The slinging would impart a spin on the projectile, giving it a certain degree of stability in flight. The stability made the path of flight more predictable, and if it stabilized point-first, it penetrated better.
Posted on 10/29/2025 4:17:58 AM PDT by marktwain
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A nine foot tall giant would be as vulnerable to a sling as a bear or a lion.
A sling would certainly be better than a knife, but I still prefer something that shoots lead projectiles.
Many slingers in the Roman era used lead projectiles.
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One advantage that’s often overlooked when the sling is being discussed: It’s quiet! You can sneak up on your quarry and, if you miss your first shot and your quarry hasn’t seen you, you get another chance. With a gun, you fire once and everybody in the area runs away.
I have a couple of those laser-sight slingshots - the first time I saw that on the interweb I was like “OH WOW I GOTTA GET ONE OF THOSE!” and so I got two.
Yes, you can make your own bullets for your gun - it’s kinda time-consuming and still costs money.
There are usually rocks lying all over the place, however! A slingshot and some rocks are the essence of concealed carry!
I’ll stop now.
Well that’s just lazy dying on Goliath’s part. At least the Giant of Kandahar went down swinging.
Iirc, and I have seen them in person, slings are not “quiet”. They make a whoosh whoosh whoosh sound that can be heard from 50 yards away as the slinger winds up.
You could put a lead ball in a sling.
I was rather deadly to squirrels with a slingshot and steel ball bearings as a youth.
Broke a window once, too, which was almost deadly to me after my future mother-in-law caught me. (I was 8 at the time. Been sweethearts with my wife a LONG time.)
The slinging would impart a spin on the projectile, giving it a certain degree of stability in flight. The stability made the path of flight more predictable, and if it stabilized point-first, it penetrated better.
“ Broke a window once, too, which was almost deadly to me after my future mother-in-law caught me. (I was 8 at the time. Been sweethearts with my wife a LONG time.)”
Trying to impress future wifey with your hunting skills I see. 😁
I have a sling. Actually a lot of fun and doesn’t wreck my back.
And look! Rifling marks!
And I can throw my back out just from sneezing.
I played with slings quite a lot starting when I was about 8. Never much for accuracy, but a good cast would go around 200 yards (when I was grown, not at age 8). I still have a sling around somewhere, made of parachute cord with a pouch from an old boot tongue, but my shoulder really doesn’t like slinging these days.
Wow, mines a paracord and leather boot tongue!😝
Absolutely. Or more to the point, her dad.
She’s Apache (we lived just off the rez) and hunting skills were a requirement for anyone who might look at his daughter.
Contrary to stereotype, she sucks with a bow. Prefers iron site 30/30.
That was what I settled on after lots of variations. The pouch is triangular, and I put grommets in the holes so the cords wouldn’t tear out. It’s lasted quite a few years now, though I have had to replace the free end cord a few times because the departing stones wear through the attachment point.
And the sound it makes is wicked. I cannot see how one could hunt with one.
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