The bow&arrow guys have standards for measuring shooter accuracy.   Are we slingsters ready for the same??

Outdoor shooting is at a 49" (122cm) target w 4.8"dia bullseye & 9 concentric rings.   Shooting distances are 30, 50, 70, 90meters for men, 30, 50, 60, 70meters for women (sorry Ulrica).  36shots make a match.

Indoor shooting is at a 24.5" (60cm) target from 25meters, or at a 16.3" (40cm) target from 18meters.

Clout shooting is at a 30"target set on the ground at a 45deg angle, and surrounded by 5 concentric rings on the ground, each 1yard distant from the ring inside it.  Shooting distances are 180yards for men, and 120yards for women.

See www.hickoksports.com/history/archery for more info.

Where shall we start in scoring slingster accuracy??  For the sake of the space-challenged among us, I opt for the simply adopting the short 18meter indoor distance and target.   For ammo at this short distance, I suggest standard tennis balls; chalk dusted to mark the target on impact.

Any interest??    What changes??   mgreenfield

This Baelaric target sounds great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  (Pun intended)

This is sort of like silohuetee shooting with guns.  Immediate notice of your hit.

Maybe I will get to make myself one of these this spring.

jeff <><

Yep, they are your words Hondero!      Thanks to Ed Somervail for the translation years ago.  5 computer crashes and I still have those old files. 

I like the fun of thumping, ringing, & exploding targets, too.   But is our little band of slingsters ready to show the big archery world that the sling is STILL a viable alternative to their bow & arrow??  To do this, I say we must:

1/ Show comparable accuracy as they judge it. 
2/ Show superiority by delivering more energy to the target.

In short, we want to hit the archery bullseye (almost) as often, AND when we do hit it, knock it right out of the target instead of punching a tidy 1/4" hole in it.

So, who will be our slinging "Davids", taking on the "Golaiths" of archery??   My, my I AM a competitive old guy, aren't I?     mgreenfield

Reality sets in.
The bow is still used in sport hunting today because it is easier for the average joe blow (don't you sometimes feel sorry for those named Joe-- we mean no offense) to use with a degree of accuracy.

I think reality  proves Larry's point that the bow is more precise or accurate if the best of both weapons were competing.

Here in is the attraction and challenge of the sling. Anyone can hit a target with a bow in a few tries.
Take the ten best archers and the 10 best slingers. Assume the slingers had never used a bow and the archers had never used a sling. Give them all bows and watch them all hit the target. Give them all slings and watch the slingers run for cover --the safest place probably being infront of the archers targets

So what is the point? I don't know-- but I'm having fun before heading out to work!

Actually, if I were putting together an army I would want to teach archery first because I could get them "useful" faster. But for the "talented" ones with strong arms I would teach them the use of the sling.
This of course is in terms of ancient warfare.

I love the challenge of the sling and the simplicity. I could throw 10 in my backpack if I wanted and not worry about bending or scratching them. I could throw stones all day from a mountain top and not worry about losing them. If I needed one for suvival, I could make one and  (not too long from now) be able to hit something with it to fry up. I guess the acher would say he could make a bow too but while he was, I would get the game first

It all depends on your preferences I guess.

Those targets do sound a good idea.  I am sure I would suck at actually hitting them, but I would give it a go.  Accuracy with a bow is very much easier, with correctly spined arrows, and accuracy at long range is easier.  And it does depend on what bow you use.  The sling was probably best used to gall the enemy at extreme long range.

Another thought just came to mind that I have to share...

Has anyone heard of archery golf?  "Pins" (a small soft target) are placed at various distances from 100 yards to 500 yards apart.  You might have 9 or a dozen scattered around the area and go from pin to pin.  To play, you shoot toward the target, getting as close as possible, then walk up and retrieve your arrow and shoot again from the point of impact until you hit the target.  Typically an "approach" shot is made, followed by a few closer shots where pinpoint accuracy comes into play.  Variations of this game are played with Frisbees also.  

This would be a blast with slings!  Just imagine.  Rocks whizzing all over the place...  Trying to locate your previous impact...  Swearing and cussing when a throw goes awry... Whoops and hollers if and when anyone actually managed to hit anything...  Maybe the targets could be old junked cars or something similar.  

I about fall off my chair laughing at some of the images that come to mind when David_T mentions an army of new slingers hurling stones every which direction except at the target, or Viscount Niklos getting tangled up in his staff sling.  How about an army of us galloping around on horses with our slings spinning above our heads.  Surely the enemy would fall to the ground in fits of laughter to be easily dispatched by the follow up troops with clubs.

WoW, we have nothing to do in range... and in accuracy... this japanesse people... may be if we teach them with the sling they hit the target to 200 meters