How to Shoot Rubber Bands

Shoot a rubber band using the traditional method. Hold the rubber band against the pad of your left thumb, and pull back on it with your right hand. Hook it with your right index finger, aim at your target and release the band from your right hand. It will launch itself over your thumb and into your target.
The down side of this method is that you run the risk of shooting yourself in the thumb; doing so can be painful and also slow down the rubber band mid-flight.

Try the pistol hand version. Position the rubber band on the tip of your right index finger. Pull and stretch the rest of the band around the back of your hand, holding the other side of the loop securely against yor palm by pinching it in place with your right pinkie finger. Hold your thumb up in the air and point, so that your hand resembles a pistol loaded with your rubber band. Aim your hand at your target and shoot the rubber band by releasing your pinkie from its grip on the rubber band.
This method is better than the traditional one because it avoids the problem of having a thumb in the way of the rubber band's path. It also looks impressive, but it can be tricky to master. Occasionally, you can accidentally release the rubber band before you are ready if you apply the wrong tension, or it can slide off your index finger and fail to fire.

Use the long-shot method. This rubber band shooting method, featured on FieldAndStream.com, is similar to the traditional method but eliminates the thumb block problem. Position the rubber band tightly against the tip of your right index finger, with your finger extended forward in front of you as if you were pointing at someone. Use your left thumb to hold the rubber band's tension, with your thumbnail facing your body in the "thumb's up" position. Slide your thumb down and out of the grip of the rubber band in order to shoot, and watch the band soar. According to the Field and Stream website, you can reach distances of 20 or 30 feet with this method.