# Help poor ol' Sarge



## Sarge (Dec 18, 2009)

Well, I've had a **** of time. I just can't get the hang of shooting these little low forked slingshots. I broke the right fork on my Flatband ergo then today I was trying to shoot my new Smitty's hunter and broke the right fork on it for the second time. I broke it yesterday and fixed it with a little dowel rod and gorilla glue and damned if I didn't break it again today. I fixed my Flatband ergo in the same way and so far have not broke it again yet. I've looked in the mirror and tried different holds, but not luck. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I have one that baumstamm made that I shoot real well without any problem, but I don't know what the difference is.


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## NightKnight (Dec 16, 2009)

I dont understand how they are getting broken? What are you doing when they break?


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## Tex-Shooter (Dec 17, 2009)

I assume that the Baumstamm has a wider opening, but you still should not be breaking the forks. Maybe you are moving the fork up or down at release to see the shot go! Tex


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## Flatband (Dec 18, 2009)

Hi Sarge,
Next time you do some shooting,when you release the shot,flip your frame holding hand( wrist-not arm) downward. It will take some time getting used to but it will do three things:

The bands will wear slightly better.

None or very little "Knuckle Knock".

The threat of a prong hit is just about eliminated.

Give it a try Bud. Flatband


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## pelleteer (Dec 19, 2009)

On slingies with smaller openings in the fork you have to make sure they are held straight, without one prong or the other being closer to you at full draw. I've had real problems with this, so I've adopted a technique where when I get to full draw I push the fork out away from me slightly just before I release. This way the pouch flies well over the top of the fork. It's worked wonders. Forgive the crude drawings below, but I think it makes it clear. Of course, I shoot with the slingy horizontal, but it works out the same. Top drawing shows fork at 90 degress to shooter's arm, bottom shows slight push forward that I'm talking about.


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## pelleteer (Dec 19, 2009)

Well, Flatband sorta beat me to it, but the method I was just talknig about seems to help me "flip" the fork out of the way, so it's kinda the same idea (I think







).


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## Flatband (Dec 18, 2009)

That's the idea Pelleteer! You nailed it in the picture. You don't need a drastic flip forward Sarge, just a little tilt downward right as you release. Flatband


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## Sarge (Dec 18, 2009)

Thanks everybody. I'll give that a try.


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## pelleteer (Dec 19, 2009)

Sarge said:


> Thanks everybody. I'll give that a try.


Hope it works out for you, sarge. I first tried this on a nice little natural fork I made. There's only about one and 7/8 inches between the prongs, and I was hitting them every few shots. WHen I got the hang of this method I haven't hit them since. Works with a small boardcut of similar dimensions I'm experimenting with too.


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## JoergS (Dec 17, 2009)

Sarge, the rotating handle slingshots that both Bunnybuster and myself have made may solve your problem.

Fork hits are a typical result of a canted grip, where one fork arm is closer to the shooter than the other one. Sometimes this canting happens after the release, just an involuntary rotation of the wrist, fast enough so the ball hits the fork. This is very noticeable on small fork slingshots. BTW that is why Baumstamm uses wider forks exclusively now - he also has broken several of his slingshots due to fork hits.

A rotating handle slingshot can not be canted, it will self center. You may wanna give it a try.

Jörg


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## Sarge (Dec 18, 2009)

Thanks Joerg, I would certainly like to try one. Who sells them? I didn't see one on the Bunnybuster site last time I looked.


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## statikpunk (Dec 24, 2009)

peleteer got it right I actually tilt my slingshot a little forward before my shot and it just promotes a good follow through, and I think it gives a better line of sight for shooting (effectively it is lowering your fork height) you may also want to try shooting lighter bands, the only time i have ever hit my forks was when I tried to shoot too strong of bands for me, and since i hold my frames with my thumb and index finger i hit my finger!! youch! i couldnt even hold a slingshot for a week. fast slingshots are nice but even light ones have enough power to hunt small game with, and you will shoot them much better.

but like peleteer said if you use the flip style you will not even come close to hitting your frames....I can hold a single piece of rubber in my hand with a pouch tied to a string and tied to the end, and use my thumb sticking up as the "frame" and not hit my thumb if I use the flip style.

oh and I also know that wingshooter made a rotating fork slingshot at one time.


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## baumstamm (Jan 16, 2010)

canting, strong rubber and long draw length with big amo. here the caty from my coconut hunting vid. http://www.youtube.c...u/7/NqzPjNDEzoE  after my 3rd shot i got a forkhit with .52 leadball. the fork kracked in the middl!
this is the caty from this how to build a slingshot vid. 
http://www.youtube.c...u/0/yWRyOHI4MaA she killed it with a .45 steelball.
here a milbro style caty i´ve built from bubinga as a gift for jörg, i killed it with the first shot! since my last forkhit, i only shoot catys with wider fork spread!


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## pelleteer (Dec 19, 2009)

Sarge, I just recalled that Joerg did a good vid of the "flip" style of shooting. THis is exactly what I was talking about above (in fact, I believe this is where I got the idea in the first place).









Flipstyle Video

You'll notice Joerg's catty in this vid has NO forks at all!


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## Flatband (Dec 18, 2009)

Hi Sarge,
I'll give you the link to Tom's site. Give him a ring. I'm sure he'll make you up one of his fine Rotating fork slingshots. It might be the way to go. I don't want to post his e-mail without his permission,so I'll just post the site link. Flatband









http://www.bunnybuster.com/


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## Sarge (Dec 18, 2009)

Thanks Flatband. I may do that depending on the cost.


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## Sarge (Dec 18, 2009)

Hey baumstamm, I feel a little better now knowing that you have also popped the fork a couple of times. Maybe there's hope for me yet.


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## Tex-Shooter (Dec 17, 2009)

Flip style will help as long as you don't try a shot size too heavy for the band pull weight. If you do, the shot can hang in the pouch and swing right back around to you. I have a buddy that has shot him self several times doing this. The last time was in is rib cage and it made a black spot about 3 inches in diameter and was bleeding in the middle of it. Ouch!!!!














Most flip shooters shoot heavy bands. Tex


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## baumstamm (Jan 16, 2010)

Tex-Shooter said:


> Flip style will help as long as you don't try a shot size too heavy for the band pull weight. If you do, the shot can hang in the pouch and swing right back around to you. I have a buddy that has shot him self several times doing this. The last time was in is rib cage and it made a black spot about 3 inches in diameter and was bleeding in the middle of it. Ouch!!!!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


after 30 years of slingshooting, last week was the first time by me, that the shot hang in the pouch, and swing back to my thumb!
it hurts a lot, i hasn´t do flipstyle nore weak bands, maybe the pouch was to big, but i didnt think so. but what i noticeced was that the shot didnt releas clean. maybe it was the pouch lether, it also was a new kind of rubber, don´t know?


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## Thwupp-p-p (Jan 17, 2010)

Tex-Shooter said:


> Flip style will help as long as you don't try a shot size too heavy for the band pull weight. If you do, the shot can hang in the pouch and swing right back around to you. I have a buddy that has shot him self several times doing this. The last time was in is rib cage and it made a black spot about 3 inches in diameter and was bleeding in the middle of it. Ouch!!!!
> 
> 
> 
> ...












Thanks for posting this possible issue, Tex-Shooter! Most of the time I'm using real lite-drawing bands!


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## baumstamm (Jan 16, 2010)

Sarge said:


> Hey baumstamm, I feel a little better now knowing that you have also popped the fork a couple of times. Maybe there's hope for me yet.


only hope are rotating forks ore wider forks. so if u don´t like this space age look, a wider fork is the solution. i´ve done many experiments what is best, i think the minimum is the size i´ve sent u. but if u cracked on of flatbands fork, u neat a wider forkspread!

forkhits are very dangerous if u use real wood. sometimes u didn´t notice the crack! 

the prong flow in direktion of the target, not in my, so i have had luck! on layered wood, this dosn´t happend, so i prefere layered wood for strong catys.

this prong fall out when sanding, not using any force, bevore the first shot! after this experience i´ve understood much more about wood.


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## Sarge (Dec 18, 2009)

That's probably what will happen to me next. I think I'll change my user name to Black Cloud.


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## smitty (Dec 17, 2009)

Hey Sarge, I'm going to send you a pretty decent 12-ply flat-band slingshot with a fork spread of two and three quarters at the narrowest part. It's a prototype Of a target shooter I've been working on. This one, being made out of laminated wood should get you through the black cloud era. I will put it in the mail on Tuesday morning, Jan. 26th. I'm also including an oak slingshot that has a wider and longer fork for flats also. The pouch ain't too great on it , but you can change it out when you get tired of it.


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## Sarge (Dec 18, 2009)

Well, thanks Smitty. That's very generous of you.


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## bunnybuster (Dec 26, 2009)

Sarge said:


> Thanks Joerg, I would certainly like to try one. Who sells them? I didn't see one on the Bunnybuster site last time I looked.


Sarge,
I can make you a rotating fork slingshot...similar to this one.
the handle is wood, and the forks are steel. With this design, you can shoot about anything you want through it, and never hit a fork.
Tom
aka. bunnybuster


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## Sarge (Dec 18, 2009)

Thanks Tom, I sent you a pm.


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