# Aerials: Accuracy Aid or Parlor Trick?



## M.J (Nov 1, 2010)

There seems to be a renewed interest in aerial shooting (toss something up in front of you and shoot it) around here, I've even become a passable aerial shooter myself, and it had lead me to a question: Does shooting aerials help with any other aspect of shooting or is it just a parlor trick with limited usefulness (besides being fun, of course)?
I understand that it takes a little skill to do this , but does that skill carry over to hunting or target shooting or plinking at stationary cans or anything else? Or is it mostly about getting the coordination down to effectivelytoss a can or a whiffle ball or a coin and then quickly get all the motions required to shoot a slingshot in before it hits the ground?
I have my own thoughts and would like to hear yours, especially if you practice this style a lot but even if you don't.


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## Nobodo (Nov 5, 2014)

I think it's more for fun than anything else if you're throwing the targets up yourself and doing a quick adjustment to shoot it.

For something that actually helps with slingshot hunting, I think it would be a lot more helpful to have somebody else throw the targets up into the air without letting you know when to expect it, or a machine that throws things up into the air at a random interval. Those are both activities that really mimic hunting a moving target.

That's not to say throwing targets up yourself isn't helpful; it is an amazing feat of agility and fast, coordinated action that helps grow brain cells and the coordination built up could translate to other activities. It just doesn't easily translate to actual hunting, unless maybe you hunt turtles by throwing them up in the air.


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## Aras (Apr 2, 2011)

As I have done lots and lots of aerial shooting myself, I can say that it might have some influence on plinking with the forks up. However, it doesn't relate to regular gangsta target shooting. And I can tell from my experience that aerial or intuitive shooting is far different from target shooting. It's like learning a new thing: you might be good at cutting cards, but you won't be able to hit a can 3 meters in the air and vice versa. As you said, it requires some skill to hit a flying can, but so does hitting a can 10/10. Both require practice and patience to master.

It sure is fun once you're able to plink things easily mid-air and you can impress friends with it as well, but let's not forget that slingshot shooting is all about accuracy and that the most tournaments are not about aerial shots.

So that's it, in my opinion aerial shots are just for fun and show-off, but the real deal is hunting and target shooting. It's a shame that it's forbidden to hunt with slingshots in my country...


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## Bill Hays (Aug 9, 2010)

Arial shots like those done in skeet do require skill and can take a lifetime to master the technique....

The shot where you self throw an object, can, nut, quarter, and you shoot it from less than five feet away... that is not the same. It takes some skill, but it's mainly coordination that's required. Once your body has memorized the motions and technique (muscle memory) you can do it almost every time... it's the epitome of a true "trick shot".

It took me about a month of fairly consistent practice so that I could pull off the shoot through the hole of a tossed washer shot... I think I was the first to do that on video... and I'll be the first to tell you it's a pure trick shot... BUT there's an awful lot of people who think it's awesome looking and think "wow, that's incredible"... but they're wrong, it's really quite easy...

Now, consistently hitting the bullseye... shooting 3, 4 or 5 matches consecutively from 10 meters... consistently hitting true arial shots that are 20 or more feet away, getting 3, 4 or 5 in a row... THAT is skill.

Doesn't matter how cool looking this shot is... it's a true trick shot:


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## squirrel squasher (May 17, 2013)

I Deffinetly has to help you with speed. And I don't see why It would not help one with hunting. And any moving targets.


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