# Close but no cigar



## Hawkman (Oct 18, 2012)

After finishing work nice and early today, my brother and I decided to investigate the local golf course armed with the walnut/bamboo board cut I'd made him and my latest natural. Due to the amount of ice/frost/snow on the ground, we knew it would be empty.
After shooting various signs and posts for a while we decided to head back and my brother spotted a wood pigeon sitting side on up a tree around 15 meters away. He was busy on the phone so it came down to me to take it out. I only had 9.5mm steel on me and having no prior experience in pigeon hunting or in fact ever making a kill with a catapult, I decided a head shot was necessary. 
A miss! Bang on line but an inch above his head, the closest I have come to a kill.
I will put something on my plate, just not today.


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

Thanks for the tale. In a recent thread, the poster described his frustration shooting up into a tree. His solution was to practice just that ... shooting up into a tree.

http://slingshotforum.com/topic/20481-first-woodpigeon/

Maybe shoot at pine cones or odd shaped leaves, even lichen on a tree branch. Shooting upward will change the trajectory to make you shoot high. Same thing happens when you are shooting downward. Sounds weird, I know. But shooting parallel to the ground, gravity is perpendicular to your line of sight and pulling your ammo down from your line of sight ... so when aiming you compensate by adjusting your point of aim. When shooting up or down, the force of gravity is not perpendicular to your line of sight, which means there is less force pulling your ammo down from your line of sight. So if you continue to use the sight picture for horizontal shooting, you will shoot a bit high.

Forgive me for rambling on. Probably most of you know all this already.

Cheers .... Charles


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## rapidray (Dec 15, 2012)

great story. even though the out come was not good, you still had a great day. you will get it, and it will taste even better.


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## bigron (Nov 29, 2012)

thats to bad


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## BC-Slinger (Jan 6, 2013)

Thats what makes hunting fun sometimes you get lucky sometimes you just have to walk away empty handed. I am sure you will have good luck in the future. !


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## Berkshire bred (Mar 4, 2012)

hunting is often like this, thats why we all do it because it makes it even better when you do get a good kill.


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## Hawkman (Oct 18, 2012)

Charles said:


> Thanks for the tale. In a recent thread, the poster described his frustration shooting up into a tree. His solution was to practice just that ... shooting up into a tree.
> 
> http://slingshotforum.com/topic/20481-first-woodpigeon/
> 
> ...


No forgiveness required Charles, I never really thought about automatically adjusting aim for curvature of the ammo. It's a fantastic point to bring up. My practise range in my garden is around 10 meters, horizontal, which I'm getting quite proficient at. Going back further today meant I had to climb steps, leaving me a meter or so higher than I usually am in relation to my target. Couldn't hit it! The change in trajectory messed me up. Another lesson learned.


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

I am sure you will do much better next time. Just keep the practice up.

Cheers .... Charles


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## AJhunt (Jun 3, 2012)

good luck next time this always happens to me i always give them a new haircut lol


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## Caribbean_Comanche (Oct 23, 2011)

AJhunt said:


> good luck next time this always happens to me i always give them a new haircut lol


I'm in the same boat.


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