# How long will a band last?



## Weed Elm (Aug 9, 2020)

I've seen posts that are all over the place with how long a band will last. Some factors will affect how ling it lasts but in general, I am shooting using the pre-made untapered black bands from Fowler's makery & mischief. Shot 265 combined 1/2" and 5/16" glass marbles. Extending the band from 9" to 33". Nothing looks like it is tearing or wearing. The holes in the pouch are a bit elongated but do not look torn. Looks like I am not stretching to near capacity (5X length). Is this too many shots? Are they half gone?. Do I just keep going until there is visible wear and tear?

Thanks for the responses.


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## Ibojoe (Mar 13, 2016)

Those are from Simple Shot. Great bands so no further than you are stretching them, I'd say you've got a ways to go.


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## devils son in law (Sep 2, 2014)

There's no way to say for certain since there is so many variables. It's easy to get a quick look at your bands as you load the pouch and see if there's and stress on the bands and that is usually at the pouch or the fork tie off points. I can easily get 10 half hour shooting sessions out of a band set with my set up.


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## Pebble Shooter (Mar 29, 2014)

Flat band life span largely depends on:

- The quality of the rubber and its thickness;

- How the bands are cut (smooth edges are vital, ideally use a rotary cutter) and to what extent these are tapered;

- How they are tied to the pouch and the forks respectively;

- Whether the fork tips are smooth or not (abrasive action);

- Whether clamp systems for flat bands have sharp edges or not;

- Storage conditions of the flat band rubber, or the slingshot with bands when not in use (UV exposure in particular);

- Whether the draw weight of the bands is calibrated to the weight of the ammo used, or not.

- Whether the ammo is jagged or smooth.

In terms of quality, I have found that sets of bands cut from Chinese-made "Precise" brand rubber can last easily last 500 shots or more. I based this number on the 40 practice shots I do almost every day to stay proficient with the same band set until in breaks. Significant taper increases projectile velocity, but also implies reduced band life: drawing out bands to their maximum extension repeatedly reduces band life too.

On this note, taper is a major safety feature, as it is always preferable for bands to break at the pouch. :hmm:

Bands are tied to pouches and forks in multiple ways, and I have found that a well done "wrap & tie", using either rubber strips (remnants) or the Chinese-made rubber-based string placed under tension favors extended band life: reducing rubber to rubber friction at as far as possible is essential.

Sharp or rough edges on fork tips and flat bands definitely do not mix. From my experience, the relatively jagged "teeth" inside band clamps seen on numerous Chinese stainless steel slingshots do not appear to reduce band life, but the band width at the forks must not exceed the available clamp width, as the side edges are quite sharp, given the necessary tight tolerances involved.

Most forms of rubber are adversely affected by sunlight (ultra-violet radiation). Proper storage of flat band rubber and/or slingshots with mounted flat bands are essential i.e. inside a plastic bag placed inside a dark cupboard or drawer, ideally placed in a cooler section of the house. I have flat bands that have been in such storage literally for years, and that are still going strong. The same doubtlessly applies to rubber tubes in terms of optimized storage.

The calibration of band draw weight vs ammo weight helps in maximizing efficiency (ammo velocity), and preventing those sometimes painful hand slaps commonly linked to heavy draw weights and excessively lightweight ammo.

Jagged ammo is a recipe for trouble, both in terms of band or tube life, but also from a safety perspective for the shooter (fork hits, "return to sender" R.T.S shots, erratic ammo trajectories, etc. If you like shooting with stones, symmetrically shaped and appropriately sized pebbles (think band draw weight) work best from a ballistic and band life point of view.

My 2 cents worth...


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## Sportingshot (Sep 18, 2019)

I regularly shoot in excess of 500 shots a day practice, 20/30 shots every half hour or so (my boss lets me at work ????) and using sumeike 45 cut 19/12 180 active I can use same set all day on 8mm steel , if I use 9.5 steel it won't last the day, the extra weight takes it toll on such a light band, if I use a thicker band like BSB 55, it lasts a couple of days


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## Weed Elm (Aug 9, 2020)

Thanks for the great responses and information. This particular slingshot is home made. The area where the bands go over the forks was sanded round with a belt sander then finish sanded with 120 grit. The area is wider than the bands although on inspection, one of the bands is right against the outside edge but appears to pull towards the inside when stretched. It is a double radius so there could be some uneven stretching on the outside edge. The pouch holes seemed to stretch initially but settled into a broken in elongation. Tie is rubber. So it looks like it is set up for long life.

Thanks again. Even though it is an "in-town" property, i have a great lot for bows and air rifles but slingshot set up is quicker than dragging out the heavier and more cumbersome gear. Started early this month (Aug) so we'll see where it goes.

Have a great day.


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## Weed Elm (Aug 9, 2020)

Black bands from Fowlers (Simple Shot) lasted 395 shots before i noticed a small tea starting to develop. On another note, I noticed that my radius were different and not in line so that might have caused some of the wild shooting. Also noticed that it felt better in the hand with forks flipped 180 degrees. Time for some edits to the design.


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