I want to make a video of Me slinging at a longer range. 100 yards or so. I don't know if the camera will be able to catch a rock hitting my target at that distance? the sound should come through okay.

any Ideas of how best to capture this shot?

I didn't want to just show a closeup of the target, because I fear that people just wont believe the shot was real, even if panned back after the shot.

It depends on the background, but I'd use highly contrasting ammo.

Either neon orange or black depending on if you are skylined or against normal woods/terrain.

I've found in my videos, the best way to track a shot is right over the right shoulder. From here it is a straight shot right to the target and its easier for the eye to follow.

Incoming POV shots also look really cool plus it clears any doubts regarding distance.


Looking forward to it man!

2 cameras? I've seem a few pretty cool videos showing both the entire shot and a close up of the target edited to be side by side.

unfortunately I don't have two cameras. :(

but I agree that would be the easiest way to get the best angles.

Can your camera pick you up 100 meters out? When I'm slinging at small targets and the camera can't see them from 30 meters I put the camera semi near the target so it's looking towards me, but still has the target face in view.  Might not work if your a hundred meters out though.

Just use incendiary ammo (officially kidding) or tracers...or reactive targets. 

Could you set a camera at the midpoint, aimed at the target and have a mirror close up to the lens that reflects your image?  I'm no cinematographer. ..not even much of a photographer so I have no idea if something like that is possible.

I don't know if my camera can pick up anything in detail at 100 yards.

Maybe facing the camera my direction behind the target would get the rock coming in?

Hello Mr Marauder,

Maybe you've seen this all time favorite

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWHV2WYdfTI&list=PLFD398E49B4EDF16D

But the distance is only 30m ! I'd really love to see you sling 100m, but all the problems of not just having the stone vanish are there.

Maybe one shot from the shooter's perspetive, one from the target, and then somehow edit them ?

I am going to be taking all of these great ideas and sticking them together when I do the video. :)

I just tried the mirror thing. It does work but the camera cannot be directly inline with the thrower and the target or you get a reflection of the camera in the shot.  You still need to maintain equidistance so both subjects are in focus (think isosceles triangle).  If I had a pentaprism I would try messing with that but I only have old surplus tankers peep window prisms.

be interesting.
so have you actually tried this ? slinging at a target 100 metres away ?

That's one helluva shot, if you can make it :thumb:

One of my goals in slinging has been to get a field goal or a soccer goal from the other end of the field. Thats anywhere between 100-130ish meters depending on the field. I have done it a couple times with a lacrosse ball... And missed and fallen short many more! Hahaha
I do like the tracer suggestion though. That way you can see the path of the projectile and that would help with fine tubing your aim. And it's dirt cheap!
http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=c4-feed-u&v=8Iupbg2nJtQ

Fine tuning*

High fps camera that makes HD. A tripod,good setting. Contrasting ammo to the background. From sling release perspective. On your left behind.
Possibly impact point camera, maybe hidden behind plexiglass.
Lighting and camera are key to visibility. Anykind of camera just won't have the clarity to do justice.

Curious Aardvark wrote on Dec 1^st, 2013 at 7:01am:

be interesting. so have you actually tried this ? slinging at a target 100 metres away ? That's one helluva shot, if you can make it :thumb:

I have not done any target slinging at 100 yards yet. I have done distance slinging on the lake and I can achieve 100 yards with relative ease. My plan is to do some target practice at this range and then make the video once I have tightened my groupings.  :) 

oh yeah it's not the distance - my biggst problem isn't accuracy at range it's my vision.

At 100 yards/metres I have problems seeing the bloody target  ;D

Pete and I did an experiment where I slung a variety of ammo at varying distances and by the time I was at 70 metres my biggest problem wasn't distance or accuracy - but simply tellign where the bloody missile had gone - very difficult to compensate if you've no idea how you missed in the first place.

That said, I desperately need a new prescription. Accuracy should go way up at distance after that  ;D

On a more historical approach I've been wondering how much eyesight would have limited an experienced slinger back before glasses - which was pretty much all of them.

Given that they'd probably develop shortsight from braiding slings anyway. 
I suspect it was a much bigger factor than anyone's realised.

aardvark, I can see you now
Binoculars in one hand, sling in the other. ;D

I myself have good vision, and don't seem to have a problem seeing small things at a distance. But I catch your drift. even with good vision, at distance with dark rocks I have lost them if the backdrop happens to be woods. over the water is much easier to track them. I might paint the rocks florescent orange when I start practicing at 100.

as for the men of old. they probably just squinted harder and prayed. ::)

I think before computers and offices,much less people had problems with short sightedness.
I'm not a doctor,but i know that our bodies adapt,even to degrading levels, in certain artificial man created situations.
Living in cities, and looking at "close quarters" the majority of the time, usually a few meters in front, is totally different than being out in the wild, where you look from at distances ranging from your feet,to the mountain 10 miles away,all your life.

I can see lead glans zipping away,up to ~ 80m  if they're painted black.
MUCH more visible than lead grey.
Stones up to ~180m with good visibility and a good background color. 
Years ago my eyesight was measured above average.

For the men of the old: After the first volley of the slingers, if they heard a loud rattling hail noise coming from the targeted enemy formation,they knew,they're on target. ;)
I'm pretty sure,that sometimes it was audible.

As a sidenote to this, the historian Josephus mentions how during the siege of Jerusalem the defenders could see stones lobbed at them (by siege engines) and take cover-- before the Romans decided to paint the stones in dark colours.