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Message started by Dan on Dec 3rd, 2010 at 4:13pm

Title: Tips on spiraling ?
Post by Dan on Dec 3rd, 2010 at 4:13pm
So I finally have sufficent ammo for spiralling (large, round, oblong type) and I have heard spiralling can greatly increase range and effectiveness so does anyone have any tips on putting spiral on ammo, also what style is best for spiraling?

Title: Re: Tips on spiraling ?
Post by Rat Man on Dec 3rd, 2010 at 4:31pm
This topic pops up every so often, and it's an important one, so I hung onto this thread.  It covers the subject rather thoroughly:
http://slinging.org/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1274018619
Do you think this thread should go in your "FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS and Tutorials" section, Aussie?

Title: Re: Tips on spiraling ?
Post by Aussie on Dec 3rd, 2010 at 8:58pm
I'll put it in, plus this little addendum.

All sling projectiles spin in flight, it's an inevitable feature of slinging. So to get good accuracy it's necessary to ensure the spin is consistent from shot to shot. Rifle spin is good for two reasons:

1. It ensures evenly distributed airflow around the projectile during flight which helps keep it on course, exactly the same as a rifle bullet. Note that even muzzleloaders shooting round ball need rifling to be accurate. A randomly spinning projectile will veer off course as the wind catches it.

2. The other reason why rifle spin is especially important in elongated projectiles is that it keeps the projectile flying point forward. This means it has the smallest possible frontal area and so minimises wind drag. That's why elongated projectiles go so much further than spherical ones. It's like increasing the density, in fact the ratio of fontal area to mass in known as the 'sectional density'.

The only exception to the advantage of rifle spin is backspin, but only if your projectile is spherical or approximately so, ie. it has no real long axis. Strong backspin deflects the passing airstream downwards which causes the projectile to generate lift like an aeroplane wing, which means it stays aloft longer giving better range. For a full explanation look up 'golf ball' on Wiki etc. But if your projectile is elongated and spinning backwards all that wonderful sectional density advantage is lost so despite the added lift your projectile may not go as far as it would with rifle spin.

Title: Re: Tips on spiraling ?
Post by Aussie on Dec 3rd, 2010 at 9:19pm
OK this thread is referenced under TOPICS OF GENERAL INTEREST.

BTW for those of you who sling tennis balls, get one of those two tone doggie ball types and have a go with it. You can usually see which way the ball is spinning as it travels downrange. Even if you can't see the spin, the ball will break sharply to the right as it hits the ground, (for usual clockwise spin).

Title: Re: Tips on spiraling ?
Post by dork on Dec 4th, 2010 at 11:17am
For spiral spin I get the best out of a fig.8. It can put enough spin on it that when I sling a stone 100 yds out in to the lake it will jump to the right upon impact with the water. Its really neat to see the stone fly in a straight line then jump back out of the water sideways. This still surprises everytime because the stone is falling down from a high arch. I would think the downward plunge would over power the spin everytime, but as long as I use an elongated stone it is almost garunteed to jump.  

Title: Re: Tips on spiraling ?
Post by David Morningstar on Dec 4th, 2010 at 11:31am

A rifle spin happens when the cords are separated at the hand (wide grip) and are side-by-side relative to the direction of the throw.

Fig.8 and Vertical Greek give a rifle spin 100% of the time when I throw with the sling on my middle finger.

This is a rifled throw: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2atj_FM0AjA

I get tennis balls jumping to the right when they land, its a clear indication of the spin.

Title: Re: Tips on spiraling ?
Post by Rat Man on Dec 4th, 2010 at 3:07pm
I don't see how that video could be any better.  It shows everything perfectly.

Title: Re: Tips on spiraling ?
Post by Morphy on Dec 4th, 2010 at 4:35pm

David Morningstar wrote on Dec 4th, 2010 at 11:31am:
A rifle spin happens when the cords are separated at the hand (wide grip) and are side-by-side relative to the direction of the throw.

Fig.8 and Vertical Greek give a rifle spin 100% of the time when I throw with the sling on my middle finger.

This is a rifled throw: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2atj_FM0AjA

I get tennis balls jumping to the right when they land, its a clear indication of the spin.



Wow that explains a lot...

So would that mean wearing the retention loop on the ring finger would be better for rifling then wearing it on the middle finger? (wider grip)

Title: Re: Tips on spiraling ?
Post by dork on Dec 4th, 2010 at 6:57pm
Having the cords side by side on the release is more important the the width of the grip.

Title: Re: Tips on spiraling ?
Post by Masiakasaurus on Dec 4th, 2010 at 7:01pm

dork wrote on Dec 4th, 2010 at 6:57pm:
Having the cords side by side on the release is more important the the width of the grip.

I agree. As long as the cords are separated at the hand it doesn't matter by how much.

Title: Re: Tips on spiraling ?
Post by Dan on Dec 6th, 2010 at 8:09am

David Morningstar wrote on Dec 4th, 2010 at 11:31am:
A rifle spin happens when the cords are separated at the hand (wide grip) and are side-by-side relative to the direction of the throw.

Fig.8 and Vertical Greek give a rifle spin 100% of the time when I throw with the sling on my middle finger.

This is a rifled throw: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2atj_FM0AjA

I get tennis balls jumping to the right when they land, its a clear indication of the spin.


Awsome, Veticle greek happens to be my favorite style, and I also keep my retention cord on my middle finger.  

Thank you for all the tips.

Title: Re: Tips on spiraling ?
Post by me2 on Dec 6th, 2010 at 10:57am
I first learned to spiral using Comanche/Figure 8 and snow balls.  I went home and made a Sierra Nevada style sling from jute with a very long pouch, about 10 inches or so.  Then I started practicing with my kids' Nerf football.  I switched to byzantine sidearm after that, because I could get better, more consistent spin from that style.  The football would sail out of the pouch with as perfecta a spiral as anyone could want.  Overhead Fig8 and OH Greek work too, but not as consistently for me.  I learned spiraling from David's video above.

Learning to spiral and using smooth oblong rocks made my range more than double, from 200 ft. to over 500 ft.  I rolled one thow with a surveyors wheel at 480 ft.  I'm sure I've thrown farther, as that one was aimed at a target on the far side of a pond.  Also, the spiral prevents most rocks from zigzagging like a bat chasing a moth.

Title: Re: Tips on spiraling ?
Post by Masiakasaurus on Dec 6th, 2010 at 11:19am

me2 wrote on Dec 6th, 2010 at 10:57am:
I went home and made a Sierra Nevada style sling from jute with a very long pouch, about 10 inches or so.  Then I started practicing with my kids' Nerf football.  I switched to byzantine sidearm after that, because I could get better, more consistent spin from that style.  The football would sail out of the pouch with as perfecta a spiral as anyone could want.  Overhead Fig8 and OH Greek work too, but not as consistently for me.  I learned spiraling from David's video above.

Ditto!

Title: Re: Tips on spiraling ?
Post by Rat Man on Dec 6th, 2010 at 2:21pm

Masiakasaurus wrote on Dec 6th, 2010 at 11:19am:

me2 wrote on Dec 6th, 2010 at 10:57am:
I went home and made a Sierra Nevada style sling from jute with a very long pouch, about 10 inches or so.  Then I started practicing with my kids' Nerf football.  I switched to byzantine sidearm after that, because I could get better, more consistent spin from that style.  The football would sail out of the pouch with as perfecta a spiral as anyone could want.  Overhead Fig8 and OH Greek work too, but not as consistently for me.  I learned spiraling from David's video above.

Ditto!

Ditto ditto.  I get very good, consistent spiraling with Byzantine, and in my 2+ years here I've learned much from David's videos.

Title: Re: Tips on spiraling ?
Post by curious_aardvark on Dec 9th, 2010 at 1:14pm
balearic/sidearm gives the best spin.

It also helps toi have a relatively long solid, pouch.

The missile recieves the sling as it rolls out the pouch, so a long solid pouch should give best spin :-) (and in my experience does !)

Title: Re: Tips on spiraling ?
Post by Rat Man on Dec 9th, 2010 at 2:48pm

Curious Aardvark wrote on Dec 9th, 2010 at 1:14pm:
balearic/sidearm gives the best spin.

It also helps toi have a relatively long solid, pouch.

The missile recieves the sling as it rolls out the pouch, so a long solid pouch should give best spin :-) (and in my experience does !)

I agree.  I make my pouches long with a nice long taper too for that very reason.  I gives both a little extra distance and more control, just as rifling does with a bullet.  

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