The Greek State at War Part V By William Kendrick Pritchett

This volume has a vast chapter on slinging. It can be previewed on Google Books but it is >£50 to buy a copy :(

This is stunning stuff, do not miss it!

From this book, Parthian horse archers vs slingers:


Quote:

Cassius Dio: In Syria in 38 BC the slingers of Ventidius inflicted heavy losses on the cavalry of the Parthians, although the latter wore armour. Antony in 36 BC defeated the Parthian cavalry in a skirmish since "his slingers were numerous and could shoot farther" than the mounted archers with their bows.

Lucius Cassius Dio Cocceianus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassius_Dio

(The Parthian fighting, with use of slingers fighting within infantry squares, is also in Plutarch's Life of Antony, I think).

On W. K. Pritchett, grand old man of Classics in USA, who died recently, author of Greek State at War ("GSAW") and also many studies on Greek topography (and earlier Athenian epigraphy):

http://classics.berkeley.edu/news/articles/story.php?id=16

David Morningstar wrote on May 7^th, 2009 at 9:10am:

From this book, Parthian horse archers vs slingers: Quote: Cassius Dio: In Syria in 38 BC the slingers of Ventidius inflicted heavy losses on the cavalry of the Parthians, although the latter wore armour. Antony in 36 BC defeated the Parthian cavalry in a skirmish since "his slingers were numerous and could shoot farther" than the mounted archers with their bows. Lucius Cassius Dio Cocceianus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassius_Dio

It would be a fair assumption that mounted archers would be shooting comparatively lower draw weight bows and relying on their speed and maneouverability to get in very close for killing shots. If you watch the wonderful video of the Hungarian gentleman whose name presently escapes me he stands in his stirrups and draws the bow quicky and with apparent ease. Archers on foot would have likely used heavier bows. Whether they could outrange the slingers or not is another question.