# What are the advantages of butterfly shooting?



## sohy3010 (May 23, 2010)

i have justmade a slingshot (natural) and i dont know what bands i should put on it.
what is stronger: long, butterfly bands, or short, strong normal bands?
what are the dissandvamtages and advantages of the different types? please help


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## Darb (Sep 14, 2010)

First of all, "stronger" is too vague and dependant a term. Speed and energy are better terms.

I'm a n00b myself, but I believe the key advantages and disadvantages are:

* "Standard Style" bands and draw/shooting position: The advantages are that this is the more natural, ergonomic and easy to aim/master shooting style. In other words, less proficiency is required for a given level of accuracy. The drawback is that the shorter bands have less time/distance to impart their energy to the bullet, so the resulting speed and energy are less than for butterfly style. People compensate by using somewhat heavier /stronger bands than for butterfly, in order to close the gap.

* "Butterfly Style" bands and draw/shooting position: These bands are selected and rigged to be a bit longer and lighter-drawing than for standard style shooting. The advantages are that due to their greater draw length, the bands have more time/distance to impart their energy to the bullet, so the for an equal draw force, the resulting speed and energy are significantly higher for butterfly style. The disadvantage is that the style is inherently harder to aim, and thus requires a higher degree of proficiency in order to shoot with the same general level of accuracy as standard position.

A compromise of the two styles is possible by using an extended arm wrist rocket, which basically allows you to shoot with the same drawlength as butterfly from a standard position (see flatband's avatar for an example).

Hope that helps.


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## joseph_curwen (Feb 8, 2010)

Same as Darb.

And shooting butterfly style is a bit scary at the begining


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## Sam (Jul 5, 2010)

Can't put it better than Darb has mate!


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## Darb (Sep 14, 2010)

Some (myself included) may find it slightly counter-intuitive at first that a longer and lighter band that travels farther during release can generate the same (or slightly greater) force as a shorter and stronger band drawn a shorter distance, but the physics are real ... depending of course on the draw strength and lengths involved.

The same technique has a partial analog in archery, if you compare the English longbow (which is drawn to the jaw) to a Japanese Kyudo bow (which is drawn past the ear to one's shoulder). It's a longer and slightly lighter draw, but can impart similar force, and requires considerable skill to shoot well. As with butterfly, it's an elegant style. Beautiful even.


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## dgui (Jan 12, 2010)

More power and less drop . At least it seems like it .


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## dragonmaster (Dec 24, 2009)

I can only shoot a few shots at full butterfly because of my shoulder but have never had any of the problems that others have said. I guess because my shot is average I just don't knottiest.


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## shooter13 (Mar 30, 2010)

May i had that whith buterfly style i almost dont have any painful bandslap.Exept yesterday under a strong rain with a heavy wet pouch.


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## NoSugarRob (Jun 3, 2010)

advantage of butterfly shooting ?............ hmmmmmm.................... well if you miss the butterfly its not going to get all mad and sting you like a wasp ?


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## joseph_curwen (Feb 8, 2010)

NoSugarRob said:


> advantage of butterfly shooting ?............ hmmmmmm.................... well if you miss the butterfly its not going to get all mad and sting you like a wasp ?


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## Sam (Jul 5, 2010)

Darb said:


> Some (myself included) may find it slightly counter-intuitive at first that a longer and lighter band that travels farther during release can generate the same (or slightly greater) force as a shorter and stronger band drawn a shorter distance, but the physics are real ... depending of course on the draw strength and lengths involved.
> 
> The same technique has a partial analog in archery, if you compare the English longbow (which is drawn to the jaw) to a Japanese Kyudo bow (which is drawn past the ear to one's shoulder). It's a longer and slightly lighter draw, but can impart similar force, and requires considerable skill to shoot well. As with butterfly, it's an elegant style. Beautiful even.


Well it's essentially Draw Length x Draw Weight....


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## Darb (Sep 14, 2010)

Sam said:


> Well it's essentially Draw Length x Draw Weight....


Generally true.

However, in the interests of scientific completeness, we should probably point out for the benefit of onlookers that that's only true as a matter of over-simplified mathematical convenience.

As with most matters in science, reality is nearly always more complex upon close scrutiny. In this case, the force imparted by elastic bands and bow-arms is not a simple constant through it's motion of arc upon release. An exaggerated example is that of a modern pulley-driven compound bow, which is deliberately designed to have a high initial draw-force that significantly slacks off when fully drawn (in order to reduce fatigue and allow longer and more deliberate precision aiming) ... that decreasing force curve is then completely mirror-reversed upon release, resulting in a sharply rising acceleration curve**. The same general principle holds true (to a somewhat lesser degree) for elastic bands and the arms of long bows and recurve bows, depending on their inherent material properties, shape, and energy/motion transmittal efficiency.

Sorry for the digression ...

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** It's counter intuitive that the lesser holding force (when fully drawn) of a 60# compound bow over that of a 60# longbow should result in an equal or slightly higher muzzle velocity for the former, but that's because the former is more efficient at converting stored potential energy into kinetic energy. That's the result of modern materials and a more efficient mechanical design (a higher percentage of a straight-arm longbow's energy is wasted compressing the wood on the near-side, whereas an angle-armed compound with a transverse pulley directs a higher percentage of force into bending, rather than compression. The major drawback of modern pulley-compound bows, that engineers have not been able to solve, is that they're about as romantic as a bent rusty nail, and require little in the way of self-discipline or training to shoot.


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