Ok on hunting the deer.
Our ancestors , unlike today, knew that there were not likely to see Large herbivores on a regular basis. what a hunter gatheree is more likely to see are birds, and small to large rodents, aned depending on the region reptiles.
all of which the sling can handle with little problems. especially with a minimum windup " Apache Style" release.
For the larger herbivores they used spears and darts/javelins
Desperation is one thing but getting the job done with minimum effort is another hit the deer with a few atlatl darts and track the bloodtrail down.
Marc Adkins
Quote:back on topic...
as far as penetrating the hide of a deer quickly, perhaps the apache style and solobo's razor ammo would do the job. if we can think of it now, who's to say they didn't think of it then? even if it was as simple as jamming some pointy metal or wood bits into a lump of lead or clay, it would still be effective enough. also, you could stun (hit him in the head) the deer and run up and kill it with a club. there are a number of possibilities, and a desperate man knows no bounds.