Hammer Handle Pocket Slingshot is superb. Having used wrist rockets since I was 12 years old (almost 38 now), I wanted to take my time to actually use the pocket hammer before posting a review. After more than 3 weeks, I’m finally ready. Gotta start out with my setup… Pocket hammer in black, with wrist brace, using red arrow pouches for everything from 3/8 inch steel, 7/16 (or 11mm) steel, 1/2 inch glass marble, or for pocket shot made arrows with knocks. For me, the red pouch is hands down the best all around pouch available to date.
It allows me to maintain a similar (if not exact) draw length to my other wrist rockets (marksman folding, black widow, trumark with storage handle) and bow (primal gear unlimited survival bow). Pertaining to slingshot ammo, the red pouch produces more velocity than their black pouch or blue 2.0 pro pouch. In fact, the red pouch produces more velocity than any tubular bands I have used. I practice mostly with 3/8 inch and 7/16 inch steel with home made storage bin ammo traps. Currently, my targets are 3 inch self healing circles from Armory Plastics hanging from paracord. I shoot at a 15 to 20 yard distance to target and can hit about 50 percent of the time. For me, this accuracy is on par with my other wrist rockets, though the pocket hammer with red pouches shoots faster, shoots flatter, and smacks targets much harder. I’m sure I can improve accuracy with more practice, but actual daily life with a full time career seems to keep interfering. Pouch durability, when rotated on its threaded mount, has lasted between 200 and 300 shots. This is maybe 1/3 the life in comparison to my tubular bands.
This is because band failure is normally at the yolk, which means I can cut down the tubular band at the point of failure and reinstall it. Pouch rotation helps with durability as it evenly spreads out the wear in the area I pinch the pouch. Tubular bands may last longer but I prefer the speed and power of the red arrow pouch. The pocket hammer in “slingshot” mode is my new favorite wrist rocket. When I point it at a (let’s say) “target”, that target comes down. Now for arrows… Let me start by saying that in my opinion, and ymmv, a slingbow cannot replace an actual bow.
One bowstring can easily outlast multiple tubular bands, or in this case, pouches. Now the pocket hammer does a decent job of sending carbon fiber through 20 yards of air and into a foam archery target. It’s just that the red pouch cannot sustain repeated use with arrows. I would say 30 to 50 shots before I have a scary tear in my pouch. In comparison to my primal gear bow, one string has already pushed through its 2nd summer. That’s thousands of shots. Man! I love playing outside! Beyond durability with arrows, my actual bow shoots faster (40 lbs draw) and has been more consistent with accuracy. Again, practice vs actual life, I’m sure I can improve with the pocket hammer and arrows, but it seems too steep a price to pay with time when I have an actual bow begging to be used. I have also tried Pocket Shot’s pro arrow pouch with release, which enables me to produce slightly better results.
As a side note, I’ve also used the pro arrow pouch with a paracord lanyard attached to the string (as a draw point) instead of relying on the string release. I do this because I like my hands to be as free and available as possible, which is difficult with the release. This is my preferred pocket hammer “arrow” mode. With all that being said, the pocket hammer in arrow mode is still a lot of fun for backyard target practice and absoloutely has the capability of bringing down game if ever needed. Altogether, I love the pocket hammer. It is a very fun, very capable, modular slingshot/ sling bow system that will provide hours of fun for anybody who enjoys the outdoors. Or it can be seen as a very portable and compact tool designed to put food in the pot if your chips are down. A big thank you to the people who made the pocket hammer possible! (Pocket Shot and Simple Shot)
