Make a Sling

The sling is an ancient weapon used in every corner of the globe. They can be easily made with household materials. It is an instinctive skill honed only by practice. General use comes fairly easy, but good accuracy takes years to attain.

Steps

  1. Find a piece of string. This could be thin nylon rope or jute of some kind. You will need about two and a half to three feet depending on the length of your arm. Cut this in half but leave one end a couple of inches longer than the other.
  2. Find your pouch. The pouch is the main part of the sling. It holds the ammo. The best material I have found is leather, but canvas or heavy cloth would work. It has to be very strong, else the cords will tear through it.
  3. Cut the pouch into a 2"x8" rectangle.
  4. Cut or punch a pair of holes , side by side, on either end of the material, just wide enough to accommodate your strings.
  5. Tie the strings to the pouch, preferably using a bowline knot.
  6. Make a loop in the longer cord. Again, the bowline knot works very well. This is the retention cord.
  7. Tie a knot on the end of the other cord. This is the release cord.
  8. Put the loop on your middle finger and hold the other end between your thumb and forefinger. You need to pinch it, not grip it .Pinch using the end of your thumb and the side of your index finger, first joint from the knuckle.
  9. Put a rock in the pouch. It should be about the size of a golf ball or egg.
  10. There are many ways to use a sling. One of the simplest is called the Apache Throw. Face 60 degrees away from your target, your arm extended behind your back, with your weight on your back foot. Swing forward, bringing your arm forward like a line drive. As you do this, shift your weight to your front foot and swing the rest of your body forward. Your arm guides the throw, but it is your body that propels the stone to lethal velocity. To release the stone, simply let go of the release cord.

Tips

  • STANCE: Have your feet spread shoulder width apart, with the weight on your back foot, hips brought far back. Have your arm behind you. For side-arm helicopter, Swing the sling back behind and over your head, then bring your weight and hips forward as you bring your hand straight forward toward the target and release. The Underhand throw is similar, but the sling is swung vertically.
    • Contrary to popular belief, you do not "swing the sling until it is up to speed". You may continue to swing the sling to make sure you are comfortable with the throw, but swinging it once around your head has no difference than if you swung it twenty times. It is the final, increased swing and movement of the hips that lends power to the throw.Just really whip it.
    • On a final note, the traditional world slinging record was actually accomplished with a similar style with one rotation. The world record currently stands at over 500 meters.
  • PROJECTILES: Rocks with the following properties work better than others.
    • Rocks that are more spherical tend to fly through the air better than ones that are angular
    • Rocks that are football shaped tend to fly through the air farther, but only only if it can be thrown with a rifled spin. Simply place the oblong rock perpendicular to the pouch and throw with the palm facing the target.
    • Rocks that are angular tend to tumble, and therefore do not go nearly as far.
    • Flat rocks do not fly nearly as far as their angular counterparts.
  • You can use any size rocks but big ones are better then small. The best size is between golf ball and chicken egg sized.
  • TO THROW UNDERHAND OR SIDEARM ( HELICOPTER)
    • Insert projectile in sling pouch
    • Stand facing 60-70 degrees away from the target.

Warnings

  • If you want to have a sling fight with your friends, shoot tennis balls with slits in them or snow balls if available. The story of David and Goliath was not an exaggeration as far as slinging, if anything the odds were tipped toward David from the beginning.
  • If you use the sling excessively the first time you try it out, your shoulder may hurt/cramp the next day. This usually means your technique is incorrect.
  • Remember that rocks can ricochet off water. I have actually gotten rocks to skip rather well over open water.
  • Tennis balls make great practice ammunition.
  • If your choice of practice is glass bottles, be sure to pick up the glass so children and others that visit the site in the future will not get cut.
  • DO NOT AIM AT PEOPLE, WINDOWS OR PETS! Tree rats (squirrels) and other hunting targets are okay, so long as you're not in a residential area where someone could get hurt. Remember; your rock is essentially a large bullet and it will break bones.

Things You'll Need

  • A 2x5 inch piece of leather or heavy cloth.
  • 2 or 3 feet of string, rope, or rawhide (you can braid them if you like).
  • Rocks, ping-pong balls, or stress balls for ammo.

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