[Howellah]

Hey everyone. I've been shooting the scout with double tube bands and 7/16in steel balls. Making it strong to use it to hunt small game.

Since using larger ammo and strong bands, my index finger on the pouch hand gets sore quite quickly. Like after 20 shots. I made a thicker leather pouch which barely helps. It's still a hindrance to my practice.

I could shoot 3/8in balls for hours without a problem.

I have considered switching to a simpleshot hammer slingbow so I can use a mechanical release with arrows and not use my fingers to pinch at all. I also just learned about the Simple Shot pinch pouch.

This way I can maintain a heavy draw weight and not cripple myself.

I don't think my hands are abnormal. I consider them tough. Anyone overcome this in a method I'm not seeing?

I heard a recommendation of using a finger brace from a pharmacy...

 

[mattwalt]

When you mention double tubes - 2040 (this setup with 3/8 will take rabbit sized game)? Think anything more than this is overkill - in fact full loops of 1632 will throw a 3/8 quite nicely for target work.

I do find with thick leather pouches, for me that is, is that the ammo feel can be indistinct so I tend to grip harder than I would with a thinner pouch (which I much prefer).

A question though... how do you grip the pouch? Thumb against the inner knuckle of your first finger - or more a pinch grip (between the pads of your finger tips)?

 

[mattwalt]

https://simpleshot.academy/project/fork-hits/

Skip to around 2 minutes - this is how I hold the pouch.

 

[Howellah]

good insights matt. yes I'm leaning towards switching to flatbands and keeping my 7/16 steel ammo. My current double tube setup does not allow me to pinch the ammo between my finger pads. It's too much of a pull. So I resort to pinching the ammo behind my index bone, which yes I've heard is a bad practice.

thanks for the reminders

 

[Sean Khan]

Anyone overcome this in a method I'm not seeing?

There is a way that is considered blasphemy but which works for me.

Grip the round ammo, not the pouch. Like when you shot your mates in school with a paper pellet and rubber bands.

Like so:

It improved my accuracy and my grip problem went away. I have complete control because I am gripping the ammo, not the pouch. I slip the ammo through my fingers and ZING. Improved speed and power (yes really).

I don't know anyone else who does that and I realize it's not for everyone. But it works for me.. and only for round ammo. Not for hexnuts or darts. (the ammo in the pic is a plaster of paris ball... easy to grip)

And it won't work if you have an itty bitty thin pouch compared to your ammo. The pouch will slip through between the ammo and your fingers.... not good.

 

[Howellah]

who gripping the ammo. never even considered. I will try. thanks!

 

[Sean Khan]

Take it slow and don't use full power at first until you are confidant. If the pouch doesn't suit the ammo for some reason, you might get some grief.

It works for me tops, is all I can say.

See how the ammo is safe between my fingers and the large pouch? You can't even see it. The tips of my finger and thumb are touching each other with the ammo locked in between.

Also, if you want to try new.. potentially dangerous.. stuff, I recommend, you do it with a wristrocket style slingshot at first.

Live long and prosper.

 

[Pebble Shooter]

Could it be that your double tubes are a shade heavy for the 7/16 (11 mm) steel ammo being used?

Some years ago, I used double layered 0.3 mm thick Thera-Band blue cut to 29 cm (11.4 inches) length and tapered from 26 mm to 16 mm (1.2 to 0.6 inches) to shoot 12 mm (0.47 inches) steel ammo at particle boards and tin cans. The power level with those zippy bands, based on a semi-butterfly shooting style, was truly impressive: 10 mm (0.39 inch) thick particle board turned into "Swiss cheese". I do not know whether a single layer of 0.6 mm flat band rubber would produce similar results: the problem with thin band rubber such as T-B blue is relatively limited longevity.

The draw weight was nevertheless perfectly reasonable considering the power output of this setup, which ought to work well for your 7/16 inch ammo too. Chinese "Precise" brand flat band rubber in 0.3 mm should yield similar results, in principle.

Excessively heavy bands or tubes relative to light ammo are generally counterproductive, and will indeed cause pain or numbness to the index finger (don't overdo it) during extended shooting sessions. Thus, calibrating flat bands (thickness, length, tapering) or selecting the right tubes (don't use these myself) for the main ammo being used is the way to go to optimize projectile velocity, while keeping draw weights within manageable limits.

Least but not last, this is how I hold the pouch with ammo: