From Sling to Sidearm: David’s Battle and the Power of Projectile Weapons

AmmoLand ^ | October 23, 2025 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

One of the most famous bible stories is the story of David, a young man who slew Goliath, a gigantic Philistine warrior, champion of the Philistine army. The story is much debated. Was David known to Saul, the king, before David killed Goliath? How old was David when he killed Goliath? Did someone else kill Goliath, and was David later given credit for it?

The most common assumption is that David killed Goliath, using a sling and a stone to triumph over the giant. Estimates of his age vary from 13 to 28. He is described as both a boy and a man, as “a youth” and as “a mighty man of valor, a man of war”.

In every generation, there are people who are born with a natural aptitude with one or another sort of weapon. People with an aptitude often hone this ability through practice, training, or both. David appears to have been a “natural” with the sling. He had plenty of time to practice while he was watching over his father’s sheep. The evidence of his proficiency is from KJV bible, I Samuel:

³⁴ And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:

³⁵ And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.

³⁶ Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.

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TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: banglist; david; goliath; sling

[marktwain]

Slings were deadly military weapons in the ancient world.

A nine foot tall giant would be as vulnerable to a sling as a bear or a lion.

[redfreedom]

A sling would certainly be better than a knife, but I still prefer something that shoots lead projectiles.

[marktwain]

Many slingers in the Roman era used lead projectiles.

[sauropod]

.

[Scarlett156]

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.

[philman_36]

Later... 49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth. Note that he didn't fall backwards as one might expect.

[Sirius Lee]

Well that’s just lazy dying on Goliath’s part. At least the Giant of Kandahar went down swinging.

[Ikeon]

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.

[TheThirdRuffian]

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.)

[Paal Gulli]

The projectiles used by Roman "slingers" were lead. And roughly football shaped.

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.

[philman_36]

Note also David picked up five stones.
One for Goliath and four more for each of his kinfolk.
They probably stood out as they were giants as well.
They were all slain later.

[Redcitizen]

“ 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. 😁

[waterhill]

I have a sling. Actually a lot of fun and doesn’t wreck my back.

[GingisK]

And look! Rifling marks!

[waterhill]

And I can throw my back out just from sneezing.

[HartleyMBaldwin]

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.

[waterhill]

Wow, mines a paracord and leather boot tongue!😝

[TheThirdRuffian]

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.

[HartleyMBaldwin]

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.

[waterhill]

And the sound it makes is wicked. I cannot see how one could hunt with one.