You don’t need to be a serious hunter to enjoy using a slingshot. While they can be used to hunt a rabbit or squirrel, you can also use them on cans or bottles to work on your shooting skills. The SimpleShot Axiom is a neat OTT-frame slingshot that can shoot clay and steel rounds. It comes with multiple bands, so it is quite versatile. The good folks at SimpleShot were kind enough to send us one to test. Let’s see what was included:
We received the complete package from these folks. They sent us the frame, 2 clay ammo bands, and a steel band designed for 9.5 mm steel balls. We were also able to use tiny stones to shoot at different targets, but you will get the best results with the ammo included. The clay shots are more suitable for practice as they disintegrate upon hitting a hard target. Nevertheless, you should never aim at a pet or anything that you don’t intend to damage.
The Axiom Slingshot has a very solid, well-made frame. It comes with a hex Allen key attached to its lanyard that you can use to loosen and tighten the top screws to attach your bands. The bands that we got are about the right size for our skill level, but you can always cut them with a pair of scissors to shoot even faster. The lanyard sits around your wrist and gives you an even more secure grip. You will want to test the bands properly after attaching them to make sure they are securely attached.
Before getting started with slingshots, you will want to make sure you have the right grip. You will also have to know your dominant eye. It took us just a couple of tries to hit the spinning targets that were sent to us in this package. The included safety glasses are comfortable to wear and give you ample protection. While the main kit has 20 steel and clay rounds, we were sent 500 extra to practice. The clay rounds are biodegradable, so even if you lose them, they won’t leave a trace.
The Axiom is available in 4 colors, including black, green, slate, and orange. We tested the black version. It took us about 10 minutes to go from unboxing to shooting. There are YouTube videos on SimpleShot’s channel that you can watch if you are just getting started with slingshots. The key is to get your grip right and practice regularly. We used two simple metal posts to install the spinner targets. These are available in 40 to 80 mm sizes. They are neither wood nor metal but they didn’t get damaged in our tests.
We tested the clay ammo against a solid box, and it put a hole in the box. While it is generally safer, you still want to be careful what you aim at. We hit our shed accidentally and the clay balls completely disintegrated. The steel ammo is more potent, so you will only want to test it in a safe environment. The frame has fiber-optic sights that you can use to aim better. It takes a bit of practice, but once you get it right a couple of times, you will improve fast.
We found the Axiom Slingshot to be very well made. We tested it extensively for a few days and had no issues with the bands or frame. We were sent plenty of ammo to test. Even though we don’t hunt, learning how to shoot a slingshot is a lot of fun. The design feels quite safe. In fact, we couldn’t get the bands to come out once they were tightened properly. Best of all, everything can fit into a compact bag, so you can take it with you anywhere. Overall, the Axiom slingshot is a great starting point before you graduate to Scout X PRO and other more versatile models.
