AncientCraftwork
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I have also experimented with such a strap sling, using various types of materials, canvas, leather, nylon and sisal. It is a very interesting type of sling. It has no true ''pouch''. Due to the flat nature of the strap sling, twirling it does not work very good, it is best utilized in a quick throwing fashion without a wind-up. And also because it has no pouch or really any stiffness in the pouch, utilizing a wide grip (so there's a gap between the straps) doesn't work. Strap slings like tight grips, so that the straps are grabbed together or at least really closely. The great benefit of the strap sling is how large the rocks are that one can throw. Rocks that weight a pound are no longer the exception, but become the norm. It taught me how important a good full-grip on the release cord is, for optimal slinging. As a result I stopped using release knots or tabs in my other slings, now I just extend the release cord to my pinkie and grab it with my whole hand.
The flat-strap sling, will even sling spherical ammo. But only if the tight-grip is utilized, otherwise your ball will fall out. The downside of this type of sling is obvious. Controlling the pouch in a very consistent matter is not possible. So handmade biconicals are not properly slung with a strap-sling. The strap sling I consider meant for stones only, big stones primarily.
Hence the accuracy of a convential sling with round or braided cords and a unique pouch is quite a step up from the flat-strap-sling. This experience lead me to believe that the Achaean sling was in fact just a more well thought-out and developed convential sling, so that a better grip can be used for consistent rifling on good ammo.
While both of types of slings are the convential fly-out release cord sling that shoot off-the-helicopter (as old member Thomas put it), the more refined sling is definitely a different animal to use in practice than the old strap sling. `
But did they really use strap slings in the past? The only material I think makes sense for a strap sling is a thong of leather. But even that takes a very long time to prepare primitively, and of course a large dead animal. And weaving a strap is going to take much longer and more tools than a convential sling. Maybe it did see some use, when people lacked knowing better. We do see strap-slings on ancient images, and my experimenting with themtaught me that they could be realistic depictions. Anyway, when it comes to authentic slings, I still prefer the tapered Balearic style sling made from raw yucca or similar fibres. There are many aspects in slings to consider and this type has the most positive attributes I seek in my sling. My accuracy was enhanced greatly by making sure that the release cord end is very clean and not stiffer than the rest of the cord, so that it doesn't hang up in my hand when I release it or fly about wildly on release.
It turns out, that my ''ill releasing'' with convential slings was caused-- not by pouch friction -- but by release cord release delay in my hand. Now that I solved that issue, my accuracy with the normal sling has increased tremendously. The problem with heavy stones and slinging hard is that the momentum pulls so hard on your hand, that you can't release your fingers off the knot or tab quick enough, and these extrusings ''hang up'' in my hand if only for miliseconds, causing unwanted release delay. Using smooth release cords that I can grip with all my finers and without extrusions, solved the problem. No more knots for me. And I place the loop on my middle finger. I could write an essay why but I'll just say that place works the best for me.
Also, I want to place on more comment on spherical ammo. I don't think this shape is totally redundant for slings and replaced by biconicals/ovals. The sphere has on great benefit I discovered for close-range accuracy. Because of the nature of the ball, it releases very clean, if coupled with round sling cords. A sphere cannot really roll on a round cord- as a result you will never have ammo being caught in the release cord or being deflected by the release cord. That makes the sphere a very interesting choice. The sphere also has no built-in-direction bias, because it can roll in all directions and on all axis evenly. No rolling bias translated to a clean exit out of the pouch. An oval however, due tue the more cillindrycal shape, has more directional-rolling-bias. This can be mitigated by making sure there is no flat part on the oval, but it is smooth and a little rounded, like they traditionally are. For long range and ultimate speed and power, the more oval shaped projectile beats the sphere. But no matter what is used, good ammo is the key to good accuracy. We can engineer our slings to perfection all we want but we often lack that fervour when it comes to ammo, at least I do.
Anyway, that was a long post. I think I prefer this way of contributing. Stay away for a while, gather some thoughts and then combine them into one post instead of a hundred of seperate snippets. Good to be back, truthfully, I never left.
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