weird I definitely posted here last week.
Right, I pretty much disagree on all your points
(you'll find this isn't unusual when I'm explaining things to historians )Okay.
Lets start with what should be blindingly obvious, but is usually overlooked.
Slingers are NOT archers.
We have only one thing in common with archers - both 'fire' projectiles.
That's it, that is the ONLY thing we have in common.
To start with a slinger can carry a lot more ammunition and - more importantly - a number of slings suited for different purposes.
Archers tend to just have the one bow. Which limits them in both range and power.
Balearic slingers were known for carrying at least three slings of different lengths.
So in their case the maximum slinging range could be adjusted simply by changing to a shorter or longer sling.
Such a change takes seconds.
The slings usually worn on the body.
Also as long as you have a spotter it is easy to hit a target you can't actually see (been there. done that). There would be no problem with experienced slingers walking their shots into an advancing army from behing the main army.
And even the in-experienced slingers could adjust range simply be changing to a longer or shorter sling and using the exact same throw style and power.
Slingers are much more versatile then archers - it's the main reason we persisted so long into the bow era.
Other reasons include the psychological impact of slinging on an enemy.
Sling bullets are traditionally small and light, but dense. You cannot see a sling bullet coming - but by god you can hear it !
Due a to a communications error, I have stood directly in line with an incoming lead glande, thrown by larry bray. landed about 6 feet directly in front of me. I think we were using lead fishing weights. Even as round a glande as that made a noise like a whole swarm of bees.
So you get the noise, then the significant impact, but unlike an arrow you never see the missile in flight.
Because ammo is light, whether using stones, lead or clay - a slinger can carry a significant volume and number of missiles.
50gm lead glandes. 20 to a kilo, 200 in an easy to carry 10kg bag.
If you were to sling at a conservative 5 shots a minute you could keep that up for 40 minutes.
And for max distance - and you need to start thinking 300 metres plus here
(another difference to archers, slingers have a LOT more range).
You do need a windup.
Once you cut the distance down to the 200 metre mark you can, change slings and speed up to - again - an easy to maintain 10-12 shots a minute.
So 20 minutes per 10kg lead glandes.
At the 100 metre mark, you can again switch slings and fire at will
(never name your son 'will' if he's going to be a soldier).
At the 100 metre mark you could use the alternate rank system (enfilade ?). A good slinger can throw 100 metres with a very flat trajectory. So at point blank range (100 metres or less) alternating ranks would work quite well.
But you need to stop thinking that slingers and archers are comparable. They are not.
Slingers were invariably specialist mercenaries. It takes years to make a really good slinger.
A competent archer can be trained in a week or 2.
He has a point and shoot weapon that uses stored energy.
Slingers have nothing but muscle memory and experience. The argument that a good slinger is born not made, has merit
Without natural hand eye coordination - you will never be a good slinger.
But you could be an adequate archer.
I've seen people who have been slinging for years, who are lucky if the stone goes even in the vague direction they were aiming for (naming no names).
Another advantage slingers have over archers is the weather.
Slingers are not adversely effected by wet weather. Okay heavy rain will cut down your maximum distance. But wet slings work just as well as dry ones. Wet bowstrings - particular ones traditionally made from gut - do not work well in wet weather.
Ammunition. Making and fletching a good arrow is a skilled business and not a short job.
Sling ammunition on the other hand can be picked up from the ground in the right terrain.
Or made from clay, rolled by hand and dried by a campfire.
Even casting lead glandes is a much much faster and easier process that making arrows and can be done by almost anyone with a little practice.
So while most slingers could easily make or find their own ammo - archers generally need skilled fletchers.
An advantage that archers have over slingers is the simple fact that they can see their ammo all the way to it's target.
A sling bullet tends to go out of sight at around the 100-150 metre mark.
So it is hard to gauge just where, beyond that range your missile is landing. Hence the need a for good spotters.
So while it's fairly easy to drop a missile on a distanr spot - if it's big enough, you can't actually see it land. Which is again where experience comes into the game.
And that's basically why sling troops died out. It just takes too long to train and acquire that experience.
So as far as the disposition and usage of sling troops goes. They can engage at ranges much further than archers.
Easily keep the enemy engaged right up to the point where spears become practical.
Fire faster and in more prolonged sessions than archers.
And have nore than one maximum range - depending on the length of sling they use.
At short range, they can also switch to heavier ammo to do more damage.
They could also adjust range by using different size and weight missiles as well as different length slings.
In short, no matter where you put them slingers can engage the enemy at every point in the battle from over 300 metres down to hand to hand combat range.