# Accurate slingshot template



## Jrricha2 (Aug 11, 2015)

Hello,

I am fairly new to slingshoting. I recently have built my own slingshot and have been consistently practicing with it. Some days are better than others as far as my consistency. The question i have in mind is weather or not their is a more acurate slingshot. I know accuracy has more to do with the shooter however i feel that some designs are more forgivable for a new shooter. I have been making my own pouches and am using tbg shooting ttf. hopefully you guys can point me to a template. Thanks


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## Lacumo (Aug 18, 2013)

You're just now starting on a journey and series of learning experiences that'll take some time before you arrive at "the answers" (ha,ha!). There are a lot of variables--- like whether you have a small, medium or large hand, what kind of ammo you intend to shoot, what kind of grip you want to use when you shoot, what frame thickness and materials you prefer, etc ad infinitum... It gets complicated and there's no simplifying it.

If you'd like to maybe (?) shorten the trip, try a Scout, a Rambone and a PP HTS. I may be wrong and others will certainly disagree, but I think those are close to "the basic three" when you want to try mainstream, different style commercially made frames that don't cost a fortune. If you're lucky, you may love one or more of them and not at all like one or more of them, which may point you in one direction or another. Maybe.

If you want to be a strictly DIY shooter, good luck with that! My thoughts (for whatever they may be worth=?)... Don't do board cut frames. They're trouble and frequently end up with frame failure and possible shooter injury. At the least, use plywood and realize that commercial 1" or 3/4" HDPE boards are great stuff. As for templates... knock yourself out. There's a wealth of them to be found here and elsewhere---big ones, medium ones, little ones, PFS's, etc...

Realize that if you find that "ideal slingshot frame" for you in less than a couple years of stumbling around and experimenting, you'll have gotten there a lot quicker than most of us got there, and... Good luck!


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## Jrricha2 (Aug 11, 2015)

i appreciate the input, It's kinda what i suspected. Im really just hoping for some opinions which will at least give me somewhere to start! I beleive thats exactly what youve done for me. For tonight atleast i can look up such as the ones you mentioned. The slingshot i have now is courtesy of the templates forum.


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## chuckduster01 (May 30, 2015)

It is and always has been all about the indian and not about the bow. That being said some frames will work better for *YOU* than others. Personally I cannot hit my foot with a TTF shooter and I shoot 99.99% OTT for that reason. Of all the templates available here I would suggest you make two of the Chalice designs by Dayhiker. Keep one 100% original with the angles fork tops and make the other with parallel (flat) fork tops. See what one works best for you and then go from there. That's my suggestion and for you it may be worth exactly what you paid for it. Good luck and have fun, Mike


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## Chuck Daehler (Mar 17, 2015)

The first response is great.

Perhaps you can photograph your slingshot, banded up, with pouch of course and we'll go from there. There are some variables in the actual hardware that will affect accuracy, good and bad. Mostly however it's us who shoots well or poorly.

The fact you don't have a "rear sight" as you would with a fire arm or even a bow with peep sight in the string and sights in the sight window, is part of why slingshotery is difficult to master. There is a lot of judging and instinctive shooting and "muscle memory" involved. But as time goes on and you keep reading posts here, you'll pick up the jargon and suggestions etc.. and with self criticism and care you can get pretty good with a slingshot. Some people just have a nack for it, some don't...like anything else..hence we have champions in all things and also those "who also ran". We can't be champions of everything, but we can some things.

I've been shooting SSs for most of my life and if I entered a competition, I would not win any prize. Am I unhappy of this? No. Why do I shoot then? For relaxation, focus, to keep my hand/eye coordination up, will be seventy next year.. and it's just plain fun. Don't worry about breaking records, lighting matches, cutting cards, concern yourself with what is fun about shooting and making slingshots, the rest comes by itself. Just my two pence worth.


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## Jrricha2 (Aug 11, 2015)

Thank a lot for the advice, ill attach a picture of my current setup. It's tbg 1" tapered to 3/4" and everything is attached with thin strips of tbg


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## Chuck Daehler (Mar 17, 2015)

That looks like a Bill Hays knock off.. a popular ergonomic design, pocketable and comfy. There are some variations on this theme..it's a good design. It is as "accurate" as any. If the forks are spaced apart enough, and yours is, and if they are deep enough, yours is, then it's as accurate as any other slingshot. The SHOOTER must therefore practice 10,000 rounds.


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## Resigned User (Jul 4, 2015)

Once a friend said me

Same slingshot
Same bandset
Same ammo
Same distance
Same target

And you will be better day after day

That's really true


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## Jrricha2 (Aug 11, 2015)

I see no argument with that


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## Viper010 (Apr 21, 2012)

Widget said:


> Once a friend said me
> 
> Same slingshot
> Same bandset
> ...


True enough, but if you start out with a relatively short distance, and a target you can actually hit at least one in three tries, it's a lot more fun and easier to keep motivated.

So my advise would be: start with a distance and target you can actually hit, and when it's not enough of a challenge for you anymore, switch to a smaller target and/or a longer distance.


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## Jrricha2 (Aug 11, 2015)

I'm not that bad at shooting as it is, I suppose it has a lot to do with my traditional archery.


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## chuckduster01 (May 30, 2015)

Recurves/longbows/slingshots/blowguns/shotguns/etc all use the same "reflexive" nuerons so I bet you are right. I grew up with all of em in my hand and I agree with your premise. It's a "if you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball" type thing.


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## Samurai Samoht (Apr 6, 2013)

Jrricha2 said:


> I'm not that bad at shooting as it is, I suppose it has a lot to do with my traditional archery.


If you are getting decent accuracy maybe stick with it for a bit longer. As Widget implied...consistency is key.

If you feel that you have hit a wall with your accuracy there is a number of things you could do (and its going to be different for everyone so this is just my opinion.) 

Experiment with a wider fork gap when shooting TTF (maybe 2.5"-3");

Try a smaller pouch;

Make sure to pinch on top of the ammo and not in front of it;

If you are doing target shooting (not hunting) use lighter bands that can still carry your ammo on a flat trajectory but make it easier to shoot.

If its a focus issue try relaxing your shoulders and don't hold your breath;

Try stepping back further than you usually do for a couple dozen shots and then return to your usual distance and see if that helps dial you in;

On paper trace a circle the diameter of a pop can and then put a dot in the center of it and shoot at the dot, not the circle. Its just the principle of Aim Small, Miss Small.

These were wise words to me years ago so I hope it helps you in some way. 

Tom


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## truthornothing (May 18, 2015)

My problem is I have a frame addiction, I have gotten better at all my frames, I still shoot my pocket Hathcock the best though because I shot it the most. It took me a day or two to get better with my New Flippinout Omega, but am decent with it now, Just got a prototype Hays Scorpion in the mail yesterday Thanks to Ghost, who is super nice and sent me one for nothing when he saw my post looking for one to buy. Ghost, there is a package on its way to you today in thanks. You didn't ask but I couldn't not send you something.

Back to my point. I think if I concentrated on one frame exclusively I would get much better but I have managed to shoot all my frames much better than a month ago... I just can't help myself I am still looking a picking up more lol


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## truthornothing (May 18, 2015)

http://slingshotforum.com/topic/27535-beanflips-favourite/

I got the one Beanflip made, he did a super professional job and I was nailing my 1" focus target after a couple site in shots, It has a pinky hole wide fork tips and locks in the hand well. I shoot it thumb supported. If you want an accurate template start here.


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## Jrricha2 (Aug 11, 2015)

Thanks a lot! Sounds like some great advice, for me there has always been truth to the aim small miss small theory again I'm referencing back to traditional archery


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## Henry the Hermit (Jun 2, 2010)

One of the most famous slingshot marksmen of all time never shot anything but a natural tree fork.

-or-

It ain't the arrow, it's the Indian.


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## Cupajo (Mar 14, 2015)

Webfoot said:


> One of the most famous slingshot marksmen of all time never shot anything but a natural tree fork.
> 
> -or-
> 
> It ain't the arrow, it's the Indian.


I'd love to know what the Old Feller would think about some of our "modern creations"!! :what:


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## Dayhiker (Mar 13, 2010)

I'm not the greatest marksman in the world, but I have gotten far better than I was a few years ago. In my opinion, it is just practice, lots of practice. In the beginning, I would suggest trying out a few different types of naturals if you can get at some in the woods. Don't spend too much time working on them, just get them shaped and smoothed enough to work for you.

But the practicing is really the important part. I have many forks and, now that I am shooting pretty good, it doesn't seem to matter which one of them is in my hand (with a few exceptions). I shoot about the same with any of them.


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