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Purpose = SlingLength+Technique (Read 3969 times)
mgreenfield
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Purpose = SlingLength+Technique
Apr 17th, 2006 at 12:54pm
 
We know the Balaeric slingers carrried 3 slings.  We think in these approximate lengths:
* Short = Fingertip to Elbow folded length
* Medium = Fingertip to Shoulder folded length
* Long = to perhaps Full Armspan folded length

Could it be that these were considered 3 very different devices??  I offer this as theory:

* Short = For short distance (to 35yds?), accurate shots at specific targets, using Forsyth/Apache style to give shot somewhat more force than a hand thrown stone, but not a ton more.

* Medium = For medium distance shots (to 200yds?), with less accuracy at more massed targets, using nwmanitou overhand or underhand/sidearm style to get more force/range on the stone, but at some sacrifice of accuracy.

* Long = For long distance shots (over 200yds?) at massed targets, using Jurek "helicopter" style to get even more force/range on the stone, but at even more sacrifice of accuracy.

Sling design could have been optimized in all 3 lengths, with fat cords for the short sling and thin ones for the long.   Possibly the same optimization for ammo.  "Billiard ball" rocks for short.  Small ellipsoid lead glands for long.

A "true" slingster would have to master all 3 slings/styles.

What do we think??
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Re: Purpose = SlingLength+Technique
Reply #1 - Apr 17th, 2006 at 5:59pm
 
Quote:
* Short = Fingertip to Elbow folded length


Wow! That is short. The sling I use with the Apache method is just over arm's length. Roll Eyes
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Re: Purpose = SlingLength+Technique
Reply #2 - Apr 17th, 2006 at 6:05pm
 
the sling i use got the short size but i can get up to max of 60 meters. (i think that makes 57Yards) but i dont knwo what technique i use.
I trow the stone sideways away.
still have to experiment with trows (and practise allot)

Aixu
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Re: Purpose = SlingLength+Technique
Reply #3 - Apr 17th, 2006 at 10:03pm
 
Quote:
Wow! That is short. The sling I use with the Apache method is just over arm's length. Roll Eyes



my short-for-accuracy sling i whipped up the other day is shorter than that!  you can read the measurements in my post in the topic about hints to increase accuracy(  http://www.slinging.org/forum2/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=1;action=display;num=11449364...)
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Re: Purpose = SlingLength+Technique
Reply #4 - Apr 17th, 2006 at 10:44pm
 
I've made a couple braided slings of approximately the fingertip-to-elbow length.  I always thought they performed nicely at close range.
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Re: Purpose = SlingLength+Technique
Reply #5 - Apr 17th, 2006 at 11:54pm
 
    Say, mgreenfield, where did you get this information about the Balaeric slingers?                                                                
    From reading some of the articles here on slinging.org I did get the idea that the general feeling seems to be that a short sling can be used with greater accuracy. I made a sling that is about 14 inches folded length ( which is indeed about fingertip to elbow for me ) and have been using it for about three months with good results. Maximum range is only about 50 - 60 yards with the "Apache" technique but my accuracy has improved noticably and this is about double the range that I can throw by hand.           .......Dan
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Re: Purpose = SlingLength+Technique
Reply #6 - Apr 18th, 2006 at 8:56am
 
You don't need long slings for accuracy, because the stone will have lost most of the power and speed by the time it has travelled the distance a short sling can do, and if the target is to far away for short sling, it'll be too hard to hit it with a long sling. And if you hit an animal wrong because it's too far away, and the stone has lost it's power, well then why even try to hunt it?

Gard
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Re: Purpose = SlingLength+Technique
Reply #7 - Apr 20th, 2006 at 6:10pm
 
that from fingers to elbow sling works pretty good Cheesy i'm pretty acurate with it when i use greek (recent discovery that its really easy and ok for power)
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Re: Purpose = SlingLength+Technique
Reply #8 - Apr 20th, 2006 at 7:44pm
 
all of my slings (with only 1 exception) have been roughly fingertip to elbow and I have a range of about 80 yds.
I enjoy using this length because I am the most accurate with it.
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Re: Purpose = SlingLength+Technique
Reply #9 - Apr 23rd, 2006 at 5:47pm
 
The same seems to be true for staff slings. Recently I built a "pistol" staff sling about a foot long. The idea is to take it on a hiking trip (light weight) and show my friends how to use it (much easier to get proficient than an ordinary sling). It turns out this shorter version is far more accurate at close range, but the range is less than a full size staff sling.
Coops
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mgreenfield
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Re: Purpose = SlingLength+Technique
Reply #10 - Apr 23rd, 2006 at 7:17pm
 
Most of my slinging has been with a mid-length (fingertip to shoulder) unit.   Most of my practice is with 2oz tennis balls, ...the "whiffle-ammo" of slingsters.

This afternoon I made a short-length (fingertip to elbow) unit, and pitched more tennis balls.

Conclusions:

1/ Greater accuracy is possible with the shorter sling.  This confirms many earlier reports.   I'd say the shorter sling produced 3-ball groupings about half the size of the longer sling.  This is a very substantial improvement.

2/ Heavier ammo "feels right" in the shorter sling.  This makes intuitive sense.  Maybe Yurek can analyze the moments involved, and explain this to us.  Definite advantage in battle to deliver heavier ammo more accurately.

3/ You give up some range with the shorter sling.  No surprise.  Reduction in range seems to be about 20%, ...not much more than this if any.

I started pitching 2oz tennis balls, then switched to tennis balls weighted to 3oz.  Instant better feel and improved accuracy.  Range stayed about the same.  I didnt have any tennis balls weighted to 4oz.

Technique was nwmanitou overhand.  Grip was apache full fist.  I just couldn't make the apache technique work.

FYI
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Re: Purpose = SlingLength+Technique
Reply #11 - Apr 23rd, 2006 at 9:40pm
 
mgreenfield, thanks for the information, looks like I have some experimenting of my own to do.

Quote:
The same seems to be true for staff slings. Recently I built a "pistol" staff sling about a foot long. The idea is to take it on a hiking trip (light weight) and show my friends how to use it (much easier to get proficient than an ordinary sling). It turns out this shorter version is far more accurate at close range, but the range is less than a full size staff sling.
Coops


By proficient do you mean 'ammo moving in right direction' or 'ammo hitting target'? Because I was always under the impression that the staff sling was more difficult to aim.
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Re: Purpose = SlingLength+Technique
Reply #12 - Apr 24th, 2006 at 1:23pm
 
I meant "ammo going in the right direction". I once let a friend borrow my sling hiking last year. He managed to make it go directly up or roll along the floor (underarm technique). I decided it would be safer to do it this way, at least the ammo will go in the right direction and is not likely to injure anyone.
Coops
P.S I think it is easier to aim a sling than a staff sling after a bit of practice. The staff sling was originally designed to throw larger rocks at "massed ranks" and used by less skilled infantry.
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mgreenfield
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Re: Purpose = SlingLength+Technique
Reply #13 - Apr 27th, 2006 at 8:49am
 
Further, I note that the shorter (20") sling has an entirely different "feel".   There's something going on OTHER than "it's the same, just shorter".

Most accurate AND powerful shots are made when I seem to feel a slight "backward tug" on the sling in windup, and make the launch as a direct pull against this backward tug.

Range reduction update, ....the 20"sling reduces range a measured 33% compared with my 34"sling.

Last evening I tried a 27"sling.  This is halfway between 20" and 34".  Got some increased range, but no backward tug, and accuracy went to heck again.  Will try 25" tonight.   Trying to find the longest sling that ALSO gives the backward-tug-for-accuracy.

Stay tuned.
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Re: Purpose = SlingLength+Technique
Reply #14 - Apr 27th, 2006 at 7:43pm
 
Ok I had To experiment. I normaly use a 43 inch sling I went to a 53inch acuracy went down by 10% I tried a 27 inch sling and found my acuracy went down also but only by 7% I might have been practicing with the same sling for to long. Ok sorry for the break just ajusted my sling  first to 40 in. then to 36 in at forty no real difference but at 36 i actuly increased by about 9% I not quite sure what to make of this.
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