The Pocket Shot Slingshot is an innovative, modern take on the classic slingshot design. With the addition of the Pocket Hammer handle and Arrow Cap, this reimagining of the classic Y-shaped slingshot, a circular design which replaces strong rubber bands with an elastic pouch, is incredibly effective and so much fun to use.

The original Pocket Shot and Pocket Shot Arrow Cap was previously reviewed by fellow Gadgeteer contributor Larry Geisz. You can read those expertly conducted reviews here and here. I’ll be focusing on the Pocket Hammer Full Kit, which includes the Pocket Hammer handle and wrist brace.

The Pocket Hammer Full Kit comes with a standard Pocket Shot circular slingshot, a black Standard pouch, a blue Pro pouch, a Red Arrow pouch, the Arrow Cap, 100 5/16″ steel balls, four arrow nock caps, and the Pocket Hammer handle with wrist brace.

The Pocket Shot is super simple to assemble. The included circular rings and caps screw together, nesting whichever pouch you choose in between for a strong and secure fit.

According to the manufacturer, the material used to make the Pocket Shot is a durable, high impact polycarbonate composite.

Once assembled and held properly, wrapping your index finger and thumb around the circular notch of the Pocket Shot and pulling back the end of the pouch with your dominant hand, the unit feels natural and easy to handle.

The Pocket Shot can shoot a number of different types of ammo, including paintballs, marbles, smooth stones, and some airsoft pellets. The Pocket Hammer Kit comes with ammo in the form of 100 5/16″ steel ball bearings.

Most conveniently, you can use the Pocket Shot pouch to store your ammo as well as other pouches.

In use, the Pocket Shot measures about five inches long, but when closed it packs up into a very portable 2.3 by 1.3 inches.

The three different latex colored pouches, Standard (black), Pro (blue) and Arrow (red), provide different FPS rates when shooting and in the case of the Arrow pouch, when coupled with the Arrow Cap, allows you to shoot full sized arrows and crossbow bolts.

For more power and stability when shooting, the kit comes with the Pocket Hammer handle and wrist brace. The Hammer was designed by SimpleShot to provide a more traditional slingshot feel to the Pocket Shot while providing extra leverage and power.

The Hammer has a honeycomb, textured grip that was easy to maintain control of even with sweaty hands or in wet conditions.

The bottom of the Pocket Hammer has a standard rail mount attachment for adding accessories like flashlights or lasers for easier target acquisition.

The upper part of the Pocket Hammer has a metal tension clip that is secured by two screws at the base of the handle. By moving this tension clip outwards, you can break down the Hammer for storage or cleaning.

When fully extended and adjusted properly, the Hammer’s wrist brace stabilizes the slingshot and helps you get a deeper pull which translates into higher FPS when shooting.

The wrist brace itself is removable and the Hammer can be used with or without it.

You can attach any pouch to the Hammer just as easily as you would swap them out in the standard Pocket Shot configuration.

After attaching the red Arrow pouch to the Hammer, you’ll need to attach the Arrow Cap to be able to safely shoot arrows from the Pocket Shot.

The Arrow Cap consists off a standard looking archery whisker biscuit modified to fit on the Pocket Shot and Hammer. A whisker biscuit is an arrow holder with synthetic bristles that encircles and holds the arrow shaft in place and allows the feathers or vanes to pass through easily.

Once the Arrow Cap is securely attached to the Pocket Hammer you’re fully equipped to use the Pocket Shot to shoot full-sized arrows and crossbow bolts.

Now for the fun part! For the field test of the Pocket Hammer I needed an expert. Someone who’s logged hundreds of hours shooting and testing all types of equipment and weaponry. A fearless, rugged individual whose opinion I could trust.

So, naturally, I recruited my number one outdoorsman, my ten-year-old nephew, Enzo.

Enzo lives in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest with his mom and dad, his sister Carmela and his trusty canine sidekick, Ernie. Despite his young age, Enzo is an accomplished archer and marksman as well as a budding bladesmith. He’s tried out everything from Nerf guns to Daisy air rifles to high-powered drones and remote controlled cars.

We take safety very seriously, so all testing was done under the close supervision of Enzo’s dad and safety glasses were worn by all involved.

Our first priority was to try out the Standard Pocket Shot using the Pocket Hammer. We used the included steel ball bearings as ammo.

Enzo was pleasantly surprised with how easy the Pocket Shot and Hammer were to assemble and shoot. The wrist brace was a little uncomfortable for him at first, but he quickly became accustomed to it, hitting target after target with ease.

“I really liked that I could change the pouches myself and it was really fun and easy to aim and SO accurate!” Enzo said enthusiastically.

After voicing his approval of the Standard Pocket Shot and Hammer, Enzo excitedly moved on to the second round of testing, the Pocket Hammer with the Arrow Cap and pouch.

We set up our archery target and got to work. We used standard full sized arrows and the provided arrow nock caps to make the arrows easier to grasp inside the pouch. Pocket Shot does carry their own arrows on their website. The Pocket Shot arrows are specifically designed for use with the Pocket Shot and Hammer.

The verdict on the Arrow set-up was just as positive. It was easy for Enzo to get a full draw on the arrows and to consistently hit his mark. Although he still loves his bow, Enzo raved about how powerful, accurate and portable the Pocket Shot Hammer is.

“I can pack the whole thing up and take it camping with us,” he said with a grin.

Overall, the Pocket Shot Hammer Full Kit is an affordable, well-built and effective tool for target shooting and hunting small game. At just $99 for the entire kit and accessories, it’s a great buy over purchasing everything separately. The Pocket Shot Hammer Kit would make a terrific addition to your hunting, bug-out or camping gear. Enzo and I highly recommend it.

Note: Some types of slingshots and wrist braces are illegal in certain areas. Check the legality of such devices in your area before purchasing,

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Pocket Shot. Please visit their website for more info and find them on Amazon too.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Outdoor Gear

The Pocket Shot Hammer Full Kit Slingshot review originally appeared on on June 19, 2017 at 8:23 am.

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According to DynaTrap, size matters. DynaTrap engineers produce pesticide free mosquitoes killers of various shapes and sizes. The DT2000XL is the biggest, baddest insect trap in their lineup. The DynaTrap DT2000XL Insect Trap attracts and kills mosquitoes and other flying insects across 1 acre. And while here in Washington State, we do not get mosquitoes like they do in Alaska or Australia we do get our fair share of the flying pests. Now that spring is here, I am looking forward to seeing if this bad boy gets the job done… 

Note: Images can be clicked to view a larger size.

As I mentioned above, the DynaTrap DT2000XL is engineered to be a simple, chemical free insect trap capable of policing up to an acre of land from flying pests, specifically mosquitoes. A few years ago, I reviewed the Mosquito Magnet Commander which worked well enough but it was anything but simple. Not only did it require recharging the battery, propane and a chemical attractant, but integration into your wireless network as well. Other than needing to clean the trap occasionally, the DT2000XL is meant to be a plug and walk away bug-killing solution.

The DT2000XL insect trap is engineered for “3-way protection”. The way it works is a UV fluorescent bulb generates a warm light that attracts the insects. Then a second attractant, a Ti02 titanium dioxide-coated surface produces CO2 that further gets the mosquitoes’ attention. Finally, a “powerful, yet whisper-quiet vacuum fan” sucks the insects into the trap’s retaining cage where they dehydrate and die.

The UV Bulb is rated for 3,000 hrs of use. The DT2000XL has a durable, all-weather enclosure engineered to protect it from the elements. The power button is weather-hardened, with a rubber covering to protect the insect trap’s electronics. There is also a built-in fuse that protects the device from power surges.

We live on approximately 10 acres of forested land. And while the DT2000XL will not protect our whole place, it will cover where we spend many of our evenings outside. Our house is set above a ravine with a creek running thru it, with a pretty thick tree canopy covering the entire area. Prime breading ground for mosquitoes during our warm, wet spring and summer here in the Great Pacific Northwest. I setup the DT2000XL about 30 feet from where we barbecue and eat outside on the far side of a big cedar tree. Other than the extension cord, you can’t even tell it is there.

For my initial test run, I ran the DT2000XL three days over the Memorial Day weekend. The picture you see above is the result of how effective the trap was at capturing and killing flying insects during this span of time. Once attracted and captured, the bugs simply died from dehydration. When cleaning the cage, you do notice the trap does capture a wide variety of flying bugs from moths, to flies, to its true intended target: mosquitoes. I know this is not a very scientific study, but during the course of my review/operation of the DynaTrap the flying bug population in our backyard does seem to be greatly reduced and (more importantly) we’re seeing far fewer mosquitoes.

My initial impression of the DynaTrap DT2000XL Insect Trap is overall positive. It has been very effective in trapping and killing flying bugs during its first week of use. It’s simple setup and operation requiring only shoreline power make for a truly hassle-free experience. Add in the fact it requires no propane or attractant makes for an ideal way to reduce bugs and bites while enjoying hanging out outside during warm, summer nights .

Source: The sample for this review was provided by DynaTrap. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Outdoor Gear

DynaTrap DT2000XL Insect Trap review originally appeared on on June 8, 2017 at 8:09 am.

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