# A Question of Am I A Pretty Good Shot or ?



## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

A question since many of you are very fine shooters.

What would you consider good shooting at a soup can at 20 yards for 10 shots. I know many of you can hit it 10 times in a row, but for what you would consider a better than average shooter ? I picked 20 yards for the reason almost nothing gets closer than that range where I live, most of my shots are quite a bit further than that, but I wanted a doable distance that logically most folks would use for medium long range practicing.

Would you say hitting 7 out of 10 times is darn good shooting, Is 5 out of ten a average shooter or a below average shooter.

The reason I ask is I just want to get an honest idea of where I stand and what honestly I think I can do. At 71 years young I can only do so much as the eyes are going and most of the hair is mostly gone ;- ).

I shoot for fun but would like to kinda know where I would rate my shooting ability with you guys on this forum.

Thanks guys as always.

wll


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## tangolima (Mar 2, 2020)

Soup can at 20yd is no easy task for me. It would be a really good day if I can hit 50% of the time.

-TL

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk


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## SonoftheRepublic (Jul 3, 2011)

Haven't been shooting at 20 yards much lately . . . but I'll take a stab at it. I would agree that 7 out of 10 would be 'Very Good', (or "darn good shootin"),at that distance; 5 out of 10 would be 'Above Average'; and 3 out of 10 would probably be 'Average'.

Now I'm going to have to go out and try it myself! :hmm:


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## hoggy (Apr 17, 2017)

not an expert, it's all i can do to hit consistently at 33'. with that being said, i'd say at that range anything above 2 is expert.


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## Ibojoe (Mar 13, 2016)

I’d say if you’re hitting that can more than half the time with hunting weight bands your doing darn good.


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## Royleonard (Jun 30, 2017)

At twenty yards your batting five hundred at 50% most players would be glad of that!!


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## KawKan (May 11, 2013)

A soup can - if it's the size of a classic Campbell's can - is a small target at 20 yards.

For 10 shots, 3 hits is good, 5 hits is very good, and anything above that should put you in the top 5 in a U.S. competition.


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## Hobbit With A Slingshot (Mar 14, 2017)

A former member had an interesting scale for this, you can find the scale in this thread here: https://slingshotforum.com/topic/68977-ssop/

Or right down below.

*Clueless--Tard--Doofus--Shooter--(Spazmo)*--Marksman--Master--Monk*

*-a floating, or "at large" phase, often temporary, which can strike Shooters or better at any time.

Clueless

The Clueless subject is more likely to use a slingshot for something other than slingshooting, such as backscratcher, foot massager, oil filter wrench, paper weight, doorstop, bookend, or cooking utensil. When you see these indicators, you can safely assume you're among the Clueless.

Tard

The Tard is obnoxiously interested. It's a new, fresh interest, prone to conceptualizing with limited information and fragmented data. Tards love shortcuts and extremes. Their motto, "If this much is good, then this much must be awesome," has been responsible for countless disfigurements through the ages. Tard can be dangerous to themselves and to more advanced shooters as it is possible to become drunk on their enthusiasm, leading to overbanding, pouch abuse, and complete disregard for eye protection. Slingshooting needs legions of Tard to continue to grow.

Doofus

The Doofus has the complete picture and knows what's what, they're just ham-handed in their execution. They travel in pods and occasionally ask transcendent questions. They've most likely assembled a rudimentary band jig and can cut serviceable band sets. They can be touchy about their rotary cutters, and absolutely blow a gasket when they find out you've used it on a pizza. They may have a few hand- wrought nattys in their resume. Can't shoot for shat. Subject to wild swings in accuracy, and unfortunately, interest... Many are lost to the activity during the Doofus phase due to impatience; improvement seldom comes fast enough for the Doofus.

Shooter

A shooter can hit a standard 46 ounce tomato juice can 9 out of 10 times from 33 feet. They're competent enough to help guide Tard and Doofus through their travails, but should wait until they attain the level of Marksman before approaching the Clueless. Shooters are searchers. They're looking for that edge, that wisdom nugget, that ethereal key which will allow them to progress. Driven, unpredictable, and moody, Shooters should avoid Tequila and little yappy dogs.

Spazmo

The Spazmo is a recently recognized stage. In it, a subject who has reached the level of Shooter or better suddenly begins to shoot like a late stage Tard or an early stage Doofus. There is no quick fix, distinguishing it from a simple hiccup in form. Initially, the Spazmo is bewildered. Exasperation grows with each pathetic shooting session until an ultimatum presents. At this point the Spazmo will yield to one of two things: defeat or attenuation. Spazmos opting to attenuate will have demonstrated the character necessary to join the "M" level ranks.

Marksman

The Marksman can hit a standard 12 ounce pop can 9 out of 10 times from 33 feet. They love to cut cans. The mechanical side of slingshooting begins to wane. Countless hours of practice have honed a draw capable of tapping the universal dynamic. Their release is nuanced. Confidence is high.

Master

The Master can hit the top of a pop can 9 out of 10 times from 33 feet, routinely. This is a minimum, as many can go much smaller. Match heads, playing card edges, strings, unlucky insects- all fall prey to the expert stroke of the Master. They can hit their mark with any of varying forks, ammos, or band/tube orientations. Some say oneness with latex isn't something learned, but something bestowed... In either case, achieving zenophasic polarity with an elastomer should be revered- it is the pinnacle of our hobby.

Monk

The Monk dedicates his life to the slingshot. Enough said... :screwy:


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## tangolima (Mar 2, 2020)

I can hit a 3" target at 10yd 8 out of 10. I put a 6" target (an inverted plastic plant pot) out 25yd. The hit rate drops to 2 out of 10.

Slingshot projectile moves slowly and loses speed rather fast along its flight path. It becomes quite sensitive to initial speed variation and wind beyond certain range. That range is depending on a few factors. It is about 10 to 15yd the way I shoot. The point is that the group size opens up pretty quickly when it goes beyond 20yd. I did try 50yd. It was rather hopeless to say the least.

-TL

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk


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## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

Right now "this morning" I'm in a can hit area of 2 to 3+ times with 10 shots at 20 yards.

Upon shooting I probably had 4 or 5 shots in a row that were just to the right that you could have covered with the bottom of that soup can. Well I adjusted my anchoring point to where it should have been, bottom of earlobe on the cheek, "NOT OFF THE CHEEK" and I started to ring the can.

I shot pretty seriously today and really tried to concentrate on my "everything" and it does work.----- every little thing is important
That's why I just started saying "American Hot Rod Association"

For me the letters stand for
*A*nchor
*H*old
*R*elease
*A*im

It may sound stupid, but it keeps my head in the game 

I later changed to my BB shooter and shot well. The BB's are flying as fast if not faster than any of my hunting set ups and all have pretty much the same fork gap, so anchoring point can stay the same. Of course I shake more and the recoil is different, but things stay pretty much the same. (Except for when I shoot my F-16's as they have a wider gap).

I then changed to my Cheapo with the thick walled 1/4"od single tubes... it has the same trajectory as my shooters using 3/16"od single tubes and 5/16"od ammo (my BB shooters). The 1/4"od shot great was relatively easy pulling and shot like I mentioned at the same speed as what I was shooting before. I'm pleased with these as an easy pulling tube for 3/8" ammo

Changed to looped Kent #303's and they were a workout, shot a bit faster than the single 1/4od tube but at a cost of lots of strength to pull those tubes back, it was a bit of a workout and OK for 3/8" steel, but after doing all the shooting I'm doing, marbles, 7/16" steel or maybe 1/2" steel would probably be more energy efficient ? Accurately was good, I just need to get my muscles in shape, these is not target tubes for sure 

After that I shot one of my Chinese slings with my Simpleshot pre cut bands (22mm x 18mm x .7mm ---- cut down to 6.75" active length), boy does it send them. I was using less pulling force than the 1/4od, but it was sending them at a noticeably faster clip. These bands are a joy to pull back. I was smacking the can all over and aiming was very easy same as everything else I shot today, my misses were small and hits solid. I'm thinking on a really good and fast band, eye attachment method ..... it may be an over/under the eye and a fast elastic tie ????? You guys that do it let me know ????

Very, very productive day, my accuracy was very good for me.

If I keep at it someday I hope be be as good as most of you guys are on this forum.

wll


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## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

KawKan said:


> A soup can - if it's the size of a classic Campbell's can - is a small target at 20 yards.
> 
> For 10 shots, 3 hits is good, 5 hits is very good, and anything above that should put you in the top 5 in a U.S. competition.


I would honestly say that 2 to 3 hits for 10 shots from 20 yards on a good day right now is doable (most of my misses are not more than 2-3 inches away), so for me I think I'm in the zone. I hit three today in a row, but I have never shot like that before in my life. If I keep at it as serious as I am now I think I could be in the 4 to 4+ hits zone and that would be great I think for me.

wll


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