# A Different Taper?



## Rockape66 (Dec 18, 2011)

I've had an interesting idea for tapered TB bands. Has anybody tried to taper on a bias? I was thinking of cutting an 8" by 1.5" rectangle and marking an inch in from opposite corners, and making a straight cut between the marks. Right now I have TB silver. If this works I want to make a double bandset for hunting. Thanks all, Mack.


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## newconvert (Dec 12, 2011)

that how i make mine, easy enough works well


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## Rayshot (Feb 1, 2010)

Rockape66 said:


> I've had an interesting idea for tapered TB bands. Has anybody tried to taper on a bias? I was thinking of cutting an 8" by 1.5" rectangle and marking an inch in from opposite corners, and making a straight cut between the marks. Right now I have TB silver. If this works I want to make a double bandset for hunting. Thanks all, Mack.


Not too clear by the explanation what exactly you are doing, but,If I get what you mean, that is very commonly done. It economically uses the sheet of latex.


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## Rockape66 (Dec 18, 2011)

Thank you, Gents.


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## JasonP (Jan 4, 2012)

Hows it shoot? I had thought of doing this myself but assumed the shot would be drawn up or down due to the shape of the bands.


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## Rockape66 (Dec 18, 2011)

*I just banded up my new SS yesterday morning to test shoot. It is the first SS I've ever made. I was drawing to the corner of my jaw with a 90* twist to the pouch. This was throwing the shot low at 5 yds. Then I switched to drawing it straight without the twist. I was putting the shots on top of each other just below my point of aim. Wow!! I haven't shot a SS for about thirty years. This is going to be a great hobby along with my homebrewing, traditional archery, and muzzleloading. BTW the ammo was .440 lead, 127 grs.*


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## JasonP (Jan 4, 2012)

wow, it would appear that the non symmetrical nature of the bands isn't effecting the shots at all. this should save some time and material, next time i band up ill give it a try


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## M.J (Nov 1, 2010)

When I used to cut flats I did it this way. Always worked fine.


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## Dayhiker (Mar 13, 2010)

This is a printout of what I think you mean. Is it correct?


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## JasonP (Jan 4, 2012)

thats what i imagined from the description to


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## NaturalFork (Jan 21, 2010)

I kind of feel dumb now for NOT doing it this way ....


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## Henry the Hermit (Jun 2, 2010)

That is the only way I've ever cut tapered flat bands. It the angle on the ends bothers you, cut them square. The rubber doesn't know the difference.


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## Dayhiker (Mar 13, 2010)

Some of the guys who have done extensive testing on tapered flatbands have concluded that a 3:2 ratio is optimum for speed and longevity.

My draw length is about 35 - 36 inches. The strongest bands I work with now are .040 singles. I just cut a set of bands on a bias like this thread is discussing to this optimum ratio and my best length. I was piercing a steel bean can wit 1/2 inch steel ammo and also with 7/16 ammo at ten yards. In my estimation, this makes these bands suitable for hunting. I have been shooting with this setup for sometime now, but not cut on the bias. I'm very happy with the speed and power. I also think a bandset like this made out of doubled .030 latex or TBG would be killer.

I have attached a pdf (print landscape) for the pattern.


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## jskeen (Feb 7, 2011)

I've cut bands this way for a while now. I started out by taking a rectangle of elastic and taking a thin wedge 1/8 at the tip tapering to nothing at the other corner, then proceeding across the width of the sheet alternating 1 in and 3/4 in on the top and the same on the bottom, only reversed. Then somebody pointed out that there's no grain to a sheet of latex, and i was just making extra work for myself. Doh! "smack"

Of course the little thin wedges do come in handy, cause you can use the thin end to tie pouches on and the thick end to tie the bands to the fork. but by now I have plenty of bandsets that have snapped right in front of the band tie till they are too short to reuse that I can cut into tie strips.

If you do cut on the bias try to make sure that you either cut the ends square to the centerline of the taper or at least remember to tie them that way, because if you tie them with the ends square you will be stretching one side of the band more than the other which may pull your shots, and will probably cause the bands to fail sooner.

Now we just need Dan or somebody to jump in with a slow motion video analysis and a doppler stress graph to contradict me


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