# Settling on My Tube Sizes -Greatly Need To Thin Out !



## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

I have lots of tubes at home from all kinds of experimentation and the rest of the stuff that I do.

But as of lately I find myself gravitating toward about 6 different sizes, but in actuality I want only 3 or 4 :- )

1636*

2040*

1842

3050

1745

Kent #303

The powerful single tubes that I have played with may be a thing of the past, as will be the super heavy ammo (love to melt those 3/4oz and 1/2oz fishing weights down to 001/2 or 000 size buckshot size !!

The Kent #303 of which I have a lot was my go to just because I could get it in less than a week. For marbles and stuff it is good, but I think after all these years I'm settling in on faster flatter shooing ammo that has the poop for rabbit size game if I desire, and my desire for shooting rabbits is greatly diminishing but my thirst for Starlings has greatly increased ;-)

*1636 is an incredible tube and for ammo the size of 1/4" - 3/8" depending on how it is figured, it is great, great stuff. Is this really an improved 2040 ?

*2040 is pretty much in the same ball park, but has a bit more pop for 3/8" steel, again a very, very good elastic. But do I need both 1636 AND 2040 ?? that is the question ?

1842 is probably the closest to the best all round tube for me. It is very potent stuff. It is great as a single, a pseudo or looped for heavier ammo.

3050 is awesome stuff and seems to cross the bridge of 1842 and 1745. It is overkill but absolutely a killer for 3/8 steel and heavier. in a full loop set up, and sends 3/8" in the 270fps that are in a pseudo looped configuration ... great stuff !

Both 1745 and Kent #303 I'm wondering about, hence they have a line through them ... Am I going to stick with them or not ? does 1636 do the job 2040 does for me so maybe as time goes on I can get rid of 2040 ?

My shooting today will not be of anything more weight than around a 1/2" steel ball or about 130Ish grains, although I have some 3/8oz oval lead sinkers that are very nice. in the 180grain range, but i would shoot them very, very rarely.

So what is your guys opinion that has shot both the 1636 and the 2040 ? are they different enough to store both of them or is one better than the other or has a faster rate of return than the other ? Remember my draw is just short of 33 inches !!

Please respond ;- )

wll


----------



## Tag (Jun 11, 2014)

I’ve stayed with 1632 for quite awhile, what’s your thoughts on 1636 opposed to 1632. 1/4 and 5/16 ammmo


----------



## Tag (Jun 11, 2014)

Not to change the subject, but do you max out your tubes everytime


----------



## Tag (Jun 11, 2014)

I like the simplest ways to do anything “ Keep It Simple Silly” I know it’s supposed to be Stu%#d,but the nieces says stupid is a bad word I do not measure my tubing I take a length of tubing and hold the cutoff end and bring the tubing up so that I have a looped piece of tubing. I grab the looped end and extend it like I’m shooting. I was always taught measure twice, cut once.


----------



## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

Tag said:


> Not to change the subject, but do you max out your tubes everytime


I would have to say yes, I really don't "TARGET" shoot. I want near max performance from the tubes as I want that ammo to the target in the straightest line possible within reason. I have very shot 1632 as from all reports 1636 has more poop.

Most of my shots are on the long side as 20 yds is normally the closest I will shoot where I live and the furthest is about 35 yards, although longer shots do abound. i have OPEN spaces with few trees. As an example on the rarest of occurrences I will see a Starling with in 20-30 yards, I have only seen that a few times.

I used to shoot some heave stuff when I had some big trees in my area but that terrain is long gone.

Right now the shooting of the smaller ammo at around the 300fps mark is of great benefit. I can be in hiding and 1/4,5/16 fly out in pretty much a straight line to the 30 yrd area, the 3/8" steel are right behind. I'm very, very happy with this.

The ONLY ammo I will target shoot with is a 177cal BB and single tubes, as it also flies flat as heck, is very, very fast and cost less than .15c per 100 shots if I don't collect the BB's and I don't. That same set up will shoot 1/4" steel at above the 265++fps area, still flat enough for going after Sparrows, which I did on a recent occasion and which drove this 1/4" steel ball into a eucalyptus tree some 60+ paces away yesterday !










wll


----------



## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

I also played around with single 1745 on the same sling .. very fast, but the 1636 have a bit faster return rate with small ammo I think. The hand slat shooting 1/4" and 5/16" is not fun.










wll


----------



## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

Still waiting on some 1030 to come in to experiment with. Could be very interesting as an addition to a pseudo ?.

The old 1745 I was playing with today was pushing out 1/4" at 330+ fps, 5/16" at 295fps and 3/8" at 250+fps .. None of these were slouches, but the draw length was a bit long so I shortened it up about 3/8" active or about 2 inches of draw length at my 32." draw. This should speed things up a little bit as now I'm more at the wall.

The tubes were amber and with me, for some reason amber tubes generally draw longer than colored tubes of the same active length ? I have about 6-8 fully looped sets with 1745 from Chinese slings that I have taken apart in the past..... why waste the tubing when I can get a few hundred shots out of it ?

wll


----------



## robbo (Jun 8, 2019)

wll said:


> Still waiting on some 1030 to come in to experiment with. Could be very interesting as an addition to a pseudo ?.
> 
> The old 1745 I was playing with today was pushing out 1/4" at 330+ fps, 5/16" at 295fps and 3/8" at 250+fps .. None of these were slouches, but the draw length was a bit long so I shortened it up about 3/8" active or about 2 inches of draw length at my 32." draw. This should speed things up a little bit as now I'm more at the wall.
> 
> ...


im trying double 2040 for 8mm steel ,was going to get some 2050 single but i will yous up my 2040 first wll .its very close to the same and if you are throwing 1/4 faster than 5/16,with 1745 than im getting close to the money, for my slingshot rifle that is.


----------



## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

robbo said:


> wll said:
> 
> 
> > Still waiting on some 1030 to come in to experiment with. Could be very interesting as an addition to a pseudo ?.
> ...


Looped 2040 for 8mm steel is really going to send it.

Robbo, since you are very much into slingshots, the next and probably the most important investment for you is a Chronograph. Many times I'm to lazy to pull mine out, but it has proved me wrong on my guesstimates time and time again ... you really do need to know what the velocity is and numbers don't lie.

Sometimes you are surprised in a good way and sometimes not, but at least you know !!!

wll


----------



## robbo (Jun 8, 2019)

wll said:


> robbo said:
> 
> 
> > wll said:
> ...


----------



## Devon minnow (Apr 2, 2017)

wll said:


> I have lots of tubes at home from all kinds of experimentation and the rest of the stuff that I do.
> 
> But as of lately I find myself gravitating toward about 6 different sizes, but in actuality I want only 3 or 4 :- )
> 
> ...


I suffer with the same illness. In my line up
1030 been able to dismiss this one
1632 looped favourite for 8mms target
1636 for clay balls
2040 single very similar to looped 1632
1842 looped for 10mms lead hunting
1745 single for cold weather 8mms
2050 dismissed this one
3050 dismissed this to much noise
Orange dub dub for 10mms and .44cal leads.

If I had only allowed one tube I would probably choose 1842 ,looped for hunting and single for 8mm.


----------



## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

Devon minnow said:


> wll said:
> 
> 
> > I have lots of tubes at home from all kinds of experimentation and the rest of the stuff that I do.
> ...


I also think 1842 is a great tube size.. I think 1636, 1842 and 3050 are my favorites after lots of thought, but 2040 is tough to beat also .... Yes I also agree that 3050 can be a bit loud depending how it is set up, but man alive it can send 5/16" and 3/8" in a pseudo configuration. With 1/4" steel, the ball melts from air friction on its way to the target ;- )

wll


----------



## Devon minnow (Apr 2, 2017)

Sounds like we both need a chronograph to help with are illness. But life would be boring if we only had one of two tubes to choose from.


----------



## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

I was chucking "1/4 Inch Small Ball" with 1745's pseudos today and those steels were coming out fast. Will be chucking them tomorrow also, but will use 3050 pseudo tubes or many be 1636 pseudos ... 1636 Pseudos are very nice for 1/4" steel ! ;- )

wll


----------



## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

I have been shooting all different configurations and it looks like i will fade out 1745, it just doesn't fit in as 1842 can take its place and is faster .... 3050 fits right between 1842 and 1745 and is very good in a single configuration.. ... and very powerful in a looped configuration..

In general I'm using 1030, 1636, 2040, 1842 and 3050 most of the time. Different combinations of Single, Pseudo or Looped do 90% of what I do.. The other 10% is ammo that weighs in at 214grgr or more ... looped 3050 may be able to handle that, but as I remember I have not tried that. As I remember from a few years ago 1842 could really chuck a 5/8 marble :- ) and I'm sure looped 2040 we send that same marble into the outer limits also.

All this is dependent on getting the Chinese tube sizes in a reasonable amount of time. A months time like it is now is about all I can take. I can understand 2-3 weeks but over a month ... NO !

Final assessment is in the works ;- )

wll


----------

