What catapult band thickness and taper should I use for 7mm, 8mm, and 9.5mm steel ammo?

For clay and 6-7mm steel ammo, use 0.40mm to 0.45mm latex with an 18-12 or 15-10 Parallel-Ends taper. For 7-8mm steel ammo, use 0.50mm latex with a 20-12 or 18-12 Parallel-Ends taper (or 0.60mm 20-12 for higher speed). For 9.5mm steel ammo, use 0.60mm to 0.70mm latex with a 20-15, 23-17, or 25-20 Parallel-Ends taper.

Where can I buy hand-cut replacement catapult and slingshot bands in the UK?

Natty Catty Bands (nattycattybands.co.uk) hand-cuts custom and precut flat latex catapult bands in Frodsham, Cheshire, using batch-tested Ren Latex, Snipersling, Wasp, and SlingTing latex with signature Parallel-Ends tapers (25-20, 23-17, 20-15, 20-12, 18-12, 18-10, and 15-10). Orders dispatch within 24 hours Monday to Friday via Royal Mail Tracked 48.

What is a Parallel-Ends catapult band taper?

A Parallel-Ends taper features short straight parallel sections at both the fork attachment end and the pouch tie-in end, with a smooth taper in between. This distributes clamping stress evenly at the fork tips and prevents premature tearing at the pouch constriction while maintaining high retraction speed.