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All catapult content banned on TikTok

Squirrel_slayer

Squirrel_slayer

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TikTok have changed their guidelines putting a blanket ban on all catapult content from the UK.

The app is full of morons using catapults in an illegal manor and posting their videos for clout, out of season game, animals not on the GL and shooting in towns and housing estates, off of peoples roofs etc. and often not even collecting their kills, leaving them in the street and people’s gardens, when they do showing the most bloody trophy pics they can.

There are also many like myself showing the positive side of shooting catapults, target shooting, competitions, impressive trick shots and guidance and education for others.

Currently it seems it is only the good guys that have received the ban and the bad stuff still being shown, they will just keep making accounts I am sure but with the new guidelines it should not be seen on there any more, good or bad.

I fully agree that the illegal activity should be removed, be it in the catapult community or not, if it isn’t legal, it should not be shown. I have had videos shooting spinners that have been removed in the past for violating standards and have reported a couple of awful videos that were not seen to violate them somehow… it always seemed they protected the bad, so it’s a good thing in many ways.

I don’t want this to sound like a bitter rant about me losing an account on the platform as that’s not the point I am trying to make at all, I’m not overly bothered about that as I do not see myself as a content creator and only started posting on there to show that there are 2 sides and have people see the positives that they very likely have never encountered before after seeing so much bad. I want to see you guys opinions about this move, is it a good thing or a bad thing? Do you think that other platforms will follow suit? Is it better for nothing to be shown or both the good and the bad parts? Is this another step towards an outright ban or stricter legislation surrounding catapults and there usage?
 
Squirrel_slayer said:
Is it better for nothing to be shown or both the good and the bad parts? Is this another step towards an outright ban or stricter legislation surrounding catapults and there usage?
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My late Father was a wise fella, taught me a lot over the years, one of those things was "If you want to read of mankind's failures?, read the headlines, if you want to read of mankind's successes? read the obituaries"

We live in a Tiktok world now where online clout and likes/shares are valued above many things. There are a lot of people who just want to read horror stories or rubberneck at accident scenes looking for bodies to film as it gets responses on social media.
When was the last time you saw good news on the front page of a paper? on the index page of a news site?

You are a man of honor Squirrel but sadly what viewers look for is the horror stories and gore. I have significant doubt the "Good side" gets as many views as the "Bad side" so I don't think posting both will achieve much in the long run beneficial to your sport.

Is this another step towards an outright ban or stricter legislation surrounding catapults and there usage?
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I've never understood why Catapults and Crossbows have never been hit in legislation, blowguns were, but the advent of the Chinese folding (near rifle like) Cats are the thing that will get this lot banned. Bans carry political capital when governments are in trouble (and ours very much is) we have all seen unworkable bans on things such as knives and some guns...have they made an actual difference ? no of course not, would a *troubled* government use a ban to try and secure votes? absolutely they would.

There are a lot of people who just want to read horror stories or rubberneck at accident scenes looking for bodies to film as it gets responses on social media.
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Oh...I've had somebody stick a phone in my face when I was trying to save a dying child...these kinds of people don't care if the families death notification arrives via facebook...
 
It will be the start to ban them completely the "The ones who are bragging and showing things they have shot and killed" with a catapult are going to be the down fall of them and they will be the first to shout about it --as other have said killing game out of season shooting stuff that is not on any GL --there has been to much bad press with catapults-Airguns-crossbows over the last few years all it is doing is fuelling the antis fires
 
The bad press, the worst videos, are most useful in getting a ban through, standard media steering.
Like the wording used on any BBC report.

If I sound cynical, and bitter, that is only because I've seen how this works enough times now.
Of course positive videos on the subject are to be removed.
 
OldStock said:
The bad press, the worst videos, are most useful in getting a ban through, standard media steering.
Like the wording used on any BBC report.

If I sound cynical, and bitter, that is only because I've seen how this works enough times now.
Of course positive videos on the subject are to be removed.
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Ain't that the truth brother, it's the same mechanism every. single. time.

"Look at all these dangerous guns that have been handed in"
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Mate, half of them are bloody water pistols and the other half are legal to own.

Here's a quick example from the BBC website

ryan.webp

I was a member of the same club as him, I'd used his AK clone he later used in Hungerford. It was a cheap semi auto (NOT Automatic) copy of the AK that he couldn't get the magazine into when he bought it (tilt and turn rather than push straight in) He thought the top cover release was the magazine release.

The "Hand grenade" was an inert prop.
"Gun fanatic"...nope...I've shot at the club many times with him there, he was the one that moaned about us shooting at cans of cola instead of "approved targets"

ryan2.webp

Nope, he wore a stereotypical surplus body warmer type jacket that he wore at the club most of the time.(It was a tunnel club and was usually pretty cold) A pair of boots that he always wore.

"Heavily armed"

Nope, he had the "AK", the beretta 92F and an M1 carbine he had no ammunition for as it was out of stock at Wiltshire Shooting Centre (The club)

Control the narrative and you can get anybody to believe anything. I'm maybe cynical as well my friend, but like you I've seen what the media can do using "heard mentality" and carefully worded articles.
 
Believe it or not, I'd cut them some slack on that one.
I'd be more interested on what brought him to that stage, was he on antidepressants, mental health issues?
The beeb wont touch that side.

I was more referring to some lad with a bb gun being labelled (talked up) as a terrorist with a lethal weapon.

But anyway this has taken the thread way off course, sorry.
 
I’m leaving this to debate as it’s very Intereting to read through, with trying to leave my opinion out of it but I agree with all that’s been said.

The bad is always used first and will always outweigh the good, the recent documentary created on the subject was supposed to be a 50/50 split showing the sporting and competitive sides, the mental health clubs using shooting as a tool to help people, it showed around 3 minutes of the west Kent catapult club at the end, when anyone screaming would have already switched off. they are working with the police and charities and attempting to rehabilitate youths in the area by giving them focus, even their words were chopped about to seem more negative.

There are lots of talks coming up, a friend of mine today, one of the guys heading the UKSA (United Kingdom slingshot association) is sitting down with local police, RSPCA, RSPB and others to discuss all of the issues and laws surrounding their usage. Another guy I know has a similar meeting on the 1st April to do the same in the south.

An outright ban is in my opinion pointless as I can cut a fork from a tree and have a band on it and shooting in under 10 mins. Parts to make other styles are readily available too, it only affects the legal and responsible shooters, as mentioned the same with guns and knives, we just need to look at the statistics to show how well that worked. I would fully back some tighter restrictions such as being over 18 to buy one but I don’t think that will make much difference, other than that all of the laws surrounding wounding, shooting out of season, criminal damage etc. are already in place, they just need to be I forced more.

Crossbows will be clamped down on very soon I believe as the preppers decided to flood the internet with the idea of buying these super cheap semi automatic crossbows for future troubles and protection, sales have skyrocketed lately. Someone will be silly with them and they will be gone I am sure of it.

As I have said I would back tighter restrictions fully and hope something does change to put these kids off but I can’t see it myself, these wildlife crimes with catapults have always happened and always will, these wildlife social media platforms and camera phones are what is ruining everything today, everyone wants to post everything, everyone wants attention and they know they will get it posting these things.

I don’t know the best way out of this situation but I think killing off a whole sport with thousands of people up and down the country losing their hobby/passion, mental health tool, would be devastating for many. Just speaking for myself, I have my own medical issues, things that have very much slowed down my ability to use rifles/shotguns like I used to, ride motorbikes, be involved in sports etc. I can shoot a catapult with a super light setup that will just about flip a target most of the time, it couldn’t hurt a thing. Almost all of my friends now are catapult shooters. Competitions, when I’m well enough to attend are the only time I really go out anymore. Motorbikes used to be my escape, my distraction, my “mental health tool” as some would say now, I can’t ride bikes now and catapult shooting is my tool. I have friends all over the globe from shooting in online competitions. For me it is more than just a hobby, sounds sad to write it out but it’s really all I have and I am far from the only one in that boat.

I will try and find out how these meetings have gone and update the post in due course.

Edit- as a side note many eBay listings and stores have been pulled in recent weeks too, Facebook policies have clamped down also. Hopefully that will help drive out the guys posting kill pics and videos etc. on there. It is very rare I see them now though and most groups remove them, and the members generally make sure nothing gets through too by reporting and making sure people know group rules.
 
zakdingel said:
It will be the start to ban them completely the "The ones who are bragging and showing things they have shot and killed" with a catapult are going to be the down fall of them and they will be the first to shout about it --as other have said killing game out of season shooting stuff that is not on any GL --there has been to much bad press with catapults-Airguns-crossbows over the last few years all it is doing is fuelling the antis fires
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Bunch of dick heads and that's just members of Parliament
 
Squirrel_slayer said:
Could see it coming a mile off… too much attention being brought to them of late. Won’t be much left if they want to ban everything that might one day be used to hurt somebody
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We were literally discussing this 36 hrs ago then this came out.!!

Couple of years back I was out with the other half on a day off and got overtaken by some loon in a fastback driving like a numpty, said to Mel “ffs there goes a future customer”

1/2 mile down the road we see him in a ditch and have to go to work.

So i’m never mentioning any kind of bans again just in case 🤣🤣🤣
 
mulletman6 said:
So if people already own a crossbow they can keep it, but will need a licence?
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Early reports are saying that at the moment mate --it looks like they are going to start with the retailers first --it might come down to if you all ready have one you might have to tell them but will not be able to sell it --or pass it on ??? we don't know for sure what the outcome will be but for sure yet but it will be unfair for many that's for sure
 
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