Leather pouch, hempen cords.

where do i get parachute cord and hempen cords?  Do they spin faster than leather?

well, I have to put in a plug for braided slings    Actually, I made a great discovery the other week after putting together a sling design I found here on the website (I think it was in the articles or maybe the forum, I can't remember).  I used some parachute cord for the lines and then took about 8 inches of 3/4" webbing and sewed a loop with a half twist in it for a split-style cradle.  It works fantastic and is on my top two list for favorite slings (braided being #1).  Actually, I found that my distance was a bit better with the parachute cord sling.  Granted, it's about 6 inches longer than my braided sling, but there is a definite reduction in air friction.  It's also less stiff and requires a weightier projectile.  My braided sling is only about 3/8" diameter at most.  Interestingly though, my braided sling seems to be more accurate.  It could be the shorter length, but I think it has to do more with the stiffness of the lines and cradle giving a smoother release with less twisting.  Range may only be 10% less with the braided, which at an estimate 250, 300 yards is moot anyway.  The thing I love about the webbing and paracord is that it is fast to make and out here in New Mexico, I don't have to hunt for the rare polished rocks - I can use course sand stone and jagged rocks and not worry about the wear on the cradle since it's easy to replace.  I found in the past that I had trouble with leather cradles dropping the stone in mid-swing - though undoubtably that was my poor design at the time.  The split webbing cradle has no problems though...

All that said... there's nothing like the satisfaction of a well-made braided sling  

Barak --who threw a lot of rocks with both slings in Utah last weekend

I am going to go with Barak, and say that braided slings are the best.  I have only been making them for around a week, but it is actually easier than it looks, and like Barak says, there is nothing like the satisfaction of a well braided sling.  I have six slings which are braided entirely or woven, one which is as long as I am tall (about 5'9"), the rest slightly shorter.  I intend to vary the designs I use a bit more, but I am using normal split pouch style things, starting off with three strands, adding three more, separating those six strands into two lengths of three strands (for the pouch), joining them back together, braiding out the extra three strands and continuing to braid the rest up to the end with the three strands I started with.  And I am trying to use dyes in there as well.

I'm gonna put in a plug for braided slings as well.  I haven't found them to be any more or less effective than simple leather-and-cord or even just knotted-cord slings, but they feel better.  Besides, like Barak says, there's a tremendous feeling of satisfaction once you finish a challenging piece -- although I'm still working towards the "well made" part. 

Since you guys are huge braiding enthusiasts, send some articles my way!  I'm sure someone can find something to write about that doesn't overlap with Dan's (http://www.slinging.org/20.html). ; How about a full braided pouch (not lovelock)?  How do you do that?  Or maybe some more complex braiding for the cords, a la Whipartists'.

Chris

I think it is impossible to entirely braid a sling which is not lovelock.  You weave the pouch, not braid.  This is incredibly difficult.  My ones look a bit loose on the weave.  They work well though.  The main problem I have is tying off the ends, but it is becoming less of a problem.  And I think my string is a bit stiff, so the weave can never be really very close or tight, and I am having difficulty creating nice tools for making the sling, so I have to improvise.  So I can't write any kind of article because I won't have any kind of list of tools etc. The easiest part of the sling is the braiding, obviously. 
  I shall write a small forum article on how I make my woven slings.  Please remember that I have only just started out.
   Mark out where you want the pouch to be.  Start a three strand braid until you reach a previously marked out point, and add in another three strands, and braid those as you did the three (as in, when a girl has her hair braided, she never braids three individual strands, she braids with long locks together of many hairs).  After four or five braids, add in another three strands, and after that, another three, doing the same thing with the strands as you did at the start.  Once you reach a certain, pre-marked distance from where you want the pouch to be, separate the strands and clamp them down in a nice fan shape.  You should have 12 strands; take one out and weave through the fanned out other strands, consistently, and trying to make it as tight as possible.  Keep going until you reach another previously marked place for the end of the pouch, and braid a little, for about two or three braids (as before).  Tie off the last three strands you added in.  Braid again the same distance, and tie off the second set.  Repeat until all you have is your original set of strands.  Braid these until you reach the end, and tie it together.  That may not make sense, sorry.  But it is probably the most coherent way for me to explain how I make these slings with hardly any tools.  Study some of the images in the gallery and it might make sense.  Some show these type of sling being made.