https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T7OTSIv4VY

Not sure about the man's technique-- a bit too much slack ?

This came up in my feed last night. Central question of the video "Is the sling a worthless weapon?"

His answer- "The sling takes years to master so its not good as a survival or hunting weapon."

Last I checked most survival skills take more than an afternoon to master. But guess hes technically right. For most the sling would be a worthless survival weapon.

Einfach furchtbar. :-[ :-X :'(

I disagree with the statement that the sling is a useless survival weapon. He says in the video that he had no experience using the sling. In my experience, most weapons take some degree of training and practice to be effective. This is particularly true of primitive weapons. I myself have trouble using the design of sling that he used in the video. I felt that the test was unfair and that the question was loaded.

Are martial arts a useless way to defend oneself? Is flintknapping a useless way to make a spearhead? Is a piano a useless instrument with which to play a masterpiece? No, but they all require a significant amount of time and dedication to utilize well.

Now what if the question were phrased differently? Would the sling be a useful survival weapon in the hands of a trained user?

I wouldn't want to be an animal (or attacker) that has Jaegoor taking aim at with a sling, and I'd hate to see what happens to the poor creature that gets nailed with Timpa's mighty hurl.

;)

Yah, I have to go sling-- watching that weak throw was too depressing.

Quote:

So is the primitive sling a worthless weapon? Well, as an improvised survival hunting weapon for modern hikers and outdoorsman, I believe it is worthless. It would take years of regular practice to become accurate with the sling. And in an emergency, one would not have the time to master such a skill. However, there are other uses for the sling beyond hunting small game. With minimal practice, this weapon can be used to affect the movements of animals, corralling herds of ruminants and scaring off predators. I can see the sling as an economical and effective tool for pastoralist peoples. Furthermore, I can see the sling's simplicity, range, power, and cheap ammunition as being advantageous over the primitive bow when used in warfare. Individual Accuracy may simply not be that important when the sling is used in mass.

Can't argue with any of that.

Morphy wrote on Aug 17^th, 2017 at 4:26pm:

Last I checked most survival skills take more than an afternoon to master.

Thanks god that "to survive" also means to master the life all life long. I think that's time enough to master the sling too.

But how knows: Perhaps this japanese (chineese) wants to survive for only one afternoon (or sunday afternoon until sunday sunset).

He had forgotten: Who doesn't have any time (to do or to "master" something) doesn't survive at all. Mostly it are the "two left hands" of his own what are to survive.

And note (while looking his nice piece of paracord): "In the beginning was a neanderthal and his fire ... but for invent the "paracord" and / or "springer boots" it takes another couple of millenia."

And to invent people that get lost in the woods so easy it takes another millenium once more.

Plenty of of wannabe bushcrafters on youtube. I give him credit in that he chose WannabeBushcrafter as his channel name so he accepts his videos are from a newbie's point of view.

The question he was asking wasn't a good one in my opinion. There's no need to ask if it's worthless. History never lies. Any tool that is adopted almost universally is going to be very useful.

With the sling both the cost and the benefit are extremes. So by definition it's of very little use to new practictioners. Sort of like asking is computer programming useful. Yes very much, just not when Im doing it.   ;)

the big point about the sling as a survival weapon is, that you can take a shot at everything that is flying or moving at (near to no) investment. you will miss 99% though, but the one time you hit...

Teg wrote on Aug 19^th, 2017 at 5:26pm:

the big point about the sling as a survival weapon is, that you can take a shot at everything that is flying or moving at (near to no) investment. you will miss 99% though, but the one time you hit...

Yeah. It doesn't take too much practice to get to the point where you could, say, sling into a flock of birds and hit something. I can't hit the center of a baleric target consistently (maybe 10 - 15% of the time) from 15 meters, but I'm certainly good enough to put a stone through the middle of a flock of birds. Most of my throws are within a couple feet of my target disk.

It also takes very little time to make a sling, compared to a bow or an atlatl. While making cordage takes time, once you have some it takes a matter of seconds to make it into a sling. You'll probably need cordage in any survival situation, so the sling has the benefit that you don't need to spend much time doing something else. Even if you want to do a fancy braided one, it doesn't take much time. While the availability of ammo is pretty dependent on where you are, it's still easier to get ammo for a sling than either of the other ones.

I have a feeling that from a time perspective, a sling is pretty good. Yeah, it'll take you longer to hunt with it, but I'm not sure how much better I'd be with a bow or throwing stick or atlatl or spear than with a sling.

Having read Mr Aardvark, I agree: this American man, interested in bushcraft, found that, unless you're really well trained, the sling is useless. It is true that if you put a sling in the hands of someone who has no idea, the stone will go backwards, etc.

But is this the case of most "survival" tools ? What is there that an unexperienced person can take out of the box or quickly make-- and usefully depend on for survival ? A spear ? A knife ? A hat ?

Thearos wrote on Aug 19^th, 2017 at 7:07pm:

But is this the case of most "survival" tools ? What is there that an unexperienced person can take out of the box or quickly make-- and usefully depend on for survival ? A spear ? A knife ? A hat ?

I'd argue that this is the case for most survival tools. I wouldn't be surprised if most people could come up with one kind of a shelter or another -- nothing fancy, but at least you'd have somewhere to sleep. I certainly wouldn't trust myself to use a spear or most other stuff "usefully".

Personally, what I'd trust most in a survival situation is my knowledge of the local plants. While it doesn't work everywhere, and it would depend heavily on the season, I might potentially get a little bit to eat from it.

Honestly, I (and most people) probably wouldn't be able to survive all that long. Building a sling would be on my list, but it wouldn't be before building a shelter and (hopefully) getting a little bit to eat. I certainly wouldn't try to hunt with one until I'd found some other kind of food and built a fire (not that I'd trust my ability to make a fire).

Leaving aside the survival tv show mindset, there are "no" primitive weapons that fall into the "easy to make/easy to use/likely to secure game" catagory. They all have cost/benefit/niche. Bows are the most likely to produce game in a wide variety of scenarios but require considerable time and practice to make them effective.

Most guys can throw a stick fairly well. But rabbits in most areas can be extremely difficult to get within realistic range. Ive hunted in some areas where the rabbits will let you walk within 10 feet of them. But thats more a situational advantage not a weapon advantage. Realistically if you are in an area where the game is wary, unless you have significant experience, you are likely to go hungry. 

Seeing as I live in Finland where nature is all around, I've thought about how long I would last if I did get lost in the woods and, even though I feel I have some survival skills, I really wouldn't last long. It's actually very difficult to find enough food consistently to not starve and even in the Summer, you have to find and eat a LOT of berries if you can't find anything more substantial. If I got lost in the woods in Winter... Well... I might as well spend my time fashioning a cross rather than wasting it trying to find food. Of course I would freeze to death way before I starved but if I did get a good enough shelter together, food would be almost impossible to find. The only reason people survived here in previous eras is that they had a lot of stored food from Summer and they would often migrate to warmer climes. Best advice: Don't get lost in the first place.

So if you trained with a sling, lightly but consistently, so that you could throw strongly but in a controlled fashion (i.e. straight ahead) at a distance of 20-50m, I'm sure you WOULD be pretty glad to have a sling in your survival pack or be able to get some cordage to make one. You could keep at predator at bay or take a potshot at birds from further-- i.e. like throwing a stone but with more force.

I think the best tool to make is a digging stick.  You can also use it as a throwing stick.  Or a club.  About the length of your arm or a little shorter, sharpen one end and flatten out the other.

However, you best chances of survival exist between your ears. 

Learn the edible plants in your area.  Learn what is ripe at certain times of the year.  Learn what plants have edible roots and how to recognize them in the winter.  Learn how to make a decent shelter that's one step up from a pile of leaves.  Learn how to recognize a good source of drinking water, how to build a fire under all conditions and a whole bunch more.  Every body used to do it and think nothing of it, it wasn't a big deal.

In other words, if you are interested in survival and bush craft, you have to learn.  And you have to do it before you go.  Don't be like the guy in "Into the Wild" who shot a caribou and didn't know how to clean the animal, so the meat spoiled and he starved to death.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28r-MQejnHg&t=108s

@Bill Skinner: the Into The Wild guy actually poisoned himself with berries according to the book. Also... don’t be like him and take a .22 into the Alaskan wilderness. He was really lucky to take a young caribou with it, but the animal probably suffered needlessly before it died unless his shot placement was just right. He’s not a survival role model for many many reasons.

The guy can hit something after a year of practice. Pretty cool.

It's an amazing survival weapon where I live.
If you train for 6 months to a year consistently you should be able to take down (aquatic) birds who come and go in swarms.

If you can hit the broadside of a barn you should be able to take down a bird within a flock with a bit of luck

In the past I tested my luck, and got a kill shot in the sky on a flock

You can't really risk shooting off an expensive arrow in the hopes of getting a long distance kill (or stun) in a flock. But you can definitely waste plenty of rocks. And where I live, there are plenty of opportunities.

There is no other primitive weapon more suited for this task.

His second slinging video from a year later is much better.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28r-MQejnHg

I think there are a few clear issues set here that need to be addressed before asking "Is the sling a worthless survival weapon".

In terms of modern short-term survival, is hunting a worthless survival skill? Even with a rifle, depending on the area, an experienced hunter could go a few days (or a season) without any significant game. Let alone an inexperienced hunter with a primitive weapon.

For most people, I'd agree with Bill Skinner's post on the essential skills. If you can prevent dehydration, injury, exposure, and signal or walk to help, you'll be alright for awhile.


Now back to the original question, I think it is largely determined by the individual and the environment. Most of us on here have some experience slinging and would therefore be significantly more accurate than the average person on the street with a sling. Probably capable of taking a bird or two over the course of a day if there are enough present. In that situation, it is better than retrieving your throwing stick or preciously carved arrow in the lake every time you miss.

So if I was stranded for more than a few days, I'd definitely give a sling a go in combination with a throwing stick.

However, does it deserve a spot in the average camper/hiker/outdoor enthusiast survival kit? Probably not

When I was in the army, one person did not hit any with Assault Rifle.
That is, the Assault Rifle is a worthless Survival weapon. :)

    Some very good points are made here. My post sort of mirrors Dan's.  For the many of us who have been slinging for a while I believe the sling would always  be a worthwhile survival tool.  It would be the second weapon I'd make right after a spear.  Would it be my primary weapon? No.  I would probably make an atlatl as my primary weapon.   But slings are so darned easy to make under any circumstances plus depending on the area the ammo can be just laying on the ground all over the place. For the average person the sling would be next to useless in a survival situation.  It would take months at best for them be become even somewhat accurate with it.  But to many of us it would be a fast, easy, useful back up weapon. 

Two young men spent 46 days in the north east U.S. woods. They made  throwing sticks and spears. No slings. I would have one. Interesting book. It is titled "wilderness Survival" by Elbroch and Pewtherer.

If you are expecting to survive because of your equipment, you are already thinking about it wrong. Even great skills can be useless if you don’t maintain a positive attitude and the will to survive. If I had a sling, I would probably use it... unless I could use a shotgun to do the same job. Preferable to both would be food, fire, and shelter (obviously).  In a survival situation though, a sling might  keep me entertained during long hours of boredom, and focusing on something that makes you happy is pretty important to survival.

    We've discussed this before.  I can think of two very good uses for a sling in a survival situation. One would be to bomb a squirrels nest.  You wouldn't want to use arrows to do this because you'd get them all stuck in the nest high up in the tree plus you'd probably pin any squirrel you hit inside of the nest.  A sling with an egg sized stone would have the power to knock a squirrel silly inside of its nest probably causing it to fall to the ground where you could club it before it regained its senses.  The beauty of using a sling in this situation is that if it took you a dozen shots to hit the nest who cares? They're just stones. Another use would be to shoot at a flock of waterfowl sitting on the water.  If  you used an underarm throw your projectile would bounce off of the water in a low trajectory increasing your chances of a hit if your shot was a little short.  You  wouldn't want to use arrows in this situation because you'd have almost no chance of retrieving your misses.  Of course a sling wouldn't save your butt on its own but I can see where it could definitely be useful to an experienced slinger.

NooneOfConsequence wrote on Jan 3^rd, 2019 at 10:24am:

If you are expecting to survive because of your equipment, you are already thinking about it wrong. Even great skills can be useless if you don’t maintain a positive attitude and the will to survive. If I had a sling, I would probably use it... unless I could use a shotgun to do the same job. Preferable to both would be food, fire, and shelter (obviously).  In a survival situation though, a sling might  keep me entertained during long hours of boredom, and focusing on something that makes you happy is pretty important to survival.

Ding ! Ding ! Ding !