Big Shot

[Tree Machine]

this part goes quick

...gave it a little squeeze..... Then I wiped the taper tips, and all the way back as far as I would be pushing the rubber tubing.

Then you push the rubber onto the metal. It is as easy as you could hope it to be.

Push the second one on. Then inspect. Make sure the pouch doesn't appear to be 'twisting. Also, it should look 'level'.

This is the last adjustment you get, because within an hour your BigShot is 'set' and ready to go back to work.

 

[Tree Machine]

and the parting shot....

Did I do good, rbtree?

Now the question comes, do I fabricate my Nephew a BigShot out of the old tubing/pouch, or do I get him a new one. Probably easier to get him a new one.

By the way, Lumberjack, what were you saying about a ten year old, and proposing that he would be... the word you use,... maturity??? 'Maturity' and 'ten year-old' don't belong in the same sentence together. Think about it.

That is all for now. -TM-

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

I concur. Give him a gun. I gave my son a gun at that age and he loved it. You do need to supervise him though, as you would with the Big Shot, it's just that he will get bored with the slingshot, imo.

 

[Lumberjack]

Kinda what I was gettin at. He will get board shootin the bag into the tree, and then he will start shooting other things and not at the tree.

Now if he lived out in the country, it wouldn't be a problem b/c there aint nothin to mess up' but in the city no way.


Carl

 

[Tree Machine]

Ok, OK

My wife, and probably everyone involved, thanks you. Kinda what I was thinking, and I feel, ..... The spear I gave him last year didn't go over very well, come to think of it. -TM-

 

[murphy4trees]

Bob U
Looks like she is shooting with the rubber on the same side of the pole as her face.... Not Kosher.... It often seems that educators/authors on arboriculture are far removed from the day to day field oprerations...

Another exaple:
The ISA certification for tree climber specialist requires a throw of 20-25' made within 5 tries as per the article in Arborist News, Dec. '03 pgs. 20-23. I can throw 25' but not much more, though I generally hit a 70' crotch on first or second shots with the BS.
I notice they require a tautline or Blake and hip thrusting as well..... I wonder if some of the top competition climbers would have to brush up on these old school techniques to pass certification....
It'll be interesting to see if they allow the french prussic and butterfly saddle.....

 

[Erwin]

best way to remove the rubber w/o damaging it at all

Here is how I do my BS. The old rubber has been on for over a year and been ysed a lot for placing ropes in trees, shooting tennis balls, golf balls. I just mak a big bucket full of soapy water with the entire arms of the BS submerged for an hour. Rinse the soap off and dry it with paper towel. Ruber or silicone tubing is not 100% water proof. water can get into the interface of the rubber and steel. After you dry off the exterior of the BS there is still some soap left inside to let you roll it or squeeze it off fairly easily. Hope this helps. Erwin

 

[underwor]

Daniel,

Thanks for the heads up on keeping the sling on the bottom side. I never thought about that approach. Just got a box with the Big Shot in it when I ordered and had no idea how it was supposed to be used. Figured it was like the old wrist rocket from the 60's and used it accordingly. Educators learn the same way anyone else does. That is why I keep reading this and other sites. Guess I never saw anyone shoot it from the bottom side, or just wasn't paying attention. It would make it easier to keep the line straight than being sure each time that it is over the center of the Y.

Thanks again. Keep me honest

Bob U.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I had a giant pecan to work on today, and I mean GIANT!! The perfect fork for access was about 60, 70 ft. I just whipped out the 'ole BS, set the line on the first shot! Nothing but a matter of running a pulley up with my climbline attached, and skeedaddling up!

Sorry, I know a lot of you guys are already used to yur BS.

But mine is sthil new to me, I LUVS IT!!!



Whoever don't have a BS, GET ONE!!!

 

[MasterBlaster]

I can't believe how accurate you can be with it, even as a beginner. My tendency is to overshoot, but I'm getting better.

I guarantee you I'm the only one within 100 mile radius with one of these. The few I talk to about it say they want one, but they don't slap the bucks down to get one.

Their loss!

 

[murphy4trees]

The Big Shot has the ability to pay for itself on the first and every other big job it is used on.... What other tool can you say that about????

 

[MasterBlaster]

Err, I don't 'bout the FIRST shot.

My first shot cost me my new 12 oz bullet bag - a tad too much pull.

 

[rbtree]

Ha,

When I got mine, 5 yrs ago? I went out to the park by my house, where there are some 170 foot old growth firs. I shot a pouch all the way over the top of a dead 120 foot cedar, sans string.....I ran to the side, but lost track as it came down....and never found it.....

 

[murphy4trees]

My first job with the BS made a believer out of me. It was a 3k tulip takedown.... Other guys had put 5 and 6k on this tree...
The tulip was a hollow monster, 5' from the backdoor, and no access with equipment...
I set up a climbing line and two lowering lines from the roof, one in an adjacent ash tree... Only had to lower out a few big limbs before threading the needle through other trees and the fence...
Then used the BS to set another climbing line in an adjacent locust to remove two lower limbs which may have caught and twisted the tulip.. It was a little hairy but it worked beautifully..... wish I had the digital camera back then...
I actually ended up using a 20T crane to get the downed wood out of the backyard...

 

[rumination]

just tried my brand new big shot for the first time yesterday, and all I can say is SWEEET!!!

I was shooting for crotches in a 90ft banyan. started out with a 16oz shotbag and was barely making the 60ft crotches. then I put on the 10oz bag and fired it...going...going...gone! like Butch said, I think overshooting will be my main problem in the near future. accuracy is great right off, though.

now all I need to get are some sturdy paint balls and see if I can't give some of the obnoxious cockatoos that live back here rainbow colors.:angel:

 

[Hemlock]

You guys ain't seen nuthin' until you've used my "gyppo shooter". I read all the bragging about the big shot and went down to the riggin' store and got sticker shock. I went to the hardware store and bought a bunch of heavy surgical tubing, some big boy lead sinkers (8-14oz.) and some braided string as close as I could get to Zing-it. Then I went to my own riggin shack, out back of the house, and went to work cutting out the tines and bending my old lady's favorite yard rake. It's already got tapered ends, just so's you know. I doubled up the tubing on each side and used a hunk of leather for a pouch. Then I coiled up (flaked) 150' of gyp-zing-it into a bucket, used my vise to push roofing nails through some webbing to hold onto the sinker, duct taped it up proud, and used a bowline to tie it on with so I could make the quick switch. The old lady's rake was too short to make the the cut and I'll be darned if I'm going to get down on my knees to prove a point (see manly man thread), so I stuck a bolt through a piece of 2" pipe and used it for an extension.

Today me and my son took down a bunch of trees without having to climb any of them. I'm gonna have to tie the loose end of the Gyp-line to the bucket to act as a drag chute since 150' of line wants to go plumb over the top with that 12oz. sinker. I might have to break down and get me one of them softie bags before somebody gets knocked out, but I'll have to save up for awhile since I already spent the best part of a twenty dollar bill (not counting the old lady's favorite rake).

I shore am proud of my new giant slingshot and by the looks some people are givin' me I must be the envy of the neighborhood. And I only have you guys to thank for setting me up and for all the helpfull hints you've taught me on the computer. I wish you could see a picture of it but it'll be awhile before I can afford a digital camera since I'm savin' up for that softy bag. Thanks again guys and I'll try to do you all proud!


P.S. Just teasin'