• The AGN App is ready! Search "Airgun Nation" in your App store. To compliment this new tech we've assigned the "Threads" Feed & "Dark" Mode. To revert back click HERE.

Standing offhand shooting - Can you handle a golf ball at 100 yards? I CHALLENGE you to do it and post a video!

Jump to latest Follow Reply
AirShootist

AirShootist

Member
May 12, 2021
528
877
IL, United States
Rick Rehm over at Shooter1721 challenged me to a 100 yard standing offhand exploding golf ball shoot out!

Now, of course I didn't beat the master, but I never back down from a challenge so here is the video of my portion of the challenge.

Win, lose, or draw - this is fun! Post your own 100 yard standing offhand golf ball challenge below! It is a HARD shot to pull off!

 
  • Like
Reactions: beerthief, shambozzie, AmosBurton and 3 others
@AirShootist Now that I think about it, she did that with an exploding ball floating over a shop-vac hose (I think it was a shop vac) in front of a paper target. I have no idea how they managed to rig up that setup. Entertaining nonetheless. It take a certain amount of physical strength to shoot like that, especially if you take a lot of shots without a pause or rest period.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: AirShootist
Upvote 0
Vetmx said:
With a powder burner I’ll take that challenge. With any of my 100 yards airguns I’d pray to god I got lucky before fatigue set in. Almost dark now. Weather permitting I’ll try it tomorrow at a real golf ball.
Click to expand...
Hell yeah! I was getting super fatigued between shots. That Panthera is long and it's a lot of weight hanging out there pretty far from your center. I should have taken more time between shots but nobody would want to sit through a 10 minute video so I didn't. You can see what benefit taking a big breath and a moment to gather myself before that final shot in my mag had on performance - well that and also I shoot well under pressure and I knew I just had to make it on the last shot.

Post your results here! I'm super curious to see how others handle a challenge like this.
 
Upvote 0
When it comes to off-hand shooting, I do much better with iron sights or fiber optics than I would with a scope. Using a scope off-hand, unless it is at 2x power or less, would only make me dizzy. In addition, it is so much easier for me to keep a rifle steady if I don't have a bunch of weight hanging off of it.

I had a Hatsan Striker that I was able to get the trigger down to 1 1/2 pounds, and it shot lights out. I shot it off-hand a lot and was able to hit golf balls at 100 yards with a reasonable amount of regularity, maybe 10-20% of the time on a good day. Unfortunately, the piston spring broke and when I replaced it, the gun was never the same. The trigger pull is now 8-10 pounds and I have not had any luck in fixing it.

On the flip side, I don't think that I could do it even once using the OP's set up. Between the long barrel, the scope making me dizzy and trying to keep that much weight steady, I probably wouldn't even want to try.

Please note, I am not trying to brag up a cheap gun. I would love to be able to afford the OP's set up. I am simply saying that irons have a place and can be amazingly accurate with enough practice.
 
Upvote 0
Jungle_George said:
When it comes to off-hand shooting, I do much better with iron sights or fiber optics than I would with a scope. Using a scope off-hand, unless it is at 2x power or less, would only make me dizzy. In addition, it is so much easier for me to keep a rifle steady if I don't have a bunch of weight hanging off of it.

I had a Hatsan Striker that I was able to get the trigger down to 1 1/2 pounds, and it shot lights out. I shot it off-hand a lot and was able to hit golf balls at 100 yards with a reasonable amount of regularity, maybe 10-20% of the time on a good day. Unfortunately, the piston spring broke and when I replaced it, the gun was never the same. The trigger pull is now 8-10 pounds and I have not had any luck in fixing it.

On the flip side, I don't think that I could do it even once using the OP's set up. Between the long barrel, the scope making me dizzy and trying to keep that much weight steady, I probably wouldn't even want to try.

Please note, I am not trying to brag up a cheap gun. I would love to be able to afford the OP's set up. I am simply saying that irons have a place and can be amazingly accurate with enough practice.
Click to expand...
I am absolutely smashing the X button to doubt your claim of hitting a golf ball offhand at 100 yards 10-20% of the time with any springer, let alone a Hatsan...

1676989404847.png


I do however agree with you that iron sights have their place, and a lot of the NRA High Power competitors still use them out to 600 yards, but optics (typically LPVOs on service rifles) have become commonplace as they are superior to using irons. All US service rifles are issued with optics now (usually an ACOG or similar), and that being the case the NRA High Power rulebook was changed a few years back to make up to a 4x optic 100% legal under the Service Rifle classification - whereas before it was always iron sights only and using any optic made your rifle a "match rifle" instead of a service rifle, precluding you from various awards.

If you get "dizzy" from looking through a scope, there is only one solution to that, TRAINING. Without that, no amount of tech is going to do you much good. Get out there and train often, guys! It is the only way to improve your skills! I'm out there working on mine every weekend to better myself, and I still have a loooooong road ahead of me if I want to shoot against the best in competition..
 
  • Like
  • Wow
Reactions: iAMzehTOASTY1 and Centercut
Upvote 0
I have a tennis ball hanging on a string at 100 yards. Everytime I get back up to the house after a walk to the woods, I take a freehand shot to unload the Wildcat. I do hit it if the wind is still Every so often. I have a Monster can hanging on a limb at 100 yards down the lane that I can hit offhand most of the time. But a golf ball? You know I have to try that Now.
 
  • Like
Reactions: AirShootist
Upvote 0
AirShootist said:
I am absolutely smashing the X button to doubt your claim of hitting a golf ball offhand at 100 yards 10-20% of the time with any springer, let alone a Hatsan...

View attachment 334160

I do however agree with you that iron sights have their place, and a lot of the NRA High Power competitors still use them out to 600 yards, but optics (typically LPVOs on service rifles) have become commonplace as they are superior to using irons. All US service rifles are issued with optics now (usually an ACOG or similar), and that being the case the NRA High Power rulebook was changed a few years back to make up to a 4x optic 100% legal under the Service Rifle classification - whereas before it was always iron sights only and using any optic made your rifle a "match rifle" instead of a service rifle, precluding you from various awards.

If you get "dizzy" from looking through a scope, there is only one solution to that, TRAINING. Without that, no amount of tech is going to do you much good. Get out there and train often, guys! It is the only way to improve your skills! I'm out there working on mine every weekend to better myself, and I still have a loooooong road ahead of me if I want to shoot against the best in competition..
Click to expand...

I'll respond to some of your points.

With respect to "TRAINING" making it so that I would not get dizzy when looking through a scope offhand, it's clear (especially in watching your video) that you are significantly younger than I am. As you get older you will find that your body simply can no longer do the things it used to. I used to love roller coasters and could not wait for the latest and greatest to come out. I'm now at a point in my life where there is no way I would even consider going to an amusement park let alone getting on a roller coaster. So, all your suggestion of training would do is to make me nauseous. Not really sure why you would question someone for admitting to something that they are physically incapable of doing.

Simple math tells you that my statement regarding my success rate is not out of line. You had a success rate of 5.6% (1 in 18 shots) on the first time that you attempted the shot. I have taken that shot hundreds and hundreds of times. When I go to the range, I often drop a few golf balls on the ground at 100 yards and shoot at them. After taking that shot countless times, I simply stated that my success rate would be 2-4 times better than yours on your first time trying it. At least that was the impression I got from your video. Please feel free to correct me if that was not your first time taking that shot.

As for doing it with a Hatsan goes, I'll just say this. The vast majority of my airguns are Hatsans. I have been very lucky in that they have all been very accurate. I know that there are a lot of folks out there that believe that Hatsan is garbage, and everyone is entitled to their opinion. Hatsan has worked very well for me, and it fills that needs I have at a price I can afford.

Please feel free to check out the thread I posted some time ago that details how I hit a golf ball at 300 meters (~329 yards) using a Hatsan AT44 in 177 cal and a 12.5 gn NSA slug. That will hopefully give you an idea of the potential that Hatsan guns have when properly tuned.

Golf Ball at 300 Meters with Hatsan AT-44 in 177 Cal

Last October I posted about my adventures in hitting a golf ball at 200 meters. I had just started using NSA 12.5 gn slugs as a replacement for H&N Piledrivers in 177 cal. I was really excited at the time but I wanted to see how far I could push things. My new goal became to hit a golf ball...
www.airgunnation.com www.airgunnation.com

Please feel free to hit the doubt button on that thread as well. :)
 
Last edited:
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: iAMzehTOASTY1, Elgreco, Bullysyclone and 1 other person
Upvote 0
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back
Home
Forums
Resources
Menu