Slinging.org Forum - achean ring targets

Welcome, Guest. Please Login

Slinging.org Forum › General › General Slinging Discussion › achean ring targets

(Moderators: Kick, joe_meadmaker, Curious Aardvark, vetryan15, Rat Man, Morphy, Chris)

‹ Previous Topic | Next Topic ›

Pages: 1

achean ring targets (Read 1506 times)

Frondeur

Junior Member

Offline

I'm the lead slinger in
a hard rock band

Posts: 90
France

achean ring targets
Sep 19^th, 2018 at 8:37am

On the last topic about clay glandes, Sarosh mentioned this page:
http://slinging.org/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1501704434/0
where are achean rings target are also talked about.
I've read some things about those in this forum before (it's almost my only source on slinging...) but I don't remember the following idea being discussed - sorry if I'm wrong and just stiring an old soup...

Quote:
[7] They used to send their stones through rings at a great distance, as targets, and were thus able to hit not only the head but whatever part of the face they aimed at.

I've always pictured this story to myself a bit like the one about Ulysses coming back home and proving his identity by bending his bow then shooting an arrow through axes heads.
Could it be that the rings were in a row (not necessarily many rings but 2 or 3) , stressing the point on the precise control of the arc described by the stone?

I've personally attempted some short distance target shots through a ring at mid distance. Interesting exercise.

IP Logged

Curious Aardvark Forum Moderation Offline Taller than the average Dwarf Posts: 13965 Midlands England Gender:	Re: achean ring targets Reply #1 - Sep 19^th, 2018 at 9:57am it's apocryphal - take the 'hitting specific part of face' with a pinch of salt Also not sure any mention is made of slinging distance. it would be fairly close.
Back to top	Do All things with Honour and Generosity: Regret Nothing, Envy None, Apologise Seldom and Bow your head to No One - works for me IP Logged

Morphy

Slinging.org Moderator

Offline

Checkmate

Posts: 8102

Re: achean ring targets
Reply #2 - Sep 19^th, 2018 at 10:47am

I am more likely to accept accounts of extreme accuracy from people I know to be honest on this forum than ancient accounts. Even then I would want to see some type of video at least showing decent command of the sling before I could consider it. Too many noodle stories out there these days.

This account though isn't terribly specific so not only is it extremely vague it falls into the ancient story category which is just slightly better than a tall tale. I posted a story awhile back about very high sling accuracy from a slinger my cousin in law saw while serving in Iraq. First hand eyewitness accounts from someone I know...I can do that. Second or third hand stories from hundreds or thousands of years ago...too much of a stretch for me.

IP Logged

Sarosh Interfector Viris Spurii Offline Posts: 1141	Re: achean ring targets Reply #3 - Sep 20^th, 2018 at 2:23am Frondeur wrote on Sep 19^th, 2018 at 8:37am: Could it be that the rings were in a row interesting but this adds too much complexity to the standard practice. since you are aiming to hit a point in space why would you need to pass through 2 rings? how will it help?
Back to top	IP Logged

Mersa Interfector Viris Spurii Offline Druid Posts: 2598 Australia Gender:	Re: achean ring targets Reply #4 - Sep 20^th, 2018 at 5:11am I've done throws through rings , my idea with it was to see how flat my shots were.
Back to top	Razor glandes, Aim for the eyes!!! IP Logged

Bill Skinner

past-moderator

Offline

Slinging Rocks!

Posts: 3292

Re: achean ring targets
Reply #5 - Sep 21^st, 2018 at 1:05pm

We used to have a member that had a cloth target with a hole in the center. She would take it out and set it up during lunch time for a little stress relief and exercise. She said it was because it was the most durable target she had used.

I can speak from experience about beating every had target I have ever used to pieces, including wooden boards covered with roofers tin. Sooner or later, you beat them to pieces.

So, these rings may have just been a target the same size as a modern Baleric target made of a loop of vines or something similar that varied in size and range that you just hung from a branch. You would have to be fairly close, C_A said he can keep his flat for close to 100m or so, so that would limit your practical target shooting range. Plus, if it's hanging from a tree limb, you may have branches in the way.

I realize that this is off on a tangent and is thread drift, sorry about that.

IP Logged

Kick

Forum Moderation

Offline

Posts: 4451
Finland

Re: achean ring targets
Reply #6 - Sep 21^st, 2018 at 2:00pm

Bill Skinner wrote on Sep 21^st, 2018 at 1:05pm:

I can speak from experience about beating every had target I have ever used to pieces, including wooden boards covered with roofers tin. Sooner or later, you beat them to pieces.

I've split in half multiple wooden targets some of them being a two inches thick. Granted, I did leave them out in the elements year round in between beatings which weakened them a lot, but still they were sizable pieces of wood and a sling and rock are unforgiving. Having a target that never takes damage would be a benefit.

You are a great guy Kick but also slightly scary at times. - Morphy
"Nothing matters, but it’s perhaps more comfortable to keep calm and not interfere with other people." - H.P. Lovecraft, in a letter to Frank Belknap Long, 7 October, 1923

IP Logged

Mersa Interfector Viris Spurii Offline Druid Posts: 2598 Australia Gender:	Re: achean ring targets Reply #7 - Sep 21^st, 2018 at 4:01pm Cloth works good to a point then it also can tear or break , nothing like the clang of steel
Back to top	Razor glandes, Aim for the eyes!!! IP Logged

Pages: 1

Slinging.org Forum › General › General Slinging Discussion

‹ Previous Topic | Next Topic ›

(Moderators: Kick, joe_meadmaker, Curious Aardvark, vetryan15, Rat Man, Morphy, Chris)