If dyneema doesn’t stretch, is dyneema more accurate or more consistently accurate than “stretchy “ paracord?


I make single cord seatbelt slings and Twin Loop slings. I use 550 paracord and the total cost per sling is around $0.80 each.

I hear dyneema is more durable and lighter. Paracord is so cheap the durability is not an issue for me at the moment.  Likewise, my sling’s weight is generally 22-24 grams, so not bothered by the weight right now either.

But sometimes I imagine the paracord sling “might” feel like it is stretching during the throw??  Possibly I am wrong…I am trying to really feel the forward pull on the power stroke and instead of paracord stretch, I could just as well be feeling the sling “slack” due poor technique in the windup.  So just wondering if strechy paracord effects accuracy any.

Yeah this is well said. The stretching is such a small component that other inconsistencies in sling manufacture, throwing technique or variances in projectiles etc will have a more measurable difference.
I have yet to make a dyneema replica of my paracord twin loop variation so all my knowledge is more general rather than specific to your situation.

The main thing i notice when switching from a stretchy sling to a static one is an increase in power and more confidence in my throw(which could very well translate to better accuracy)  You can definitely feel paracord and other materials stretch during the throw which can sap a substantial amount of energy. the sudden jump in power input during the powerstroke is when this is most noticeable for me. Dyneema slings with virtually no stretch do much better converting your muscle energy and sling momentum into an efficient and predictable trajectory. Whether you've lined everything up so the target is where that trajectory is going is another matter.

That being said, as with most anything, if you can use it to your advantage then the small amount of stretch can actually feel a little forgiving. You definitely lose power but if youre looking for more accuracy rather than distance you can learn to work with the quirks of that specific sling and really dial it in.

This is very anecdotal but without the stretch you have to get exactly precise timing and it seems like a little bit of stretch can help smooth the edges of the timing window making it somewhat more forgiving to throw at the expense of power and sensitivity. I would love to know if anyone else has experienced this. 

As an example, one of (if not the) most common sling designs is the 3/5/7 or 11 strand braided split pouch balearic style. Made with natural fibers that have some inherent stretch, when completed there should be minimal stretch but its still there. These slings are so widely used for several reasons, one of which being their remarkable reliability. I think most would agree its hard to get the high speed and distance you can get with a lighter maybe single strand dyneema sling with no stretch. However, the braided split pouch will tend to be much more consistent and can be dialed in on a target range easier. This obviously is not due solely to its stretch and in fact thats probably one of the smaller factors. But that small amount of give can help dampen any abnormalities in your throw and widen your release window just slightly. I picture it like shock absorption on a vehicle. Bumps might slightly alter its direction while keeping the majority of the momentum on track.

At the moment of highest tension, right at/before the release, the sling is stretched as far as it will be. Then once you release that tension the rock slides/rolls out and the pouch is drawn back up the retention cord like a rubber band as the tension goes away. (since the release cord is not anchored at this moment the stretch factor has negligible affect)  With no stretch the rock just flies mostly straight out without having the added resistance of going against the rubber band stretch. That tiny moment in time between when your fingers release and when the rock is fully clear is what seems to get affected the most by stretchiness. Added stretch will lengthen that gap giving you marginally more time to do tiny adjustments with your fingers and follow through to adjust accuracy. That is why i say that the right amount of stretch can be beneficial if used in the correct setting. Conversely, a dyneema sling gives you slightly less time for final adjustments as there is virtually no feeling of slop or delay upon release. The power transfer is almost instant. I think this is part of what Joe means by a "tighter" feel. This tightness means your windup and positioning have to be more precise as you have less time to make final adjustments with your release and followthrough.

  I guess what im trying to get at is that there will always be trade offs and specific slings can be more suited to specific situations. Stretchiness is just one of the many many factors we have to consider. Part of the great joy i find in slinging is just putting things together whether it be slings, throwing styles or whatever and just seeing what happens. For me slinging is an exploration of my physical limits and the limits/laws of physics. Make a dyneema sling and see what happens!

Not all paracord is created equal. Some brands stretch more than others, especially the cheap ones made in china. I buy my paracord from Atwood Rope Mfg. and I dont notice any stretching at all.

Accuracy = Timing when the “ready-to-fire” state of the launcher is “moving in a circle”

The variations caused by the human muscle activation timing errors at the millisecond scale will vastly outweigh any angular release variations caused by material stretching by a few millimeters.

erricrice wrote on Jul 13^th, 2026 at 9:59am:

Are these numbers the amount of stretch before the fiber breaks? I think the correct numbers to compare the strech of fibers would be the E-modulus. This would give an idea of how fibers of the same diameter would stretch under the same tension. But even with those numbers it is diffucult to translate it to the stretching of a sling. A 3 strand braid of paracord might be stretchier than a single strand sling of the same paracord in the force range that we deal in with in slinging. When we pull on a braided sling, the initial stretch we observe is mainly not because we stretch the fibers, but because the strands are squished togehter and so we pull the individual strands more straight, if that makes sense. The braid can get longer without stretching the fibers much. I have a wool sling which I can stretch really easily up to a certain point, and then it gets really hard to stretch. The first part is straightening the wool fibers, and only after that I am pulling against the fibers strength.

erricrice wrote on Jul 14^th, 2026 at 10:14am:

Got you.