# Documenting Butterfly Progress Part 1



## akmslingshots (Mar 2, 2012)

this is the first proper day out shooting with my Ebony Saleos as intended using Torstens band setup

It is actually 21 metres not 15 like i mention and watch every shot go in a 6" group just to the side of the can...

There is some long range stuff on the cards


----------



## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

You certainly have a good basis. I am sure that with a bit more practice your accuracy will improve. And those were pretty tough conditions ... 21 meters in the wind! Better than I would do.

Cheers ... Charles


----------



## akmslingshots (Mar 2, 2012)

Charles said:


> You certainly have a good basis. I am sure that with a bit more practice your accuracy will improve. And those were pretty tough conditions ... 21 meters in the wind! Better than I would do.


Thanks Charles, I seem to do better the farther away I am but the wind was playing havok! I recorded over an hour of shooting from different ranges etc but always the same... tight groups next to the can, then I got a fork hit while looking elsewhere and that threw me completely.


----------



## Bill Hays (Aug 9, 2010)

Sometimes with those Sniper type slingshot designs (and some others as well) if you have the fork tips a touch longer or shorter that'll intersect with your natural point of aim... so you'll hit more consistently without having to think about it. For your's since you're naturally shooting left and having to consciously adjust aim to the right a touch... you'll want a little bit longer forks. A 1/4" will probably be about perfect for you.
Experiment on a piece of cheap plywood and you'll see what I'm talking about.. drawing beyond the ear really accentuates the effect.


----------



## akmslingshots (Mar 2, 2012)

Bill Hays said:


> Sometimes with those Sniper type slingshot designs (and some others as well) if you have the fork tips a touch longer or shorter that'll intersect with your natural point of aim... so you'll hit more consistently without having to think about it. For your's since you're naturally shooting left and having to consciously adjust aim to the right a touch... you'll want a little bit longer forks. A 1/4" will probably be about perfect for you.
> Experiment on a piece of cheap plywood and you'll see what I'm talking about.. drawing beyond the ear really accentuates the effect.


Thank you Bill that totally makes sense. Had you not mentioned it I would never have thought of it. It would instantly take out the thought process were I am trying to 'force' my brain into pushing the shots to the right.

It would be just like moving a rear 'iron sight' for windage adjustment i guess. I will experiment with this when I make the next one.


----------



## newconvert (Dec 12, 2011)

you have come a long way in a short period of time Andy, i'm very impressed.


----------



## M.J (Nov 1, 2010)

That's good shooting regardless of not hitting the can every time. Looking forward to future updates!


----------



## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

Here is another suggestion that I thought I recalled from Jack Koehler's Slingshot Shooting, although I cannot seem to find it right now. I assume you are using the tip of the fork for aiming. Use the line-up of your bands as a reference. Then if you are consistently hitting to the left, rotate your hand holding the slingshot very slightly so the fork tip moves a little to the left ... use the bands to see how much you have rotated ... it takes only a very small rotation to change your point of aim to the point of impact. Similarly, if you are consistently hitting to the right, rotate your hand holding the slingshot very slightly so the fork tip moves a little to the right ... you can tell by the alignment of the bands how much you have rotated ... as stated before, the goal is to bring your point of aim in line with the point of impact. Then with the slingshot rotated the required amount, you should be able to just aim for the center of the target as usual. It is like moving the front sight of a rifle.

On some of my slingshots, I need to have the band edges perfectly in line with each other. On some of my other slingshots, I need to rotate to the right so the edge of the top band obscures the edge of the bottom band and just covers the bottom fork tip. On yet other slingshots, I need to rotate to the left so the edge of the bottom band is seen just beyond the edge of the top band. Each slingshot seems to have its own character, but once I figure that out, I know how to aim it to get the shots right down the midline.

It seems to work for me, but of course I cannot guarantee that it will work for you. It is just something else to try, since lengthening your forks is probably not much of an option unless you are going to make a new slingshot.

Cheers ... Charles


----------



## akmslingshots (Mar 2, 2012)

Charles said:


> Here is another suggestion that I thought I recalled from Jack Koehler's Slingshot Shooting, although I cannot seem to find it right now. I assume you are using the tip of the fork for aiming. Use the line-up of your bands as a reference. Then if you are consistently hitting to the left, rotate your hand holding the slingshot very slightly so the fork tip moves a little to the left ... use the bands to see how much you have rotated ... it takes only a very small rotation to change your point of aim to the point of impact. Similarly, if you are consistently hitting to the right, rotate your hand holding the slingshot very slightly so the fork tip moves a little to the right ... you can tell by the alignment of the bands how much you have rotated ... as stated before, the goal is to bring your point of aim in line with the point of impact. Then with the slingshot rotated the required amount, you should be able to just aim for the center of the target as usual. It is like moving the front sight of a rifle.
> 
> On some of my slingshots, I need to have the band edges perfectly in line with each other. On some of my other slingshots, I need to rotate to the right so the edge of the top band obscures the edge of the bottom band and just covers the bottom fork tip. On yet other slingshots, I need to rotate to the left so the edge of the bottom band is seen just beyond the edge of the top band. Each slingshot seems to have its own character, but once I figure that out, I know how to aim it to get the shots right down the midline.
> 
> ...


thank you, I will be trying this with immediate effect! or at least when the rain stops







which is unlikely to be today


----------



## treefork (Feb 1, 2010)

Interesting input Bill and Charles.


----------



## akmslingshots (Mar 2, 2012)

just for reference the bands gave less than 200 shots before tearing at the pouch.


----------

