Best Band Combos?

Before you start changing configurations due to lack of power, I suggest you try using the best rubber available at your current configuration. Then cut a little shorter in small increments. I don't know if Speardiver rubber is the best in the whole world, but it's the best I've used. I do know it's the only small ID rubber available at this time. I'll have more 16mm in about 2 weeks, and also new 14mm in small ID.

There's no way that a 5/8" band is going to shoot a 9/32" shaft slow. A lot of people I know use that same setup on 7.5mm shafts, which are heavier.

Do what Dan says, cut it shorter. Also, bands deteriorate a lot with time.

I can see one thing, you don´t have a lack of power issue, but an overpower one, maybe your bands are too short and / or your gun is too light, so some of the power is lost due to recoil. I suggest that you try a couple of 9/16 rubbers instead, your are going to love that configuration. I currently shoot that and is more than enough power to touch anything and is dead on. Try it you won´t regret. Less is always better.

It seems like 2 x 5/8" on a 57" will get you plenty of power to send a 9/32" shaft about as far as it's going to go. Maybe check your rubber length calculations and get good rubber, and use shorter wishbones if possible.

I dont mean to derail but after contemplating the last 4 years I've spent diving I've come to realize that the only setup I can hit fish with on a 120 pipegun is with one short 16mm band. I dove a lot and started using two 16mm bands and switched to one 20(or 19mm) band and always come back to the nice, new snappy single 16mm band

I just use one tight 5/8's one....and it packs power.:D;);) I use 303 protectant to keep them this nice.

Cheers, Don

Monster thats exactly what I was thinking, he has overpowered his rig leading to less power and affecting accuracy.

Quote from monster slayer

I can see one thing, you don´t have a lack of power issue, but an overpower one, maybe your bands are too short and / or your gun is too light, so some of the power is lost due to recoil. I suggest that you try a couple of 9/16 rubbers instead, your are going to love that configuration. I currently shoot that and is more than enough power to touch anything and is dead on. Try it you won´t regret. Less is always better.

I like 2 x 16 mm (5/8") on my guns. Cut them "standard" and if you can load them easy, cut them shorter. Fresh, good bands will have enough power for that shaft.

Speardiver small ID bands are "da-bomb".

Quote from Marco

I like 2 x 16 mm (5/8") on my guns. Cut them "standard" and if you can load them easy, cut them shorter. Fresh, good bands will have enough power for that shaft.

Speardiver small ID bands are "da-bomb".

Amen

Quote from Dan

Before you start changing configurations due to lack of power, I suggest you try using the best rubber available at your current configuration. Then cut a little shorter in small increments. I don't know if Speardiver rubber is the best in the whole world, but it's the best I've used. I do know it's the only small ID rubber available at this time. I'll have more 16mm in about 2 weeks, and also new 14mm in small ID.

Great, I have wanted to try out the small ID to see if there was a difference, but only use 14mm bands. I will keep an eye out on the site

Quote from Marco

Speardiver small ID bands are "da-bomb".

I have not tried it yet, but what is the deal about the SPEARDIVER rubber? is it a better formula? As far as I know there are only 2 places in the USA where rubber is made. So it's magic is in the extra rubber the small ID creates. I'd imagine in a long band that is quite a bit more Rubber

Quote from jaguigui

Would there be any problems with combining a small ID 5/8" band (to front tab) with a small ID 3/4" (to the back tab)band?

Only one way to find out....

Dustan, there are more than two places in the US where rubber tubing for Spearguns can be ordered. Of the ones you know Kent Elastomers produces the less expensive and inferior product. Another one that you may know doesn't actually produce the rubber in the US although the company is US based. This is all trivial anyways, Speardiver rubber stands on its own and that's how I want it to be. I'm only pointing out some wrong notions about speargun rubber.

Quote from Dude george

Monster thats exactly what I was thinking, he has overpowered his rig leading to less power and affecting accuracy.

That was the old overpowering issue with jbl spearguns, people used to stack a heap load of rubbers on those guns in ordder to "make them shoot more powerful and straight" 2 slack 9/16 bands and a thinner shaft would had made the trick.

Quote from sdeisen

I dont mean to derail but after contemplating the last 4 years I've spent diving I've come to realize that the only setup I can hit fish with on a 120 pipegun is with one short 16mm band. I dove a lot and started using two 16mm bands and switched to one 20(or 19mm) band and always come back to the nice, new snappy single 16mm band

You must be shooting a 6.75 or 7mm shaft, max. A single 16 won't push a 7.5mm hard to a single wrap without dropping.

Quote from JimCuda

You must be shooting a 6.75 or 7mm shaft, max. A single 16 won't push a 7.5mm hard to a single wrap without dropping.

You are correct, I've never used a 7.5 shaft.

It shoots a 7 shaft pretty slow too, but that's how i like it.

Is the band length formula "stretch factor" for small ID rubber the same as used for normal ID rubber? For normal, I usually use a stretch factor closer to 3 than 3.5. What do you guys recommend?

I start with %300 and shorten if it's too easy to load. I use a very short wishbone.