Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Primitive Skills => Topic started by: 65x55 swedis on August 28, 2008, 12:43:36 am

Title: slings
Post by: 65x55 swedis on August 28, 2008, 12:43:36 am
has any one used a sling before?
Title: Re: slings
Post by: FlintWalker on August 28, 2008, 12:51:52 am
I used to make them all the time when I was a kid. I never was very accurate with one, but I could sling a rock for what seemed like a mile with one.
Title: Re: slings
Post by: 65x55 swedis on August 28, 2008, 01:13:09 am
ya i made two a year ago and what i found out was the longer it was the more accurate it was
Title: Re: slings
Post by: Cromm on August 28, 2008, 06:41:38 am
Hi,
yes i've used one,taken a rabbit or two with one also....
The trick is to only spin it one or two times then let go.
Thanks for your time.
Title: Re: slings
Post by: madcrow on August 28, 2008, 07:57:06 am
With mine, I started with almost three foot and could not hit anything.  Finally when I had shortened it to about 18 inches, I got pretty good with it.
Title: Re: slings
Post by: Hillbilly on August 28, 2008, 09:18:00 am
I've made a couple.
Title: Re: slings
Post by: waterlogged on August 28, 2008, 12:07:27 pm
Made a few. Best snowball fight ever.
Title: Re: slings
Post by: wolfsire on August 28, 2008, 12:24:34 pm
http://www.slinging.org/
Title: Re: slings
Post by: madcrow on August 28, 2008, 04:15:12 pm
If you follow the link wolfshire posted, there are lots of different patterns and directions on there.
Title: Re: slings
Post by: 1/2primitive on August 28, 2008, 06:54:01 pm
Yes, I've made one or two, they're a lot of fun.   :)
     Sean
Title: Re: slings
Post by: wanabehunter on August 29, 2008, 10:26:49 pm
one of my favorite hobbies

I can easily hit a trash can lid at 20yrds and can also hit a 20oz soda bottle without a lot of effort.

Slinging.org rules!
Title: Re: slings
Post by: D. Tiller on August 30, 2008, 02:14:43 am
Yep! Just make sure to wear a helmet when starting out. If not you could kill yourself and others!!!
Title: Re: slings
Post by: DBernier on August 30, 2008, 06:31:20 pm
Hey, is there anyone who can demonstrate how to use one at the North Carolina Knap-in and PSR in October? Don't have to be too accurate with it, just demo it. Anyone out there?

Dick
Title: Re: slings
Post by: D. Tiller on August 30, 2008, 11:44:05 pm
Make sure everyone has a helmet on that observing!!!
Title: Re: slings
Post by: brian melton on August 31, 2008, 01:12:19 pm

       I generally have one with me at all times hunting. They are very nice to get deer out of their beds in clear cuts when you can't see them. I have kicked up hundreds of deer this way....great tactic for the rifle hunter...and just about none of them here carry them....funny.. ;D

Brian
Title: Re: slings
Post by: Badger on August 31, 2008, 07:28:17 pm
I used a sling for years when i was a kid, always had my sling and bow and arrow when hunting. Kiled many pigeons with a sling. About 18" was my magic number also. I always used one slow swing around and then a fast one. I know my vertical accuracy was better than my side to side accuracy. I also had some problems shooting targets low to the ground as I usually practiced on elevated targets or birds. Steve
Title: Re: slings
Post by: madcrow on August 31, 2008, 10:37:39 pm
I guess something sparked, because I started making two new slings, one that is braided sisal and the other is a chainstitch made from mason line.  Now I guess I will have to go get some mortar mix and and make some consistant ammo. ;D ;D
Title: Re: slings
Post by: carpenter374 on August 31, 2008, 10:52:58 pm
i read this thread yesterday and checked out the slinging.org webpage. i made a sling today out of some boot leather and 550 cord. i cant hit much yet but i was amazed at the velocity and distance you get out of it. i took it out to a wheat field loaded with quartzite  rocks. i stepped off my farthest throw at 260 yards with an egg sized stone. it wasnt hard to find the impact points either. they made small craters in the soft plowed dirt.
Title: Re: slings
Post by: leapingbare on September 02, 2008, 02:55:51 pm
A buddy of mine had a large sling that was about 5ft long with a very large cup.  He would take softball size stones and launch them into the trees and sometime knock limbs off the trees it was crazy.
 When i was in Iraq i made a sling out of 550 cord and some leather of a old pare of combat boots and i would kill pigons on the roofs of the old buildings there on the FOB.
Title: Re: slings
Post by: Bowbound on September 17, 2008, 01:45:52 pm
I've done a bit of slinging, not a lot and i'm still not very accurate, i have to say that i prefer the bow!

Still surprised at how far i can sling rocks though.
Title: Re: slings
Post by: D. Tiller on September 17, 2008, 05:42:58 pm
Did I mention I nearly killed a seal when tossing stones into the Peuget Sound? Bloody thing popped up right next to the target I was aiming at and landed less than a foot from the bloody beasty! Boy did he sound off!!!!
Title: Re: slings
Post by: n2everythg on September 17, 2008, 06:43:18 pm
Whoo hoo... just finished up my first sling. Always wanted to build one. and this thread set me off...
Know what I will be doing tonight..... hitting myself  in the head with rocks... HA!

actually made 2. made a simple one following directions on slinging.org... wasnt crazy about it cause I used big cord for the handles so then I went and braided one up as well then sewed in a leather pouch. I like this one much better...

Now to go try them out.... wish me luck... hope I live thru the night...

Dick... will bring em to the NC fest also.
later
wade
Title: Re: slings
Post by: n2everythg on September 18, 2008, 11:22:58 am
Never got the time to sling last night before dark but went out this am for the first time. Had a blast. It was really fun. Didnt even hit myself in the head or anything. Way off in accuracy but all stones at least went in the general direction I was after.. lol.
Hit my target once and was really happy with that.

Always wanted to try it. its a lot of fun.

here is the sling I made up. Made it out of 12 strands of my bowstring linnen. dont know if it will last or not but I dont reallly care much. will have fun with it while I got it. Like the fact that it is small and can be tucked away in a pocket.... and is quiet.

(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s142/n2everythg/Rocks/sling001.jpg)

Thanks for stirring up the interest
n2
Title: Re: slings
Post by: Dane on September 28, 2008, 07:31:05 am
Great looking sling. I'll have to make a new one soon. I tried staff slinging, it is a blast, and it too amazed me how deep the stones would bury themselves in the ground.

The sling is one of the great forgotten weapons of ancient times. I think I read that they have the muzzle velocity of a .357, and they literally smashed armor and helmets, and were preferred over bows. You also cant see a sling bullet coming at you, unlike arrows.
Title: Re: slings
Post by: huey_fatman on October 02, 2008, 03:14:56 pm
Does anyone have a sling for trade?
Title: Re: slings
Post by: JackCrafty on October 02, 2008, 04:36:49 pm
I made a sling or two as a kid but couldn't get the stones to launch right.....so I ended up just tying strings to rocks and slinging them that way.

Worked pretty good until the neighborhood parents found out.... ;)
Title: Re: slings
Post by: madcrow on October 02, 2008, 05:27:22 pm
Huey
I am heading to the NC Primitive Skills in the morning and will be gone through Sunday.  MEasure your arm from you elbow to your fingertips and send me a pm.  Do you have any particular style in mind.  Do you want to sling rocks, golf balls, tennis balls?  I will send some pics Monday.  I have about a dozen made right now and will probably make some more.  Lokk around on sling.org and see if there is one you like.