bottle (750 ml size) cardboard case (wine bottles removed)

2. 84 plastic shopping bags

3. two 1" paper clamps

4. three bubble-wrap plastic mailer envelopes (used) about 12" square

5. Duct tape

6. Sharp knife or box cutter

7. one dozen, Card stock paper with slingshot target face printed

8. one thick, black permanent marker

9. one 12" ruler

10. one sharpened pencil

11. one roll of masking tape

Process:
1. Carefully remove the cardboard bottle dividers, so that the three dividers face you. Fold them back, and hold in place with three 3 inch lengths of duct tape (one on each folded divider).

2. On one wide side of the cardboard case, locate dead center

a. Using the ruler and pencil, trace a 7-1/2 in. square.

b. Using the knife or box cutter, remove the square. Mark the outer edge, about 1/4 in. wide, of the square hole with the black permanent marker, so it can be seen easily from a distance.

3. Return the cardboard wine bottle dividers, facing the folded edge toward the front opening. a. Place the non-taped edge against the back of the case. Secure the front of the cardboard to the sides of the case with 2 - 3 inch lengths of duct tape, so it will not shift forward. This leaves about a three inch space buffer facing the front hole.

4. Stuff each of the 8 remaining bottle dividers with 12 plastic shopping bags, making sure not to over-compress them. This will serve as a sound deadening device, and also to keep more powerfully shot ammo from penetrating the ammo catcher.

5. Duct tape three of the bubble wrap plastic mailers together, and cut them to fit the depth (11-1/2 in.) of the wine bottle case. Using two 2 - 3 in. lengths of duct tape, secure the mailers to the front top of the now plastic-stuffed wine bottle dividers. This serves as the primary deflector of the ammo.

6. Print off a target face onto card stock (standard printer paper will rip, card stock will if shot hard enough, leave a clean edged hole. Ammo shot hitting the card stock target face will drop into the front bottom of the ammo catcher, ready for re-use. a. place the card stock target face, image forward, so it is centered in the front hole, secure it from the inside with two 2 - 3 inch strips of masking tape, so it can be readily replaced as needed. (Sample target faces available on the next step.)

7. Using the knife or box cutter, remove a one inch width of the side cardboard top folds, allowing easy access for replacing the target face. Fold down the side folds of the case top, Fold down the back fold (long edge) of the top, and secure it with a long (21 in.) strip of duct tape (covering about 4 in. on each side, and across the top) to permanently secure it in place.

8. Using one 1" paper clamp, hold the front fold of the case top down.

Here are four target face styles that you can print off and use for your slingshot practice, other styles are available on the web.

Place the ammo catcher in a safe location, backed by a deflective material, to keep ricochets and missed shots from causing damage or injury, and start target shooting!

Always remember to keep the shooting lanes clear, and wear eye protection. Slingshots are weapons, and not toys. Always have adult supervision of minors. Use this at your own risk, no responsibility is assumed by the author for misuse of this.