# Don't be afraid to shoot large ammo with a pickle fork shooter



## slingshot_sniper (Feb 20, 2011)

Hope it can help some


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## dgui (Jan 12, 2010)

Excellent Tutorial on How To Shoot the PFS or any slingshot, in my opinion. You take out the fear of hand or fork hits. Everytime I watch one of your videos I get encouraged. This is the Best Tutorial I have yet to see with any Hot To Shoot a slingshot to date. Simple clear instructions, thats what I like. You must be approaching the level of a Super Shooter.


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## shooter452 (Nov 6, 2010)

Thanks for the video! I have a question for both of you.......Where is your anchor point if you even use one? I went through a painfull learning curve trying to shoot a pfs and bareback etc. With some patience from Dgui and experimenting on my own once he gave me the secreat to practicing wihout pain (use softer ammo such as tin foil rolled up). I still can't use my standard (aiming) anchor point along the side of my face (my ear) without occasional fork/hand hits. However....if I pull to anywhere near the center of my body (from bellie to chin) there is no chance of hitting the fork or hand and I feel very safe shooting anything at any power level that way. I just pull back to my chin for some sort of consitancy. Doing this...I've given up on aiming the pfs or bareback and have decent results to 15' but to this point no further. The disadvantage of this for me is a short draw lengh if going to the center of the body. Does this ring any bells for you guys? I haven't seen in either of your videos where you can see where the pouch ends up in relation to your body. The point of this post is to hear/see what the experts think about the back end of the pull? Even in old Rufus's videos (and I know he says only the front end matters) it appears to me that he pulled to a point on his chest.


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## dgui (Jan 12, 2010)

Hello 452, An anchor point is of no benefit for me so I never use one. Have you seen the video where pouch tweaking is shown? I primarily shoot Butterfly so when I am pulling back where I stop is the power I require for the shot so a designated repetitive anchor point makes no rationality because my targets are nearly always at different distances. So when I pull the pouch back it is being turned so that my thumb nail is facing the ground and I am pushing upward with my thumb and this provides a measure of upward momentum for the pouch to clear the hand, finger, forks. I am by no means declairing anchor points should not be used. We are all different so our requirments are different. I at one time used anchor points but I was pausing too long while doing this and for me it causes me to miss most of the time. But for me having a more one motion shot causes me to get more hits and I figure there is a brief moment when everything is more in the direction for a hit so I don't generally take too long to release the pouch. So when the pouch feels lined up with the target I attempt to let go at that exact moment and try to resist hesitating. Tweak your pouch upward.


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## shooter452 (Nov 6, 2010)

Yeah.... I tweak the pouch. My hands hurt just thinking of the pain if I didn't tweak the pouch. Because I'm going to the center of my body I'm tweaking in I assume what is your "old style", meaning thumb up. Even with the tweak I would get some hand or fork hits when I get the "anchor" for lack of a better word outside of my torso. I've tried the thumb down tweak but with pulling to the center of body this is akward. I guess I'm still missing something because I really am limited to a soft shooting center of the body style shot or the fork hits are still a possibility?

I do practice this (not every time I shoot) and am enjoying the instinctive shooting and the improving results. I just don't want to get too far down the wrong road and develop bad habbits. I also hope this conversation helps others trying to understand and shoot the "minimalist" or Dgui style. I'm an aimer by nature and don't intend to change that but I believe to be the best shooter I can be I need to be proficient in many styles of shooting......and it's just a plain FUN way to shoot.

Thanks for the response.


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## slingshot_sniper (Feb 20, 2011)

I'm still trying to figure out how best to explain how I shoot,so far I don't have an anchor point I pull back past my head and shoot,kinda like out stretch your arm and bend back at the elbow I make sure the plane through pouch bands PF are kept the same BTW I stand side on whichever slingshot I use









I bet that made a right load of nonsense to read?


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## dgui (Jan 12, 2010)

shooter452 said:


> Yeah.... I tweak the pouch. My hands hurt just thinking of the pain if I didn't tweak the pouch. Because I'm going to the center of my body I'm tweaking in I assume what is your "old style", meaning thumb up. Even with the tweak I would get some hand or fork hits when I get the "anchor" for lack of a better word outside of my torso. I've tried the thumb down tweak but with pulling to the center of body this is akward. I guess I'm still missing something because I really am limited to a soft shooting center of the body style shot or the fork hits are still a possibility?
> 
> I do practice this (not every time I shoot) and am enjoying the instinctive shooting and the improving results. I just don't want to get too far down the wrong road and develop bad habbits. I also hope this conversation helps others trying to understand and shoot the "minimalist" or Dgui style. I'm an aimer by nature and don't intend to change that but I believe to be the best shooter I can be I need to be proficient in many styles of shooting......and it's just a plain FUN way to shoot.
> 
> Thanks for the response.


If I understood correctly maby this will help:


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## philly (Jun 13, 2010)

Good videos guys, I have been shooting today with 3/8" steel, my biggest so far with no fork hits. I changed my bands from the exercise bands to Tex single Express bands and using my nornall anchor, under my right eye, about 27" draw and am doing well. Tommorow I will give 1/2" steel a try. I am getting more confident every day.I regularly shoot 1/2' steel and .457 Lead from my standard forks without a problem. Thanks for the tips.

Your a brave man SS shooting so close to that window.























Philly


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## shooter452 (Nov 6, 2010)

[quote name='dgui' timestamp='1310083650' post='91967']
[quote name='shooter452'

oops....double post.


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## shooter452 (Nov 6, 2010)

shooter452 said:


> Yeah.... I tweak the pouch. My hands hurt just thinking of the pain if I didn't tweak the pouch. Because I'm going to the center of my body I'm tweaking in I assume what is your "old style", meaning thumb up. Even with the tweak I would get some hand or fork hits when I get the "anchor" for lack of a better word outside of my torso. I've tried the thumb down tweak but with pulling to the center of body this is akward. I guess I'm still missing something because I really am limited to a soft shooting center of the body style shot or the fork hits are still a possibility?
> 
> I do practice this (not every time I shoot) and am enjoying the instinctive shooting and the improving results. I just don't want to get too far down the wrong road and develop bad habbits. I also hope this conversation helps others trying to understand and shoot the "minimalist" or Dgui style. I'm an aimer by nature and don't intend to change that but I believe to be the best shooter I can be I need to be proficient in many styles of shooting......and it's just a plain FUN way to shoot.
> 
> Thanks for the response.


If I understood correctly maby this will help: 




[/quote]

Yes...that video shows how I shoot (the thumb UP way) when shooting instinctive. I'm getting decent accuracy with that method and it is 100% Safe with any ammo. What I'm missing is how not to draw to the center and still be safe. It may not be that important as my comfort level has risen to a point where I may not want to mess with changing it. Then again....when I see a video like the"single band shooter" it makes me want to shoot from outside of my center again. Thanks for taking the time to video this. You are a great inspiration.
[/quote]


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## mckee (Oct 28, 2010)

where did u gett the 20mm steel?


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## slingshot_sniper (Feb 20, 2011)

philly said:


> Your a brave man SS shooting so close to that window.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Not so brave as there's no glass in them









I'm kidding..seriously I have faith in my shooting....at least for now


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## ZorroSlinger (Dec 12, 2012)

I get more fork hits & fliers with 'Thumbs Down' power draw. Easier for me with PFS using 'Thumbs Up' (the soft draw) as the drawing/pulling action is towards CENTER of torso/chest and the fork-to-drawn bands/tubes are in straight alignment. With thumbs down, the more powerful draw, I'm drawing 'outside' the body to the side and since there is virtually no visible forks extending beyond the pfs grip hand, seems like less forgiving in getting straight parallel alignment of bands to forks. As I said, I can get more random fork hits with thumbs down. With a bigger slingshot that has more slingshot mass & forks extending beyond hand grip, easier to draw & aim outside body like most all shooters do, shooting from side. Other videos I've seen of PF shooters, they're using doing thumbs up soft draw method, which I can understand because it's easier to get more consistency with thumbs up, it seems.

This video of PFS Jedi Dgui  of 2 years ago, is the clearest view of him doing doing 'thumbs down' power draw and a somewhat anchor point near his ear. But look at his left hand gripping pfs, it's almost invisible in his hand, almost like shooting bareback! Cannot tell if he is shooting straight-on parallel to targets, or he is shooting at slight parallax angle to target. D--n, he makes it look so easy but it is not!


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## Imperial (Feb 9, 2011)

@ zorroslinger - the whole thumb up and thumb down depends on one thing, (from my experience.) if you hold your anchor point high, then the thumb down will feel more comfortable and natural . if you hold a low anchor point then it will be thumb up . try this- hold the anchor at cheek or above level with thumb down, and then hold an anchor at waist level with thumb up . by doing so, your going to naturaly end up tweaking the pouch a lil bit . more so if you hold the pouch in from of the ammo . i also cant the pfs forward a bit . try it with wadded up balls of tape . do it both ways . well, this is how i shoot , so i hope it sorta helps you .


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## dgui (Jan 12, 2010)

Hello Zorro, The shooting technique I am using here is called Intuitive Pouch Release, there is a video of this on the pfshooter channel. No aiming required and no centering but rather how the ammo and pouch feel in releationship to the target. If it feels like its on it and the release is neither too soon nor too late there is a high probability of the ammo connecting with the targt. It is a very small window of opportunity.



ZorroSlinger said:


> I get more fork hits & fliers with 'Thumbs Down' power draw. Easier for me with PFS using 'Thumbs Up' (the soft draw) as the drawing/pulling action is towards CENTER of torso/chest and the fork-to-drawn bands/tubes are in straight alignment. With thumbs down, the more powerful draw, I'm drawing 'outside' the body to the side and since there is virtually no visible forks extending beyond the pfs grip hand, seems like less forgiving in getting straight parallel alignment of bands to forks. As I said, I can get more random fork hits with thumbs down. With a bigger slingshot that has more slingshot mass & forks extending beyond hand grip, easier to draw & aim outside body like most all shooters do, shooting from side. Other videos I've seen of PF shooters, they're using doing thumbs up soft draw method, which I can understand because it's easier to get more consistency with thumbs up, it seems.
> 
> This video of PFS Jedi Dgui  of 2 years ago, is the clearest view of him doing doing 'thumbs down' power draw and a somewhat anchor point near his ear. But look at his left hand gripping pfs, it's almost invisible in his hand, almost like shooting bareback! Cannot tell if he is shooting straight-on parallel to targets, or he is shooting at slight parallax angle to target. D--n, he makes it look so easy but it is not!


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## dgui (Jan 12, 2010)

Check the one inch marble and the pickle fork shooter.








ZorroSlinger said:


> I get more fork hits & fliers with 'Thumbs Down' power draw. Easier for me with PFS using 'Thumbs Up' (the soft draw) as the drawing/pulling action is towards CENTER of torso/chest and the fork-to-drawn bands/tubes are in straight alignment. With thumbs down, the more powerful draw, I'm drawing 'outside' the body to the side and since there is virtually no visible forks extending beyond the pfs grip hand, seems like less forgiving in getting straight parallel alignment of bands to forks. As I said, I can get more random fork hits with thumbs down. With a bigger slingshot that has more slingshot mass & forks extending beyond hand grip, easier to draw & aim outside body like most all shooters do, shooting from side. Other videos I've seen of PF shooters, they're using doing thumbs up soft draw method, which I can understand because it's easier to get more consistency with thumbs up, it seems.
> 
> This video of PFS Jedi Dgui  of 2 years ago, is the clearest view of him doing doing 'thumbs down' power draw and a somewhat anchor point near his ear. But look at his left hand gripping pfs, it's almost invisible in his hand, almost like shooting bareback! Cannot tell if he is shooting straight-on parallel to targets, or he is shooting at slight parallax angle to target. D--n, he makes it look so easy but it is not!


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## ZorroSlinger (Dec 12, 2012)

Most AWESOME Jedi Dgui! I missed this video tutorial from your comprehensive Youtube channel library. We can theorize about laws of physics but your demonstrations certainly proves the principles & methods. I cannot dispute what I SEE!

I think though, PF shooting style perhaps requires more adherence to the principles & technique as it may be less forgiving compared to larger slingshots which might be more forgiving because it's just bigger overall slingshot material in one's hand ... more throat/fork width & depth, bigger grip, heavier weight, etc.. I can say that because, I have done PFS style with regular sized slingshots, using both thumbs up soft draw and especially thumbs down power draw, and NO fork hits (with larger SS). With small PF shooter, I am possibly too anxious and rushing the learning process. Probably better if I proceed at more slower pace, shoot at closer range, and not use marbles but instead, continue with the safe gobstopper ammo!



dgui said:


> Check the one inch marble and the pickle fork shooter.


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## ZorroSlinger (Dec 12, 2012)

@ Imperial - Appreciate your experience sharing & tips! I don't have time to practice shoot 24/7 (if I did, I might nuts & do that!), so in free moments I'm just practicing drawing with different anchor points as you described and being more aware which I was not as much in the past. I forgot to mention, when I PFS plink cans on the ground & when I used thumbs down, I had success most of the time avoiding fork hits. I see now, shooting LOW targets has more tendency to have one's anchor higher. Whereas higher placed or more eye-level targets, the PFS thumbs down not feeling as comfortable. An epiphany for me ... fitting the pieces of PFS puzzle together. Thanks!



Imperial said:


> @ zorroslinger - the whole thumb up and thumb down depends on one thing, (from my experience.) if you hold your anchor point high, then the thumb down will feel more comfortable and natural . if you hold a low anchor point then it will be thumb up . try this- hold the anchor at cheek or above level with thumb down, and then hold an anchor at waist level with thumb up . by doing so, your going to naturaly end up tweaking the pouch a lil bit . more so if you hold the pouch in from of the ammo . i also cant the pfs forward a bit . try it with wadded up balls of tape . do it both ways . well, this is how i shoot , so i hope it sorta helps you .


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