I just wanted to share the following discovery of mine.
I grew up with a so-called "wrist rocket", never once breaking a single window.
I put probably tens of thousands of countless items downrange with it... marbles, smooth river rocks, lead roundball, nuts bolts and washers, Matchbox cars, a Barbie Doll head or whatever else I could fit in the pouch.
I went through dozens if not hundreds of the tubular bands. As a side note, the word "tubular" was a common adjective in those days (late 80's).
I got pretty good with it using simple instinctive snap-shooting.
Anyway, it recently got back into playing around with the slingshot after installing a privacy fence around my backyard (I live within a fairly restrictive HOA). When hunting for bands online, I kept running into flat bands and recalling some of Jörg Sprave's YouTube videos, I decided to give them a shot (with three slingshots to go with them, including one wrist-rocket type).
Along with them I purchased both 5/16" ball bearings (5000) and something I'd never seen before, hardened clay balls in both 5/16" and 1/2" (around 10k combined) that disintegrate on impact with hard items... yet being able to blast through an apple and stay intact. I also have plenty of 00 buckshot that I cast for reloading.
When I received the new flat band slingshots, I developed a bit of buyer's remorse as the band resistance was about a quarter that of the tube-band Marksman. In fact it was so easy to draw back that I figured they were mere toys for kids.
I spent an afternoon pitting those different styles of flat-band slingshots (including the wrist-rocket configuration) against one of my Marksman wrist rockets with a new tube band believing I already knew the outcome.
I was surprised by the results! Shooting into blocks of clay (my wife throws pots), the ball bearings buried themselves deeper into the clay when using flat bands. I thought the opposite would be true as the tubular band wrist rocket has a significantly heavier draw. I plan on breaking out the cheap Caldwell Ballistics chronograph to confirm the higher velocities provided by the lighter flat bands over the heavier tube bands.
So far, I'm very impressed though a bit confused. I still think the tube bands will launch heavier and larger fodder faster, but when it comes to 5/16" bearings and 00 buck, flat seems the way to go. About a quarter the draw weight yet developing higher velocities. They were blasting buckshot though both sides of unopened 12oz cans of Sierra yuck in spectacular fashion... with an incredibly light draw.
I got about 200-250 shots out of the first flimsy-looking flat band which is about what I remember getting from my Marksman. A rip formed near where the band connected to the slingshot. The tiny leather pouch seemed to remain in perfect condition. I have 99 bands left; they're really inexpensive.
If anyone gets the bug to get outdoors and put holes in things on-the-cheap, I can't think of anything that's more fun for the price.