# Just how far do you shoot ?



## dgui

What is a good practical shooting distance for you? What distance is a real working distance for a slingshot with a good set of bands that will give plenty of shots? My idea of plinking targeting or general shooting is about 23 to no more than 50 feet at the most. It is my opinion that this is a good reasonable and still effective distance to shoot with any ammo and all tubes and bands can get it there. Beyond this range Im not certain what purpose it serves. But, I would like to know what everyones opinion on this subject is. And if you want to hit something at say 300 feet please tell me why.


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## tubeman

Personally, I am happy to hit the base of a beer can at 30 feet, on a regular basis. Shooting at 300 feet requires a .223 IMHO


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## Dayhiker

I shoot most often at either 10 yards or 15 yards, but I do try and be accurate out to 20. At one hundred yards, I don't think I could see a soda can or a rabbit.


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## Charles

As a lad, I used a slingshot to heard cattle and hogs ... everything was on pasture in those days. If a cow or a pig did not want to be moved and got down into thick brush, I would give it a twack with a slingshot to get it moving. If an animal tried to break away from the group and head back from whence it came, my trusty slingshot convinced it that such maneuvers were unwise. I was reasonably effective out to about 75 yards or so. I did take the occasional shot further than that but was not sure of hitting my target.

My Granny always had a bull to breed her cows. That bull could be quite ornery. Granny could move him by just walking up to him with a switch and giving him a swat across the nose. When I tried that, he would lower his head, paw the ground, and charge ... sending me scrambling over the nearest fence. It was humiliating. After a few such encounters, I got out my sling shot and from the safety of a fence about 50 yards away, I proceeded to thwack his ball sack, which hung well down between his hind legs. After a couple of sessions of that, the old boy came to respect me and the slingshot ... I think maybe his bellow was a bit higher pitched after that ...









Of course these days, I figure I am lucky to hit a tin can at 10 meters. But I am practising now, and hope to do a bit of hunting. I would say for taking small game, 20 meters would be a maximum for me ... and if I hit anything at 20 meters, I would consider it more luck than anything else.

Cheers .... Charles


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## bullseyeben!

It's not too often I get the chance to get out into the wide open and shoot great distances as I live in the suburbs, so I generally shoot at about 20 metres or 60 feet. But having said that, I had a blast last time went camping as found a huge gum tree that was getting 9mm lead lodged deep into it from prob more than 80 metres away, the best part was the brief silence between the release of the shot, and the crack of the impact that echoed back...


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## shooter452

I'm fairly proficient to 25 yards but I would love to double that. WHY? Because I think it's cool. No other reason is needed. I re-started shooting slingshots as a means to gather game and though I don't do it much I would keep all my shots to less than 20 yards and preferably much less.


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## justplainduke

Everything that I would need to hunt with a slingshot is within 30 ft. If not I'll just stealthfully move closer. For me it's more of a challenge that way. 
When it comes to practice; I shoot at 25-30 feet. My indoor range is 25 ft. Though to make it challenging I use small targets such as hanging playing cards, poker chips and tongue depressors, depending on how confident I feel on that particular day, i can choose a smaller or larger target. 
In my humble opinion you do not need to be a long distance from your prey, because here in Washington USA the rabbits and squirrels don't attack or shoot back.


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## philly

For me, hunting 20 yards max better within 15 yards. I guess from all my hunting for birds and Squizzers I seem to shoot better when shooting up. I do like to practice out to 25 yards on a regular basis with some 40 yard hubcap shooting for fun. When I get together with the Long Island crew we regularly shoot at 11 meters and 25 meters to simulate the ECST format with 40 yard gong shooting and longer for fun. When woods plinking I will shoot at all ranges just to see if I can hit a pine cone or stump.
Philly


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## NaturalFork

I have been practicing at 10 meters. However I often shoot at 50 + yards. I dont hunt ... i have fun with slingshots. I am by no means a marksman yet. But I like to have fun at all distances.


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## M.J

When I shoot at my catchbox I usually stand at about 35' but I like to practice at 25yds 1. because I think it's fun to hit things from that distance 2. because there's a target at the ECST at that distance.
When I chase cans I can't seem to hit them at more than 30 yards (thirty big steps, actually. I don't carry my long tape measure around with me







). But then again it's usually dark and I'm shooting by headlights.


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## As8MaN

i shoot at 3-5 meter distances most of the time..

Im not sure how many meters is 300 feet,, but i do have a an aswer for u, dgui: If i can shoot well from 300 feet distance, 40-100 feet distance will be a joke for me since i will be so accurate..

And if ur asking me, the longer u can shoot,, the better!... It never harms u..


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## Bill Hays

I practice from a variety of distances... everything from about 35' to 175'. I also use a variety of ammo sizes and weights.... but my most common distance to shoot from is around 50' and the most common target from that distance is bicycle brand playing card edges. 
Also in our area giant "velvet ants", a type of wingless wasp, make absolutely great targets for focus as well... you simply shoot at them while they're on the move using 7/16" marbles and light bands.
Makes shooting small game at a lot of different distances fairly easy.


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## bullseyeben!

As8MaN said:


> i shoot at 3-5 meter distances most of the time..
> 
> Im not sure how many meters is 300 feet,, but i do have a an aswer for u, dgui: If i can shoot well from 300 feet distance, 40-100 feet distance will be a joke for me since i will be so accurate..
> 
> And if ur asking me, the longer u can shoot,, the better!... It never harms u..


300ft is roughly 100 yrds...


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## BCLuxor

comfortable shooting distance for me is about 60ft I the shot to be travelling.before it impacts , as a rule generally ill shoot any quarry at any range up to about 100ft , the closer the better though .


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## shot in the foot

I practice at 20yards, but hunt at 10 to 15 yards, jeff


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## hawk2009

Target shoot in the back garden usually at 33ft as most competitions shoot from this distance, can go to 50ft but have to stand on the pavement that's why I shoot small targets like the matchstick head,when I walk the dog down the river I shoot long distance 150- 350ft usually to shoot close to moorhens and ducks just to scare them.


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## Gwilym

I would love to hit something consistently at 300 ft just because I think its fun to hit something from such range with such a basic weapon. I love torstens vids and I think in some he shoots from more than 100meters.


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## dgui

I may try a 100 foot and a 200 foot shot and then I will end the long distance shootng and the results will be on video. It would be interesting to crony how fast the shots are when they reach 100 and 200 feet, it has to slow way way down so I dont see the point of shooting that far and it being ineffective.


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## whipcrackdeadbunny

Most of my shots are 25-50' when hunting, but at home I practice 25' with small 1" targets now, and every now and again I like to test myself with longer ranges; it definately makes me a better shooter.


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## BCLuxor

definatly agree with the shot slowing down , I shoot at 33, 60 and 170 ft respectively using pine floor board offcuts as my targets. the 33ft board has deep impacts and splits first , the 170ft board just has small impact "bruises" and I rarely change this one over. I would estimate up to 50% of the impact is lost at this distance.


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## John McKean

I discovered when shooting out from the beach at Lake Erie that I could hit the lake everytime at 100-150' !! And ,as to animals I wouldn't want to be around Charles because his choice of target still has me cringing in pain just at the thought!!


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## shooter452

For me......it's not so much about retained power as much as it is about the satisfaction of hearing a hit. If I can knock a gallon jug or can off a berm at 50 yards that is cool to me.

To get more power at longer ranges your into the bigger ammo and heavier bands which is also very cool.


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## Wingshooter

It is fifty feet from our back wall to my catch box. I shoot anywhere from 15 feet to 50 feet but I never shoot from the same place twice if I can help it. I have been practicing the one spot one shot for a while and it is a challenge. If I do stand in the same spot and shoot more than once it is to get back in form. Sometimes I get sloppy and it shows in a hurry. When I go out stump shooting I will shoot at anything that catches my eye. I never know the distance but sometimes I make a great shot and man is it a kick.


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## dgui

Charles is no Prince, I mean punishing that poor ol Bulls Pouch like that.


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## Northerner

Winter - 28' in my basment
Summer - 10-20 yards in backyard, or 20+ yards in the country

My connections on cans at 30-50 yards are not very good but the challenge is enjoyable. Philly had a great idea with the hubcap at 40 yards. I'll have to dig one up!

Cheers,
Northerner


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## gamekeeper john

good topic to start dgui, when hunting i wont shoot at anythink more than 50ft and will only use double tbg and 12mm lead, and most of the time when target shooting i try to keep it with in 50ft, and i agree thers not much point in shooting at things further away, BUT......... I get more fun out of attempting 100ft card cuts and 200ft can shots than i do at shooting at 33ft all the time, its amazing how easy it it to hit cans consistent at 33ft when you have been shooting them at 100ft+ i to would like to see how fast ammo is traveling at 100ft, i will take my chrony out tomorrow and try and get it done, thanks john


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## Charles

dgui said:


> Charles is no Prince, I mean punishing that poor ol Bulls Pouch like that.


If you could have seen that old boy pawing the ground, heard him bellowing, and seen how fast he charged, you would have been more worried about MY equipment ...
































Cheers ...... Charles


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## dgui

Charles you just made me drop my samich I laughed so hard .


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## Imperial

im excellent at shooting myself in the foot. ive never really thought about the distance, i tend to just sling for the fun and hobby of it. but i gotta admit, it sure does feel good when you can hit a target at a good 4o+ feet away.


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## Hagencopen

Charles said:


> As a lad, I used a slingshot to heard cattle and hogs ... everything was on pasture in those days. If a cow or a pig did not want to be moved and got down into thick brush, I would give it a twack with a slingshot to get it moving. If an animal tried to break away from the group and head back from whence it came, my trusty slingshot convinced it that such maneuvers were unwise. I was reasonably effective out to about 75 yards or so. I did take the occasional shot further than that but was not sure of hitting my target.
> 
> My Granny always had a bull to breed her cows. That bull could be quite ornery. Granny could move him by just walking up to him with a switch and giving him a swat across the nose. When I tried that, he would lower his head, paw the ground, and charge ... sending me scrambling over the nearest fence. It was humiliating. After a few such encounters, I got out my sling shot and from the safety of a fence about 50 yards away, I proceeded to thwack his ball sack, which hung well down between his hind legs. After a couple of sessions of that, the old boy came to respect me and the slingshot ... I think maybe his bellow was a bit higher pitched after that ...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Of course these days, I figure I am lucky to hit a tin can at 10 meters. But I am practising now, and hope to do a bit of hunting. I would say for taking small game, 20 meters would be a maximum for me ... and if I hit anything at 20 meters, I would consider it more luck than anything else.
> 
> Cheers .... Charles


This was a good laugh!


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## bullseyeben!

gamekeeper john said:


> good topic to start dgui, when hunting i wont shoot at anythink more than 50ft and will only use double tbg and 12mm lead, and most of the time when target shooting i try to keep it with in 50ft, and i agree thers not much point in shooting at things further away, BUT......... I get more fun out of attempting 100ft card cuts and 200ft can shots than i do at shooting at 33ft all the time, its amazing how easy it it to hit cans consistent at 33ft when you have been shooting them at 100ft+ i to would like to see how fast ammo is traveling at 100ft, i will take my chrony out tomorrow and try and get it done, thanks john


yea watched ya hunting, trick shot vid when I was on the throne earlier lol too much info.. good shooting mate.. As young lad I always could shoot at farther targets, more space, and do still enjoy the added challenge of having to judge the upward angle and strength of draw needed to make distance.. is satisfying...


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## Bob Fionda

I like to start shooting 25/30 ammos (10-12 mm.) from 10 metres (about 33 ft) to tune in, then I move to 15 metres till 20 (50 - 66 ft.) and I feel good if I still get a pack of 10 cigarettes or a Bic lighter. I don't hunt and shoot only for fun. Sometimes I also like to shoot from long distances, 30- 40 metres ( 100-133 ft.) to a small archery target or to a cola can. However I think that 20 metres is a good chanche and rather I get smaller targets as coins, corks or whatsoever.


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## dgui

gamekeeper john said:


> good topic to start dgui, when hunting i wont shoot at anythink more than 50ft and will only use double tbg and 12mm lead, and most of the time when target shooting i try to keep it with in 50ft, and i agree thers not much point in shooting at things further away, BUT......... I get more fun out of attempting 100ft card cuts and 200ft can shots than i do at shooting at 33ft all the time, its amazing how easy it it to hit cans consistent at 33ft when you have been shooting them at 100ft+ i to would like to see how fast ammo is traveling at 100ft, i will take my chrony out tomorrow and try and get it done, thanks john


That is super, I'm certain the speed drops dramatically but I have no proof. 50 feet sounds sound reasonable and at that distance it is not likely to shoot the legg off of a bird or hurnt an animal so that it suffers till it dies. Mercy is as mercy does.


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## stinger

I practice at 22' (my butt against garage doors) inside. Outside, mostly at 10 meters. Hunting I need to be close, 30' and in. I have the full length of the driveway to practice, so for fun I walk out to approx. 100' when I'm hot I can hit a soup can at 100'. Why? Cause we can! Why? Cause it's fun! Why? Cause my friend TSM already has a badge and I gotta catch up!! That ding of the can is awesome at any distance, but the longer the time between release and ding ups the cool factor for sure!


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## wll

I know this is an old thread, but where I live in the desert, a less then 15yd shot rarely presents itself, most of the shooting is done 25-40yds. The area is wide open and ANY living thing that sees you stays away. Most pest birds won't land anywhere close to you. Sometimes the ground squirrels will stay in that 25-40yd range as you get off a few shots just because the sling does not make any noise.

Where I live the slingshot hunting is tough !

wll


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## zippo

Most of my shooting is 15-20 meters but when im in the right mood i go for 30+..


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## crazymike

*I like shooting unknown distance 0 to 30 yards at beer cans. known 11 yards 25 yard 40 yards 70 yards for ECST practice. The real fun is shooting in a calm lake or river 100 200 300 yards. The water has to be calm to see the hit you can impress yourself and hit stuff floating in the water in just a very short time of shooting. I also like shooting off of train bridges into the water shooting as far as I can its so much fun give it a try, dont forget the cold beer. I do not hunt with a slingshot.*


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## joeboken

I have a question for those of you that consistently shoot long distances. Do you find that you go through bands a lot faster than if you consistently shot at closer targets? I have a feeling the answer is yes?


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## Pebble Shooter

I shoot mostly at 10 yards, as this is where the ammo trajectory remains relatively flat with various ammo sizes, with the smallest ammo sizes being best in this respect. It's also a question of safety with regard to neighbors, and ensuring that all failed shots make it into the catch box.

Already at 15 yards, the point of impact (POI) changes quite significantly, but the challenge is still fun to try. Anything beyond that distance becomes rather hard to judge, albeit not impossible in spite of the "rainbow" type trajectory that develops.

Not that I have ever tried this, but having two wooden poles with marked lines placed either side of the slingshot shooter to serve as a vertical reference, with a connecting string and a centrally suspended section of string that serves as a horizontal reference (see diagram) would provide an "aiming guide" of sorts for shots out to 100 yards or beyond.

It should work. After all, good quality steel slingshot ammo does fly in the desired direction after the pouch is released, assuming that everything works correctly, including shooting technique i.e. it's not like a non-rifled barrel of a gun.

Not that this suggestion is of any practical use, but it could be quite challenging when taking other aspects such as wind drift into consideration. Maybe food for thought for a new type of competitive shooting?


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## Soske

At my backyard range 20 yards is my standard practicing range.best thing to do is go out for a walk in the woods pick targets of opportunity stumps and rocks and such. Learn to shoot at differing ranges. Also it will show you at what ranges you are comfortable with


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## Soske

If your really interested in slingshot as a practical tool. Go for a walk in nature and scope out the birds and squirrels and other small animals you encounter. How far away are they? How close can you get before they fly/run away? That is the practical range you need to learn to shoot at. Anything else is just target shooting for the sake of target shooting


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## Reed Lukens

I shoot all distances upto the maximum range of the slingshot, which I'm guessing to be around 500 yards. From up at our camp in the summer, I have a sitting and shooting spot about 50 feet above the river that let's me see down river maybe 1000 yards. In order to shoot maximum range, first you have to shoot a hole in the tree canopy, then you're holding your slingshot at 40° or there abouts, while pulling your bands to maximum length. We dam up the river at the end of the 150 yard long swimming pool that we made and with the right slingshot, you can splash water up on the rocks at the far end of the pool. You shoot and count to 5 while watching the pool. Different band sets may only get to a few hundred yards. Then I shoot 5/8" marbles with the heavy bands and try for the perfect shot, which starts with the right angle for distance being around 40°. (At 45° it just doesn't go quite as far usually.) And I try to hit as close to the rock as possible for the biggest splash. A shot that hits the rock can't be seen generally. The public has been using this swimming hole for many years now, we stacked boulders for people to lay out on, created jumping rocks and everything. Most people think its natural, but for years when gold dredging, we did our best to create the ultimate swimming hole  I use marbles for ammo there mostly because of the children, the look on their face when they come up with a marble is priceless 
It has always been my favorite way to shoot


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## Winnie

Charles, I am not going to worry about your equipment. Bellow all you want.

10-20 meters.


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## Hoss

Sent from my SM-T380 using Tapatalk


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## Hoss

Reed Lukens said:


> I shoot all distances upto the maximum range of the slingshot, which I'm guessing to be around 500 yards. From up at our camp in the summer, I have a sitting and shooting spot about 50 feet above the river that let's me see down river maybe 1000 yards. In order to shoot maximum range, first you have to shoot a hole in the tree canopy, then you're holding your slingshot at 40° or there abouts, while pulling your bands to maximum length. We dam up the river at the end of the 150 yard long swimming pool that we made and with the right slingshot, you can splash water up on the rocks at the far end of the pool. You shoot and count to 5 while watching the pool. Different band sets may only get to a few hundred yards. Then I shoot 5/8" marbles with the heavy bands and try for the perfect shot, which starts with the right angle for distance being around 40°. (At 45° it just doesn't go quite as far usually.) And I try to hit as close to the rock as possible for the biggest splash. A shot that hits the rock can't be seen generally. The public has been using this swimming hole for many years now, we stacked boulders for people to lay out on, created jumping rocks and everything. Most people think its natural, but for years when gold dredging, we did our best to create the ultimate swimming hole  I use marbles for ammo there mostly because of the children, the look on their face when they come up with a marble is priceless
> It has always been my favorite way to shoot
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Nice looking dredge, my wife and I also are gold prospectors, we own a dredge and two high bankers, lots of fun.

Sent from my SM-T380 using Tapatalk


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## Slide-Easy

I shoot daily and repeatedly, again and again at 35-40 yards from an elevation.


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