I somewhat simple question, I suppose.

For me I started when I was young, maybe 10 or 11. I quickly gave up with no one to teach me and no friends with an interest in it. I took up archery after that for a bit.

Recently, 14 years after that time I played a game where the main character uses a sling which made me remember my previous attempts when I was younger. I had brought some paracord for another project of mine and decided to make a sling. I had a go with it, and instantly was hooked.

I love the craft aspect that comes with it, as I’ve always been a bit handy.  The prospect of learning something long term that is very easily accessible is also great, as being a parent; an interest that’s cheap and easy to do logistically is great.

My daughter showed an interest quickly too, and being only 5, if she keeps with it she should be quite proficient by the time she’s grown up! It’s given us something to learn together and that has been really special too.

Over all I love the simplicity, but it’s laden with awesome technical aspects to learn about your slings and your own body mechanics too. Chucking rocks is awesome  ;)

I've always had an interest for medieval/ancient weapons. When I was a kid, I had the strong desire to try out archery. I attempted (and failed) to make some bows, so with no one to teach me how I eventually gave up.

Then when I was 12, I stumbled on the sling while playing a video game Age of Mythology. The slinger was an Egyptian unit in the game, and I instantly thought it looked like such an interesting and cool weapon. So I tried make one myself, and failed since I had no skill in crafts back then.

Then just a year and a half ago, I had the urge to try out something martial again. Since I had no interest in joining a martial arts school or modern archery club, I remembered I wanted to give slinging a try as a kid. So I made myself one (not the best but much better than when I was 12), and gave it a try. I had great fun so I decided to keep on doing it!

You sound remarkably similar to me mate! I’ve always been mildly obsessed with everything basically before the Industrial Revolution haha.

I’ve had a go at making maille too, and I made a wee shirt of it for my daughter for her birthday 😂

I still have my bow, haven’t shot it in probably 6-7 years !

It takes skill to make and use these old weapons. I really don't see the appeal of for example shooting a modern, compound bow. Old style self and recurve bows are so much more interesting, and you can make them yourself from scratch!

Unfortunately, I've never actually shot any sort of bow  :'( I'm looking into making one of my own so maybe I'll get around to it soon!

    We ive in this technological age but I have the soul of a Hunter/Gatherer.  My heart longs for another time when Man understood his world completely.  With the sling I can make a useful weapon with what's around me, by myself.  No manufacturing or technology at all is necessary. 

I’m with you Ratman, I always felt like I was plonked in the world in the wrong era. So many things don’t make sense nowadays and stuff like this makes me feel grounded.

It’s a privilege to live on this planet, even more so to experience the world in a more simple, natural manner

When I was probably around 10-11 it was like a lightning bolt hit me put of the clear sky. Suddenly I was obsessed with primitive weapons. The sling and the bow were my main interests but I made blow guns, crossbows, thrown weapons and spears.

Back when I was a kid there was no internet so every book I could beg, borrow or steal on the subject was a prized possession that was read almost to falling apart.

Primitive weapons and crafting go hand in hand. So most slingers are by their nature at least somewhat of a crafter. Ive always loved the fact that the crafts we make dont just look pretty they actually do something and theres a massive amount of history behind them. Like, world changing history.

Lastly, although I was in this game for years before finding Slinging.Org it eventually became my unofficial home on the internet. This community has greatly enriched my understanding of the sling and weapons in general, as well as being full of an interesting and diverse group of people.

For all those reasons I love slinging.

I got into slinging almost a year ago because I wanted to make a primitive projectile weapon, but bows and crossbows seemed too complex. I came across slinging, tried it, and was hooked. I spent a lot of time slinging last December when I had a (luckily) mild case of COVID. It gave me some fresh air and kept me distanced from my family so I wouldn't spread it to them. After a few months of slinging, I joined the forum, and have really enjoyed my time here.