How to Find your Draw Length and Tune your Slingshot Bands

How to Find your Draw Length and Tune your Slingshot Bands
in this video i will show you how to find your Draw length for your sling shot and how to tune the bands to your draw length to get the most out of your bands. this will help you slingshot be more consistent and help your accuracy.
you can find great info and gear at: www.simpleshot.com
#catapulttuning #slingshotbands #tuneitup
#shootstraight
#accuracy

[@charlescampbell1319]

You probably offer the best tutorials for beginners anywhere online...well done man🤙🏻

[@ATOMark]

Thanks man I appreciate that. I am just trying to put out the information I had to dig for. A lot of this was trial and error for me too.

[@burdisdead]

I know this is an older video but you explained this better than anyone

[@ericjohnson6100]

Scout lt was my first slingshot and I love it. I got the axiom champ last week and love how small and pocketable it is. I put some longer bands on it at roughly 9/16-7/16 taper soits got a lighter draw and I mostly shoot clay with it

[@ATOMark]

The first flat band slingshot was this no name thing from China. It was accurate though. I bought an axiom ocularis and hated it. When I saw the scout LT i went for it and it is excellent. I love that slingshot. I think for someone just getting into the sport or seasoned veteran that is a great buy.

[@jharper34]

This was well done. Thank you so much for the explanation and demonstration!

[@ATOMark]

My pleasure, i hope it helped

[@emmahammond5088]

You sir, are a gentleman and a scholar...what a great vid. Thanks so much...

[@slingshotcrazy]

I really do appreciate the time and effort you put in your videos!!! Kudos from the UK, 🇬🇧 keep going!!

[@ATOMark]

Thanks Rick. I appreciate you taking the time to stare at my ugly mug from time to time. Lol

[@slingshotcrazy]

@@ATOMark no worries, you’ve earned yourself another sub!! Keep going, your really very good and the best of luck!! Stay safe pal!! 👍🏻

[@shovelhead8]

Great information to know.. i got a Canadian Tire cheapy to try, but one like yours has been on my wish list for a while. i like the idea of the clay pellets. Thank you for the video, Mark

[@ATOMark]

Me too. But the one I use most is the top archery professional slingshot. I did a review on this channel of it. I paid $13 for it and it is crazy accurate. There is another one like the one I tuned up in this video on wish for $11. Great little slingshot.

[@TheVideoSlick]

thank you this was the video i needed!

[@brentfraunfelder892]

Thank you for all the helpful information and the tutorial on the slingshot. I am new to this so everything and everyone input is quite helpful. Again, thanks God bless.

[@MrMann703]

Great video, the clay ball talk was a nice surprise since I was wondering about them and had planned on doing a search. My slingshot & steel ammo will be arriving Friday, I ordered a yellow and black wrap slingshot like the one you didn’t have to tune and seeing that we have the same draw length I am confident it won’t be too small for me. Subbed and going to check out your videos

[@ATOMark]

Thanks for the support. I do reccomend you check out the most recent video I posted on how to make bands. I go into detail on how to find the elongation of your bands and other tips to really make great band sets. I am sure you will enjoy your new frame.

[@MrMann703]

@@ATOMark I sure did check it out, very informative and helpful

[@FoodForThought.]

Great video. Thanks for the comprehensive explanation on this subject. Looking forward to watching some more of your videos.

[@ATOMark]

Thanks. I do have a more up to date video on this subject.

[@FoodForThought.]

@@ATOMark I will definitely check them out. Thanks

[@guitarplayer006]

Thank you so very much! This is a huge help to a beginner such as myself. 😁

[@ATOMark]

Check this video out. It is a more complete guide to making bands. It is a better more updated version of the video you watched. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZqHNYYFomNJ2rs0

[@QuakeSphere]

Great videos, man. Glad to find your channel.

[@ATOMark]

I am happy you are enjoying the content.

[@ATOMark]

I have a giveaway going right now. You should enter if you haven't already.

[@QuakeSphere]

@@ATOMark i found your FB page 😎

[@ATOMark]

Is that how you found the channel?

[@QuakeSphere]

@@ATOMarkNo, i was looking up some scout lt/tutorial vids on KZbin.

[@curtismarean6963]

Thanks for the video, very helpful for me! Best of luck to you! Hope you had a great holiday!

[@ATOMark]

I am glad it helped you out. I have since made a more complete video oh how I make bands you might find useful.

[@ATOMark]

Have a look. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZqHNYYFomNJ2rs0

[@Hoggy1963]

Great info, thanks for the vid

[@ATOMark]

My pleasure buddy thanks for watching.

[@user-lz8jn7eh5e]

Love your tie videos

[@tenteraeducation6578]

A very good tutorial. Tq Sir.

[@ATOMark]

Thanks man

[@paulingham7239]

Great vid as im new to all this and it was really helpfull thanks for the vid please keep them going and take care

[@serpentinesecrets6771]

I take a pocket full of clay and shoot pine cones and branches all afternoon the thwack sound is neat too.

[@ATOMark]

Pine cones are great targets.

[@eagleeyeviewimages]

Great video

[@_Tang0_]

Great video! My bands keep showing little tears in the middle on the band but only on one side. Is that because I’m over stretching the bands or is it just cheap bands? Can anyone help me with this?

[@SkywalkFPV]

Nice video! I do wonder if you would recommend 0.45mm bands over 0.5mm for target shooting 8mm bearings and 8mm clay?

[@ATOMark]

Yup I would reccomend some .4, .45 and some.5

[@queenM_3740]

Very nice 👍

[@sergegodin9621]

Does the temperature affect the bands much? If I were to shoot in the winter at -15C or so, would it negatively affect the performance of the bands? Thanks!

[@ATOMark]

Absolutly it would. It is always best to go up a thickness and make a wider taper in cold weather.

[@davidallen4498]

So for me at 27 inch at corner of mouth for anchor. What should my band be in relaxed position? Also I use glass balls from wall mart.

[@ATOMark]

This will explain my whole process. Check it out. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZqHNYYFomNJ2rs0

[@rinaldomahase4001]

Where did you get these rubber from

[@sehepoljohari7342]

Good explanation 👍👍👍

[@ATOMark]

Just a quick mention. Every band company or manufacturer may have slightly different elongation. I cut GZK to 600% elongation but if I did that with gongchi green I would only get 50 shots. Gong chi works best at 400%. Just some food for thought.

[@lgreen1091]

Great video bro!

[@ATOMark]

Thanks man. Just keep in mind that different bands will have different elongation. Gzk is around 5.5-6 but gong chi is 4. So some bands you may need to play with to get good longevity out of them. This video is a good starting point.

[@lgreen1091]

ATO I will keep that in mind for sure! I’m looking forward to getting into making my own bands

[@ATOMark]

@@lgreen1091 it is worth it and you will save a lot of money after a small initial investment.

[@techadmirer6475]

love the vid, it explains the important stuff pretty well and your actual the first I've seen to talk about the ears. i always suspected it would be better to have the ears in the same exact angle but nobody seems to talk about them, granted if it does effect accuracy as i suspect it might i doubt it will be enough to even notice but it is a nice touch to see. Secondy in reguars to steel and ammo spicificaly about clay haveing less drop, i would need to test this to know for sure but i think if you get a bandset and draw weight suted to max the speed of whatever steel bearing balls you use, then the speed and drop will be almost exactly the same as standard sized clay balls. I say this because as proven by some science experiments primaraly "GALILEO'S EXPERIMENT" weight does not effect drop much at all instead size and shape can have a much greater effect when air is involved. I believe when it comes to ranged weapons like slingshots in this case the heavier weight steel bearing balls generally does have greater bullet drop but that is because the bands are pulling a heavier payload therefore the steel ball will shoot slower. how much slower is much so determined by the bands taper, thickness, draw weight etc... But if you counteract this a bit by experimenting and finding the combination of band thickness, taper, and pull strength(draw weight) that shoots a specific sized steel bearing ball the fastest i think the steel bearing ball will be very close in speed compared to even the most optimal banding for light clay balls. In conclusion if Speed is by far the biggest determining factor for projectile drop, i suspect a optimal band set for any specific steel ball size shoots a steel ball of the most proper size it will have almost the same exact amount of drop as lighter clay ammo. if you wish to experiment and find the fastest band set for a specific steel ball size and test this theory I have I would love to see or hear the results wither my theory is right or wrong just keep in mind even bands to thick can slow down projectile speed from what i have heard so do account for stuff like that if you go into testing.

[@ATOMark]

I have done some experimenting and did a video on this subject ....... kind of took 1 band set and tested 4 tapers with 2 different ammo sizes. Calculated the speeds the results were interesting. The 8mm steel was fastest with the sharpest taper of 24-12but the 9.5 mm was fastest with 24-15. So actually there was a big with the 3mm extra on the pouch end with the 24-15. As for clays I am not a big fan of them. Because none of them are uniform in size. Let's say an 8mm steel ball weighs 5g a clay the same weight would be 2x the size and I believe they would drop faster because there is more surface area to create more wind resistance. In a perfect world I think ammo like 8 or 9 mm lead would be the best for both worlds for hunting. They would weight more and cause less wind resistance generating good speed at a heavier weight and being a softer metal it would deform upon impact causing more damage........ or I can be totally full of 💩!! Lol I am not a scientist lol but it makes sense to me.

[@techadmirer6475]

@@ATOMark your results from your experimenting is interesting. if your band taper findings are accurate it guess the higher weight of ammo you go the slighter the taper should be, makes me wonder if their is a point no taper will have best speeds. to add on this subject I have yet to test this myself ( I want to get a ballistics chronograph before personal testing) but i've seen people talk on reddit sharing that when using 10mm-12mm steel they had slower speeds using a 23 to 14(i think) opposed to 23 to 18. in regards to clay vs steel ammo perhaps i overlooked the surface area increasing wind resistance. when i get a chronograph i think testing that will go on my list of experiments. this is a bit unrelated but i just today made my first band set made specifically for one of my favorite to use ammo sizes(18mm). this band set is GZK 7.2mm green with a 25 to 20mm taper double banded, just tested it some and compared to my 1.5mm(no name brand) natural laytex with a taper of 18/12 the GZK green although calculated to have about %35 more rubber actually feels slightly lighter pull, so i find that interesting. also it feels like it is shooting faster but i'd need a chronograph to know for sure. hopefully it is faster, i have predicted this to be a much better band set and material themselves according to people that have tested GZK vs no name brands. i use 18mm steel and 28mm iron because i have always loved using large and ridiculously large metal ammo ever since i first tried some, something about the high energy and damage behind using large ammo is fascinating, also he large size itself it fun to think about, using 28mm iron against a fruit like an orange for example is like a small explosion cuz the projectile is almost as large as the fruit itself. in the future i might try to get my hands on 24mm lead, i suspect I'm already at the limits of practicality any heavier then optimal bands would probably to heavy to pull at least to heavy to pull with ought being unsteady. sorry for all the misspellings and bad grammar I'm sure i left.

[@armvtugadevlog4475]

thanks 👍

[@ATOMark]

My pleasure!

[@RhumRunner41]

You mention that the ammo needs to be matched to the band; how does one do that? Any thoughts on tapered band?

[@ATOMark]

If you are on Facebook search adventure time outdoors. It is my Facebook page. I just posted some pictures that will help give you a starting point for ammo and bands.

[@andry9573]

for 6mm ammo which taper should i use on theraband gold, my draw lenght is 67cm, pls help me

[@ATOMark]

I have never shot theraband or 6mm ammo but when I switched to 8mm ammo from 9.5 mm I was told 18mm-12mm was a good place to start. I have since tweaked the taper to suit what works for me but give that a try and Just ajust to suit you. Sorry I couldnt give you more help unfortunately I dont have any experience with 6mm ammo or theraband gold.

[@kamaral.azizib.abubakar9973]

good video. Would like to know what is your the thickness of your bands. For my draw length is the same 30 inches and using 0.8 mm

[@ATOMark]

I started off heavy like you. Shooting 1mm and .80 but I dialed it back to .65-.66 and it helped my consistency and accuracy. I tend to go as low as .62 and as high as .70. In my opinion shot placement is more important than power. This is why I reduced band weight.

[@ATOMark]

The taper I tend to use is 24-15

[@ItAintMeBabe99]

@@ATOMark I would agree. What good is a lot of power if you can’t hit anything?

[@PineMartyn]

Excellent information in this one, Mark. I'm wondering where you get the clay ammo. Do you order it from SimpleShot, or do you have another source? Thanks, - Martin

[@ATOMark]

I tried ordering it from them but they wont ship it to Canada. So I looked to china web sites....... too expencive. I found 1200 balls for $24 right here on Amazon.ca

[@ATOMark]

Yup Amazon.ca here is the link QIACHIP Professional Slingshot Ammo Ball, 3/8" Biodegradable Hard Clay Ball About 1200 Pcs for Hunting-slingshots www.amazon.ca/dp/B07GVBF6G3/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ijzvEbAHG75Z9

[@ATOMark]

It seems the price went up a little

[@ATOMark]

Are you a slingshot shooter? Or thinking about taking up the sport?

[@PineMartyn]

@@ATOMark Thanks for the info and the link for the ammo, Mark. I am a rank beginner with the slingshot. I played with home-made ones growing up (the old forked stick and inner tubes variety), but a few summers ago I made a modern one out of plywood based on a scout pattern. It worked really well and I was making good progress with it, but I didn't keep up with it since then. Taking it up and becoming passably proficient is on my list of things to accomplish this summer. I am thinking seriously of getting the Scout LT after your review. Not sure if I should get the scales for it or not.

[@fratdamsz1921]

If we use it for a long time, will there be a problem of band tearing? We tighten it with a screw or is there a problem like cutting the band?

[@ATOMark]

I not sure I understand the question. Are you concerned that the clips will cut the bands? If that is the question. I will say this. I have never had the bands cut by the clips or seen damage on the bands from the clips

[@fratdamsz1921]

I am using one of the slings you have. I was worried that the clips would cut the tapes. Your answer was very satisfactory, thank you.

[@ashwaghoshkarwade6173]

Which band is best for hunting

[@ATOMark]

Any band that will get you the fastest speed with a draw you like with the ammo you shoot. If I was going to hunt I would use snipersling black or simpleshot

[@paul1furby]

What taper did you use.

[@ATOMark]

Oh man I really don't remember. I think at the time I was useing 25-15

[@paul1furby]

@@ATOMark I'm shooting 8mm clay and I'm trying 15-10 and a 18-12 , maybe I should try a 18-10 . By the way I've only been shooting about a year so everything is a learning experience. But don't seem to get the speed . The bands are set 5mm longer than my draw length (6") so not full stretch .

[@ATOMark]

8mm clay is really light 15-10 or 18-12 is more than enough for target shooting. When useing .4 or .5 bands. .6 and up will be overkill

[@nityanandaray5298]

What should be the standard length of the flatband?pl mention sir.

[@ATOMark]

Your flat band length would depend on your draw length and the elongation of the elastic. There is no standard length as everyone's draw length is different and all brands of elastic have different elongation.

[@thcj3593]

das helle Latex ist für TTF angebunden.... ich würde , ähnlich wie das blaue, es für OTT anbinden, nur verdrehen Grüße aus Germany

[@ATOMark]

You are right some bands are set up for ttf and some for ott. Sadly the blue bands I had were setup for both lol some of the yellow ones too. Luckily some of the yellow bands will be good for ttf setup. So I will leave them like that. Your video was great. I wish it had subtitles but I think I understood what you were explaining. 👍🇨🇦🥓🍻

[@mikefennema5561]

Jaw breakers make good environmentally friendly inexpensive ammo.

[@ATOMark]

Thats a great idea!

[@Cornholers]

Sir that would put a hole thru a man's head or give him the worst cavity of his life, tada da ! 🤣😊

[@genelynlumboy605]

Palsiit ti awagna kanyami ata!

[@keotik]

Does the thickness of the rubber affect the calculation?

[@ATOMark]

Its not the thickness its more the stretch. Every different band brand has a different elongation. It is best to test the elongation on every roll you by to see if anything has changed in their recipe.

[@keotik]

@@ATOMark oh i see, thanks 🙏

[@johnwilson6707]

yes that is what it is all about .8 mil bands is to strong for 8mil ammo you can shoot with 10 to 15 mil taper for light ammo 9 mil needs more pore so then you use 25 to 20 taper or 30 to 25 flat bands come in at .5 all the way up to 1mil thickness very strong try gzk bands real good any thing over 6.2 is good

[@lanuakumakum8372]

hi can u blease tell me the blue rubberband slingshot name

[@ATOMark]

Sorry bro I have no idea! I received these with a slingshot and I have no idea what the brand is.

[@nityanandaray5298]

Dear Sir, have watched ur video.what should be draw length, has been said. But what should be draw length in butterfly ?kindly show in demo.

[@ATOMark]

It's the same thing. Just pull back to where you draw to. No difference

[@nityanandaray5298]

Thank U sir.

[@jkpisces]

does all bands stretch 5 times ? how do i know how many times my band stretches?

[@ATOMark]

Have a look at this video it explains everything. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZqHNYYFomNJ2rs0

[@yellowsquare5998]

Video starts at 4:27

[@ali-al-iraqi1991]

Where can I find such rubber belts, and what is the alternative to it, my honorable sir?

[@ATOMark]

There are lots of great places to buy elastic. Waspslingshots.com, slingshooting.com, snipersling.com, cattshackcatapults.com

[@ali-al-iraqi1991]

@@ATOMark Thank you my dear friend.. But will the goods you request reach Iraq?

[@ATOMark]

@@ali-al-iraqi1991 I really don't know for sure but they say they ship world wide.

[@nityanandaray5298]

What precaution should be taken to avoid fork/finger hit,sir during aiming at one's target.

[@ATOMark]

Its all about a smooth release. Practice gripping the ball not in front of it and allow it to slip through your fingers. Don't pluck it. The only other thing is be sure your forks are directly on top of each other.

[@johnwilson6707]

practise and pray getting hit is part of the learning you could use dry peas not as sore lol

[@abidmirza5017]

i started it 6 months back now i can do shoot target of 3 cm coin from 10 meter

[@ATOMark]

Nice. Great job

[@abidmirza5017]

i know you are an experienced slingshot guy but try to use small targets rather beer cans coz accuracy is important thing..start shooting from 10 meters with small coins targets of 4 cm

[@ATOMark]

All my practice is done with 2.5 or 3cm targets. I just shoot cans for fun.

[@abidmirza5017]

@@ATOMark OK that's great ..i am a slingshot lover from India but in India very less people use slingshot game...may you pls tell me any watsapp group so that i can connect remotely with them for further assistance for sling game

[@stargazer16201]

Get some cowbells. I use them with the clay balls

[@ATOMark]

Oh ya that would be fun. Lots of noise too

[@T1k3mys0n]

Clayball is cheap, only $0,002 where I live.

[@ATOMark]

Wow thats amazing here its the same price as steel ball.

[@johneaston1215]

Thought you divide 5.5? Not 5.0.?

[@ATOMark]

You need to divide by your elastics elongation. Not all elastic stretches the same so you need to test it first.

[@ATOMark]

Have a look at this video. It explains everything. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jHLRmJuGftSbhqs

[@siddarthgrewal]

Better to use a catch box with steel balls.

[@krishnasamysamy4050]

One pish in

[@ericclaeyborn3600]

The more scientific you get, the easier it should be to hit the target, and do it with more force.

[@ATOMark]

Exactly

[@jgels1935]

Hello from Philippines, I'm finding who can support me an accessories of slingshots.

[@jujucattys156]

26" fork tips to corner mouth 10mm steel kneeding no what flat bands kneed taper so on looking easy draw as old wrist injury will targetting rabbit pidgen so on

[@ATOMark]

I would go with great white .80 - 85 25-15.

[@jujucattys156]

dont think still get great white in uk

[@ATOMark]

I buy mine from cattyshack catapults

[@ATOMark]

Sheshou is good too

[@percival5771]

8.34 your bands there were tied for a TTF slingshot not an OTT

[@ATOMark]

Yes sir nice catch. These bands were not made by me they were the ones that came with the slingshot. Actually one of the bands were attached ttf on one side of the pouch and ott on the other. Great quality stuff. It was actually this video that made me start making my own bands.

[@percival5771]

@@ATOMark by any chance do you plan on makign a video to match ammo size to band tapers at certain thicknesses? if not do you know any place where i can find info on the topic cause all i hear is use this for that ammo and use that for that ammo but no guide

[@fabienlarcher4552]

I’m not convinced by this active length story. By cutting already mounted strips, I find myself aiming between 10 and 15cm below the target to reach it.

[@ATOMark]

In a more upto date video I explain how to find the elongation of the elastic. In this video I went with the reccomended elongation.

[@ATOMark]

Have a look kzbin.info/www/bejne/jHLRmJuGftSbhqs

[@fabienlarcher4552]

@@ATOMark So, if I understood everything correctly, I don’t necessarily have to cut the bands to my active length?

[@ATOMark]

@fabienlarcher4552 no there is no set active band length. You will have a max elongation of the elastic. From there you will add some elastic for fork and pouch attachment. At this point if you draw your shot it should stop dead at your anchor. We call these maxed out bands. These will be really fast but not live long. I tend to add enough elastic to give my active band length about 2" stretch past my anchor. Still gives me good speed + better band life. An active band length should be specific to the shooter.

[@fabienlarcher4552]

@@ATOMark I tried the 0.65 mm catty shack strips. I always have to aim well below. With other bands to really use the top of the fork as a viewfinder, I have to change my anchor point. I take the anchor just under the cheekbone.

[@user-mw4he2kg4p]

You can talk more about unneeded things than what we want to know.

[@ATOMark]

Seems we both have that problem.

[@kilroy1964]

I see you don't account for draw weight at all. I would think it would be an important factor like it is when shooting a bow.

[@ATOMark]

I left that out because it is specific to the shooter. Personally I setup the lightest draw with around 275fps. I have addressed draw weight in other videos.

[@ronburhans5788]

Draw length divided by 5.5= band length.

[@ATOMark]

It all depends on the elongation of the elastic you are useing. Gzk Green 5.5 , 100% 7 for example

[@ronburhans5788]

@@ATOMark what band will I need for small game (rabbit)? I have the axiom ocularis sling shot.

[@ATOMark]

If it was me I would go with .80 great white 25-20 taper. With 7/16 (11mm) steel

[@ronburhans5788]

@@ATOMark thank you!

[@johnwilson6707]

5.5 is a better most people i know use this

[@ATOMark]

It really all depends on the elastic.

[@livioalborghetti523]

Ciao.Non parli mai dello spessore della band, 06/,07,/08 mm,ecc,,,??Ciao (Italia)

[@ATOMark]

Mie scuse. Stavo usando .65 bande precise. Grazie per il commento . Stai al sicuro, mio ​​nuovo amico

[@vaginal-sand-castle]

I fired a big rock at my neighbours house today BANG it hit his patio and I ran in the house and looked out the window he was staring over the fence but didn't see me do it hahaha