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...
