# Setting a goal, to be accurate enough for small game hunting by season open.



## SkullsFB (Jul 7, 2014)

Looks like most small game seasons open September 1 here in Colorado. I had a couple of sling shots as a kid and after seeing how designs and technique has improved I decided I want to take this up as a hobby. I quickly realized if I had a slingshot with me during big game season I may be able to aquire other game meats without spooking the big prize.

Are there any specific accuracy drills you would recommend as preparation to meet this goal of putting meat on the table?

For my first slingshot I plan on ordering a pocket predictor sniper. Later, if I decide I want more variety I will start making some of my own. Thinking it would be good to start with fine equipment for learning then I can better customize one later.

Daniel


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## Oneproudmeximan (May 20, 2013)

I have a seal sniper if u want it 20 bucks shipped and to become proficient in killing you have to practice and make sure your using the proper setup for hunting


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## Oneproudmeximan (May 20, 2013)

It's poly forgot to mention


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## slingshooterPT (Feb 22, 2014)

hello, your slingshot need to be able of put a shoot straight thru a soda pop can, and you need to be able of hit a one inch target from the distance you gona hunt 7/10, this should be a good hunting goal for u to start.

I recomend u to bought band making tools and bands , because the most important thing in a slingshot is always the bands and you should learn how to cut it and attatch it!

Good luck!!


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## Aries666 (Feb 22, 2014)

Yeah that's a fine choice for small game. Some people use those moving targets or make their own. Could have a partner stand in a safe location and roll clay pigeons. My nephew and I do that sometimes. Works well for us.


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## Aries666 (Feb 22, 2014)

If you glue two together at the bottom its a lot more even and won't fall over so soon but you eat up the clay twice as fast.


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## SkullsFB (Jul 7, 2014)

Thank you for the sugestions. I believe consistently engaging reactive or moving targets at varied distance is the best way to develop true accuracy. When is the bunny or elk or anything ever engaged at exactly the distance you routinely practice at, never. With all marksmanship practice I try to keep it as varied as the world we try to navigate. Aim small miss small.

Pm sent on the slingshot.

Daniel


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

Sounds like you know the answer already ... the secret depends on 3 major factors: 1. practice; 2. practice; 3. more practice.

Cheers ..... Charles


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

Go for your 5 out of 5 badge. I think if you could get that your good.


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## SkullsFB (Jul 7, 2014)

I shall.


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## August West (Jan 21, 2012)

Get a slingshot as soon as possible and start shooting. You can have a perfectly functional slingshot capable of shooting accurately and hunting small game tonight or at the latest tomorrow. Can't stress enough you need to start shooting as soon as possible.


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## flipgun (Nov 14, 2012)

With six older brothers hunting, My father made sure that they came up to speed fast by making where they got dinner on practice days dependent on whether or not they "killed" it. You get good at shooting fast that way. :lol:


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## SkullsFB (Jul 7, 2014)

flipgun said:


> With six older brothers hunting, My father made sure that they came up to speed fast by making where they got dinner on practice days dependent on whether or not they "killed" it. You get good at shooting fast that way. :lol:


I bet!

Daniel


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## ash (Apr 23, 2013)

I tell people planning to hunt with one of my slingshots that they shouldn't even try until they can hit the bottom of a soda can ten times in a row from ten metres. The above suggestions like the 1" square or 5/5 badge are also good benchmarks.

Moving targets are great practice, but I'm of the opinion that if it's moving, maybe you should wait for it to stop before unloading the slingshot on it if you want a clean head shot. From some of the hunt stories posted here, it seems that the good hunters are not just ok shots. They're really, really good shots.


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## SkullsFB (Jul 7, 2014)

Yes there is a lot of practice that needs to be done before moving targets are broached.

In my hunting experience animals rarely stand there for their death most jump, fidget, feed, or are flat out trying to get away. If you train to engage a moving target in a consistant and accurate way you are more ready for a hunt. Just an opinion.

Daniel


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## SkullsFB (Jul 7, 2014)

You all are awesome, forums are an incredible wealth of information and innovation.

Thank you
Daniel


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## August West (Jan 21, 2012)

ash said:


> I tell people planning to hunt with one of my slingshots that they shouldn't even try until they can hit the bottom of a soda can ten times in a row from ten metres.


10 times in a row? That is great shooting for sure.


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## August West (Jan 21, 2012)

I actually am not so sure there is a set standard, actually more sure that there is not. I have seen phenomenal target shooters that can't hit an animal for the life of them and I have also seen some of the greatest game killers there are that can't shoot paper targets for crap.

I think when YOU feel your accuracy is good enough then go for it. There is no magic formula besides shooting and hunting.


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## bmlodge (Feb 26, 2013)

Oneproudmeximan said:


> I have a seal sniper if u want it 20 bucks shipped and to become proficient in killing you have to practice and make sure your using the proper setup for hunting


I can highly recommend the Seal Sniper Daniel. I have one in ballistic G10 and another on the way in polymer as it will be slightly smaller. I'm finding myself settling on that one so I'm nailing my accuracy. Just seems to feel very stable in the hand due to the comfortable grip and the pinky hole. good luck anyway. Remember to keep us all informed of your progress.

Ben


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## SkullsFB (Jul 7, 2014)

Ben your review only serves to amp me up. I placed my order for the polymer sniper today. Cannot wait for the arrival.

Daniel


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## Susi (Mar 3, 2013)

My hubby Chuck says some folks are better shooters on game than targets. He says "something happens" inside me when I aim for game that doesn't happen inside me when I'm target shooting. I guess it's the hunter instinct that is stronger in some than others, eh? He says, "when I draw a bead on a live animal it all seems to come together whereas when I draw a bead on a can, it doesn't so much and I have to concentrate." You'll just have to go hunting to see for yourself where you're at. It costs nothing to just try, right? If you miss, you shouldn't get discouraged, just do as Charles says, practice. SSs are not like guns where you can put one in your gun cabinet most of the year and in hunting season run a few rds though it to make sure the zero is OK, then take it out and bag a buck. SSs of course require practice and often and constant to keep that skill level up, at least that's what I found for even unlike bow shooting, there are no sights, no stock, it's all judging or instinct and wobbly at that! (I speak for myself, hehe). I guess the exception is a star ship SS which uses an arm brace as sort of a "stock" to eliminate some wobble. Wobble of course is a technical word. ";^*p*

I think the Pocket Preditor is one of the best purchased SSs by the looks of it, I haven't one but plenty shooters do and many copy it. Bill Hayes, one of the world's noted SS gurus, is dead on accurate with this design, search youtube for his vids...amazing. It's ergo designed and I think you made an excellent choice. But it's the shooter himself that hits the target. Most SSs can outshoot their owners, LOL.


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## Susi (Mar 3, 2013)

I suggest you glean info with which to practice from videos offered on youtube by Charles and Bill Hayes. Charles' video on "speed bumps" especially helped Chuck and me. Strong pull is I think (and Chuck thinks) more necessary for game than just target plinking, and your pouch pinch style can be compromised with strong pull to produce the "speed bump" effect noted by Charles in his video on the subject. In youtube, put slingshot speed bump and you'll find it and more vids too, it's by Charles. A strong pull produces a "cheating pinch" in which the pouch is pinched and angled to help keep the bands stretched easier, and that angle or cant of the pouch results in fork hits, hand hits and inaccuracy. Bill Hayes brings out in one of his vids some exercises to strenthen the muscles needed for a vice like pouch pinch but practice I think is the key. Chuck split a callouse on his left index finger the other day he practiced so much (ouch) and he's had to let it heal before shooting much again. So he's making a SS shoulder arm (rifle) in his metal shop. By the way, that's got a lot of Bill Hayes and Joerge Sprage ideas in it, no wood tho, only steel, will post when it's spiffy and finished. In trials with a 31 inch draw, he gets the same accuracy with the SS rifle as with his regular SS, it's just a novelty, sort of slow to load, long, unwieldly but Chuck wants this puppy for very strong pull and longer range capability just for curiosity's sake. With 20mm steel balls it's powerful, it eats all diameter of ammo down to 8mm balls. Often people think an SS rifle is the answer to instant accuracy and in a way it is, but it's got its limitations, even a "break down" James Bond hitman type model is huge compared to a pocket SS.

View this vid on pheasant hunting with SSs! 



 Definitely instinctive shooting.

Incredible, these guys bag a trunk load of FLYING pheasants on the wing with SSs. This is an excellent proceedural instructional video aside from decent shooting for moving target shooting. Some of these shooters are newbies and made bird hits. Some use natural forks.





 is a vid that displays some keen shootin' skill. It's what happens with practice. In a few months I've shot at least 10,000 rds and have improved greatly. Another 100,000, hehe, and maybe I'll "be there" to my satisfaction...bottle caps at 10 meters is my goal. Bill Hayes splits playing cards edgewise at ranges greater than that however so I've got a looong way to go.

At 5:31 he exceeds 500 fps on a chronograph. I can't understand how latex with a contraction speed slower than that can produce such velocity however, evidently latex DOES contract faster than what I've read, else it would be impossible to exceed the speed of contraction.

Remember, hunting season is in the late fall when it's chilly in the northern hemisphere and latex contracts SLOWER in colder temperatures than warmer...affecting velocity and impact point...so practice in the same temp as you shoot game to be dead on. This is highly important.

This may get you stoked...grey squirrels taken with 14mm lead balls 



. It takes a strong pull to propel balls that heavy with minimal drop. He uses an SS with a wrist lanyard. He fully dresses/cleans the squirrels before going home.

Don't forget sling bows, a very compact, quiet, effective albeit hidable hunting tool. You won't get the exact same accuracy of a compound bow nor penetration but it's still SSing and in the hands of a practiced shooter, effective.






Bow fishing slants toward sling bow fishing as well...there are vids on youtube on this subject of SS fishing.Here's another home made sling bow by Joerge Sprag





 A special pouch albeit cord with release mechanism is used same as a bow.


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## Susi (Mar 3, 2013)

By the way, sometimes shoulder mounted stuff isn't as accurate as the old fashioned models, to wit Chuck's Barnett self cocking cross bow vs his Bear compound bow...the Bear is more accurate than the Barnett. Strange? Yes. But the Barnett takes little practice to get on target so it's a fast fix for arrow hunting, and the regular bow takes more practice and a bit more unweildly than the cross bow.


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## SkullsFB (Jul 7, 2014)

I love my bow for the simple plinking cost. It is no longer feasible to take guns out shooting. Great information, thank you.

Daniel


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## bmlodge (Feb 26, 2013)

Ah you'll love it Daniel, it's a great shooter. I love Bill's polymer range as they're rock solid and very light. Great EDC slingshots. Let us all know what you think of it when it arrives.

Ben


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