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Lead glan vs. Elephant skull (Read 3810 times)
Doktorhook
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Lead glan vs. Elephant skull
May 15th, 2006 at 7:57pm
 
Hey guys it's been quite awhile since I've posted but a question on slings has arisen on another site called dragonsfoot.com which is an AD&D site.
The question has arisen about the effectiveness of glans vs. arrows & a point was made about arrows being more effective because bows have been used to hunt elephants. I myself have seen photos of elephant hunts with bow & arrow & so my question is this. Do you think it's possible to hunt elephant with a good sized sling & lead glan?
I've never heard of such a thing but think it MAYbe possible if the right target is chosen, like the nasal cavity right above the trunk or an eye socket. What do you think?
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solobo
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Re: Lead glan vs. Elephant skull
Reply #1 - May 15th, 2006 at 8:53pm
 
I think I'd much rather use a bow... chances of killing an elephant with a sling are pretty minimal
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Re: Lead glan vs. Elephant skull
Reply #2 - May 15th, 2006 at 9:23pm
 
Staff slings were used by hunters to knock elephants unconsious.   I see no reason why a hand sling couldn't do the same.  

But I don't think that was a fair comparison.  Kevlar vests could stop a bullet but not arrows.  Does that mean arrows are more effective than bullets too? Roll Eyes
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A_C
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Re: Lead glan vs. Elephant skull
Reply #3 - May 15th, 2006 at 10:00pm
 
Indeed, arrows are completely different from glandes in purpose. If you took a cestrophendone and lobbed a dart, you could do just as much or more piercing damage than an arrow shot from a bow, but an arrow and a glande are about as different as a mace and a spear. A spear is meant to penetrate an enemy and cause a wound, pierce, and penetrate. A mace, however, is meant to break bones and cause damage by the shock, not by bleeding. Just look at what the two deal with armor. Arrows deal with armor by piercing them. Glandes, however, deal with armor either by crushing it, or by ignoring it as the shock of the impact passes from the armor into the wearer. Both have their own purposes, and they're different. Could you kill an elephant with a sling...not likely, but then again, how many arrows can crush and shatter shields and bones?
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Re: Lead glan vs. Elephant skull
Reply #4 - May 16th, 2006 at 5:47am
 
I read from an old roman text, that staff-sling is the BEST weapon against (armored) war-elephants.

Wouldn't try with a normal sling.. Roll Eyes
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Re: Lead glan vs. Elephant skull
Reply #5 - May 16th, 2006 at 6:13am
 
Quote:
Staff slings were used by hunters to knock elephants unconsious.   I see no reason why a hand sling couldn't do the same.



because a staff sling is closer to siege engines than to normal sling, and because with staff you can hurl much bigger projectiles.

(and believe it or not, size DOES matters)
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Re: Lead glan vs. Elephant skull
Reply #6 - May 16th, 2006 at 7:19am
 
You're gonna have to hit the skull with a lot of force or you'll just piss it off then your in trouble.
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Re: Lead glan vs. Elephant skull
Reply #7 - May 16th, 2006 at 10:11am
 
Striking an elephant in the head with a stone could be more devastating than the best arrow impact. A passage of the numantine wars, written by Appian, comes to mind: ( http://www.livius.org/ap-ark/appian/appian_spain_10.html#§46 ):

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The Arevaci convened immediately, even in the night, at Numantia, which was a very strong city, and chose Ambo and Leuco as their generals. Three days later Nobilior advanced and pitched his camp at some four kilometers from the place.

Here he was joined by 300 horse and ten elephants sent to him by Massinissa. When he moved against the enemy he placed these animals in the rear where they could not be seen. Then when battle was joined the army divided and brought the elephants into view. The Celtiberians and their horses, who had never seen elephants before, were thunderstruck and fled to the city.

Nobilior advanced at once against the city walls, where the battle raged fiercely, until one of the elephants was struck on the head with a large falling stone, when he became savage, uttered a loud cry, turned upon his friends, and began to destroy everything that came in his way, making no distinction between friend and foe. The other elephants, excited by his cries, all began to do the same, trampling the Romans under foot, scattering and hurling them this way and that. (This is always the way with elephants when they are enraged. Then they take everybody for foes; wherefore some people call them the common enemy, on account of their fickleness.)

The Romans took to disorderly flight. When the Numantines perceived this they sallied out and pursued them, killing about 4,000 men and three elephants. They also captured many arms and standards. The loss of the Celtiberians was about 2,000.


It is not clear if the "falling stone" was a big rock thrown from the walls or a heavy slingshot. Anyway, it worked fine  8) .

I think that the sling was one of the most important defensive weapons during sieges. With virtually unlimited ammo and the advantage of firing from a wall, the besiegers should be quite afraid of getting within 100 meters of the walls.
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Re: Lead glan vs. Elephant skull
Reply #8 - May 16th, 2006 at 12:23pm
 
Wow, that IS surprising, that just making the elephant angry, then taking cover, or shinnying up the nearest tree is the best way to turn them back against their own masters!  Cool!  So, a hand sling launching a fist-sized stone, or smaller stone might actually be BETTER than a more deadly semi-boulder launched from a staff sling at closer range! HMMMMM Wink
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Re: Lead glan vs. Elephant skull
Reply #9 - May 16th, 2006 at 12:40pm
 
hmmm I feel a new project coming on. Piercing glandes
designed specifly for elephants
Hey Chris do you still have that nine foot sling. We have some work to do lol
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Albert Scott C bigbadwolf41 77940+hwy+99+south,+Spc+22  
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Re: Lead glan vs. Elephant skull
Reply #10 - May 16th, 2006 at 12:46pm
 
Heh, heh!  Well, if ANYONE could do it, Lobohunter... Wink

Come to think of it, didn't you ALREADY have a "Big game hunting sling projectile" that looked like a miniaturized version of Rama's Vajra dart/"Thunderbolt"javelin?

I think that THAT grizzly bear load would kill an elephant!
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Slinging.org people are progressive preservers of pre-historic protective, pantry-packing, and post-paleolithic parabellum practices...and they're also generally REALLY COOL!  Their bootlaces are their arsenal, and the world is their ammo dump!
 
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Re: Lead glan vs. Elephant skull
Reply #11 - May 16th, 2006 at 3:45pm
 
Quote:
I think that the sling was one of the most important defensive weapons during sieges. With virtually unlimited ammo and the advantage of firing from a wall, the besiegers should be quite afraid of getting within 100 meters of the walls.


I disagree because a slinger would have to stand up completly to launch a stone for best accuracy anyway. While an archer could kneel down and just pop his head and his bow over the defence of the wall. Also if an enemy is at the foot of the wall it would be harder for a slinger to hit him.
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Re: Lead glan vs. Elephant skull
Reply #12 - May 16th, 2006 at 3:58pm
 
yeah, but then you could just pour some scaldingly hot oil over the side, and fry him.
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Re: Lead glan vs. Elephant skull
Reply #13 - May 16th, 2006 at 6:42pm
 
Arkanii
A slinger can cast overhand almost completely consealed behind a wall or in a ditch. As long as you can see your target because in the overhand  release the ammo is actuly released above your head. Try it over a fence some time. You will see how easy it is
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Re: Lead glan vs. Elephant skull
Reply #14 - May 16th, 2006 at 6:48pm
 
Quote:
Come to think of it, didn't you ALREADY have a "Big game hunting sling projectile" that looked like a miniaturized version of Rama's Vajra dart/"Thunderbolt"javelin?

Mag you must mean


http://www.slinging.org/forum2/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=1;action=display;num=10950274...

hmmm as long as I had lot of back up. But I thinking one of those weighing about a pound from Chris 9ft sling lol
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Albert Scott C bigbadwolf41 77940+hwy+99+south,+Spc+22  
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