# Best Taper for 7/16" Steel?



## Colorado CJ (Apr 2, 2020)

I just got in some .66 Green GZK band material. I am wondering what the best taper would be for 7/16" steel.

I shoot with my anchor point on the side of my mouth and have a 31" draw.

Pretty new at this and this will be my first band set building, so I really have no idea about correct taper sizes.

Thanks for the help!


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## KawKan (May 11, 2013)

You will really get a lot of enjoyment out of cutting your own bands.

My first rule for getting advice, it that all guidance can do is give you a place to start.

The best of that guidance that I've seen on cutting tapers is from Bill Hays. He was talking specifically about .030 latex, but it still gets you in the ball park.

For a normal draw with steel ammo, he advised cutting the small end so that it's 1 1/2 times the size of the ammo and the large end is twice as wide as the ammo.... So 1/4" steel ball ammo needs tapers of 3/8" X 1/2"... and 1/2" steel ball ammo needs tapers of 3/4" X 1". For 7/16 ammo that works out to a taper of about 11/16" to to 14/16".

Personally, I like to cut my lengths to 1/4 my draw length which is a little less power than cutting to 1/5, and I'd probably start with the recommended cut for 1/2" steel. I can see the marks for 1" and 3/4" better anyway, LOL!

Good luck!


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## Colorado CJ (Apr 2, 2020)

Thanks for the information.

I cut my bands like you said, 1" tapered to 3/4" and used about 450% stretch. This seems to be a decent starting point.

I don't have a chronograph yet, but the 7/16" steel seems to be flying at a pretty good clip. Nice and flat trajectory at 10 meters. They are a little stiffer to pull back than what I have been using, but they also hit a lot harder.


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