# Question about speeds & draw length weights



## 8thsinner (Nov 26, 2014)

Hi guys, new to here and new again to slingshots, been wanting to get back into this for a few years now and finally got an agile toucan a few days ago.
I am having a few issues with trying to calculate my ideal ammo and bands compromise.
If my workings are false or I don't appear to understand some element of calulation please let me know.

I would like to be hunting squirell with ocassionally something as big as rabbit maybe. These seem in abundance when I am camping.
I would like to hunt with lead,and target with steel in similar sized ammo.

The hunting energy chart tells me a few things, and I think I would prefer to shoot with smaller more compact balls.
So,
5gm 10mm leads I need to shoot at least 90m/s
8gm 11mm leads I need to shoot at least 75 m/s

I am confused a little on calculating draw length to shooting speed expectations. I don't like butterfly shooting, and my draw length is about 34".

I think I would prefer to be using flat bands,
I will be using the smallest lightest kangaroo pouches I can comfortably hold,
I will be using z-pouch style attachment method.
Flip style shooting seems to suit me more, and the power advantage is obvious in hunting applications...
I suspect I will be needing silver/gold bands, but having looked through a few of zdp-189's charts and stuff has left me a little confused.
(MY) toucan forks are exactly 22mm across at the top btw. OTF shooting

I think I need to be shooting with my bands at 200-250% elongation for maximum retention of energy transfer and acceleration speed. Thats around 9"-9.5" right?
How do I calculate that in relation to tapered bands? Is there a percentage of taper width to length formulae somewhere I haven't found yet in my research?

Should I aim towards tapered bands?
I don't want brand new bands to break on a single weekend away trip in spring to summer temps (uk)

I think from the force charts that untapered do maintain a more regular delivery of force per elongation percentage. But wouldn't I need the speed that tapered seem to deliver at 200-250% elongation?

From what I understand the more you taper the more likely you are to have shorter band life. So, I don't think I want to go as far as 50% width at pouch.

I do not have a chrony, but if anyone has speed results using fork tops of a similar size to my 22mm and the ammo range I am looking at can you let me know what bands and cut length and taper you are using in relation to speeds?

Slightly related question
Which is faster? twin flat bands or folded flat bands?
I am sure with this question there are other variables I am not aware off, please share if this is true.

I hope I have provided enough information to return a viable answer for what I am after. If not, just ask.

Thank you to anyone reading this and able to help me get closer to me working this out.


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## jazz (May 15, 2012)

Your question(s) demand quite elaborate answer and I myself neither know all of them nor have time at the moment but I am sure that soon you will get many qualified answers here.

Until then I just want to say that most of your questions are rubber-specific which means that various relations might be different for various types of rubber, not only by chemistra, but also by shape and even circumstances.

One way to go, and a fast one, is to use other people experience, try it and adjust it to your needs, preferences and circumstances. For this visit our Hunting section, and in this moment you can visit http://slingshotforum.com/topic/16188-effective-hunting-setups/?hl=%2Beffective+%2Bhunting+%2Bsetups, a link I just put in another thread..

If you intend to use Thera-Band bands (I never tried their tubes) then I think that you can experiment with 500% elongation - some people use bit more, some bit less but I think 500 is optimum considering power of the draw and band life. In your case it would be 34" / 5 = 6.8" active band length.

cheers,

jazz


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## 8thsinner (Nov 26, 2014)

Thakns for that, checking out the hunting thread now, I can see a few days of note taking ahead of me.

I had looked previously to youtube for information but it's surprisingly lacking in that arena.


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## Henry the Hermit (Jun 2, 2010)

Here are many pages of useful advice from people who hunt with their slingshots.

http://slingshotforum.com/topic/16188-effective-hunting-setups/

YouTube is full of bad advice and Zomby killing monster slingshots, but not much useful information.


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## The Pocket Shot (Sep 28, 2014)

FPS with your ammo, or essentially Joules is what your after, comes down to a couple things, but one of them to keep in mind is the surface area of the bands. You need some surface area on those bands to create the power you want at a draw weight that is reasonable.


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## Viper010 (Apr 21, 2012)

PLEASE in the interest of our furry little friends, postpone actual hunting until at least next year... There is more to it than having the right bands n leadballs and itd be a shame to have injured rabbits n squirrels limping about because your shooting skills weren't quite up to par yet.

Rather take some soda or soup cans for target practise.


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## 8thsinner (Nov 26, 2014)

@Viper rest assured I have no intention of hunting until I believe I can feed myself from doing so..

But Soda cans are far too big to be used as a final target size.

My skills will be put to the test only when I can and repeat the exercise of shooting, quickly in succession swinging or else wise moving targets about the size of a zippo at 5,10,15,20 yards.

I used to shoot still cigarette pack sized targets at variable distances up to about 25 yards against and for gravity, I never bothered to work double shooting before but I have been inspired recently to add this to my training exercises.

Technology has come a long way since I began shooting in my youth with the classic black widow, and barnett style slingshots., I want to embrace new developments, new technology and other peoples experiences and play again.

In any case however, as much as I may use separate bands for target and hunting I would rather aim to hunt my targets with a single band style and with multiple ammos to suit different game. Only in this way do I believe I will gain the most proficiency in regards to my true end goal.


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