How long will my bands last?
Band life is affected by many variables and there are NO hard and fast answers.
Here are a few of the possible variables
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- active band length
- draw length
- environment
- material
- the slingshot to which they are attached
- projectile
- technique
- and most importantly, how you care for them
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If you shoot your bands at an active band length exceeding 5x elongation, you will see a decrease in band life.If you allow your bands to be exposed to UV, ozone, or petrochemicals, they will break down faster. Pure latex breaks down faster than a latex formula like our SimpleShot Black or Theraband Gold.If you choose to shoot stones or irregular shaped projectiles, you may nick or cut your bands while shooting, thus decreasing lifespan.
Long and short….your bands will wear out whether you use them or not. Latex contains natural proteins that are degrading constantly.
In order to keep your bands fresh and last as long as possible, store them away from UV light, chemicals, and ozone when not in use. If you keep your bands in a cool dark place when not in use, they will serve you much longer than leaving them in your car on a hot day or next to your electronics. Think of it this way….bands are a consumable just like bullets for your gun.
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Slingshot Ammo
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We need answers not questions. For example: can I shoot 300 hundred steel balls at full speed. In the dark, cool range building, 5 times elongation using Theraband ? maybe 400? maybe 500? give an answer, not supposed situations, Thanks.
There’s no intent to deceive or dodge anything here.
But there really are NO firm answers. You might make two identical bandsets, shoot 300 shots before degradation with one and 500 with another. It truly is the nature of latex.
Hope you can go shoot and have fun even though you won’t know how many shots you’ll get!
I have found that frequently wiping my bands with a clean cloth dampened in distilled water Seems to make my bands last longer.
Do you think your extra care (attention) is the factor or the actual removal of something that degrades the latex? Curious!
Who knows, maybe it helps keep the proteins from decaying so quickly. I now use a small spray bottle and just shake off excess water and hang them to dry. I do this every 2 – 3 weeks and the bands stay black! Oh, when you are the proud owner of 17 slingshots, mostly SimpleShot, it requires some “attention” to keep them ready to shoot!
Thanks for your support. We’re thrilled to have fans like you!
On the bands, the white is actually supposed to be on there. It keeps the latex from sticking to itself, so hanging them up is a good idea to keep them from binding onto themselves.
How long will the simpleshot latex last in storage? Would it still be usable say 1 year after purchase if stored properly? Thanks.
A year is a long time, but it’s safe to say usable if it’s kept properly. Follow the instructions here on what to keep it away from and it’ll still be usable. There are LOTS of factors, so take care. And for best performance, use it when it’s as new as possible!
If I were to buy a roll of band material should I throw that away after a year if I haven’t used much of it, as you say it degrades over time? Thanks
It depends how you stored it. If you stored it in the dark, sealed up and dry, it’s likely fine!