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[Dwarf]

I was bored and thought I'd write up these posts. I'm personally quite hooked to these two.

The sling is basically a pouch attached to cords used to sling stones for millenia.

Enough of the history!

Well, the sling. Of course, it's weaker than the bow, has a lower range, is quite harmless, and is more of a toy than a weapon.

YOU'RE SO FUCKING WRONG.
Granted, it doesn't have the 'lul legolas' effect of the bow. But it DOES pack a hell of a wallop, and - this depends wildly upon the skill of the slinger - it has a superior range to the bow, a modern record being 505 m (about 550 yards). Well above the effective range of some rifles, by the way . Slingstones can reach extreme speeds. Figures have been put at 60 mph for beginners, obviously higher for experienced slingers. The joules that the thing dishes out are well breaking the laws in some countries.
So, the thing can be considered kick-ass.

What fascinates me about the sling is that it's not purely technology based. The construction of the sling is a rather small aspect. It all comes down to pure skill - it is not an easy task, but very rewarding.

So, how about constructing such a thing?
This is an easy design which I've used for a long time.

If you can braid and have fairly thick string at hand, this produces a nice sling too.

For using it, look at this.

And be damn sure to sling in a quite open place. Stones can go pretty much everywhere until you get consistent.

[Rilder]

I've always wanted to try this mainly because of its history; slinging has indeed been used for ages and was used in warfare by basically everyone including the Romans.

[Cthulhu]

Yeah, the whole David and Goliath thing isn't as impressive once you see an actual sling stone.  Those things could kill Ironblood.

[Jreengus]

I believe lead bullets were used too?

Apparently slings were so popular in certain parts of Spain that they were in use even up until the Spanish Civil War when people would use them to throw grenades further.

[Duke 2.0]

 Do note when using these things and you are not terribly skilled one should stand in the middle of a large field. I remember a stone flying off into a nearby parking lot, almost directly behind me. Good times.

[Eidalac]

I think the fact that slings are of simple construction and don't require special training (which is not the same thing as requiring skill), they tend to be over looked by the masses.

Swords, for much of history, were weapons only the higher class could afford, both to own and to train with.  Yet the axe and spear were far, far more common for much of history.

[atomicwinter]

I think the fact that slings are of simple construction and don't require special training (which is not the same thing as requiring skill), they tend to be over looked by the masses.

Swords, for much of history, were weapons only the higher class could afford, both to own and to train with.  Yet the axe and spear were far, far more common for much of history.

The spear is by far the oldest, more common weapon that is still in use today in the form of the bayonet. It is cheap to produce, requires little skill to make. Can be made of many materials, mass produced easily. On top of all of that it is very deadly and effective even in the hands of a novice.

[SolarShado]

On top of all of that it is very deadly and effective even in the hands of a novice.

Really? Cool that it's that way in DF too.

[Akigagak]

It doesn't take much training to poke things with a stick.

[SolarShado]

I suppose so.

Personally, I'd rather have a Bo staff. But I do have martial arts training.

[Cthulhu]

If I were forced into a gladiatorial match but could pick a primitive weapon, I'd take a handaxe, mace, or shortspear.

I'm a lover, not a fighter, and I need something easy.  Just chop, bash, or stab.  Easy.

[atomicwinter]

I suppose so.

Personally, I'd rather have a Bo staff. But I do have martial arts training.

I feel as if martial arts training will get me no where. I am an avid hunter and shooter and if I need to defend myself, I will do it with a gun.

But yes no skill is required to poke someone with a stick  . But I am sure if you train a lot you can use both ends of the spear and swing around and attack multiple guys at once. The spear is what ended the age of the knight you know, the invention of the pike and the practice of equipping large mercenary armies with the pike.

Back to the topic on hand thou. I would really love to get into slinging but I live is suburbia. Where could I find a place to actually just let loose and use my sling?

[Cthulhu]

I thought that was gunpowder/crossbows?

[Akigagak]

Yeah, it was guns that ended the use of full plate. Dudes went back to breastplates, but made of lead, as it was dense enough to stop the shot.

[Eidalac]

Personally, I'd rather have a Bo staff. But I do have martial arts training.

A spear is really just a shaft with a point - and using the point requires little training and brain power.  using a staff effectively takes more training.  Back when most armies were made of of conscripts, training was not viewed as worth while.


Probably another point for slings is the ammo is cheap compared to the cost of good arrows, so you could afford to have troops practice, since you could use any rock for training time.


Atomicwinter:  Spears and pikes long, long predated the knight.  Spears predate calvery itself (simple spears and hand-axes are the oldest stone weapons), while pikes came around right about the same time.