# Dry Firing



## ansaljoseph (Oct 20, 2012)

Now ive learned that you should NEVER dry fire. Whether its bows, or slingshots. Now i NEVER dry fire, however i was just curious, specifically for rubber, why you shouldn't dry fire. Ive never really heard any real scientific explanations? Im just curious, strictly for scientific reasons.

Another thing. If shooting light ammo is supposed to be bad for you bands like dry firing, then is there some sort of ratio we should be following? Like I know Jorg has his TBG calculator, but still. What is a good ratio for firing lighter ammo (or in my case, light glass marbles). I want to know, mostly so i can get more out of my band-sets, seeing as they break too too often. (I associate premature band life's to shooting light ammo...)
Thanks guys


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## capnjoe (Jun 3, 2012)

Dry firing is bad. The bands get angry when you make them work for nothing. They need food too.
Feed them well and they will play well.
That's all.


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## All Buns Glazing (Apr 22, 2012)

There's a sexual innuendo joke here, I know it.

AFAIK, the lighter the ammo, the lighter the bands because less energy is needed to push the projectile. If there's too much energy in the bands for the projectile, it doesn't transfer into the ammo and just disperses into the bands when the shot releases, which wears down the bands. When you've go the right ammo to weight ratio (by "right" I mean that loosely) there's not a huge amount of energy in the bands after the projectile has left.


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## Hrawk (Oct 25, 2010)

Stress-induced crystallization of the polymer chains forming the rubber compound caused by rapid return to their high entropy random coil configuration.


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## Beanflip (Sep 11, 2010)

Hrawk said:


> Stress-induced crystallization of the polymer chains forming the rubber compound caused by rapid return to their high entropy random coil configuration.


 Ya, that's what I was gonna say.


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## lightgeoduck (Apr 3, 2011)

Now I wouldn't dry fire a bow or a firearm, but I do dry fire my slingshot. I don't think a few times will be an issue. With that being said, I usually only dry fire when I put a new band set on my fork, As I draw I inspect the attachment points and the evenness of the pull. I fire to give me a basic idea on how they will react, before I add ammo to the mix. I especially did this when I attempt butterfly, because a slap with the bands doesn't hurt as much as a hit by the ammo.

LGD


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## wombat (Jun 10, 2011)

I always fire dry. Bugger this shooting in the rain!!!!


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## jazz (May 15, 2012)

Hi ansaljoseph and all,

As I understand it, all things wear down by usage, I guess that we alll agree, and dry fireing is the heaviest usage one can do with slingshots.

What I want to say is (having in mind all properties of rubber as said above, and all good reasons for acasional dry fire such as test, heating, probe or so) the bands are fastest when there is no ammo or even pouch attached since that is a "dead weight" as they call it. So it means that the bands travel fast, fastest, so that they go way beyond the forks and they get this sudden stop/stress and then even jump back because they have lot of power which, normaly, they would give to the right ammo, as All Buns Glazing said...

And such a (normally unnecessary) speed is the heaviest usage in itslef which means heaviest wear.

One thing just fell on my mind - does a too heavy ammo has simmilar negative effects?

cheers,

jazz


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## lightgeoduck (Apr 3, 2011)

jazz said:


> One thing just fell on my mind - does a too heavy ammo has simmilar negative effects?
> 
> cheers,
> 
> jazz


Not sure, but I am sure your hand or fork will find out before signs of band wear.


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## jazz (May 15, 2012)

Hi lightgeoduck,

No problem with that - I already know how it feels.. I want to say hurts!

cheers,

jazz


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## trobbie66 (May 13, 2012)

It is all about the hand slap. Your catty punishes you for wasting its time with a dry fire!!


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