# Some tips for a lousy shooter please?



## HerecomestheBOOM (May 9, 2013)

Hi guys,

it's been a while since I joined this forum, but it's also been a while since I posted here, where to start..

The first slingshot I bought after browsing around here back when was a little PFS, the one shown on the left in below pic:










But I never really got the results wanted with it no matter what I tried. After that I just assumed I wasn't any good with a slingshot and gradually lost interest in them for a while.

A few weeks ago I felt like giving it another shot & I decided to try out something very affordable that even little kids seem able to shoot well with, the Barnett Black Widow. I was amazed at how much easier this was to shoot, at least now I'm able to hit soda-cans consistently from ten yards or so. So after reading a little more about different tubes (I was more band-orientated with the PFS) I decided to upgrade to the red tapered Trumark tubes.

I have slightly mixed feelings about these tubes though. The impact of my ammo seems about the same as with the original Barnett tubes but they have a much, much lighter pull. Because of this I have to do a longer draw, which means I'm now drawing past my usual anchor-point (cheekbone), which means I lost a lot of my accuracy.

Long story short; is it ok to shorten these bands so that I can use my trusted anchor-point again, or would I be better off trying a different aiming technique perhaps? I have some blue Theraband pre-made tubes on the way as well and I'm curious if I can shorten those as ell assuming they will be too long too (I'm a short guy at 5'8", perhaps these things are tailored to a more average arm-length then mine?).

When I still shot bows I was a pretty good instinctive shooter & I hoped that that would transfer to slings as well, but that doesn't seem the case unfortunately.

I tried the PFS again as well today btw, but I'm all over the place again with that one. So much so that I sometimes see my ammo flying west while aiming north :iono: I do twist the pouch 90 degrees before release but it doesn't seem to help much.

Oh, one of the black plastic knobs on the arms of the Barnett is a little loose as well (the ones where you slide the tubes over I mean). Can I just epoxy that back on or is there no need for that? It seems to hold well while shooting the Trumark tubes, but I'm a little worried it might slip off & hit me in the face with the Theraband blue in a little while.


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## Lacumo (Aug 18, 2013)

I'm also afflicted with CSS (Crappy Shooting Syndrome). I've moved into good quality frames that are sized appropriately for my hands, decent bands and pouches and I'm shooting 3/8" steel BB's, so I know the problem is with me and not my equipment. I've read that PFS's aren't starter SS's or entry level frames that are widely recommended for beginners, so if you're at the lower end of the experience/ability continuum (?), that might be part of your problem.

Other than that... The only thing I could say about your quandary is what I keep saying to myself: "Practice, practice, practice."


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## treefork (Feb 1, 2010)

Where do I begin.

Yes shorten the bands and get back to your successful previous anchor point. Consistently banging a can is very good accuracy

Yes you can glue the cap back onto the fork. Also wrap and tuck a strip of thin latex to reinforce the hold of the tube to the fork. I t won't budge then. Remember you can also attach flats to those forks.

IMO. Put the PFS down for a little while till you get your confidence back with your Barnett. PFS shooting is a skill unto itself. More advanced. Come back to it a little later after watching how Dgui does it in his videos. For shooting a regular sling shot watch Bill Hays instructional videos. Have fun and set your self up for success. Know that the slingshot is accurate. REAL ACCURATE! Consider a basic ergo design over your barnett as your next purchase. More accurate IMO.


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## ghost0311/8541 (Jan 6, 2013)

put the bands from the pfs on the ss and be amazed.


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## HerecomestheBOOM (May 9, 2013)

Lacumo said:


> I'm also afflicted with CSS (Crappy Shooting Syndrome). I've moved into good quality frames that are sized appropriately for my hands, decent bands and pouches and I'm shooting 3/8" steel BB's, so I know the problem is with me and not my equipment. I've read that PFS's aren't starter SS's or entry level frames that are widely recommended for beginners, so if you're at the lower end of the experience/ability continuum (?), that might be part of your problem.
> 
> Other than that... The only thing I could say about your quandary is what I keep saying to myself: "Practice, practice, practice."


Thanks for the encouragement, I will!



treefork said:


> Where do I begin.
> 
> Yes shorten the bands and get back to your successful previous anchor point. Consistently banging a can is very good accuracy
> 
> ...


Thanks for the tips!

I had already decided to give up on the PFS, or at least or a while. I want to buy a nicer sling and make a few naturals as well eventully, but I figured it'd be best to stick to the Barnett for a while until I feel I'm a little better at it, say hitting cans consistently at 20 yards or so. I see guys on here cutting cards & lighting matches but that's still a long way off for me if I ever get there, haha.

I'll start modding the bands and gluing the plastic tip & get back on it it then


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## HerecomestheBOOM (May 9, 2013)

ghost0311/8541 said:


> put the bands from the pfs on the ss and be amazed.


I'll try that too, but I must admit I like the tubes better so far as they don't get tangled as much (might be just me of course







).


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## Individual (Nov 6, 2013)

If you wanna give flabands a go, i have a few companies and models for you to look at:
I would try looking at, The scout by simple shot.

Any of the PS models or a dandy shooter from aplus

yoslingshots Yowaspbegone

Any bill hays shooter

I'd also go over to MJ's thread, that is located Here:http://slingshotforum.com/topic/31140-for-the-motorcycle-fund/

And having a look if you like any, you may be interested in a mini starship, i personally find them easy to shooter if they're made well.


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## treefork (Feb 1, 2010)

HerecomestheBOOM said:


> ghost0311/8541 said:
> 
> 
> > put the bands from the pfs on the ss and be amazed.
> ...


Keep an open mind. Look at what successful shooters are doing. Just sayin.


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## Imperial (Feb 9, 2011)

wear denim bib overalls. all the great shooters wear them.


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## S.S. sLinGeR (Oct 17, 2013)

Imperial said:


> wear denim bib overalls. all the great shooters wear them.


I agree! Here is proof that bib overalls are for expert shooters only!


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## Tube_Shooter (Dec 8, 2012)

S.S. sLinGeR said:


> Imperial said:
> 
> 
> > wear denim bib overalls. all the great shooters wear them.
> ...


With bib overalls can one expect an increase in power too asides the obvious pinpoint accuracy when you step into them?


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## Can-Opener (May 11, 2013)

You might consider getting a pouch with a center hole. It helps to get the ammo in the center every time.  Have fun.


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## HerecomestheBOOM (May 9, 2013)

Individual said:


> If you wanna give flabands a go, i have a few companies and models for you to look at:
> I would try looking at, The scout by simple shot.
> 
> Any of the PS models or a dandy shooter from aplus
> ...


Thanks for the recommendations, I'll have a look at the models mentioned!



treefork said:


> HerecomestheBOOM said:
> 
> 
> > ghost0311/8541 said:
> ...


Will do, thanks again











Can-Opener said:


> You might consider getting a pouch with a center hole. It helps to get the ammo in the center every time.  Have fun.


I thought about this before already, it seems like a good idea, especially when I shoot with rocks. I'll see if I can mod one of the pouches I've got to try it out.

The bib comments were hilarious, but unfortunately the lesbians already called dibs on those in my neck of the woods & they kinda scare me so I think I'll be safer without. I guess I'll just have to make up for them with more practise









I've cut an inch of the Trumark tubes now & slipped a large part of them over the entire arms of the slingshot. It's still a bit on the long side for me, but I think it would be best if I shorten them from the thinner pouch side instead if I'm taking off more length, what do the experts say on this?

Accuracy is almost back to where it was now with the original Barnett tubes but it seems much more powerful (even though it still feels funny with the lighter draw. The right size of rock will now penetrate the cans instead just denting it, & if I miss my target and hit the wall behind it the rocks will now shatter to bits instead of just bounce of it :blink:

Also, the lighter pull also means I don't need the arm-brace anymore, so I think I'll just take it off.

My goal is to be able to use the sling as a lightweight small game hunting tool when back-packing eventually (where allowed of course), so every weight save is welcome. This is also the reason I practise with rocks often btw. I started out with 9mm steel balls & still play with them too, but I just can't carry ammo that heavy when back-packing so I'll have to make do with what I can find around me.


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## HerecomestheBOOM (May 9, 2013)

Not sure why my photo in the OP disappeared from Flickr & I can't seem to edit the post, so here it is again for future reference:










After more testing the Trumark tubes turned out to be less powerful than I wanted/needed them to be after all, & the blue Theraband tubes were a way to heavy pull for my liking, so this is what I ended up with:










It ain't pretty, but I really like how it shoots now. I've set the bands up so that they are almost at full stretch when I pull them to my anchor point. I was just a bit too quick with cutting the bands to length though, in hindsight they probably would've been long enough to double up. But I guess I'll be ordering some more of this stuff soon to try that out anyway. First I gotta figure out how to replace that pouch with my favourite one, & perhaps reinforce my backstop a bit... :naughty:


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## NaturalFork (Jan 21, 2010)

The PFS might not have been the greatest slingshot to start with. It is on to cut the red trumark tubes. They run long to accommodate longer draws.

I am a fan of the red trumark tubes. I think they are the best thing to put on one of those classic tube shooters. That being said ... they are expensive.

I say shoot what you like. If the barnett is working for you and you like it ... cool! I have an unhealthy relationship with slingshots ... i love them ALL!!!!!

If the tubes are getting expensive you can always try tying some flat bands onto the barnett frame. It works surprisingly well.

Keep shooting and accuracy will come.


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## HerecomestheBOOM (May 9, 2013)

NaturalFork said:


> The PFS might not have been the greatest slingshot to start with. It is on to cut the red trumark tubes. They run long to accommodate longer draws.
> 
> I am a fan of the red trumark tubes. I think they are the best thing to put on one of those classic tube shooters. That being said ... they are expensive.
> 
> ...


You didn't scroll down to see my last post did you?









Thanks for taking the time to respond anyway









I'm already addicted to buying knives and a variety of other gear as well, so I'm gonna take it easy on buying more slingshots for now (or try to anyway). It is tough to restrain when looking at some of the beauties out there though, so I totally get the infatuation.


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## gbeauvin (Mar 7, 2014)

Instead of buying slingshots i seem to be sinking more money into getting stuff to build slingshots than it would cost me just to buy a nice one for each member of the family! funny how that works...

-GB (who is off to craigslist to look for a scrollsaw, or better yet a bandsaw!)


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## studer1972 (Mar 17, 2013)

I switched back to a commercial rod fork last fall, too. Hopefully going to get some practice in tonight. The high, wide forks, thin frame, and tubing seem to be more forgiving than the better forks I own. When the stars are right (bands and ammo matched well and my technique works) nothing is more fun than my pocket predator. The stars were rarely right last summer. TBG shoots so nicely, but so does Trumark yellow (RR1). Looking forward to when I am worthy of my better forks, but until then, my FS1 is a lot of stress free fun.


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