[Mr.Dangerous]

So I am very very new and very clueless in this topic. All I know is that I want to DIY my slingshots with rubber by myself for three reasons.

1.) It's cheaper

2.) It's more badass

3.) Best quality shots

So I want a roll of latex which is the BEST at shooting at high velocities, durable and affordable. Then with it I'd like to know what kind of little high quality strings/mini bands I can use to tie/fix the bands to the slingshot itself. I know there are many videos around this topic but I'd like to see what this community prefers. I'd appreciate any links or brand names or ideas. Thanks! :banana:

 

[Ordo]

1. Precise 0.75 mm.

2. Rubber Band Tube Tie Rope.

 

[Griffo]

Velocity and kinetic energy are a tradeoff. Meaning you want big speed, it's at the expense of big power. And if you want big power, it's at the expense of big speed.

But for a starting point, and for latex recommendations, well, start with what the world champ uses. See how you get on.

https://trade.onloon.net/detail?itemId=7400cf12c88145b7acd7a6650e8764bf

I like GZK 20-15mm taper 0.58" thickness but really it comes down to personal preference arrived at through experimentation.

 

[raventree78]

I always use cotton twine to tie the pouch on and cut strips out of bands to attach with wrap and tuck to the frame. I am digging the GZK .45 cold weather white formula lately.

 

[Ibojoe]

A good all around elastic right now is Simple Shot black. Good speed, good power and good longevity. I still like properties of other brands like the smooth draw of BSB’s. Right now it’s kinda hard to find bad elastic. It’s mostly all good.

 

[Tobor8Man]

Cutting bands, especially tapered, requires skill that is acquired through practice. Ditto for attaching the bands to a pouch and then to the frame. A good rotary cutter, a self-healing mat, and a metal straightedge are all important. Ditto a band jig. Plan on messing up a bunch of bands while you hone your skills. Someone here once posted about using SPRI exercise resistance bands from Walmart. You get three bands of varying resistance for $10.00. Lots of cheap band material to practice with. I started that way and still enjoy using them. I make band tying strips from the broken bands and cuts that I messed up. Cutting thin band tying strips is a good way to practice your cutting skills.

 

[Got Bands]

simpleshot is a good brand plus it's sold in the US...but you need to match your bands to your ammo to start with....

 

[Reed Lukens]

I get more speed from the Sumeike Green's then from the simpleshot black. But they all work fine with 7/16" ammo.

And Simpleshot black-

 

[Griffo]

I like GZK 20-15mm taper 0.58" thickness but really it comes down to personal preference arrived at through experimentation.

Of course I meant 0.58mm not 0.58" which would be some seriously thick rubber! Doh. :screwy:

 

[vince4242]

I think one of the main things we need to know to help you is what kind of ammo you want to use. If you're just looking for something fast high velocity then go with ¼" Steel. Bands don't need to be too heavy and it shoots as dead accurate as anything bigger. 8 mm steel is a common size people like to shoot if they want smaller and again the band's I need to be as heavy and it shoots fast enough that you can definitely hunt with it as long as you're getting a solid headshot.

As far as the type of band I like simple shot black .6 for everything up to 7/16" if I'm using flat bands. This is a personal preference I did try precise and some of the other bands found them to be too stretchy and I didn't like how they shot as much. And then someone else might like there stretchiness more. What you can do is go to slingshooting.com and they will let you get samples it ends up being about 15" of each any type or thickness you want for about $1.50 each. I did this trying several different kinds of bands and went back to the simple shot I just like the stretch feel and the speed of retraction and they lasted much longer than the other bands like precise. But if I had to get my personal choice to you I would go with tubes! Tubes last five to ten times longer than bands and shoot the ammo very fast with the right setup. Do a search for "Wll" topics he has been extensive searching on this and Chrono testing to show just how fast tubes are for hunting or Target. He got me interested in trying them and I love the ease of setup and how long they last. I got 1260 shots with my simple shot 1842 tubes shooting 8 mm Steel.! And 3050 from slingshooting.com or other Chinese vendors let you shoot 3/8 and 7/16 very fast with the right setups.

It's very personal preference so give lots of them a try.

Cheers