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Well, I was just about to start getting ready for class tonight when the mailman came with Darrell's pickle forks. Not being able to resist, I just spent an hour outside with them.
No pics because its a lousy day, but I think we're all familiar with them (newcomers can find several of dgui's threads about them).
I confess that I have never been all that interested in this line of endeavor by Darrell, but my ears began perking up when I started reading about the power he was generating, so for that reason I followed what he was doing. I also want to learn how to use the butterfly method of shooting and really believe that a small slingshot is best for it, and maybe a real small slingshot would be even better. So I asked dgui if he'd sell or trade me one. He's a generous fellow and an avid promoter of his ideas so he immediately responded with the offer to send me two forks, one armed with thin Chinese tubes, and the other armed with Tex's single latex flats. That's what I got today.
Okay. I usually shoot for about 30-60 minutes every morning. This morning it so happens that I shot with Jmplsnt's (you know, that's an awkward name to type Jmplsnt -- I move that we call you Jump from now on, it flows mellifluously of the tongue and finger), anyway I enjoyed about an hour with Jmplsnt's Badboy which I have banded with 1/4-inch surgical tubing, and thinking, "I'm starting to love this setup." I mean yes, there's a pronounced "thud!" when you shoot thick rubber but I must be getting used to it. I was liking the power too. I noticed that these 1/4" tubes seem to favor 7/16" steel. And I liked that I was piercing steel cans at 10 yards. Moving back to 15 yards, I could still pierce them if filled with water. Not bad. And my accuracy with the badboy is acceptable out to 20 yards.
Shoulda never got the pickle forks today. As I said, I went out back and shot for an hour with these little things that are all about easy draw and high power. I started in right off the bat shooting the bands butterfly style. I'll say one thing: it's a tough fork all right because I got about 5 hard fork hits during the session. Good I have big, tough construction-worker hands, too, because I whacked one of them also! (LOL) And I lost a bit of ammo to serious flyers too.
Still, the few times that I did hit the steel can squarely, the balls went easily through one side and stayed in the can. This too was at 10 yds. So I was getting the power of the heavy tubes -- but none of the "thud!" Everything was smooth and casual Friday like. I have a lot of practicing to do before I will be able to butterfly accurately with these, but it's worth trying. I finished off by checking just how accurate this setup is by shooting it "normal" style. I shot just as well as I do with most of my other OTT hookups.
Next, I tried the other pickle fork, the one with the thin (1745?) tubes. Gotta say it had a real good zip. And right out of the box, I was hitting about 70% of my 10-yard shots at a can. Again, light draw, plenty of zip. I even went back to 15 yds. with these single-strands and miss one shot, and hit on the second. Time ran out and I had to get to work (where I am now).
We are all aware that I like these pickle forks. But. . .
I think I'm gonna really enjoy carrying these in my pocket on my walks and plinking to my heart's content, but for long practice sessions they will (actually they did) get too uncomfortable. The hand grows tired gripping these small, thin frames.
Another thing that doesn't appeal to me -- and this is just my quirky self talking -- is that with these forks, Darrell has pared down the slingshot to its essence. The pickle fork is a functional device to hold the elastics off your hands in order to launch a projectile. Take all the art, all the originality, all the flourish and flare, and take the soul of the maker out of the equation, but leave in the efficiency. The pickle fork is what you have left. But it is nonetheless a very impressive instrument. Darrell has good reason to spread his enthusiasm about his hard work and determination to get to the heart of what makes a good pocket shooter. And I will stay with this OTT shooter until I learn how to butterfly shoot with it -- because in the end I think it will be the perfect fork for it.
Nice work, Dgui. And thank you very much for sharing your knowledge and slingshots.
P.S. On my way inside, I picked up the Badboy and took a couple of shots with those 1/4" tubes and it was like hopping out of your Lexus and jumping into a front-end loader. (LOL)
No pics because its a lousy day, but I think we're all familiar with them (newcomers can find several of dgui's threads about them).
I confess that I have never been all that interested in this line of endeavor by Darrell, but my ears began perking up when I started reading about the power he was generating, so for that reason I followed what he was doing. I also want to learn how to use the butterfly method of shooting and really believe that a small slingshot is best for it, and maybe a real small slingshot would be even better. So I asked dgui if he'd sell or trade me one. He's a generous fellow and an avid promoter of his ideas so he immediately responded with the offer to send me two forks, one armed with thin Chinese tubes, and the other armed with Tex's single latex flats. That's what I got today.
Okay. I usually shoot for about 30-60 minutes every morning. This morning it so happens that I shot with Jmplsnt's (you know, that's an awkward name to type Jmplsnt -- I move that we call you Jump from now on, it flows mellifluously of the tongue and finger), anyway I enjoyed about an hour with Jmplsnt's Badboy which I have banded with 1/4-inch surgical tubing, and thinking, "I'm starting to love this setup." I mean yes, there's a pronounced "thud!" when you shoot thick rubber but I must be getting used to it. I was liking the power too. I noticed that these 1/4" tubes seem to favor 7/16" steel. And I liked that I was piercing steel cans at 10 yards. Moving back to 15 yards, I could still pierce them if filled with water. Not bad. And my accuracy with the badboy is acceptable out to 20 yards.
Shoulda never got the pickle forks today. As I said, I went out back and shot for an hour with these little things that are all about easy draw and high power. I started in right off the bat shooting the bands butterfly style. I'll say one thing: it's a tough fork all right because I got about 5 hard fork hits during the session. Good I have big, tough construction-worker hands, too, because I whacked one of them also! (LOL) And I lost a bit of ammo to serious flyers too.
Still, the few times that I did hit the steel can squarely, the balls went easily through one side and stayed in the can. This too was at 10 yds. So I was getting the power of the heavy tubes -- but none of the "thud!" Everything was smooth and casual Friday like. I have a lot of practicing to do before I will be able to butterfly accurately with these, but it's worth trying. I finished off by checking just how accurate this setup is by shooting it "normal" style. I shot just as well as I do with most of my other OTT hookups.
Next, I tried the other pickle fork, the one with the thin (1745?) tubes. Gotta say it had a real good zip. And right out of the box, I was hitting about 70% of my 10-yard shots at a can. Again, light draw, plenty of zip. I even went back to 15 yds. with these single-strands and miss one shot, and hit on the second. Time ran out and I had to get to work (where I am now).
We are all aware that I like these pickle forks. But. . .
I think I'm gonna really enjoy carrying these in my pocket on my walks and plinking to my heart's content, but for long practice sessions they will (actually they did) get too uncomfortable. The hand grows tired gripping these small, thin frames.
Another thing that doesn't appeal to me -- and this is just my quirky self talking -- is that with these forks, Darrell has pared down the slingshot to its essence. The pickle fork is a functional device to hold the elastics off your hands in order to launch a projectile. Take all the art, all the originality, all the flourish and flare, and take the soul of the maker out of the equation, but leave in the efficiency. The pickle fork is what you have left. But it is nonetheless a very impressive instrument. Darrell has good reason to spread his enthusiasm about his hard work and determination to get to the heart of what makes a good pocket shooter. And I will stay with this OTT shooter until I learn how to butterfly shoot with it -- because in the end I think it will be the perfect fork for it.
Nice work, Dgui. And thank you very much for sharing your knowledge and slingshots.
P.S. On my way inside, I picked up the Badboy and took a couple of shots with those 1/4" tubes and it was like hopping out of your Lexus and jumping into a front-end loader. (LOL)
