Ever used a shepherds sling?

[Grease]

Last week I got asked to make, of all things, a sling. For a skit. Remember David and Goliath? Apparently a friend of mine got roped into doing a musical version of it, and needed a sling for David. With what little knowledge of the weapon that I possess, I was able to turn a bandana and some paracord into what resembled a sling, along with a "shot" made of a bandana tied into a ball.

As I went to give it to him, I had one of those "This will be funny" moments, and pretended to sling the shot at him.

Turns out I'm not half bad at making and using slings, because I nailed him in the forehead. The irony of this was not lost on me, given the nature of this sling.


I'm now in the process of finding and buying a real shepherds sling. I want to see if that was just dumb luck, or if I've found a new skill that I didn't know I had.

Have you guys ever had the chance to use one of these?

 

[riz_aaroni]

I made one out of paracord entirely and messed around a bit. Finding good ammo is probably a big part of it. I was just using the roundest rocks I could find. Definitely a fun tool/weapon/thing. Using an actual sling or making one would be cool. Can venture into a weapon that has been around for millennia.

Just saw another thread on slings, with pics! Different than what I made from memory, though gives you some ideas.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/842066-all-paracord-rock-sling

 

[G.Moll]

I learned how to braid them. I made a few out of jute twine a few months back. I was surprised how far some of the rocks i threw went. If you put time into tightly braiding one, they will last.

 

[thatotherguy]

I wouldn't buy one, just make one out of either all cord or a patch of leather and some cord.
I can't say that I have used one, although now I want to try.

 

[Henry44]

A site called Slinging.org, has a lot of good info. There are instructions on how to make several different types of slings. The one i used is a 2''x4'' piece of leather and bootlaces. I found that the bootlaces have just a slight bit more elasticity than the paracord that i had. Cut the corners of the 2x4 leather at about 45deg. angle, punch a hole in each end. measure from the tip of your outstretched throwing arm to your heart, that is the length recommended for the stings (your mileage may vary and some like longer, some shorter) that length works perfect for me.
I have played with this ,off and on, for several months. I sling while on hikes. I can hit a telephone pole, regularly at 10 paces. I just have to get the elevation worked out now. Loads of fun. I work at it sporadically, and will never quit. Its addictive for me. Cost so far. 0$ regards Henry

 

[dakine]

There's some good videos on youtube on making slings out of paracord. Gave it a shot and came out okay, pretty fun to use.

 

[mwerner]

I sling tennis balls around the back yard for the dogs.... Been slinging since the mid-60s.

 

[SaturatedShadow]

Yep. I haven't done enough slinging to be good, but they can be fun to play with.

Made this one for a BeckerHead challenge this spring.

 

[willseeyalater]

Was your friend uttering profanities before or after you hit him in the forehead? That is funny. I had an Old Testament Literature course in college. The professor had studied some of the history of the Saul and David narratives and concluded that Goliath was severely outgunned. Doing the math of mass and velocity of an average stone the size of a golf ball the pounds per square inch of impact would have been more than enough to crush bone in the skull of a person with a heavy bone structure. Since we have no idea what size rock was generally used in such cases we can assume that a sling user would use something smaller than a fist and rocks in that size usually would hurt or be lethal even if tossed by hand. I don't have all the ballistic numbers but it would be close to what it would be like to get hit with a hockey puck or a baseball on the fly with no head gear except a rock has more mass and less "cush" than either of those. Take what you will from David and Goliath but David was no little kid tossing little rocks at a warrior. There is a good chance he was a guy of age to have been in the military but had stayed to keep the family business from collapsing. Saul's armor would have been big maybe but more likely he would have never used or been in an advantage using it so he went with a sophisticated sling and had some stones for reserve in case he did miss. The whole scenario would make a good episode for Mythbusters, not that they could prove the record of the account but use a sling and bust some cow or pig heads at forty paces. Or doing a plywood cutout of a nine foot Phillistine warrior and name him Golia-squatch.

 

[me2]

I have been alinging for about three years now. I made all my own slings and generally prefer slings braided from jute twine. Slinging.org has a lot of information about them. I also like the paracord and leather slings and the ones made from seatbelts, or other strapping, and paracord. My accuracy is pretty bad and it takes daily practice for me to get and stay even reasonably accurate. Distance wise I've gone over 500 feet, which is still about 1/3 of the world record.

 

[Grease]

Was your friend uttering profanities before or after you hit him in the forehead? That is funny. I had an Old Testament Literature course in college. The professor had studied some of the history of the Saul and David narratives and concluded that Goliath was severely outgunned. Doing the math of mass and velocity of an average stone the size of a golf ball the pounds per square inch of impact would have been more than enough to crush bone in the skull of a person with a heavy bone structure. Since we have no idea what size rock was generally used in such cases we can assume that a sling user would use something smaller than a fist and rocks in that size usually would hurt or be lethal even if tossed by hand. I don't have all the ballistic numbers but it would be close to what it would be like to get hit with a hockey puck or a baseball on the fly with no head gear except a rock has more mass and less "cush" than either of those. Take what you will from David and Goliath but David was no little kid tossing little rocks at a warrior. There is a good chance he was a guy of age to have been in the military but had stayed to keep the family business from collapsing. Saul's armor would have been big maybe but more likely he would have never used or been in an advantage using it so he went with a sophisticated sling and had some stones for reserve in case he did miss. The whole scenario would make a good episode for Mythbusters, not that they could prove the record of the account but use a sling and bust some cow or pig heads at forty paces. Or doing a plywood cutout of a nine foot Phillistine warrior and name him Golia-squatch.

I've actually heard that David had the spare stones for use on Goliaths brothers, who were supposedly of similar stature.

And I definitely agree that he was no kid. Defending sheep from bears and wolves with a stick is about as manly as it gets.

 

[willseeyalater]

I've actually heard that David had the spare stones for use on Goliath's brothers, who were supposedly of similar stature.

Yeah, they was mutants with bad attitudes and David definitely had spare stones. I think it is easy to imagine him as a peaceful shepherd playing a harp but he could kick butt and lead violent men. The story of his life would make an epic movie but much of it would not be family appropriate with the violence and wives, mistresses and murder to cover up his adultery. Somewhere in Chronicles it describes some other men of Gath as having six fingers and six toes.....nothing against people with extra digits but those guys were not getting along with Israel and vice versa.

 

[CWL]

The professor had studied some of the history of the Saul and David narratives and concluded that Goliath was severely outgunned. Doing the math of mass and velocity of an average stone the size of a golf ball the pounds per square inch of impact would have been more than enough to crush bone in the skull of a person with a heavy bone structure. Since we have no idea what size rock was generally used in such cases we can assume that a sling user would use something smaller than a fist and rocks in that size usually would hurt or be lethal even if tossed by hand. I don't have all the ballistic numbers but it would be close to what it would be like to get hit with a hockey puck or a baseball on the fly with no head gear except a rock has more mass and less "cush" than either of those.

For war, slingers stones were at least the size of a large goose egg (bigger than chicken's) and up to the size of your fist. The better stones were shaped like footballs to have better spin, accuracy and probably more of a concentrated crushing affect. Slings were also often attached to the shepherd's pole to add distance and additional ballastic "umpf".

Later armies shaped their stones and some even issued lead "stones" for added weight, accuracy and deadliness. (Lead "stones" unearthed from Roman times carried greetings on them such as "here is one for your nose!" -much like messages that modern soldiers write on artillery shells)

We don't really have to guess too much since people in that part of the world still regularly use slings for shepherding and during civil unrest.

size comparison

lead stones

 

[riz_aaroni]

Learning all kinds of stuff from this thread, woohoo!

 

[willseeyalater]

Interesting stuff CWL, we had our nine year old at a baseball pitching clinic for two evenings this week and the technique to increase the mechanical advantage is all the same physics-wise. Extension with speed at the release=object flying fast at the target or for most nine year olds sort of at the target some of the time.

 

[Piso Mojado]

A 401 BC sling engagement in Xenophon's Anabasis, Book 3.

. . . [T]hey breakfasted and crossed the river Zapatas, marching in regular order, with the beasts and mob of the army in the middle. They had not advanced far on their route when Mithridates made his appearance again, with about a couple of hundred horsemen at his back, and bowmen and slingers twice as many, as nimble fellows as a man might hope to see. He approached the Hellenes as if he were friendly; but when they had got fairly to close quarters, all of a sudden some of them, whether mounted or on foot, began shooting with their bows and arrows, and another set with slings, wounding the men. The rearguard of the Hellenes suffered for a while severely without being able to retaliate, for the Cretans had a shorter range than the Persians, and at the same time, being light-armed troops, they lay cooped up within the ranks of the heavy infantry, while the javelin men again did not shoot far enough to reach the enemy's slingers. This being so, Xenophon thought there was nothing for it but to charge, and charge they did; some of the heavy and light infantry, who were guarding the rear, with him; but for all their charging they did not catch a single man. . . .

. . . Cheirisophus and the eldest of the generals blamed Xenophon for leaving the main body to give chase and endangering himself thereby, while he could not damage the enemy one whit the more. Xenophon admitted that they were right in blaming him: no better proof of that was wanted than the result. . . . "If, then, we are to exclude them from all possibility of injuring us as we march, we must get slingers as soon as possible and cavalry. I am told there are in the army some Rhodians, most of whom, they say, know how to sling, and their missile will reach even twice as far as the Persian slings (which, on account of their being loaded with stones as big as one's fist, have a comparatively short range; but the Rhodians are skilled in the use of leaden bullets). Suppose, then, we investigate and find out first of all who among them possess slings, and for these slings offer the owner the money value; and to another, who will plait some more, hand over the money price; and for a third, who will volunteer to be enrolled as a slinger, invent some other sort of privilege, I think we shall soon find people to come forward capable of helping us. There are horses in the army I know; some few with myself, others belonging to Clearchus's stud, and a good many others captured from the enemy, used for carrying baggage. Let us take the pick of these, supplying their places by ordinary baggage animals, and equipping the horses for cavalry."

On the following day the Persians returned in force: but with 200 slingers and 50 cavalry, the Greek rear guard routed their pursuers.

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1170/1170-h/1170-h.htm#2H_4_0021

Greek lead sling bullets with a thunderbolt on one side and "ΔΕΞΑΙ" ("catch") on the other, 4th century BC.

In ancient times, the natives of Majorca and Minorca in the Balearic Islands were famous for their skill as slingers, and they were employed as mercenaries by the Carthaginians and later by the Romans. Diego Camuñas from Mallorca was champion slinger of the Balearic Islands in 1988 and 1989. In the video below he shows how to make slings from sisal, from esparto grass, and from some Mallorcan plant, before demonstrating his champion sling technique.

[youtube]-ouNR6djZy4[/youtube]

 

[mwerner]

I'm not a traditionalist... My tennis-ball sling is made from a piece of naugahyde and two leather bootlaces from the grocery store. Shame on me....
I remember making my first sling way back around 1965 when I was in the army. I always enjoyed reading about ancient weapons but had little chance to fool with them at home....
I constructed one using the tongue from an old pair of combat boots and some cordage I'd found.
We were out in the "field" in Germany so plenty of room to practice. Getting the thing to release in an approximately-"that way" direction took a while; like most beginners I sent a lot of stones into the ground or rather hazardously vertical....
"Heads up!" (grumbles from the troops... "Crazy Doc (all medics are "Doc") playing around again!"

Eventually I got pretty decent. At least, in regards to velocity and distance. Rest assured, Goliath would have felt pretty safe around me....
The sling doesn't get much love on TV or in movies. I remember an old episode of Have Gun Will Travel that featured a young shepherd boy who was handy with a sling. There have been a couple of movies recently that featured brief slinging scenes.

 

[Grease]

Getting the thing to release in an approximately-"that way" direction took a while; like most beginners I sent a lot of stones into the ground or rather hazardously vertical....

Tell me about it... I just made a miniature one out of the leather pocket from a slingshot and some paracord. Took me almost an hour to figure out the motions of throwing the rocks in front of me, rather than behind or to the side.

Still, I'm impressed with the range I can get off a decent throw. It works almost as well as the original slingshot I took apart to make it...