There is much information regarding length, material, construction, and projectiles used for slings, but I would like to talk about the overall weight of the sling.

I believe the weight of the sling as well as the weight of the different sections to be an important factor in using it.

Through my own trial and error, I have found that a heavy retention cord seems to stabilize the rock better when winding up. it also seems to allow for a straighter release. when I apply a mixture of beeswax and mineral oil, i do so in a manner that saturates the entire cord. This adds considerable weight to the cord.

For the release cord I saturate it the same until about 3/4 of the way down, then I use less. this makes the last 1/4 very light in comparison to the rest of the release cord. When it is coated in this way, the cord will open extremely fast and move out of the way straight and rigid.

There is a number of variables happening here and I am quite sure that a lot of this will boil down to personal preference, but I think that it is worthy of consideration to all slingers.

weigh in on this and let me know your own findings about this aspect of slings.   

I like a thicker, weightier sling.  Accuracy improves for me greatly.  The reasoning I believe is I can 'feel' and 'control' the acceleration of ammo in variant weights far better.

It's another reason I prefer flat braided and NON-tapered release cords.  What I lose in velocity I gain in accuracy.  No point in power if I cannot connect.

Dense, but not super heavy.

I felt that it's the rigidity that helps in controlling the sling. It doesn't let it bend.
Accuracy should be easier with a rigid "stick" ,than with a flex rope.

Just my 2 grams .

jlasud wrote on Dec 10^th, 2013 at 3:23am:

I felt that it's the rigidity that helps in controlling the sling. It doesn't let it bend. Accuracy should be easier with a rigid "stick" ,than with a flex rope. Just my 2 grams .

I tend to agree. and to add to that, a heavier sling generally is a more rigid sling. = better control from what I have found.

Yes I've often toyed with the I dea of a along with a stick retention "cord"... Never made anything though

Tomas wrote on Dec 10^th, 2013 at 5:05am:

Yes I've often toyed with the I dea of a along with a stick retention "cord"... Never made anything though

Spring steel wire 16ga my friend ;)

Maybe using retention cord from paracord with a bit of wire pulled through, would keep the benefit of a thin cord,while giving some stiffness to it,and keeping the release cord just paracord. This way,one might get a sling that's got the best of both skinny and fatty slings.

Hm... might try that.

worth a try.

I now prefer skinny cords over thick ropes anyway.
But i also remember the stiffness of thick cord,and the feeling of more control over the sling.
Release cord,for me it's got to be very light, and very fast to open.
When i get home,i'll try the wired retention cord.

Me as light as possible.

The weight of a sling is rather secondary for me. Regarding accuracy, rigidity in the retention cord is what I personally look for. The retention cord shouldn't bend sideways easily but well in the other direction, as Jlasud said. In braided slings I usually taper the release cord to half or a third of the size of the retention cord. The first 10 cm after the pouch are tapered fast, then steadily down to the final diameter. I think this way the sling opens faster and the stone is less likely deflected by the release cord. Just check for which distance your release cord shows signs of wear ;). This maybe also depends on the slinging technique.

There was a debate about this a few years back here. The issue was partly whether heavy cords means more energy spent on actually moving the sling itself, rather than the stone. Up to then, I quite liked heavy cords, but after that, started tapering my release cords.

Heavier sling. I want my sling to perform nearly the same, loaded or unloaded.

I used to prefer really heavy slings. I've toned back a bit, but I still prefer slings on the heavier side. I've used dozens of slings that felt too light, but only couple that were simply too heavy. I think a medium sized Balearic style sling fits the bill just about perfectly, though I can go a little heavier or lighter depending on how I carry it or what I am using it for.