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To: SunkenCiv

It seems every sling bullet from antiquity is bioconicsl or almond-shaped. When a sling bullet is traveling through the air, does it spin about the long axis, like an American football? Or does roll around the long axis? Or...how does it travel through the air?


4 posted on 12/16/2022 9:34:45 PM PST by BradyLS (DO NOT FEED THE BEARS!)
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To: BradyLS

They’re shaped to reduce drag, and made of heavy material like lead so they really drill through the air and deliver max energy to the target.


5 posted on 12/16/2022 9:39:46 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: BradyLS

I have a bit of experience slinging. My thought is that the shape allows for the projectile to leave the sling pocket in a fairly repeatable orientation thus eliminating one of the many variables that affect accuracy. Achieving accuracy when throwing, slinging, shooting, hurling, tossing, or chucking is a matter of practice and eliminating variables, i.e. grip, distance, sight alignment, breathing, consistent projectile weight, shape, powder charge, warhead weight, number of windups, etc. Quarterbacks throw the football only one way so the toss is predictable. Pitchers throw unpredictably with myriad variables to confuse.

Check out this guy slinging:
https://youtu.be/RzDMCVdPwnE


10 posted on 12/17/2022 2:12:58 AM PST by KingLudd
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To: BradyLS
Digging a little, I found this:

(from Wikipedia)...The reason why the almond shape was favoured is not clear: it is possible that there is some aerodynamic advantage, but it seems equally likely that there is some more prosaic reason, such as the shape being easy to extract from a mould, or the fact that it will rest in a sling cradle with little danger of rolling out. It is possible as well that the almond, non-circular shape, made the bullet spin in flight in a helicopter or disc like effect adding to the flight distance...
14 posted on 12/17/2022 5:20:42 AM PST by BradyLS (DO NOT FEED THE BEARS!)
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