Every pendelum-swing has vectors in all directions and we have to release at exactly the right vector that is in line with our target.  Due to release delay, the vector that is inline with our target is no longer the vector that we have to release at. We have to release a few vectors before that, in order to compensate. And with this compensation we hope to hit the right vector that is inline with our target. The problem comes with this compensation. We can train ourselves to compensate very consistently. But now factor in differences in sling projectile shapes and even sling constructions.

These again differ the way we must compensate. This release compensation makes the regular sling we are used to a tricky thing. A much simpler sort of sling would be one without release compensation. One that allows us to release on the same vector that is in line with our target, or at least as close to it as possible. The closer the vector we release at is to the vector that is inline with the target, the more intuitive a sling becomes in my view. A bola perdida is a sling that releases exactly inline with the vector. It makes accuracy at 10 meters super easy. The Y-sling comes close to it. But it also has a slight release delay, but only slight. This delay is a necessary evil, again, not to get rifle spin this time, but to get retention on the projectile during the swing. We can't sacrifice every bit of pouch security in order to get even less release delay. The pouch is there for a reason. To retain.

I am going to the sling cage soon and try out a new Y-sling I am constructing, with rubber baseballs
captive release as well. I don't see any reason for a fly out release cord on them.
I have noticed reduced range with Y-slings due to lack of bullet spin. I think the range tops out at about 150 meters with the Y-sling, 150 grams projectile weight and an average slinger.

Switching back and forth between this type sling and friction sling really makes you see how much delay in the release there is with the latter. This delay is a necessary evil to get spiral spin, which , just makes small ovoid sling stones disappear in the horizon with the rifling-sling.

I think I have to come to terms with the fact that both sling types are really unique and useful for their respective domains.  The Incas never stopped using bolas just because they also had  slings.  The Y-sling can definitely replace the bola perdida. Make it captive release and you got very unique type of hunting tool, one that is very silent as well. Even the projectile, due to the lack of hard spin flies silently. The captive release makes it more useful in areas with a lot of growth. The animal would never hear the stone coming.  The possibilities it gives for hunting are great. I can no longer ignore it.

J you should consider revisiting the asymmetric sling I sent you. It’s a compromise design that tries to balance fast release, good retention, and insensitivity to ammo size/shape. It would also be pretty easy to put stiffer cords on it if you don’t like the thin ones it came with.

So are you looking into this again mainly for accuracy?

NooneOfConsequence wrote on Aug 16^th, 2021 at 4:29pm:



I swapped  to Thomas/Jax his T-pouch design for Y-slings. It's not picky about ammo. Much better than some of the minimal Y-pouches I made in the past. This was a mistake I made- I focused on eliminating all friction, to the point that my pouches were no logner secure.  A sling pouch cannot serve his purpose if it does not retain the projectile. Especially during the powerstroke.

So correct me if im wrong here J but does a captive release, release the projectile with the sling cords in line with the target? As opposed to being perpendicular to it? Ive always kind of avoided looking into this design because it seems so different than the normal design I would be afraid of switching back and forth and making accuracy with my normal sling even harder to maintain. As always when speaking of slings is more "accuracy" than accuracy but you get what im saying. 

Morphy, I don't think using this sling is going to effect using the other type negatively perse. it's just a matter of dialing in more release compensation when you swap back to the normal sling. Just like if you were to swap to a lighter or heavier than usual stone with your regular sling, you'd have to redial your release compensation.  So if you got no quails about using different sizes of ammo in regular slings, or different regular slings for that matter, then using the Y-sling for a while isn't going to have any different effect.

One thing I have noticed immediately is that the difference in release compensation in a Y-sling between variable ammo weights is much smaller than this difference in a normal sling.

In other words, the different release compensation between light and heavy stones is smaller in a Y-sling than the difference in release compensation when swapping between light and heavy stones in a regular sling.

With the regular sling it takes a few adjustment shots, at least for me, when I swap from light to heavy stones. With the Y-sling this adjustment is still there but it's much smaller to barely feeling like I have to adjust my release compensation between light and heavy at all, if that makes sense. Because there's barely any release compensation going on with this sling type in the first place. This helps with inconsistent ammo.


edit: changed ''release timing'' to ''release compensation'' because the latter is a better description of what I meant

@NOOC. Y-sling pouches are actually ideal for halve cupped, halve flat pouches.
I noticed that on Jax & Thomas his designs, that the single leg of the "T'' pouch shape, can be made up of multiple legs, overlapped together to form a cup, or more simply as I did, fold them together to make it cupped.
This way halve of the ball is in the folded section and the other side in the flat section.
Works superbly for retention and has no ill effects on release because it's released in-line the other way of the cupped part.

This pouch is made of an odd material,  old East German communist fabric that has some sort of polymerized waterproof layer on the back, tough stuff, very light and no stretch which I like.