Band tuning is utterly essential to excellent performance when shooting a slingshot.

We talk about this one a lot. Band tuning is utterly essential to excellent performance when shooting a slingshot.

The process is simple, and just requires a little bit of math. The bottom line is that the latex power lies in its elongation. The further you stretch it the more power it has. So, if you don’t stretch it very far you’re not going to have much power.

Also, the more you stretcher the faster it wears out. So tuning your bands means finding the perfect place for you at your draw length where you have a balance of power and longevity that you want.

For example, if you stretch or bands to only 300% or three times elongation, you will get very little power but your bands will last much longer than if you were shooting at a much higher elongation.

Stretch your bands to 600% or six times elongation, and you will get fantastic speed and power but a shorter band life. The whole range in between is where you can experiment to find the perfect elongation for your shooting style.

The one thing you need to know is your draw length. You must measure the distance from the tip of your fork on your slingshot to your anchor point. This is your draw length.

Your draw length divided by the elongation factor is (at rest) is called your active band length.

For example, if your draw length is 30 inches and do you want to use a 300% elongation, you would want your bands to be 10 inches at rest. This is just an example. Shooting bands this long at only a 30 inch draw will result in very little power. And remember, your active band length does not include the pouch or the latex that is used for tying in or binding your band set to the frame.

A more reasonable example would be: if you have a 30 inch draw and want to shoot at a 5X or 500% elongation, you would want to trim your bands to 6 inches plus whatever bit of latex is needed to bind your band set to the frame. So probably about 6 1/2 inches not counting the pouch.

Knowing how to tune your band set is critical to slingshot performance.
Thanks for asking. Stay tuned! We are answering about 50 questions this season, so make sure you subscribe to the SimpleShot Youtube Channel and ring the bell for notifications!

Slingshot Ammo

Does slingshot fork width affect accuracy?

Does slingshot fork width affect accuracy?

OK, this is one that’s been discussed a lot and here’s our take.

We believe the variance in velocity and accuracy is not affected by fork width to any level that could be reasonably measured or noticed.

As always: shoot the fork with what works best for you.

We know we give this answer often, but it is an answer that we just need to keep saying. The fork with that is best for you and your experience is the one that you will have the most success with and is, therefore, the best… For you!

The factors that will affect your shooting the most are the latex you use and matching those bands to your ammo. Make sure you get these basics in place and tune in and your success will follow.

Thanks for asking. Stay tuned! We are answering about 50 questions this season, so make sure you subscribe to the SimpleShot Youtube Channel and ring the bell for notifications!

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If you are struggling or have ever struggled with Ocularis plugs, please make sure you watch this…

OK. Here’s a question we get a lot. And frankly, improper Ocularis plug installation is the number one issue we see. We would love to answer this question and we would love for everyone to see this answer.

If you are struggling or have ever struggled with Ocularis plugs, please make sure you watch this.

Simply put, if you are having a problem with your Ocularis plugs popping out for the bearing popping out, you simply have not installed your plugs correctly. A correctly installed Ocularis plug is very difficult to even remove from the slingshot let alone just falling out.

A few important things to remember with Ocularis plugs.

Number one, make sure the ball bearing is seated in the middle of the plug. If you look into the plug from both sides you should see the ball bearing equal distance from both the front and back of the plug. The ball bearing should be pressed halfway through the plug to be completely seated.

If it’s not pushed halfway into the plug and therefore in the middle of the plug then it is not fully seated and yes, you could have it fall out.

Secondly, you need to make sure that your plug is installed correctly. If you are shooting flat bands then the plug needs to be installed from the shooter side. If you are shooting loop tubes, the plug must be installed on the target side. When installed properly, the act of stretching the bands will actually see the plug further!

And if the ball bearing is fully in place, the plug will fit very tightly and will be very hard to remove.

If you are shooting tiny loot tubes, and want to increase the size of the ball bearing since there will be no band between the plug and the frame, that is fine. You can put a larger bearing in to increase the tightness of the plug.

But when installed properly, those plugs are not coming out.

One final note, there are knock-offs of Ocularis frames out there and there are custom-made Ocularis frames.

If you are using an Ocularis frame that is not made by SimpleShot, it is possible that the frame was made incorrectly and the hole is too big on the frame.

If this is the case, you could try to make up for the difference with a larger ball bearing, or if you’re just buying a knock-off from China, throw it away and buy the real thing.

Thanks for asking. Stay tuned! We are answering about 50 questions this season, so make sure you subscribe to the SimpleShot Youtube Channel and ring the bell for notifications!

Slingshot Ammo

Many of you have heard the saying before: “Aim long. Aim wrong.” What’s it mean?

Many of you have heard the saying before: “Aim long. Aim wrong.” What’s it mean? Great question. It means a few things.

One thing that means is simply the longer you hold your shot during the aiming process, the more likely you are to start to get wobbly and miss the shot. A long aim can often result in an inaccurate shot.

As with most things in slingshots, this is not necessarily always true. Some of you can hold and aim for an incredibly long time and nail your shot.

However, when it comes to slingshots, this is even more true of other marksmanship skills. The nature of latex and how it works means that the longer you hold your draw at full stretch, the more energy is actually lost from your bandset. Especially in colder weather, your bands will produce heat under draw, and that he will be lost during the draw.

The longer you hold your slingshot at full draw the more heat energy is lost and the less energy ends up in your projectile traveling downrange.

Most people will find that holding at full draw longer will lead to a less accurate shot. For those of you who have no trouble with this, carry-on. There’s nothing to see here. For the rest of us, try to release that shot as soon as you’re on target.

Thanks for asking. Stay tuned! We are answering about 50 questions this season, so make sure you subscribe to the SimpleShot Youtube Channel and ring the bell for notifications!

Slingshot Ammo

What are the best slingshot bands for small game?

In this episode, we discuss squirrel hunting with slingshots again. This is a popular topic: hunting squirrels and rabbits.

The specific question is which slingshot bands are best for hunting squirrels with slingshots? But this is a tricky question to answer because it’s different for everyone.

As a ten-year-old (the asker of this question), you may not have the strength to draw the bands we might give to an adult.

Here’s a simple answer: can you shoot through both sides of a bean can (that’s the thick steel can)? Then you can take a squirrel or rabbit.

If you search our channel you’ll find other videos about hunting. Please do a search on our channel for lots more on this. And we cannot answer this question without reminding you the most important parts: Be able to hit a ping pong ball at the range you will hunt!

Learn the art of stalking. The closer you get to your game, the better your chances. Hunt with a slingshot when you have the accuracy to achieve the headshot.

Thanks for asking. Stay tuned! We are answering about 50 questions this season, so make sure you subscribe to the SimpleShot Youtube Channel and ring the bell for notifications!

Slingshot Ammo

Wider, Faster, Stronger. What about shooting large slingshot ammo? Double Bands? Thicker Bands?

“When shooting heavier ammo, do I need wider bands, double bands, or something else?”

Well, let’s start here. You may not need different bands at all!

You may not need anything but to tune your bands to the ammo. Your current band sets might be completely sufficient if you shorten them up a little bit.

We say this a lot but it’s worth saying every single time: always make sure your bands are tuned to your ammo.

If you do find that you need more power in your bandset, you do have a few options. You can definitely make a double band set. This will give you more power for sure, but we do find that the performance gain from double band sets is not worth the trouble of doubles. Double band sets can be very finicky and quite frustrating to install.

Simply upping the thickness of the latex is a great solution. You can keep the same taper and just shoot a thicker latex and you will definitely get more power.

And finally, you could simply upgrade to a larger cut, whether a straight or taper cut.

Experiment and have fun!

Thanks for asking. Stay tuned! We are answering about 50 questions this season, so make sure you subscribe to the SimpleShot Youtube Channel and ring the bell for notifications!

Slingshot Ammo

Explain the difference between mounting bands in a V or an A configuration. And how to install bands OTT?

A couple questions here in one video. Explain the difference between mounting bands in a V or an A configuration, and please explain how to install bands OTT so the bands are not twisted.

We hope you’re understanding your question correctly here, so we are grouping these together into one. When shooting OTT, there is a personal preference out there about how the band is to be tied.

We believe that bands that are tied specifically for OTT versus TTF is 100% a personal preference. We do not believe that you will see any difference in accuracy, velocity, or anything else if you use an OTT band on a TTF set up or a TTF band on an OTT setup.

However, if it is what you prefer, go for it.

So the question here regards the slight twist in the band that you will see when you are shooting OTT. First of all, do not worry about this twist. This is not detrimental in anyway to the shot. You simply have to choose whether you want an A formation or a V formation.

This simply refers to how the bands look as you look down the bands toward the fork. If they twist in, that is a V formation. If they twist out, that would be an A formation.

We recommend using a V formation so the bands form a sort of trough in the middle.

Remember, this twist will not be visible when you are at full draw, so it will not affect your aiming. And either way will be fine, but most people choose the V formation. Theoretically, it has a slight advantage and should lead to a cleaner ammo release.

This is an excellent example of the stuff that we slingshot folks love to get nitpicky about, but that really will not affect your shooting. So if it is bothering you, don’t let it!

Thanks for asking. Stay tuned! We are answering about 50 questions this season, so make sure you subscribe to the SimpleShot Youtube Channel and ring the bell for notifications!

Slingshot Ammo

Is clay slingshot ammo powerful? Can I hunt with it?

Can I hunt with clay ammo? Is it accurate? Can I hunt with it?

So let’s address the topic of power. Generally, clay is going to be roughly equivalent to 8mm or 5/16 steel. Clay ammo is never going to have the same power as it’s similarly sized steel simply because it will not have the same mass. We always recommend hunting with as much power as you can shoot accurately, so clay would not be a recommended choice for hunting.

If you want to hunt, use steel or even lead ammo to deliver enough energy to the game to make a clean an ethical kill.

Now let’s address accuracy. Accuracy is in the eye of the shooter, in a significant sense. If accuracy to you means blasting a can, then by all means clay slingshot ammo is excellent. If you are interested in hitting much smaller targets such as spinners or even very small spinners, you are likely to be frustrated with clay. Clay slingshot ammo is never perfectly spherical. There is always some slight variation. That variation in size and shape will always translate into less accuracy than a perfectly spherical ammo.

And finally, as always, remember to match your bands to your ammo. A lighter ammo such as clay ammo is more susceptible to erratic accuracy when over-banded. If your bands are too strong for your clay ammo you will be shocked at how much the shot might veer off in-flight.

Thanks for asking. Stay tuned! We are answering about 50 questions this season, so make sure you subscribe to the SimpleShot Youtube Channel and ring the bell for notifications!

Slingshot Ammo

What three things would you say to a beginner slingshot shooter?

Beginners are the best! Here are the top three things Nathan would tell a beginner shooter.

We love this question because we love talking to beginners about as much as anyone! So to actually know this down to three things was pretty tough.

Number one, understand the nature of latex. If you’ve heard Nathan talk about slingshots and how to master them, we guarantee you’ve heard him talk about the nature of latex. Nathan has spent a lot of time learning and understanding latex, working to produce the best latex, and helping people understand slingshot latex.

Latex is the engine of the slingshot. Expansion and retraction is the engine that drives the projectile down range. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of latex is going to go a long ways in furthering your enjoyment of slingshot shooting! So get to know latex! Understand it and learn everything you can and you will go far.

Pro Tip: Understanding latex is one of the major topics of Foundations. https://slingshotmastery–slingshotma…​

Number two, slingshots are very simple tools based on very simple rules of physics.
For example, for every action there’s an equal and opposite reaction. You draw the bands out, they come back to their relaxed position, propelling the projectile down range. You’ve got basic rules of alignment: you hold the ammo in one hand in the frame in the other created two points with an imaginary straight line between. The concepts are simple, but mastering them will lead to slingshot mastery.

Third, this is a skill that has to be developed. Slingshot shooting is a skill that can be developed very quickly, especially if points one and two here are adhered to, And that skill will be developed best when you have a mindset of curiosity and fun!

1. Understand slingshot latex.
   Understand the physics of slingshots.
   Have fun!

That’s Nathan’s top three tips for beginners!

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Which slingshot is the best for hunting?

There are a lot of options. We can help you choose!

There is a lot of information out there on this topic . . . Some articles get it right, and some recommend hunting slingshots that we could never recommend. Here’s what we have to say on this one.

This is an important question to get right: what is the best hunting slingshot?

Lots of people want to hunt with a slingshot, so an obvious question is which slingshot is the best for hunting. Well, we would love to discuss that with you. It is extremely important that you make a good choice when choosing a slingshot because you are not just plinking. Hunting with a slingshot requires a responsibility above target shooting.

And frankly, there are a lot of so-called hunting slingshot guides out there that are making recommendations that we strongly disagree with. You may see articles telling you about the number one choice and it is really just an affiliate link to try to get you to buy anything to make them money. Before you believe one of these “guides,” see if it really is a site made by slingshot shooters or enthusiasts or just an affiliate page.

We have actually talked to the writers at some of these sites and some have no interest whatsoever in anything about slingshots, yet they are making recommendations on the best ones as though they have authority on the topic! Some have absolutely no slingshot experience at all.

We believe if you want a straight answer on deciding which slingshot is best for hunting, we can help you because we are true slingshot enthusiasts and we hunt with slingshots.

 There’s one sentence that sums up the answer, but it is a long sentence!

A slingshot qualifies as an excellent hunting slingshot if it is capable of supporting bands that are capable of firing hunting weight slingshot ammo toward the game with a velocity and energy and accuracy (at the range the slingshot hunter is hunting) in order to deliver a clean and humane killing blow.

The rest is up to you. You, as a slingshot Hunter, need to develop the skills necessary to use the slingshot properly. We will not be talking about the skills required here, we will just be discussing what makes a slingshot a great choice.

Let’s break down what it takes to be an effective hunting slingshot.

1. It must be able to support powerful bands. There is no need to over band since over banding a slingshot makes it less accurate. But it is essential to deliver energy to the game  that is capable of cleanly killing. So the slingshot must be able to support hunting weight bands. A slingshot hunting band set is capable of putting at least 12 foot pounds of energy on target.
2. It must be able to shoot accurately. Most slingshots are capable of this! But you need to find a slingshot that works for you to provide the accuracy necessary to hunt with a slingshot. It must be comfortable and usable by the hunter to be accurate.
3.  A hunting slingshot does not need a bunch of gadgets. There is a growing number of gimmick slingshots on the market that are not recommended. (Again, you will find lots of pages talking about these, but we do NOT recommend them, and no one with experience or knowledge would). As mentioned, you just need to support strong bands and shoot accurately. Don’t fall for the gimmicks! Springs and lasers and all these gimmicks are just that. They will not help you shoot better. In fact they are likely to get in your way and cause discouragement.

So in summary, the best choice is the one that you shoot well and it . . .

• Must accommodate strong bands.
• Must be one that you can shoot accurately with a range.
• Does not have to have all the bells and whistles.

You need to deliver significant energy toward the game. We suggest at least 12 foot pounds of energy on the shot (and lead ammo is the best way to achieve this).

You need to be able to deliver the killing blow to the boilermaker area or head of the game you are shooting at the range at which you will be shooting. If you can’t hit a ping pong ball at that range, do not take the shot!

And stay away from the gimmicks. You don’t need triple band tubes, for example. These heavy draw band sets are only going to make you inaccurate. You have to be VERY strong to hold such heavy bands at draw while aiming. Sure, you may get power from a triple tube setup, but you won’t be accurate.

Buy a comfortable, well-made slingshot and make sure that your ammo is matched to your bands for maximum velocity and accuracy at range! And, of course, if you are going to hunt with a slingshot make absolutely sure that you are accurate . . .

 Very accurate. That’s why we recommend the course below. 👇

Learn the skills of slingshot marksmanship!

We strongly recommend the foundations course from Slingshot Mastery for anyone who needs progress in slingshot accuracy. Hunting with slingshots is not easy. Mastering the slingshot is now easier than ever!

Every slingshot sold at SimpleShot is ready for hunting!

Every slingshot has the capacity of doing everything that  it needs to do. So the choice is up to you. It may come in colors and many different styles. Choose one you love and one that suits your needs.

Be smart. Be accurate.

Slingshots made by shooters for shooters.

If you are looking for a great hunting slingshot look no further than Simpleshot. Every slingshot you find at SimpleShot is perfect for hunting! Each slingshot has been crafted carefully to meet all the requirements above.

Every slingshot at SimpleShot comes with band sets suited for hunting. Tune in your band set up, and your slingshot will be perfect for slingshot hunting!

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