# Trying to get dialed in



## jhm757 (Dec 23, 2019)

First day learning to shoot a slingshot, good news - I'm not shooting my hand anymore 

I'm only shooting at about 16 to 18 feet right now but my windage seems to be pretty good, and sometimes hitting almost hole in hole.

My misses seem to be either high or low and sometimes by quite a bit, as much as 8 to 10 inches. If I can figure out what is causing this I think I will be doing good 

Jim - jhm757


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## Island made (Aug 14, 2019)

I'd say your doing great for a first day!! As for elevation, I shoot full butterfly, so floating anchor. But!!! I always teach people to shoot with a anchor point first, this will give you much more consistency. So I would say, find yourself a good solid anchor point, and that should help your elevation a lot.

Merry Christmas.


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## jhm757 (Dec 23, 2019)

Island made said:


> I'd say your doing great for a first day!! As for elevation, I shoot full butterfly, so floating anchor. But!!! I always teach people to shoot with a anchor point first, this will give you much more consistency. So I would say, find yourself a good solid anchor point, and that should help your elevation a lot.
> 
> Merry Christmas.


Thx! I have been trying to find a comfortable anchor point, but my draw seems to feel best if I come back a few inches behind my ear and am then floating, maybe shorten my bands a little and anchor at my ear?

Jim - jhm757


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## Island made (Aug 14, 2019)

You can shorten your bands and anchor at your ear for sure. But if it feels comfortable to draw back a bit further, just keep shooting and keep your eyes on the target. It will all start coming together.

Again I shoot 3/4 butter and full butterfly, because that's what's comfortable for me.

And the end of the day. Just keep shooting what feels right and your brain will start lining things up. Over the past many years my shooting style as evolved many times to get where I'm comfortable now.

And most of all. Have fun!!! Just my 2 cents worth.


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## MakoPat (Mar 12, 2018)

Jim, sounds like your hitting the ground running. 
1. You hit your and stuck it out. Niiice!
2. My advice is draw a small bull's eye on a BIG poster board. Look at the dot, shoot, make micro adjustment, repeat.
3. Have fun.

It will take 100 shots ere'day for months...when you get dialed in...you'll be like "mmmm? winder about this other style of shooting?"

And you will get to start all over, but with a bit of experience to stand on.

I am excited for you and your trip into this life style.

Such a simple thing to learn the badics and yet a wonderful challenge to master.


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## Blue Raja (Feb 10, 2016)

Welcome - keep practicing and asking questions.

I find it helpful to use an archery T stance - although my drawing elbow is held high as opposed to parallel to the ground:

Ditto what MakoPat said re: "look at the dot" and will add -keep focused on the dot until after your shot hits. That is maintain your form during your follow through.

Lots of good instructional videos @ A+ Slingshots, Pocket Predator, Simple Shot and Gamekeeper John


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## SJAaz (Apr 30, 2019)

A lot of good shooters anchor at the corner of the mouth and then sorta drift into some other point after shooting a while. Be very conscious of your release. Make sure you are not "speed bumping". That'll send them high.


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## Ibojoe (Mar 13, 2016)

Sounds like you are doing well. 
Always see the target first, and you are much more likely to hit it. 
The best advice I can add to what these guys have said is :
Have fun!! If you enjoy something you will naturally get better at it.


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## MakoPat (Mar 12, 2018)

Blue Raja said:


> Welcome - keep practicing and asking questions.
> 
> I find it helpful to use an archery T stance - although my drawing elbow is held high as opposed to parallel to the ground:
> 
> ...


Thanks B. Raja...you have inadvertently help me correct my follow through issue. " Keeping looking at the dot!"

I know this and yet I keep dropping or moving my frame hand. Hahaha...it has to become 2nd nature and yet familiarity makes contempt...which means more practice. Hahaha...oh the agony of more shooting. hahaha...
I have had a few days of little shooting and loads of family & friends. So no real complaints...just an old bad habit creeped in.

Keep at it, Jim. One more suggestion is to keep a picture journal of your targets at the end of every 2 weeks or month so in a year you cannhave tangible evidence of your progress. Itbis just a good moral booster for whwn you plateau.


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## jhm757 (Dec 23, 2019)

*Update:*

Went out and got some ammo today, I had been shooting .25 air rifle pellets just because that was what I had.

I have an order in for 1000 3/8" steel ammo but won't get that for a couple days. So I picked up a pack of BB's, a Bag of marbles, and a 70 count box of Daisy 3/8" premium steel slingshot ammo $3.99 at Dicks.

First thing I tried was the BB's and was pleasantly surprised they shot quite good and have a lots of zip to them, just a little hard to load in the pouch with old sausage like fingers.

Next I tried the 3/8" steel they shot pretty good also, not quite as tight a group as the BB's but I'm still pretty new at this and they do hit with authority.

Didn't shoot the marbles yet.

Good news everything I shot ended up in the ammo trap/catch box I built. Shooting at about 20 feet now. Need to make a magnet on a stick to retrieve my ammo from the box.

Thinking I will want to try some 1/4" steel also for a little more speed and flatter trajectory.

I do have a chronograph and will be checking speeds with different ammo's at some point.

Jim - jhm757


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## jhm757 (Dec 23, 2019)

Day 3 shooting some actual slingshot ammo. Moved the catch box out to 25 feet, shooting 3/8" steel and a few BB's

My very first shot was the one in the black, had me thinking this was going to be easy, Not! I guess it will be awhile before I will be lighting matches :blush:

I did learn today that I have to switch to my single vision lenses instead of my progressive lenses to get a clear sight picture, same as shooting my compound bow.

Still trying to find my anchor point. I would like to stick my knuckle in my ear kind of like I do with the bow, but when I do that the pouch brushes my cheek and throws the shot off.

Good new is I can only get better couldn't be a whole lot worse


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## Island made (Aug 14, 2019)

Nothing wrong with that buddy!! Your off to a flying start.


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## raventree78 (Apr 20, 2016)

One thing to look at if you continue to have problems with elevation is to center the ammo every time in the pouch. Small discrepancies at the pouch add up over long shot distances. And make sure your release is smooth and even. Finally make sure your bands are the same length, again slight differences add up over distance.


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## jhm757 (Dec 23, 2019)

Today's shooting with the 3/8" steel at 25 feet, definitely better than yesterday's 

After shooting paper for awhile wanted to try something reactive so I hung up an empty pellet tin, that was fun!! B) and I seemed to be more accurate shooting at that, I actually had very few misses.

Hopefully tomorrow will be even better!


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## Blue Raja (Feb 10, 2016)

For whatever reason, paper is more difficult than a reactive target. After cutting a can today, I thought that I finally mastered my slingshot. I switched to paper and was once again humbled.

Keep shooting, bro. You are making great progress


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## raventree78 (Apr 20, 2016)

Blue Raja said:


> For whatever reason, paper is more difficult than a reactive target. After cutting a can today, I thought that I finally mastered my slingshot. I switched to paper and was once again humbled.
> 
> Keep shooting, bro. You are making great progress


Wow if there ever was a true statement, this is it. I was banging the spinners with regularity, switch to paper and bam miss city lol


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## jhm757 (Dec 23, 2019)

Another Update:

Shooting my first SlingShot the little Chinese job.

I'm definitely seeing improvement! :looney:

I have moved to shooting in the basement. Too cold up here in the North East this time of year to target shoot outside. :shakehead:

My range in the basement maxes out at 28 feet so that is the range I was shooting at today.

I think I am finally figuring out my anchor point. There is 30 shots on that paper and 22 of them are in a 4" circle. 

Wondering if and how much my anchor point might change tomorrow when I receive my new SlingShots the Scout XT and the Axiom Ocularis.

I'll find out tomorrow! :shocked:


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