# Aiming a Daisy Wrist-rocket- not going well



## Joshjani

Hi all- guess I maybe should post this in introductions, but I started here, so I'll keep going! I recently re-discovered my Daisy wrist-rockets that I bought to shoot paintballs when my kids were cub scouts.

I've been bitten hard by the slingshot bug, and I'm having fun, but I'm getting pretty frustrated with my lack of consistency. I've been all over YouTube, watching Simple Shot videos, Fowler's shooting tips, anything I could find to help me figure out good form and aiming. But try as I might to position my body and sight down my bands and do everything the same, its a RARE occasion that I can hit the target twice in a row.

One of my difficulties is that nobody is shooting the slingshot I have- everyone has something like a Scout with flat bands. I can't find anyone with videos on aiming one of these darn Daisy shooters!

So can you offer advice on actually getting accurate with one of these?I'm trying to aim with my dominant eye, keep the tubes in line vertically, and sight my target over the top prong. All of which I learned watching the guys shoot different slingshots. I'm assuming the principle is the same, but I'll be darned if I can make it work.

I'm sure similar questions have been asked and answered, but searching for "aiming a wrist rocket" or "how to shoot a daisy slingshot" just keeps returning the same videos. Any tips and advice will be most welcome.


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## Grandpa Grumpy

I shoot wire frames all the time and they are extremely accurate. I use the top of the fork as an aiming point and sight down the bands.

If you are using the stock bands and pouch get rid of them. The draw weight is way too heavy and the pouch is ridiculously large. There are many decent tubes available and a lighter draw weight will help you gain accuracy. You might try flat bands. There are a couple of different ways to attach flat bands to a wire frame. Pocket Predator makes clips that attach flat bands to a wire frame. I use the Chinese hand cuff method.

Check out the Slingshot Modification section of the forum. There are many mods for wire frames and most will apply to any wire frame.


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## flipgun

One thing you might try is not considering all of those factors and shoot a few rounds with the no-think thing going.


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## KawKan

Following up on Grampa Grumpy's suggestion, do get a lighter bandset with a decent pouch.

And you might consider investigating the relationship between your point of aim and point of impact.

Set up a generous sized paper target - 8-1/2 x 11, or cardboard box sized - with a bold cross or X in the middle. Then shoot 10 shots with the top of the fork right in the center of the cross or X. Let's hope for a group of 5 or more shots somewhere on the paper.

If your fundamentals are starting to kick in, that group may be under your point of aim by an inch or two. Fairly common, because you are working with pretty wide forks. So now you can keep using the fork tip as a reference and aim and inch or two above the target, or identify the spot below the fork tip where the ammo is hitting as your new reference point.

Keep shooting. Pay attention to the fundamentals, your point of aim and point of impact.

It will come together, bud!


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## dogcatchersito

My shooting may be slightly different since I shoot with both eyes. But your form is my reference any then I just know a little ways down from that is the sweet spot. I would suggest shooting at something all white to see your shot placement. Really get a feel for where the ammo comes out in a line. Agreed with everyone the bands are awful single 1640's will help get your aim up.

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## wll

You have gotten some good advice from some wise sages on this forum. The biggest thing like Grandpa Grumpy says is get rid of those ridiculous super heavy tubes and the pouch is not conducive to good shooting either. The regular Daisy F-16 is one of my fav slingshots and I have modified many of them as others on this forum have done.

Once you get better tubes and a more supple and a bit smaller pouch you will be on your way. That sling shot is not fancy, doesn't have many of the bells and whistles of the newer style slings, but once you learn the different ways to attach bands and / or tubes on it and get use to it ... you will love it. It is a slingshot that can take any fork hit you can throw at it, can shoot any size ammo, including big rocks or 3/4" jawbreakers and I could go on.

The most important thing you can do is be patient and practice ... take it from someone who is just starting to shoot fairly well after many, many years of shooting.

Good luck and we all are here to help you.

wll


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## Sean Khan

My "daisy style" wrist-rocket broke in my hand... the knock-off frame couldn't take the repeated pull of the strong tubes I use... but yes, it was a beeyach to aim.

Same story with it's other wrist-rocket cousin... this style (a far better design in my opinion):









I really can't aim it like I do other slingshots.

But... and here is the important bit.... when I hate my target.. really want to HIT it and DESTROY it... it turns accurate.

I don't know why that works but it does. None of that dominant eye, cock-eye, both eyes.. that don't work none with this puppy.

Basically, don't treat aiming practice like a surgical/technical exercise. Put some emotion into it. It works. And don't ask me how/why... it's just the way it is.


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## Sean Khan

Oh and just remembered an important detail.... with these kind of slingshots, you need to imagine you are shooting an arrow, not a ball/hexnut.

You widen your stance, hold it sideways, imagine you are Robin Hood (or Green Arrow) and let fly. Your elbow should be raised inline with the direction of what you are aiming for.

It is useless watching slingshot videos to learn to aim this kind of slingshot. Watch *archery* videos instead and copy their hand positions.






Remember... *Slingshooting is the cousin of archery*.

And please *DO HATE your target*. Each and every time. Even if its just paper.


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## Joshjani

Well, firstly let me say thank you for the quick responses! It's nice to see that this forum is so active and ready to help.

Thanks too for the information you all imparted- I'm sure to be asking much, much more as my new hobby develops.

I will have to look around here on the forum for terminology- for instance, I don't know what "Chinese handcuff" method is that GrandpaGrumpy referenced. I like the picture of the slingshot- looks well loved- and I assume that the black tubes are rolled up over the flat bands, to make the Chinese handcuff...but again- I'll look around for more.

Same with the numbers associated with tubes. I assume they are gauges, much like wire or gun. Dogcatchersito mentioned 1640's- just for reference, what tubes come on the Daisy by default, that everyone thinks are too heavy?

I have some flat bands coming from Amazon, was planning on following some Simple Shot tutorials on how to tie them, but I think I like the idea of replacing the tubes with something better.

Anyway- thanks again- more questions to come I'm sure!

JC


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## Grandpa Grumpy

There is a slingshot glossary and slang section in the newbie forum to help with the Slingshot terms.

Tubes sizes such as 1640,1632,2040 are measured in mms. The first two digits indicate the inside diameter and the last two indicate the outside diameter.

The slingshot in the photo shows the red flat bands attached with the Chinese handcuff method. Here is a link to a video showing how I do it and some of the mods I have done.


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## wll

Grandpa Grumpy said:


> There is a slingshot glossary and slang section in the newbie forum to help with the Slingshot terms.
> 
> Tubes sizes such as 1640,1632,2040 are measured in mms. The first two digits indicate the inside diameter and the last two indicate the outside diameter.
> 
> The slingshot in the photo shows the red flat bands attached with the Chinese handcuff method. Here is a link to a video showing how I do it and some of the mods I have done.


Grandpa Grumpy, that was a very informative video, well done.

wll


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## dogcatchersito

Grandpa Grumpy said:


> There is a slingshot glossary and slang section in the newbie forum to help with the Slingshot terms.
> 
> Tubes sizes such as 1640,1632,2040 are measured in mms. The first two digits indicate the inside diameter and the last two indicate the outside diameter.
> 
> The slingshot in the photo shows the red flat bands attached with the Chinese handcuff method. Here is a link to a video showing how I do it and some of the mods I have done.


Well said GG, I forget the terms I'm using are sling slang. We all use them so much, I rarely recognize it as a language of its own.

Dropping knowledge out here GG.

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## Sean Khan

Everyone needs to read this book:

https://www.amazon.com/Killing-Psychological-Cost-Learning-Society-ebook/dp/B00J90F8W2/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=on+killing&link_code=qs&qid=1590209877&sourceid=Mozilla-search&sr=8-1

It won't improve your slingshooting but it might tell you what's going on in your nervous system when you are consistently missing a target even after doing everything right.

It made an impression on me many many years ago when I first read it. It says, we are designed to miss. We will not kill/hurt.. it is in our DNA not to hurt or kill. You will try to shoot at something that moves and your brain tricks you into missing. In the case of slingshots, you will be shooting at paper and cans just fine.... and then you need to take out a critter and WTF, you missed, and you can't figure out why. Some kind of flinch reflex kicks in.

I am a borderline psychopath (thank you Asia!) so it doesn't effect me much. But I have experienced it... it kicks in without warning. Playing first-person-shooters (Linux has some excellent free ones) I try and kill the guy but I aim away at the last microsecond.. it happens all by itself. I know how to stop it now but it's in there. It's in everyone's DNA.

This is why all armies make you train train and train so they can desensitize you.

At the risk of repeating myself... you need to picture/feel a hole in your target before it's there. Even if it's just a baked beans can. *And you need to control your breathing... no faster than 6 breaths per minute.*


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## flipgun

Back in the early 80's I was living a different life. One of the "Entrepreneurs" I was acquainted with informed me that,"I will never shoot "At" you if you fork up". From experience, I do not agree with your assertion. Missing a target is a consequence of civilization, in being that you will survive if you do.


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## KawKan

There are more solutions to the problem of learning your way around a wire-frame slingshot than I ever imagined!

LOL!


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## Joshjani

So much great info and stuff to pay attention to in this discussion! Thanks!

In the time since I originally posted, my 18-yr old and I have shot enough to wear out one daisy yellow tube. I pulled it off, and recycled into wire fork covers. Got some flat bands from eBay, and used the Chinese handcuff method that Grandpa showed us to attach. It didn't make me a great shooter instantly, but at least I can hold still a bit better when I draw. I think I indeed do like it better. The draw length is longer, so I am still figuring out my anchor point, without stinging my face or ear!

Anyway, we're having fun, looking forward to shooting better and better!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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