# (groan) here is another comparison 50-80 tubes and flats



## Wingshooter (Dec 24, 2009)

I said I was using lead wrong I use 1/2 inch steel.


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## Rayshot (Feb 1, 2010)

No groan for me because with the recent talk of the 5080 I was curious about them. I had a feeling they were a heavy draw. Your video was just the information I needed.

Thank you!!

I just can't bring myself to feel such a huge increase in draw weight as something appealing, *for less speed*. Not to mention the length of the tube was shorter to get more speed out of the tube. Makes no sense to me. Even if they last longer.

Roger, I am guessing the flat you were using is .03? Please let us know.


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## Wingshooter (Dec 24, 2009)

Rayshot said:


> No groan for me because with the recent talk of the 5080 I was curious about them. I had a feeling they were a heavy draw. Your video was just the information I needed.
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> Thank you!!
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Yes they are the .03 latex I get from Tex. There is something else here that I have been meaning to follow up on and that is the life of these flatbands. They have been lasting a long time. I first noticed it when I started laying my forks forward. Tex has said all along that the bands hitting the forks can cause damage to the latex and shorten the lifespan. I hate to count shots but I am going to have to so I can see if I am daydreaming.


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## Rayshot (Feb 1, 2010)

Wingshooter said:


> Rayshot said:
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> > No groan for me because with the recent talk of the 5080 I was curious about them. I had a feeling they were a heavy draw. Your video was just the information I needed.
> ...


I agree with the bands colliding with the forks does cause damage. I love the small forks and do find my band life is not too good. Though with what I use, I am pushing the bands hard with the taper and shortness of bands to stretch ratio. But all in all your s good and the detail of canting the angle of your forks forward is a good detail to mention.

Too I know how you feel about counting shots. So many times, I have started to count shots on various band or tube sets and never complete the count on them. I don't think you are day dreaming. Straights have so much more longevity. At least from what I have experienced.

Thanks again Roger.


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## ruthiexxxx (Sep 15, 2012)

Being chronyless I do appreciate this sort of info. It is so difficult estimating subjectively although the ability to cut through steel cans does give some sort of indication.

But I do wonder how much the weight of the ammo will make a difference as to the right choice. I can appreciate that light bands might give an advantage on light ammo like the half inch steel. But I think shooting heavier stuff may well alter this.

Until recently I had a similar set-up to yours except that the 50/80s were doubled. This gave a very good performance but in response to all the advice on 'shooting long and light' I switched over to singles. With a 10" active length and a drawlength of 60" to half butterfly (or a tad more) the performance is amazing with moderate weight ammo, particularly the 20 gramme 'lobrounds' but I think that heavier stuff (up to 1" lead) did benefit from the doubles.

One of the big advantages of the 50/80 for me is that it seems to be very tolerant of varying weights of ammo. My shooting is predominantly the lobrounds or hexnuts. I know I shouldn't mix them on the same shooter but........well, we all do things we shouldn't, don't we .........!! Much though I love the .04 and .03 latex they seem intolerant of big variations in ammo weight. I have had so many break before I realised this. My only remaining set (triple .03s) are now kept strictly for B I G lead and are holding up nicely on this controlled diet.

Incidentally the damage to bands of hitting the forks is prevented by the use of Bunny Ears

Anyway, thanks Wingshooter for providing more excellent data.


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

Good information, WS!!! I will take the lighter draw flats every time. The vast majority of folks will find they are more accurate with a 10 to 12 pound draw weight than with a 20 pound draw weight.

As for Ruthie's comments about shooting heavy ammo, I just do not have any call to shoot heavier stuff than, say 1/2 inch lead ... Yep, I know you were shooting 1/2 steel. But 1/2 inch lead will get the job done in any hunting situation on small game ... and 1/2 inch steel is fine for target shooting. No doubt if I were shooting 1 inch lead, I would want heavier bands ... but I cannot imagine any circumstance other than perhaps Power Rangers competition in which I would be shooting 1 inch lead. If I were shooting bowling balls, I would want even heavier bands ... :rofl: I certainly would not characterize 1/2 steel as "light" slingshot ammo ... it is heavier than what the majority of folks use.

Cheers ..... Charles


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## ruthiexxxx (Sep 15, 2012)

Bowling balls...hey, there's an idea !! 

(actually something that I do have mentally set aside for 'one day' is to shoot 'boule' or petanque balls. These are steel balls around the size of cricket balls. I haven't any to hand at the moment but I would guestimate the weight at around a kilo. I think the rig could be quite simple and shot from a lying on the back position using foot stirrups as forks. One of these days I shall get my hands on a chrony...and then I shall have a serious look at the Power Ranger badge  )


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## Wingshooter (Dec 24, 2009)

But I do wonder how much the weight of the ammo will make a difference as to the right choice. I can appreciate that light bands might give an advantage on light ammo like the half inch steel. But I think shooting heavier stuff may well alter this.

Yes you are right there. Now that I have a speed for these tubes at that weight at that draw length I want to slowly increase the weight of the shot to find the point where I start dropping in speed. Doing this I hope to find the most efficient setup for these tubes at this draw length. When I shot this through the crono I could tell by the hand shock there is a lot of unused energy there.

When I shoot the 1/2 inch steel with the 13/16 latex they use up almost all the energy in the bands. I can get a lot more speed with the smaller shot but you can tell you are wasting energy by the way the bands snap. I think that is one reason i am getting such long life out of the thin bands is because I only shoot the 1/2 though them. IMHO


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## ruthiexxxx (Sep 15, 2012)

Wingshooter said:


> But I do wonder how much the weight of the ammo will make a difference as to the right choice. I can appreciate that light bands might give an advantage on light ammo like the half inch steel. But I think shooting heavier stuff may well alter this.
> 
> Yes you are right there. Now that I have a speed for these tubes at that weight at that draw length I want to slowly increase the weight of the shot to find the point where I start dropping in speed. Doing this I hope to find the most efficient setup for these tubes at this draw length. When I shot this through the crono I could tell by the hand shock there is a lot of unused energy there.
> When I shoot the 1/2 inch steel with the 13/16 latex they use up almost all the energy in the bands. I can get a lot more speed with the smaller shot but you can tell you are wasting energy by the way the bands snap. I think that is one reason i am getting such long life out of the thin bands is because I only shoot the 1/2 though them. IMHO


Oh that would be such helpful information ! I shall really look forward to that. Thank you


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## Wingshooter (Dec 24, 2009)

Rayshot said:


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Hey Ray,I guess what I need now is the pouch with a magnet big enough for 1/2 inch steel with a D loop for my release because my fingers just won't take these heavy weights for very long. One of my blessings for being an old codger.


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## liamvswild32 (Dec 22, 2013)

im glad ur posting, as far as buying, im putting my money on 5080 tubes.


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## Rayshot (Feb 1, 2010)

Wingshooter said:


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As we get older we tend to work smarter, not harder.


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## ruthiexxxx (Sep 15, 2012)

Rayshot said:


> Wingshooter said:
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The problem with that is that our bodies work very much on a "USE IT OR LOSE IT" basis. Perhaps it was helpful for me to be in rural Spain where one is surrounded by elderly peasant women with arms and legs like Swarzennegger's staggering up the road with a bale of hay on their backs while hubby rides ahead on the mule. We do not have to become weak with age. We do not have to become ill, obese, incapacitated. The plethora of illnesses that your doctors will tell you are "just a part of getting older" are NOT INEVITABLE!! They are optional...and an option that I would suggest is better avoided!

Sorry to have a mini-rant but people's health and wellbeing matters to me. OK that electric scooter might make life easier...it will also rob you of the use of your legs before long


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