slings

[Badger]

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

[madcrow]

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.

[carpenter374]

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.

[leapingbare]

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.

[Bowbound]

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.

[D. Tiller]

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!!!!

[n2everythg]

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

[n2everythg]

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.



Thanks for stirring up the interest
n2

[Dane]

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.

[huey_fatman]

Does anyone have a sling for trade?

[JackCrafty]

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....

[madcrow]

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.