I'm thinking about casting some lead ammo, i've been looking pics of some ancient sling ammo and i've seen lemmon-like shape and even some flattened lemmon-like shapes, but not a proper almond like (I think almond shape is sort of a flattened drop)
What do you think about this flattened drop-like shape? any advantage over a flattened lemmon shape? lemmon is simetric... and i won't care how i place it in the sling pouch, but i'll have to care about how i place a drop-like shape cause it's asymetric .... How i make the wide end fly forward?
Would it be  a better shape a revolving drop such like oak acorns or a flattened one? any ideas?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/zorrrro/misc/IMG_0035.jpg

Oops! :P i posted this in the wrong place,  i was thinking about posting it in the "general discussion" ... how do i move it? Or do i post a copy?  or better leave this here?  ::)

If I have to fire any non-rock materials, I prefer to fire truly biconical shot, which sort of looks like two rounded equilateral triangles pressed base to base, and I find that if I sling it slightly sidearm, but still forcibly forwrds, I can sometimes get it to impact the ground point down. Most of the time, no matter how it hits, it seems to hit pretty hard, and seems quite accurate. I make mine out of clay, though, so my results could be different from those made from lead.

Quote:

... how do i move it? Or do i post a copy?  or better leave this here?  ::)

Ask and ye shall receive! ;)

I'm not sure if we've ever had a satisfactory explanation of almond glandes (particularily those 20 g ones)... There aren't any *really* obvious reasons why they should fly better - we'll eagerly await your first hand report. mgreenfield had some >:( things to say about his experiment: http://www.slinging.org/forum2/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=1;action=display;num=1082212427;start=4#4

My best guess is that there might be something going on in the pouch/glans interface that is useful. Do they stay in better? Release more predictably? Spin faster? Maybe they are easier to mold, or maybe they are "sharper" on impact?

I've always pictured them flying pointy end first. Anyone else?

Matthias

Thanks a lot for moving this topic to the right place  ;)

wrote on Feb 22^nd, 2005 at 3:49pm:

mgreenfield had some >:( things to say about his experiment: http://www.slinging.org/forum2/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=1;action=display;num=1082212427;start=4#4 I've always pictured them flying pointy end first. Anyone else?

lol  i've just read what mgreenfield said....  well...  20grams looks very lightweight for me... i was thinking something in the range of 100 grams (just the feeling of a piece of lead i weighted today) Any advice about lead weights? i need to feel some weight in the pouch, though i think my fav stones are  golf ball size and may be that's over 100-150 grams or even more of stone.

Oh and i picture them flying pointy end back!.... ok i'll try to take pics and measures of the whole process... i hope i can get better results than m greenfield with the clay ones.

when i think of which end would fly first, i think the fat end, figure if you drop that same gland off a building point first, wouldnt the fatter end be forced down? hmm, experiment? :-/

That's what I figured. We need some romans on this forum :)

Aerodynamics are sometimes pretty counterintuitive. I personally have no idea which way would be "slipperier"... As a somewhat parallel example, consider an Apollo capsule during reentry.

It's too bad that these experiments are so hard to do. I sort of wish that I still had ready access to a wind tunnel. Of course, then I'd feel obligated to _do_ the experiments, which would be another time commitment I wouldn't be able to keep up with. So maybe it's for the best!

Matthias

You're right.  Generally, such efforts are a needless burden for our sport.  I could see the relevance if the sport were much more widespread.

Virtual 3D windtunnel software would be fun to play with, however the manufacturing and testing of real ammo is even more fun!

It has been my observation that after enough real experience,  the subconscious mind can make for quite a serviceable virtual 3D wind tunnel in itself.

Besides,  I doubt one could manage to reasonably obtain software that could accurately resolve the information provided by even a moderately complex 3D shape spinning at 8,000RPM.

:)

when i think of which end would fly first, i think the fat end, figure if you drop that same gland off a building point first, wouldnt the fatter end be forced down? hmm, experiment?

I am sure you are correct, if dropped and not spinning. Thrown from a sling, point first, spinning on it's axis should stabilize it, keeping it point forward, for the most aerodynamic flight. Maybe tapering both ends of the projectile gives it less drag, and answers the question.
Just a thought,
Oscar