[MikeyLikesIt]

As an admitted slingshot novice, I try to abide by a few basic tenets of the sport. Have a consistent ammo release. Match your ammo to your bands. Don't shoot in the house (while your wife is home). That's about all I've learned so far, but man have I memorized them!

So it leaves me quite confused anytime I get band-sets from China. Every single set I've received (dozens at this point), seems to come equipped with powerful bands that would be ideal for 3/8" steel or something similar. Yet the pouches all seem too small to accommodate anything larger than 1/4" steel. I'm forced to choose between either overpowering my ammo, or trying to fit a marble in a pouch that barely wraps around it's circumference.

Is this just me, or has anyone else noticed this? The Chinese have amazing slingshot enthusiasts, so I'm assuming there is some sort of explanation to this. Do they just use way more power than I'm comfortable with? Or do they just balance their ammo in tiny pouches? I like a big pouch where I can completely ensconce my ammo. Every time I use a Chinese pouch it feels like I'm fitting a fat man in a hammock. The slightest misstep is going to tip him out. So who knows something and can set me straight?!

 

[cpu_melt_down]

They grip the ammo and not the pouch. I have seen several threads discussing this technique. I'll try to find a link and post.

 

[andypandy1]

Then shoot smaller ammo even for competition they shoot less than 5/16 smaller ammo smaller pouch. Just my thoughts

 

[cpu_melt_down]

Here is an example of what I'm talking about... speed shooting

 

[JaxBaron]

I definitely prefer the small Chinese pouches. I use only small pouches and shoot 3/8 ammo. Once you get use to them I find them way easier to just grab the ammo and not pinch infront of the ammo.

 

[MikeyLikesIt]

Here is an example of what I'm talking about... speed shooting

Ah, yesss! It makes sense, but I don't know how they do it comfortably.

 

[KotonCandyRandy]

I love the small pouches! I shoot 3/8 clay balls or 1/2 glass balls most of the time and my accuracy is greatly increased with the smaller pouches.

 

[Void]

I don't know anything about anything. But I assumed it was to reduce weight so performance would be better. But I was also wondering if a larger pouch might be better for me. I am still trying to figure all of this out. It's a good thing that learning this stuff is so much fun

 

[KotonCandyRandy]

I don't know anything about anything. But I assumed it was to reduce weight so performance would be better. But I was also wondering if a larger pouch might be better for me. I am still trying to figure all of this out. It's a good thing that learning this stuff is so much fun

I actually do think it's a personal thing. Like my fingers are short and fat so the smaller pouches are super easy to grab. I do use my middle finger and thumb instead of index finger and thumb

 

[Sean Khan]

They grip the ammo and not the pouch. I have seen several threads discussing this technique. I'll try to find a link and post.

Yeah. It's what I like to do. See pics for how.

https://slingshotforum.com/topic/123228-pouch-index-finger-hurting-too-much/?p=1400094

https://slingshotforum.com/topic/123228-pouch-index-finger-hurting-too-much/?p=1400824

In pic 1, you can see one of those itty bitty Chinese pouches.

And until 5 minutes ago I had no idea the Chinese were doing that. I thought *I* had invented the technique. :rofl:

Funny how Asian minds think up the same thing. :naughty:

 

[Pebble Shooter]

Mikey, read the comment by "Whadafork", a China-based shooter, on page 1 of this thread:

https://slingshotforum.com/topic/120990-just-how-good-are-the-chinese-shooters/

Quote from his comment regarding ammo: "When it comes to competitions, they are ALL ABOUT CONSISTENCY. Most competitive Chinese shooters, including myself, stick to lighter set-ups with light ammos (6.4-8 mm), I reckon the idea behind is to maximize stability by having more control over your pull and release. I personally shoot 7 mm with 0.4 18-10 150 mm cut. People should adjust according to the actual performance. Generally, with 6.4-9 mm steels balls, the popular tapers are 17-9, 18-10, 1911, 2012 for anything below 0.6. Though I have seen elite medium/long-pull shooters in competitions, but due to the lack of anchor point references it usually takes a longer time to develop consistent shooting with medium/long pulls. Instead, short-pulls is relatively more effective for compeitions." (end quote).

The super small Chinese (microfiber) pouches are thus calibrated for the small ammo sizes mentioned, are extremely light, but also "aerodynamic", i.e. no pouch flutter from an oversized pouch relative to a small ammo size. In principle, all this contributes to downrange accuracy.

 

[mattwalt]

Think the Chinese like 8mm ammo...

I do like a smaller pouch. But just how small are the ones you receive?

 

[MikeyLikesIt]

Think the Chinese like 8mm ammo...

I do like a smaller pouch. But just how small are the ones you receive?

I'm not sure of the exact size, but many will barely wrap around a 3/8" steel and it seems like 1/4" is about the largest size I can accommodate. But I really like big pouches. I want to be able to wrap the leather around the ammo completely, and then have some leftover for my tubes/bands to attach. My current setup is for 11mm pellets and the pouch is approximately 6cm x 2.5cm.

 

[MikeyLikesIt]

Thanks for all the links to other forum posts guys. I figured it had been addressed before, but it's hard to know where to look for these conversations. It seems from your responses that they like the little ammo over there. Maybe they're comfortable with stronger bands than I am for things like .177 ammo. I have a hard time seeing the pellets, and for BB's I've been using single 1632 tubes at 7" active for a 28" draw. I like to launch 'em slow

 

[Sean Khan]

Think the Chinese like 8mm ammo...

I do like a smaller pouch. But just how small are the ones you receive?

Here is one of mine. After getting a few of these bands online (pouch comes with) I swore never to get ones that small again. The looped bands are quite strong though.

That one in the middle of the pouch... That's one of a bunch 7-8 mm steel balls I got out of fan bearings I tore apart.

I hate small pouches. Only large ones for me, air resistance be damned. Can't fire a dart with these ittybitty things. Quite impossible.

 

[jhm757]

My first SlingShot came with 10 sets of bands with the tiny pouches. I used them for awhile but once I got some different latex and SuperSure pouches I pretty much stopped using them.

After reading this topic and reading about the pinch ball method I decided to give it a try. I put a set of the Chinese bands with the tiny pouch on my Axiom Ocularis, A SlingShot I don't shoot much.

The first picture shows a 3/8" steel setting on the pouch. The second picture is a can I cut using the Axiom Ocularis and the pinch ball method. It worked well, I pinched the ball between my thumb and middle finger.

It is kind of hard on the finger tips, but I imagine if you shot that way all the time your finger tips would get toughened up.

 

[Sean Khan]

I pinched the ball between my thumb and middle finger.

It is kind of hard on the finger tips, but I imagine if you shot that way all the time your finger tips would get toughened up.

I use the thumb and forefinger. It takes a lit less strength than gripping the ammo through the pouch. And yes, I get better control and more power. And the ammo is centered in the pouch more or less automatically.

There is an old martial arts technique to toughen your hands and improve finger strength. Fill a leather bag with lead pellets/bird-shot. Seal, sew or tie that bag tight. While watching Netflix, toss that bag from one hand to another.

Do that until you are sick of it. Then do it some more.

See what happens after a week.

Never used it myself, mind you. If anyone tries it, do let me know if it works. This is an old Chinese kungfu method and my teachers weren't impressed by kungfu.

 

[Pebble Shooter]

Something I did note with the small Chinese pouches is that the center hole of some of them is too small to allow the 7 to 8 mm steel ammo, for which they are clearly designed, to remain centered after the release.

I was getting erratic shots with a new band set and one of these mini-pouches made of 1 mm thick microfiber, whereupon I made the center hole slightly larger using a leather hole puncher. A good test is to place the ammo on the center hole of the pouch held horizontally, and tilting the pouch left to right to see up to what angle the ammo stays there before rolling out: if the ammo falls out at the slightest angle, this could be the reason for erratic shots, in spite of correct shooting techniques.

Using another slingshot with a band set and pouch I have used for some time with good accuracy (if I do my part) confirmed that the pouch hole on my new band set mounted on another frame needed to be enlarged. Just something to look into if you're getting strange results on the target, and before frustration sets in.

Although this needs to be confirmed by testing, I have the impression that the center pouch hole size should be roughly one third of the round ammo diameter being used. Of course, this does not apply when shooting ammo such as hex nuts or rocks.

 

[MikeyLikesIt]

My first SlingShot came with 10 sets of bands with the tiny pouches. I used them for awhile but once I got some different latex and SuperSure pouches I pretty much stopped using them.

After reading this topic and reading about the pinch ball method I decided to give it a try. I put a set of the Chinese bands with the tiny pouch on my Axiom Ocularis, A SlingShot I don't shoot much.

The first picture shows a 3/8" steel setting on the pouch. The second picture is a can I cut using the Axiom Ocularis and the pinch ball method. It worked well, I pinched the ball between my thumb and middle finger.

It is kind of hard on the finger tips, but I imagine if you shot that way all the time your finger tips would get toughened up.

Thanks for trying it out and reporting the results! It has never occurred to me to hold ammo like that. Very interesting. I do see how it would probably be easier to get a consistent hold every time, and it would definitely help with speed shooting. I may have to give it a try sometime...

 

[Winnie]

Try this:

1. Put your ball into the pouch and pull tight so that the ball is seated as securely as possible.

2. Pass a lighter a few times quickly across the ball/pouch until a slight color change has happened.

3. Let it cool a few seconds - it doesn't get that hot - then take the ball out and check it out. It should have formed a more propper pouch that will remain permanently.

It should now handle 3/8 easily and even 7/16.