I agree with xxkid123 and Bill that it's mostly an accuracy problem.

Hunter talk, if you're squeamish don't read:
I don't doubt that a sling stone will break bones, even deer bones. What I doubt is that most people can catch a white tail deer after breaking one of its bones, or even puncturing a lung, without a pretty substantial blood trail to follow (which sling bullets don't do as well as broadhead arrows or bullets do). Deer bolt, fast. Even when they shouldn't still be standing and are about to die, deer can move faster than the average person IMHO. You'd probably have to hit the deer squarely in the eye, the gut away from the ribs (which would ruin a fair bit of meat if the intestines burst), or in the jugular in its neck (iffy) to kill the deer fast enough to have a chance at catching it and I think those shots are too difficult to expect to pull off. Odds are more likely that you sling at and hit the deer in the ribs and puncture a lung, it runs a hundred meters or so (in dense forest), it dies, and you spend the night searching for a deer carcass that may or may not ever be found. Same thing that happens when you shoot at deer with a .22, and definitely not worth the effort if you have any other choices available. I'd definitely focus on trying to find some other animal, like squirrel, turkey, or maybe even javelina (if I'm really desperate or have a death wish) which aren't as resilient as deer. And in the case of javelina, they don't spook as easily as deer do. You may have to learn to sling at something charging at you, but that just makes it more interesting.

LOL Right on Aussie... That Figure-7, the hanging figure-8 is my best estimation of what was actually being used by Grandfather. I base that on the fact that I've never seen anyone even come close to the type of power that Grandfather apparently had, and also because the Comanches were neighbors to the Apaches. And the figure-8 is the Comanche style of slinging. It just makes sense to me.

And lastly because I have tried every friggin length of sling from 8 inches to 50 inches and everything in between and I've practiced until my arm was literally so sore I could no longer even lift it above my head. And still, nothing. Not from me, not from any of the videos I've seen of it. Nothing.

I really want it to be true. Really. But I'm terribly skeptical at this point.

im not sure a head shot is the  only way to take large game with the sling.   it would be the most humane method....but when hunting with your tribe ...or pack or whatever......a solid leg break to slow it down and wear it out could be all thats needed.
no its not the nicest way to hunt.....but maiming, then tracking down prey has been used since we started using weapons to get the advantage over faster, and stronger aminals.

http://www.wilderness-survival-skills.com/hunting-sling.html

I have heard this story the same way in many place so I assume it is mostly true. Hogs are often hunted with just a knife anyway however I would think that it is concievable but as I think the author states ill adviced. But It would probably work pretty well on small game if it works on a hog. 

Rat Man wrote on Aug 21^st, 2011 at 2:19pm:


Vivid imagination. Trouble is with all this survivalist stuff is that someone is going his life someday by wasting his time and strength trying to make a "survival" sling instead of getting himself rescued.

As far as hunting hogs with just a knife...don't forget the pack of dogs that bayed the hog and the bulldog that has him by the nose holding him steady while our hero rushes in and stabs the hog. 

A 60 pound hog, killed with a sling while charging?  Why didn't he just wait and then kick him?  The little pig wouldn't have gotten back up very quickly after that either.  They aren't that tough when they are that size.  We used to keep hogs when I was younger, when I would go feed, they would swarm me.  One slammed into me and I kicked him.  Broke a front leg and some ribs, we ate that one early. 

FWIW, this winter, I plan to try small game hunting with a pouch of slightly larger than a golf ball clay glandes and a sling about 2/3rds of a meter long.
I figure that I will miss a lot and learn a lot.  I don't really think the squirrels and rabbits are going to be in any great danger, on the other hand, they aren't completely safe, either.  Bill

Quote:

Depends on where he lives. Around the southern united states wild peccaries are also called javelinas or hogs colloquially. Javelinas have very small clavicles, though I imagine that the author is talking about the shoulder blade. They're long and thing in javelinas, and look like human collar bones.