Slingshot bands and tubes are literally the engine that drives the car. If you don't have enough horsepower, the car is underpowered and sluggish. Too much horsepower and something is going to break quickly.

Think about band thickness as the raw horsepower and stretch ratio and taper as the torque portion of the power? That is actually a good analogy. The goal is to balance all of the variables together to create a powerful yet efficient band set.

If you make your own bands, it's a good idea to experiment just like the person who reloads their own rifle ammunition. They try out different powder, primers, powder measurements, seating depths, and more. The goal is to have balanced bands that throw the projectile downrange with the right amount of power to be effective and accurate.

Just like hot-rodded rifle ammo that screams downrange. but burns out the barrel within a few hundred rounds. A band set that is over-powered for the ammunition you use will fail relatively quickly. Balance your bands with your ammo, taper, and draw length. You get a band set that will last much longer and you will get the most energy downrange.