# Best way to get speed



## SteveJ (Jun 24, 2020)

Ive been shooting bbs almost exclusively. Im working on getting comfortable at 15M My band question is. Ok I know I dont want to overpower and get slap,,, but has anybody ever worked out whether a thin ,say .40 say 3/4 x1/2 is faster ,,, or if a .60 5/16 x 1/4 is . I want to try to find a formula for maximum speed at my short draw. I know short draw is not going to be as fast as a longer one, but it honestly is the only way I enjoy shooting. I guess Im asking is wide and thin, or narrow and thick faster .

I made a super light pouch last night , out of a one layer of a magnetic bb band , and cut shorter. I would guess this gives more fps owing to the lightness. Ive just been using the cheapo 45x12 pouches. just musing, to me its fun to try to figure this out.

I cut some shiper .60 5/16x 1/4 w 6" active, seems to shoot hard , but I have no chrony, so will give it the can paper penetration test tonight. I have long arms , so even my short draw isnt tiny ,. any ideas ,are quite welcome thanks


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## JASling (Feb 4, 2019)

Wide and thin would be the better option in my opinion since thin bans retract faster then thick once and could be easier too pull as well 

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk


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## SteveJ (Jun 24, 2020)

JASling said:


> Wide and thin would be the better option in my opinion since thin bans retract faster then thick once and could be easier too pull as well
> 
> Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk


thanks , ! Ive got some .40 precise and .40 falcon, Ill try that wider


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## KawKan (May 11, 2013)

Wide and thin is in!

I do have some narrow and thin bands I like, especially for the durability. And it seems like I can get handslap with about any latex, though, LOL!

Lighter pouches are good matches for light ammo. But it's hard to get much lighter than the little microfiber. I know for sure that overpowered bands and heavy pouches are a painful combination. No more of those for me!


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## Ibojoe (Mar 13, 2016)

Thin elastic is fast elastic. Thick elastic is powerful elastic.


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## Reed Lukens (Aug 16, 2020)

I pretty much shoot .4 or .45 thickness all of the time just because it's faster. I've found that handslap can also be caused by different frames, so I have my favorite frames that don't give me any slap, most of which are wider forks.


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## SteveJ (Jun 24, 2020)

Reed Lukens said:


> I pretty much shoot .4 or .45 thickness all of the time just because it's faster. I've found that handslap can also be caused by different frames, so I have my favorite frames that don't give me any slap, most of which are wider forks.


It seems to me for side shooting ,,, aka gangsta ,verp ,,, 90mm is the perfect width for the way I aim


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## High Desert Flipper (Aug 29, 2020)

Thinner is faster- doubled up 0.4 bands will shoot faster than a 0.8 band. And the more aggressive the taper, the faster the band- although the longevity decreases as tapers increase.

As far as formulas go several people have made band / taper calculators in the past but I am not very familiar with them. Others here certainly will be.


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## Sandstorm (Apr 5, 2021)

If you plan if on shooting heavier bands for large ammo 7/16-1/2”, is it wiser to keep the overall band width and taper more narrow? I’ve shot quite a bit of small ammo now but I’ve got a whole bucket of 1/2 I wanna wreck stuff with. Would that formula give you both the needed strength and higher velocity, or is it actually better to shoot the larger ammo with doubled up lighter bands? I think it’s Bill Nye the 60mm Roller Cutter Guy time.


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## High Desert Flipper (Aug 29, 2020)

Sandstorm said:


> If you plan if on shooting heavier bands for large ammo 7/16-1/2", is it wiser to keep the overall band width and taper more narrow? I've shot quite a bit of small ammo now but I've got a whole bucket of 1/2 I wanna wreck stuff with. Would that formula give you both the needed strength and higher velocity?


The best I have tried for 1/2" is 0.8 bands and 27-18 or 30-20 tapers. With SS 0.8 I get 1/2" going just under 200 fps (like 196-198), with Cattyshack green 0.82 I get just over 200 fps (202-204). About 500% elongation, or 6" active for my 29" draw.

And when they hit, 1/2" really wallops the bejeepers out of stuff- very fun!


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## Sandstorm (Apr 5, 2021)

High Desert Flipper said:


> Sandstorm said:
> 
> 
> > If you plan if on shooting heavier bands for large ammo 7/16-1/2", is it wiser to keep the overall band width and taper more narrow? I've shot quite a bit of small ammo now but I've got a whole bucket of 1/2 I wanna wreck stuff with. Would that formula give you both the needed strength and higher velocity?
> ...


Good deal.


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