# My Favorite Bands



## Grandpa Grumpy (Apr 21, 2013)

I made a short video about my favorite bands - Alliance Sterling 117b office bands. There are a couple of things I forgot to mention in the video. First these are probably the quietest bands you will ever shoot. Secondly the shot count is about the same as a tapered flat band. Thirdly I forgot to mention draw weight. These bands are a little stiff for the first ten shots or so, then they loosen up and pull about seven pounds at 36 inches.






Here is a quick and crude video showing the effect of Alliance Sterling 117b office bands shooting 3/8" steel at a bean can.


----------



## M Mars (Jul 22, 2019)

Great video and what a deal. I will be getting a box of those. Thanks for the advice.


----------



## KawKan (May 11, 2013)

Great information in those vids, Greg!

You really nailed that can, bud!


----------



## Blue Raja (Feb 10, 2016)

Wait - I'm confused. Where is the band cutting template? The rotary cutter? The self-healing cutting mat? The extra lengths of band material for wrap and tuck? The band tying jig? The crystal tape?

What about the joy of wrap and tuck slipping and hitting your eye?

When do we get to the part about cats hiding the wrap and tuck tool under the work bench?

Where is the part about fiddling with the bands to make certain that the pouch is centered?

What happened to converting centimeters to inches (you know, just divide the length value by 2.54)?

And where is my favorite part - ruining $10.00 worth of semi-precise, cold-resistant, non-permeable, ultra-latex band material when the rotary cutter blade dulls, or the template slips? or the template is adjusted wrong, or all of the above?

Brother, you are taking all the fun out of slingshots!

Seriously, this is a fantastic idea and I am going to order some 117b. Thanks for posting!


----------



## lunasling (Apr 5, 2015)

Grandpa Grumpy said:


> I made a short video about my favorite bands - Alliance Sterling 117b office bands. There are a couple of things I forgot to mention in the video. First these are probably the quietest bands you will ever shoot. Secondly the shot count is about the same as a tapered flat band. Thirdly I forgot to mention draw weight. These bands are a little stiff for the first ten shots or so, then they loosen up and pull about seven pounds at 36 inches.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Do those box office stores carry them like office max ?

Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk


----------



## Grandpa Grumpy (Apr 21, 2013)

lunasling said:


> Grandpa Grumpy said:
> 
> 
> > I made a short video about my favorite bands - Alliance Sterling 117b office bands. There are a couple of things I forgot to mention in the video. First these are probably the quietest bands you will ever shoot. Secondly the shot count is about the same as a tapered flat band. Thirdly I forgot to mention draw weight. These bands are a little stiff for the first ten shots or so, then they loosen up and pull about seven pounds at 36 inches.
> ...


I don't think they have Alliance Sterling in stock but maybe you can get them shipped to the store. As I said in the video the store brands don't pack the same punch as the Alliance Sterling bands.


----------



## lunasling (Apr 5, 2015)

Grandpa Grumpy said:


> lunasling said:
> 
> 
> > Grandpa Grumpy said:
> ...


That's true I've tried the store brands years ago they are slow and not much of a punch to em, how long does a band set last ya ?

Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk


----------



## Eldon 77 (Aug 20, 2018)

Do you think they would handle 5/8 glass marbles?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Grandpa Grumpy (Apr 21, 2013)

Eldon 77 said:


> Do you think they would handle 5/8 glass marbles?
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I don't know. I have never shot marbles so I don't how they weigh compared to steel ammo.


----------



## Grandpa Grumpy (Apr 21, 2013)

lunasling said:


> Grandpa Grumpy said:
> 
> 
> > lunasling said:
> ...


I get about 300 shots on average.


----------



## mattwalt (Jan 5, 2017)

Awesome video - Office bands were my first and probably most used elastic material. I would chain link probably 8 bands a side and replace the snapped bands as they happened.

Wish we could get Sterling bands easily (or affordably) - have tried a couple other brands but they don't work as great as expected. I did find the UK postmen used a fantastic band which they would drop all over the place - used to try get them before they got damaged.

A question - how many shots do you get out a set. Sometimes I find they will shoot 25-50 shots before snapping (not Sterling brand - as not tried them as yet) - The UK post ones would last around 250 if I found them in pristine condition?


----------



## Grandpa Grumpy (Apr 21, 2013)

mattwalt said:


> A question - how many shots do you get out a set. Sometimes I find they will shoot 25-50 shots before snapping (not Sterling brand - as not tried them as yet) - The UK post ones would last around 250 if I found them in pristine condition?


I get about 300 shots when I shoot 3/8" steel. Less when I shoot 5 /16" .


----------



## SJAaz (Apr 30, 2019)

Great video GP. Looks like they would be fine for a slotted, match stick rig used TTF ...Take a lot of the fiddling out of BBs.


----------



## AKA Forgotten (Jan 26, 2019)

Excellent information as always and that can was seriously nailed. Good to see the old simple ways are still some the best


----------



## skarrd (Jul 20, 2011)

i really like the 117's for all the reasons you posted in your vid. I have been using the colored ones,but will now definatly give the Alliance bands a try

Thanks GG


----------

