interesting slinging styles http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSslvqt_cis&feature=related

Distance slinging is obviously a different animal than what's normally practiced. Still, 1650+ feet seems like a tremendous distance.

A heavier biconical would retain velocity better than a light one (frontal area squared, mass cubed if linear measurements are doubled), so would that give an advantage provided that the same initial velocity was reached, or would that velocity not be reachable?

Vincente have your range tests all been done with the Balearic style sling?

David Morningstar wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2011 at 11:56am:

David,

Metal dart is not a stone, plus a dart has the support of the fins, of course that a metal dart can be thrown long distances.
The slingers primitive stone-throwers, not other objects. The current slingers should also throw stones, otherwise we are distorting the slingers.

Greetins,
Vicente

What are we talking about here ? If we need to appeal to "tradition", the ancient Greeks slung lead and darts-- and slung it very far (twice bowshot with lead); slinging is throwing-- anything-- with a sling, not just stones. Of ocurse, if you want, you can establish a "record for stones".

An earlier thread about lead:

http://slinging.org/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1292448569;start=all

Thearos wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2011 at 6:00am:

The ancient Greeks threw lead with a slingshot?, I have no knowledge.
I can see information about what you said?

Yes, of course.  

Here is a scholarly bibliography:

C. BRÉLAZ, P. DUCREY, Une grappe de balles de fronde en plomb à Érétrie. La technique de fabrication des projectiles et l'usage de la fronde en Grèce ancienne, Antike Kunst 46, 2003, 99-113; W. VISCHER, Antike Schleudergeschosse, in Kleine Schriften, vol. 2, 1877, 240-84; G. FOUGÈRES, s.v. glans, in Ch. DAREMBERG, E. SAGLIO, Dictionnaire des antiquités grecques et romaines, 1877-1919, vol. F-G, 1608-11; M. GUARDUCCI, Epigrafia greca, vol. 2, 1969, 516-24; C. FOSS, A Bullet of Tissaphernes, JHS 95, 1975, 25-30, surtout 28 n. 19; idem, Greek Sling Bullets in Oxford, Arch. Rep. 21, 1974-5, 40-4; W. K. PRITCHETT, Greek State at War vol. 5, 1991, 43-53; A. CHANIOTIS, War in the Hellenistic World, 2005, 95; C. BRÉLAZ, Des balles de fronde à Daskyléion: armes de guerre ou armes de chasse ?, Anatolia Antiqua 15, 2007, 71-82;

Some ancient sources:

in Greek, Xen. Anab. 3.3.16-18, 3.4.16-17 (discussed many many times in this forum-- and indeed in the thread I referred to).

in Latin, e.g.  Aen. 9.587; Ovide, Met. 2.727 (which supposes that Balearic slingers used lead in Roman times)


Many examples found archaeologically. E.g. on the island of Rhodes. Or near Athens. References in Pritchett, below.

For starters, W. K. Pritchett's book on war in ancient Greece, vol. 5. It's on google books

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=z1kbyWNJIt0C&pg=PA1&dq=pritchett+greek+state+...

(also has evidence for darts)

It may be handy to cite ancient sources, but those can be tricky when it comes down to accuracy. People have been lying as long as they have been speaking. OK, exaggerating, stretching the truth, fibbing, engaging in campaign promises, substitute your euphemism. The Romans commented on the Germanic tribes being "honest". I sometimes doubt that they meant that as a compliment, the state of Roman politics being what it was.