# Bought my first slingshot, tubular bands already broken after 2 weeks + other issues. Is it normal?



## Pedroito (Aug 22, 2021)

Hello,

I bought my first slingshot on a specialized french website https://www.yshoot.com/product-page/pack-fury-billes it's suitable for hunting from what they say.

1) I got this like 2 weeks ago. I think I progressed very well with it, shooting like 30-60 min a day. I have a tennis elbow now lol. I think there are two reasons to that: i'm new to this, and the slingshot is not adapted to my 1m91 body, I obviously have a longer active draw length when using my cheek as anchor point than the average joe.
What do you say about this?

2) Then my tubular band broke today, after less than 2 weeks of usage.
a) Is it normal??
b) I've read that flat bands last even shorter, so am I supposed to change bands every week??? or is that because they sold me pure XXXX??
c) My leather pouch is already very distorted, the holes are now twice the length they used to be, I don't think the pouch is gonna last very long

ty


----------



## Hoss (Jun 3, 2014)

You said that you shot 30 to 60 minutes a day for 2 weeks, how much ammo would you say you shot in that 2 week period. You can go through a lot of ammo in that length of time.

I would say you probably got good alot more out of your bands than you think. 

Sent from my SM-A326U using Tapatalk


----------



## Karloshi (Apr 6, 2021)

Tubes last a decent number of shots. I am a band shooter and they have a poor lifespan. I read maybe 1000 shots for tubes and I am lucky to get a a couple of hundred from bands but it all depends on how much you are stretching them. If these are the ones that came with the slingshot and are not set up for you draw length then you may be over stretching them which will decrease their lifespan. The pouches won't last long either.


----------



## Pedroito (Aug 22, 2021)

Hoss said:


> You said that you shot 30 to 60 minutes a day for 2 weeks, how much ammo would you say you shot in that 2 week period. You can go through a lot of ammo in that length of time.
> 
> I would say you probably got good alot more out of your bands than you think.
> 
> Sent from my SM-A326U using Tapatalk


yeah like 1000 shots I guess, not like i counted though

So we have to change bands all the time?? This is kinda a "hidden" cost that looks very expensive.
Saw a video of Zach Fowler who said he had bands last 6 months if I recall (i suppose he uses them often considering his level...)




Karloshi said:


> Tubes last a decent number of shots. I am a band shooter and they have a poor lifespan. I read maybe 1000 shots for tubes and I am lucky to get a a couple of hundred from bands but it all depends on how much you are stretching them. If these are the ones that came with the slingshot and are not set up for you draw length then you may be over stretching them which will decrease their lifespan. The pouches won't last long either.


"band shooter" = flat bands?
Yes, i'm sure I was over stretching them, especially after the first week when I moved my anchor point further.
There are also heavier bands included in the pack but they are so short, and hard to draw, I think they are really not made for me... I shake when pulling them back


----------



## High Desert Flipper (Aug 29, 2020)

Pedroito said:


> So we have to change bands all the time?? This is kinda a "hidden" cost that looks very expensive.
> Saw a video of Zach Fowler who said he had bands last 6 months if I recall (i suppose he uses them often considering his level...)



Yeah, it is a "hidden cost" and extra work. But in reality, changing bands takes less than 5 minutes and you can get a roll of latex or good length of tubing for around $10, certainly well under $20, and this is enough to last months for people who shoot every day. Now if you are buying pre-made bands, maybe you will find yourself spending $5 per week or something like that. Probably not a huge deal or huge hassle. And well worth it in my opinion. I would be fabulous if high performing bands lasted a year or more. But they don't, and it isn't all that much work or money to keep going after they fail.


----------



## Pedroito (Aug 22, 2021)

High Desert Flipper said:


> Yeah, it is a "hidden cost" and extra work. But in reality, changing bands takes less than 5 minutes and you can get a roll of latex or good length of tubing for around $10, certainly well under $20, and this is enough to last months for people who shoot every day. Now if you are buying pre-made bands, maybe you will find yourself spending $5 per week or something like that. Probably not a huge deal or huge hassle. And well worth it in my opinion. I would be fabulous if high performing bands lasted a year or more. But they don't, and it isn't all that much work or money to keep going after they fail.


So, this is a huge cost save from buying pre-made bands, right?? anyway as I clearlyunderstood, I have to cut my own bands else i'll never reach full potential (and with my arm range, it's obviously never gonna fit the average band length). Thank you for this information!!


----------



## High Desert Flipper (Aug 29, 2020)

I am not sure if you can order pre-made bands suitable for your draw length. My guess is you can. In fact I think Pocket Predator sells fairly inexpensive bands that come really long. And in the end, premade bands are really not that expensive. I bet you can go through two bands a week without spending $5 per week. Try replacing arrows or shooting a rifle regularly while not spending at least ten times more. So slingshots are a very inexpensive hobby. But no, they are not free.

But in the end making your own bands is quite a bit cheaper. Making your own bands also offers much more flexibility- you can customize / change taper, active length, etc.. anyway you like anytime you like. Although if you get set up to make your own bands you should plan on "investing" $20 in a cutting mat and rotary cutter and a couple of clamps. Maybe another $5-20 on a band tying jig depending on how fancy you want it.


----------



## NaturalFork (Jan 21, 2010)

Maybe it was just bad rubber?


----------



## Pedroito (Aug 22, 2021)

NaturalFork said:


> Maybe it was just bad rubber?


That's why I ask here, if it's simply normal, then ok. Else I will never order from them anymore


----------



## Hoss (Jun 3, 2014)

Pedroito said:


> yeah like 1000 shots I guess, not like i counted though
> 
> So we have to change bands all the time?? This is kinda a "hidden" cost that looks very expensive.
> Saw a video of Zach Fowler who said he had bands last 6 months if I recall (i suppose he uses them often considering his level...)
> ...


1000 shoots or so, I'd say you probably just wore the bands out. 

Sent from my SM-A326U using Tapatalk


----------



## High Desert Flipper (Aug 29, 2020)

Two weeks with lots of every day shooting, not bad for tube life in my opinion.


----------



## SJAaz (Apr 30, 2019)

Another thing to consider is... Making your own bands, tubes, pouches etc, offers you another interesting side of learning the slingshot game. Even if you are not to handy with your fingers, you can certainly learn to cut bands or tubes to a length and width that serves you best. Order some pouches from one of the supporters of this forum and I'd be surprised if you could wear one out in months of shooting. Keep us posted on your progress and we'll take the ride along with you.


----------



## Sandstorm (Apr 5, 2021)

Yup, I’ll second what the others have said. At the rate you were shooting I’d say that your band life was fairly decent. It’s not exactly a hidden cost, it’s just kind of the way of it with slingshots. It’s normal. Bands are a consumable part of the sport. If you’re really enjoying shooting, I think cutting your own bands is the way to go.
The forum offers a huge amount of information. Check out the beginners forum for a lot of frequently asked questions and tips. Also, here’s a quick video about band and pouch maintenance by one of the many slingshot companies that also offer several tutorial videos on YouTube.


----------



## bones (Mar 10, 2018)

i'll put my 2 cents in here..
you have not mentioned what type of sling your shooting...by that i mean, i purchased a shooter that came with an optional sliding sight. the shooter is fantastic, the bands ehh, they are ok. i wasnt planning on using the sight, but for giggles i did. after 4 days of use i took the sight out and wont be using it again period...dont need it really.
i noticed the band closed to the sight was all kinds of tore up. since then no problem. hope that helps.


----------



## Sandstorm (Apr 5, 2021)

bones said:


> i'll put my 2 cents in here..
> you have not mentioned what type of sling your shooting...by that i mean, i purchased a shooter that came with an optional sliding sight. the shooter is fantastic, the bands ehh, they are ok. i wasnt planning on using the sight, but for giggles i did. after 4 days of use i took the sight out and wont be using it again period...dont need it really.
> i noticed the band closed to the sight was all kinds of tore up. since then no problem. hope that helps.


Bones is right about that one. I bought a slingshot off of Shmamazon and it too had sights that tore up the bands pretty badly. Also the bands were very poor quality.
It doesn’t look like the site the OP used has any slings like that but those metal slide in sights will do that for sure.


----------



## Pedroito (Aug 22, 2021)

bones said:


> i'll put my 2 cents in here..
> you have not mentioned what type of sling your shooting...by that i mean, i purchased a shooter that came with an optional sliding sight. the shooter is fantastic, the bands ehh, they are ok. i wasnt planning on using the sight, but for giggles i did. after 4 days of use i took the sight out and wont be using it again period...dont need it really.
> i noticed the band closed to the sight was all kinds of tore up. since then no problem. hope that helps.


what do you mean by "sights" ?? i don't get it, is it a aiming help??

But yeah, it's exactly like in the photo above, and I doubt the guy in the pic is on the forum 



SJAaz said:


> Another thing to consider is... Making your own bands, tubes, pouches etc, offers you another interesting side of learning the slingshot game. Even if you are not to handy with your fingers, you can certainly learn to cut bands or tubes to a length and width that serves you best. Order some pouches from one of the supporters of this forum and I'd be surprised if you could wear one out in months of shooting. Keep us posted on your progress and we'll take the ride along with you.


Who and what are "supporters of this forum"? sorry i'm new and not used to this style of modern forums (i don't like that style tbf, hard to navigate)


----------



## Pedroito (Aug 22, 2021)

Sandstorm said:


> Yup, I’ll second what the others have said. At the rate you were shooting I’d say that your band life was fairly decent. It’s not exactly a hidden cost, it’s just kind of the way of it with slingshots. It’s normal. Bands are a consumable part of the sport. If you’re really enjoying shooting, I think cutting your own bands is the way to go.
> The forum offers a huge amount of information. Check out the beginners forum for a lot of frequently asked questions and tips. Also, here’s a quick video about band and pouch maintenance by one of the many slingshot companies that also offer several tutorial videos on YouTube.


this dude's videos are so good


----------



## Sandstorm (Apr 5, 2021)

Pedroito said:


> this dude's videos are so good


Yep, Simpleshot is one of the bigger names in the industry. A good company to deal with in my experience. In your other post about vendors I’ve just added some others.


----------

