Hey, it can be you as well man, just: 1. Buy some gear from Fabrica Cacti. They ship internationally, 2. Watch our video's for inspiration, 3. Have fun! Maybe there is even some legion reconstrucion group in your area waiting for you to enlist. Especially now, men are needed in the Roman army!
When I was a teenager I made a sling after watching a historical documentary. I got good with it. I thought maybe I would put two stones in it. The extra stone flew thru my mom's glass door.
Damn! You always have to be careful a sling. You can check out my training videos where I do use multiple projectiles when slinging. It can be quite deadly - ruclips.net/video/3rXiCfKWA4c/видео.html
I am sure Your mom was nevertheless very supportive, once she learned that it was, in fact, a historical experiment, and not just a random act of vandalism! P.S. In situations like this, one can always blame the cat!
Slinging is surprisingly popular throughout parts of South America and Mexico. I watch some guys do it here in the US but they did it a bit different. They used a method similar to the Roman method which you first used. Except when they threw them they looked like they were throwing a baseball. They put their entire body into it and really launched those things. I saw one of them throw a steel nut through a junked car door.
The sling is used all over the world. Almost as much as the bow and arrow. In Spain, shepherds still use it to keep vermin away from their flocks. And in Palestine the youth use it against the soldiers of Israel. It is a cheap but effective weapon. But he needs more training than an archer.
I would recommend watching archaic arms video on how to use a Balearic sling. He has a slow mo of the throw that I watched over and over again. The technique really comes alive when you step forward into your shot.
@@RagbagMcShag Probably don't want to give people ideas. It's a deadly weapon with unlimited ammo made from string that could potentially become very popular among children if it had a lot of publicity.
My dad told me a story when I was a little kid about how he had a sling when he was younger. I asked him to describe what a sling was and how to use it. A few months later my dad was throwing away a bunch of old shoes and I cut them apart and made slings for me, my older brother and the neighbor kids. Holy Hell, that was insane, being able to launch rocks at distances you would never be able to throw them. We would launch rocks at things and onto things that were so far away, the funny thing about anyone accusing you of throwing rocks and breaking something.. When you tell them where you were and how far away the damage was done, it made no sense that anyone could throw a rock that far and getting in trouble became a non issue. Slide the sling into your front pocket and if questioned there was no way anyone could say you could have done it. It isn't physically possible.. Or is it?
I don't know how I did it, but I once had missed my target with the sling and hit my grandfathers greenhouse 400 meters away. I still don't know how I was able to throw so far. I never managed it on purpose.
I used to launch paintballs with a slingshot around the neighborhood as a kid, I didn't want to cause serious damage or injury with rocks or bb's. I did also become fond of using about 6-8 pennies in the slingshot, they would spread out in all directions like a shotgun, made squirrel and rabbit hunting easy.
I'm 62, and have a dog that LOVES to run and chase balls. In about a week, I've made skins of various types, finally got to where I can get things to go more or less where I want, and have lost about $20 (@ $10 each) of the balls I shouldn't have started with, but which my dogs can't tear up in 5 minutes. It is fun, though!
I thoroughly enjoyed this video, the commentary was clear and concise, and to the point, references to the historical background gave weight to the training and dedication necessary for students, for those of us, who have hearing issues, could you perhaps leave the appropriate words of command on comments I am sure there are some potential legionnaires out there somewhere. I look forward to seeing more of your work.
The Greeks used a short sling it was held with the sling arm half cocked above the shoulder, the other arm was wrapped around the back and held the pouch, the two arms were held in tension with the sling in tension. You released the pouch hand behind your back and stepped forward as the sling hand moved forward with as much power as you could at the proper moment you released the loose end of the sling. This sling is shorter and was used for close quarter combat. You couldn’t get the velocity but you could throw bigger projectiles. Longer slings were used for distance.
I have been slinging for a couple of years now and have made a few a gave the away as gifts to those who had an interest in using them. I was thinking of a skirmish line of about 150 slingers could you imagine that many stones coming down on a line of infantry it would thin the ranks pretty good. Be safe and keep slinging!
I wish a group would make a video with at least a dozen slingers and some proxy enemies maybe made of watermelon to give an idea of how much damage they could cause.
I'd argue for the case that Seokjeong or Korean stone throwing (Which usually includes slings) probably goes back to ancient times. (This would probably surprise a lot of people, given that Korea had a big reputation for archery) Sling use has also been documented in Yayoi Japan, owing to a fair deal of slingstone finds. Japanese Slings were used quite commonly in stone-throwing festivals that were held somewhere in May, IIRC on the 5th day. Sling use abruptly stopped during the 17th Century, very likely due to being outlawed. Unfortunately, I have not discovered much regarding Ancient Chinese slings, However it seems that they used pellet bows in place of slings.
In Covid times at school me and my friends started making slings out of masks and used to play about with them at lunch i was the one who thought of the idea one day and then after that we used to launch rocks and golf balls across the field and nobody knew what we were up to slings are so fun to use
The sling is a great tool to practice and enjoyed the outdoors. I do poorly but have fun. A helmet for the thrower add eye protection for bystanders. Beach fires and desert trips are good places. It fits in pocket and projectiles are picked up off the ground. This is a good video.
So use the first technique for close quarters, the second for long distance and the third for accuracy. I knew the sling was deadly but never realized it was that versatile. Add to that you have essentially unlimited cheap ammo and when you're done you can basically just use it as a belt for storage it's such a simple and awesome weapon.
Made 2 slings this past fall.paracord and leather. Take to the river just down from my house. I have a overhead whip style discovered as a teen. I like it as a variation, but I think I'll practice these throws and see how I can improve.
Absolutely and highly interesting. Extremely well done. I love the Roman Legions, its Historie and you guys are presenting all even with words from the past. Simply WONDERFULL done. Congrats to you both.
@@ContuberniumSPQR "40And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine. 41And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him. 42And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance. 43And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods." King James Version. While the language does suggest the sling and staff may have been separate objects, I think it is an understandable translation error that might be made by someone unfamiliar with a shepherd's sling. Maybe one day someone with experience in ancient Hebrew can weigh in.
@@JeffreyOller To come after him with a stave/staves as if he were a dog may not be a literal reference to the particular equipment carried by David. It could simply be a generalised phrase meaning something like, "Oh, so you're coming to discipline me are you?" And referred to a common example of disciplining ppl of the time would all be familiar with. That being, flogging a dog with a stick/stave. Just a theory.
@@jaguarholly7156 Also, these texts are loaded with messianic symbolism. Staves are presented as symbols, several times in the Bible, especially OT. Moses comes to mind.
Good video, True about the balearic style being more dangerous, we found the tendency is to "hang up & release late & most of the misdirected shots go out leftwards. I once broke a large window at long range this way. If i had tried to hit it theres no way i could have done it. The stone was thrumming with speed & as it reached the peak of its trajectory we knew where it was going to land & were already starting to run!
Very instructive video. Back about 1982 I skinned a deer and made some nice soft buckskin from the hide from which I made a bag for stones and a quiver. From the scraps I made a nice sling with braided straps. It worked really well but mostly I left it on the living room wall with other things like that, until one day my wolf dog chewed half of one of the straps, We've still got it hanging, but I don't throw stones no more.
You need to swing a lot faster with small stones to get faster fps. I find those overhand one swing techniques only suitable for throwing large stones where you rely on sheer mass but for lead bullets it’s a lot of wrist and hip whipping movement
in ancient roman battle fields they found lots of led hot molded projectiles that must have been most effective than just regular stones thanks for sharing : )
We plan to recreate some lead projecties and test their effectiveness. We'll definitely make a video about it once three will be time for this project.
@@seanoreiley48 There must be a big difference, as a lead ball of the same mass as a stone ball has the radius about 1,6 times smaller. You throw them at the same speed and energy, but the air resistance is about 2,5 times smaller in the case of the lead ball. It is not easy to calculate how it changes the distance.
when I used to sling a lot I could pulverize a quartz stone on gaurdrails along the road. They would turn to dust and leave a little lump of quartz on the face of the rail. Also, it would put an egg sized dent in any aluminum sign. That was when I was 12.
Switching to game mode there are various ones where it is, like in real life, so easy to carry a sling. Though not versed in them in real life the sling is a ranged weapon that is very easy to carry. As well as the battlefield uses, letting any soldier switch to a ranged weapon, there is the uses in campaign of every person has them for hunting. Also in isolated survival a chance to ping a squirrel or rabbit may mean the difference between life and death.
@@ContuberniumSPQR Oh... and its a cord. A moderately thick cord. So its also something to tie things to or tie together tall sticks as part of an overnight emergency shelter. In the daylight take it off and go hunting. Come back and tie it back together.
It seems that using a stick with a short side of the rope attached to the end and the other side going all the way to the hand would achieve a far greater range. Not so much by rotating but in one create three steps forward and trebuchet action. Also, having dense stones carved into fat, short arrow heads with barbed tips would surely do more damage. They would be time consuming to make but easily recovered after/if the battle was won. though of course, the advantage of regular stones is that they don't need to be transported to the battle ground as a quick pre-battle forage would likely supply enough ammo in most places.
You're basically describing an atlatl, which is a piece of equipment that acts as a lever to extend the power and range of thrown darts or javelins. It's been around for thousands of years. Amazing how early people figured out engineering and physics without necessarily understanding the science. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spear-thrower
I have practised with the sling lately. When the rocks sometimes accidentally lefts directly upwards youn call to mama. One time i just thought it went into bush or somewere but in few secs its penetrated the ground right next to me. You dont want them into your skull. Only handgreanate is scarier to throw than a sling. Sling kinetic energy can be brutal because it can hit hard several places before stopping. Good sling size is little shorter than your arm. For example from armpit to lower palm.
The sling is used all over the world. Almost as much as the bow and arrow. I am spanish, fron Andalucia. In Spain, shepherds still use it to keep vermin away from their flocks. And in Palestine the youth use it against the soldiers of Israel. It is a cheap but effective weapon. But he needs more training than an archer.
Interesting fact tho about "squad leaders giving orders to fire simultaneously". According to historians this never was a thing and it's only a Hollywood creation. Archers, slingers or whatever never fired in volleys as it was ineffective. The experience and skill of every archer for example is different. 10 might be able to fire 1 arrow every 10 seconds, another 10 maybe 2 every seconds, and 5 could maybe fire 3 every 10 seconds. And so firing in a volley, 1/3 would be to fast for them to handle, and another 1/3 would be to slow. So they actually apperently only said "fire" once and then they shoot as much as they can in a "fire at will mode"
Me too. With some fair degree of accuracy I could hit a garbage can lid at sixty yards. (But I was smart enough to practice in open ground. :-) I’ve never understood why it’s never been a sport. It was a lot more fun than being at a gun range. I’m guessing it has something to do with class distinction, since slingers were regarded as the “low-life” on the battlefield.
huh... saw various paracord videos and started dabbling in it. An hourish later almost done the first prototype. Pouch section coming out a bit narrow. So if you have cord maybe 2-3 hours to make one. This being a woven cord pouch vs the much faster if you have a hunk of leather for the pouch. That means you could do it in one evening in camp. Totally could see a many year veteran telling the green horns that tonight they are weaving a sling so tomorrow they can go hunting.
I learned a style that is claimed to be more historically accurate, it's actually more like a tennis serve. Not being a historian, all I have is my experience and love of slings as a kid. The style I learned has immediate deployment, as an extension of the arm's natural throwing mechanics.
My dad taught me to use a sling when I was a small boy. The longer thong was tight on the base of my little finger. Once the stone was in the pouch, the right arm came over the head above the left shoulder. The left hand held the pouched stone and pulled the sling tight. Then it was a single 270 degree swing to lauch the stone. I could hit a fence post most times at about sixty meters.
@@mikespencer4922 cool !!!! I keep meaning to ask my Dad if we can do a "make a sling like Grandpa's" day during our family reunion/campouts -- I really should teach my kids !
Absolutely Shane. Im a grandpa now and I have made slings for all my own kids and grand kids. My youngest son developed his own technique using the same short swing but using a long flat strap with a hole for his pinky. He's pretty darn good with it.
4:02 if you dont exaggerate spinning, its not every direction in my experience. It can fall out of the pouch, which can can result in the projectile going anywhere around you but only within a few meters and with very little force. Since power comes from the last swing before releasing the projectile, full force shots are only likely to fly in a 135°-180°, slightly offset direction (depending on right-left handedness, using overhead throws). I like to call this the "kill zone". So to sum it up, the most dangerous is by the sides (especially the non-throwing hand side) and in front of the slinger, also anything closer than 5 meters might land a hurtful but non-lethal stone on your head.
We agree with you. Seems like you have expirience with a sling. However the tutorial is for begginers. Hopefully they read the comments for that extra knowledge!
I like the first stone carving @ :40, showing the small grapefruit sized stone, in the sling. Damn! You can bet That would do some Serious damage. 😲😨😱😱
i made a sling a while ago and was pretty good with it. i could launch rocks over 100 yards and very high. didnt really aim at anything just wanted to test the limits. i was sure if i hit a cow in the head the rock would go right into its brain. (i did not try it btw) if you just do it for fun use golf balls if you cant find the right rocks.
I was at a roman re-enactment event at ribchester in northern England 3 yrs ago and a Israeli guy was talking to a Roman surgeon (re-enactment) about injuries sustained on a typical battlefield and l heard him say that the Palestinian youths use slingshot and they do it in a vertical mode and release the projectile in the up phase which results in a lot of head , face injuries …..not the horizontal mode …
When I was a kid I made one of these out of shoelace and a piece of cloth. I was practicing with it in a field by the train tracks, throwing rocks up into a tree and trying to hit a spot on the trunk of the tree. This hobo type guy came walking along eventually and he was like, "if you're trying to kill birds, go down to the slow spot in the river where the ducks all crowd together". I wasn't trying to hit birds, but I just said OK thanks! I always wondered if he killed ducks for a meal.
1966 14 years old 50# nylon trotline cord old brogan boot tongue & a load of solid lifters. Wonderful whir of sound & distance. Power enough to force a stop sign to & fro about an inch - leaving a half inch deep dent. 1973 21 years old @ Ft. Bliss Texas Desert Training noon chow break & group of buzzards within throwing distance with only flat rocks. Buzzards pulled back just out of range. Inside flap of nylon rucksack for pouch 2 550# arm length sling lines & a speed spiral trajectory of a major league pitcher had the flock dodging 3 or 4 casts before backing off even further. Top Sgt. later quipped... I see why you were nicknamed 'Rock'! Reckon It'd work in a pinch for a one swing grenade Top? ~U.S. Paratrooper Sgt. William 'Rock' Gilpin 82nd Abn. Div. 1/504 way back in '74.
the overhead "helicopter" throw is the one this girl in the SCA back in the 90's used. I watched her hit people in the face at over 100 yards, on purpose. You had to be careful and watch her, she was like a sniper.
Great video. I have a question: how much the range increases by reducing the weight of the stone? For example, using half weight gives you how much range in return?
Thanks. Smaller stone does not necessarily mean greater range. From our slinging we can definitely say that the shape of the projectile has much more influence. The rounder and smoother the stone the better. I assume that drag plays a crucial role here.
@@ContuberniumSPQR interesting point. I know for sure that in ancient Mesopotamia they used baked terracotta round pellets as projectiles. I really wondered why, I guess this may be the explanation I was looking for.
These slings have been in use as late as in the beginning of 19th century, Tamil Nadu southern state of India. The britishers have gone to the extent of banning its use along with Valai thadi a kind of boomerang.
My stones keep falling of when I start swinging. I was advised to find a good sized stone, is it true? The stones you used in the video would slip in half a rotation with my sling...
This indicates that your sling's lines are not tense enought during roation. Get to feel your projectile's weight first. Repeting the exercies at 2:45 should help. Good luck with your slinging!
@@ContuberniumSPQR since I made that comment I improved my sling and it turns out that I shouldn't have used cloth forcthe pouch. I replaced it with 2 leather strips and it works great now. Thanks anyway.
I know the concept but a sling shot would be more efficient for moving targets such as a bow a bow in a way is a sling shot the arrow being the rock such in modern warfare a rifle. Or even a tomahawk or battle ax or even the spartan spear. Or in today's terms a javelin missile
Salve, Im italy, noi tradizionalmente, abbiamo usato la fionda dalla preistoria, ai giorni attuali, probabilmente, alla maniera antica, la fionda come giustamente viene rappresentata nel disegno, e come noi sempre abbiamo fatto, portiamo il tiro o colpo dal basso verso l'alto, di modo che la pietra per iniezia vinca l'attrazione, così portando il tiro molto più lontano, se pur possa essere una buona tecnica la tua, la pietra comunque tenderà ad abbassare e quindi per effetto, schiantarsi prima al suolo, questo io dico da esperto e conseguendo i canoni della nostra più antica tradizione.......ok saluti From sardinya gonare
A sling can be even more accurate and forceful if it is combined with a staff, as the bible said "David took his sling and his staff". The staff gives more leverage and makes it easier to judge the timing to let go of the string.
There are no specifics when it comes to sling's length. We have those ranging from 60 to 90cm from lines end to the pouch. The longer the sling the less accurate it is, but carries the projectile further.
@@Afro408 it didn't render it redundant at all, not by any stretch of the imagination, early and even late firearms and muskets couldn't even pierce plate armor even at literal point blank being pressed on the plate, and we have many accounts stating as much. Firearms made armor expensive due to denting, also you had to buy it yourself, maintain it and so on, hence why it fell out of favour in infantry for the most part, plate armor continued to be significantly used to this day, and even if you wanna argue "old plate armor", both cuirasssers and other light cavalry such as dragoons wore armor, it wasn't for show, in Ww1 it was very prominent, movies do it a massive deservice, and in the 1930s polish riot police was using it, so were alot of British soldiers(they wore a plate in their chest under their clothing, up to 200.000+ soldiers) during Ww2, and some elite Soviet shock ones, and plate armor is still used today in "bulletproof" jackets
I agree with everything except david used a staff sling to kill goliath. so he didnt use that throw. but good sling content is hard to come by so good job
Thanks, my mistake about David's throw was already corrected in the comments by Jeffrey Oller who even supplemented it with a passage from a written source
Yes, it was mostly auxilia that used the sling. However given that sling is very handy, easy to learn and quite effective it seems obvious that legionaries used it too. There is even some written evidence to support it. Vegetius in his de re militari, writes: They should be doing campicursio, as they themselves term a review of arms, constantly, they should have opportunity for no leave of absence, they should continually be obeying the muster and be present at the standards, and be kept as frequently as possible shooting arrows, throwing javelins, throwing stones with the sling or by hand,… …Soldiers who have been so trained and exercised at their base, whether they are legionaries, auxilia or cavalry…”.
I just love how it doesnt matter the age, we continue to be kids. This guys are in full armor slinging rocks at the water. Living the dream guys
Hey, it can be you as well man, just:
1. Buy some gear from Fabrica Cacti. They ship internationally,
2. Watch our video's for inspiration,
3. Have fun!
Maybe there is even some legion reconstrucion group in your area waiting for you to enlist. Especially now, men are needed in the Roman army!
When I was a teenager I made a sling after watching a historical documentary. I got good with it. I thought maybe I would put two stones in it. The extra stone flew thru my mom's glass door.
Damn! You always have to be careful a sling. You can check out my training videos where I do use multiple projectiles when slinging. It can be quite deadly - ruclips.net/video/3rXiCfKWA4c/видео.html
I am sure Your mom was nevertheless very supportive, once she learned that it was, in fact, a historical experiment, and not just a random act of vandalism!
P.S. In situations like this, one can always blame the cat!
Absolutely Emily. The cat carrying the target ran away so it hit the window not the target.
And from that day on, you made sure not to make your mother mad as you experienced near death.
😂😂😂😂
Slinging is surprisingly popular throughout parts of South America and Mexico. I watch some guys do it here in the US but they did it a bit different. They used a method similar to the Roman method which you first used. Except when they threw them they looked like they were throwing a baseball. They put their entire body into it and really launched those things. I saw one of them throw a steel nut through a junked car door.
Thanks, there is always room for impovement
The sling is used all over the world. Almost as much as the bow and arrow. In Spain, shepherds still use it to keep vermin away from their flocks. And in Palestine the youth use it against the soldiers of Israel. It is a cheap but effective weapon. But he needs more training than an archer.
I would recommend watching archaic arms video on how to use a Balearic sling. He has a slow mo of the throw that I watched over and over again. The technique really comes alive when you step forward into your shot.
Check out our most recent video and you will see the improvement we've done since filming this tutorial.
What an underrated historical weapon, thanks for showing a few off a few styles.
it's quite baffling how little use these weapons see in most videos games nowadays. In fact I can't really think of any RPG where they get utilized
@@RagbagMcShag Probably don't want to give people ideas. It's a deadly weapon with unlimited ammo made from string that could potentially become very popular among children if it had a lot of publicity.
My dad told me a story when I was a little kid about how he had a sling when he was younger. I asked him to describe what a sling was and how to use it. A few months later my dad was throwing away a bunch of old shoes and I cut them apart and made slings for me, my older brother and the neighbor kids. Holy Hell, that was insane, being able to launch rocks at distances you would never be able to throw them. We would launch rocks at things and onto things that were so far away, the funny thing about anyone accusing you of throwing rocks and breaking something.. When you tell them where you were and how far away the damage was done, it made no sense that anyone could throw a rock that far and getting in trouble became a non issue. Slide the sling into your front pocket and if questioned there was no way anyone could say you could have done it. It isn't physically possible.. Or is it?
I don't know how I did it, but I once had missed my target with the sling and hit my grandfathers greenhouse 400 meters away. I still don't know how I was able to throw so far. I never managed it on purpose.
lmao I love that story
I used to launch paintballs with a slingshot around the neighborhood as a kid, I didn't want to cause serious damage or injury with rocks or bb's.
I did also become fond of using about 6-8 pennies in the slingshot, they would spread out in all directions like a shotgun, made squirrel and rabbit hunting easy.
I'm 62, and have a dog that LOVES to run and chase balls. In about a week, I've made skins of various types, finally got to where I can get things to go more or less where I want, and have lost about $20 (@ $10 each) of the balls I shouldn't have started with, but which my dogs can't tear up in 5 minutes. It is fun, though!
I thoroughly enjoyed this video, the commentary was clear and concise, and to the point, references to the historical background gave weight to the training and dedication necessary for students, for those of us, who have hearing issues, could you perhaps leave the appropriate words of command on comments I am sure there are some potential legionnaires out there somewhere. I look forward to seeing more of your work.
It would be interesting to see how the slings are made as well
The Greeks used a short sling it was held with the sling arm half cocked above the shoulder, the other arm was wrapped around the back and held the pouch, the two arms were held in tension with the sling in tension. You released the pouch hand behind your back and stepped forward as the sling hand moved forward with as much power as you could at the proper moment you released the loose end of the sling. This sling is shorter and was used for close quarter combat. You couldn’t get the velocity but you could throw bigger projectiles. Longer slings were used for distance.
I have been slinging for a couple of years now and have made a few a gave the away as gifts to those who had an interest in using them. I was thinking of a skirmish line of about 150 slingers could you imagine that many stones coming down on a line of infantry it would thin the ranks pretty good. Be safe and keep slinging!
I wish a group would make a video with at least a dozen slingers and some proxy enemies maybe made of watermelon to give an idea of how much damage they could cause.
We didn't used this kind of weapon in east asia during the ancient era. It's quite interesting to see this kind of weapon.
I'd argue for the case that Seokjeong or Korean stone throwing (Which usually includes slings) probably goes back to ancient times. (This would probably surprise a lot of people, given that Korea had a big reputation for archery)
Sling use has also been documented in Yayoi Japan, owing to a fair deal of slingstone finds. Japanese Slings were used quite commonly in stone-throwing festivals that were held somewhere in May, IIRC on the 5th day. Sling use abruptly stopped during the 17th Century, very likely due to being outlawed.
Unfortunately, I have not discovered much regarding Ancient Chinese slings, However it seems that they used pellet bows in place of slings.
In Covid times at school me and my friends started making slings out of masks and used to play about with them at lunch i was the one who thought of the idea one day and then after that we used to launch rocks and golf balls across the field and nobody knew what we were up to slings are so fun to use
The sling is a great tool to practice and enjoyed the outdoors. I do poorly but have fun. A helmet for the thrower add eye protection for bystanders. Beach fires and desert trips are good places. It fits in pocket and projectiles are picked up off the ground. This is a good video.
So use the first technique for close quarters, the second for long distance and the third for accuracy. I knew the sling was deadly but never realized it was that versatile. Add to that you have essentially unlimited cheap ammo and when you're done you can basically just use it as a belt for storage it's such a simple and awesome weapon.
Made 2 slings this past fall.paracord and leather. Take to the river just down from my house. I have a overhead whip style discovered as a teen. I like it as a variation, but I think I'll practice these throws and see how I can improve.
Absolutely and highly interesting. Extremely well done. I love the Roman Legions, its Historie and you guys are presenting all even with words from the past. Simply WONDERFULL done. Congrats to you both.
David probably used a shepherd's sling. Goliath was quoted asking David why he was coming at him with "sticks"
That's interesting. Can you find the actual quote? Would love to read the original passage.
@@ContuberniumSPQR "40And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine. 41And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him. 42And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance. 43And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods." King James Version. While the language does suggest the sling and staff may have been separate objects, I think it is an understandable translation error that might be made by someone unfamiliar with a shepherd's sling. Maybe one day someone with experience in ancient Hebrew can weigh in.
@@JeffreyOller To come after him with a stave/staves as if he were a dog may not be a literal reference to the particular equipment carried by David. It could simply be a generalised phrase meaning something like, "Oh, so you're coming to discipline me are you?" And referred to a common example of disciplining ppl of the time would all be familiar with. That being, flogging a dog with a stick/stave. Just a theory.
@@jaguarholly7156 Also, these texts are loaded with messianic symbolism. Staves are presented as symbols, several times in the Bible, especially OT. Moses comes to mind.
Good video, True about the balearic style being more dangerous, we found the tendency is to "hang up & release late & most of the misdirected shots go out leftwards. I once broke a large window at long range this way. If i had tried to hit it theres no way i could have done it. The stone was thrumming with speed & as it reached the peak of its trajectory we knew where it was going to land & were already starting to run!
My brother and I played with slings as kids and over a summer we got pretty good with them. Good enough to be dangerous if need be.
Very instructive video.
Back about 1982 I skinned a deer and made some nice soft buckskin from the hide from which I made a bag for stones and a quiver. From the scraps I made a nice sling with braided straps. It worked really well but mostly I left it on the living room wall with other things like that, until one day my wolf dog chewed half of one of the straps, We've still got it hanging, but I don't throw stones no more.
You need to swing a lot faster with small stones to get faster fps. I find those overhand one swing techniques only suitable for throwing large stones where you rely on sheer mass but for lead bullets it’s a lot of wrist and hip whipping movement
Will do master! The video is fairly old. We are better at slinging now.
I have become a masterslingshoter in 5 minutes what a time to be alive.
Excellent tutorial! This is much more informative then what was taught in school.
in ancient roman battle fields they found lots of led hot molded projectiles that must have been most effective than just regular stones thanks for sharing : )
We plan to recreate some lead projecties and test their effectiveness. We'll definitely make a video about it once three will be time for this project.
@@ContuberniumSPQRsubscribed. I look forward to seeing the difference between rocks and lead!
@@seanoreiley48 There must be a big difference, as a lead ball of the same mass as a stone ball has the radius about 1,6 times smaller. You throw them at the same speed and energy, but the air resistance is about 2,5 times smaller in the case of the lead ball. It is not easy to calculate how it changes the distance.
good production, efficient, explanatory, theatrical and scenic.
Nice overview of how to use the sling.
Thanks!
would love to see this against some targets, to show accuracy, and force of impact.
when I used to sling a lot I could pulverize a quartz stone on gaurdrails along the road. They would turn to dust and leave a little lump of quartz on the face of the rail. Also, it would put an egg sized dent in any aluminum sign. That was when I was 12.
RUclips knew this was the tutorial I needed tonight.
Switching to game mode there are various ones where it is, like in real life, so easy to carry a sling. Though not versed in them in real life the sling is a ranged weapon that is very easy to carry. As well as the battlefield uses, letting any soldier switch to a ranged weapon, there is the uses in campaign of every person has them for hunting. Also in isolated survival a chance to ping a squirrel or rabbit may mean the difference between life and death.
Wise words. Give this man a drink!
@@ContuberniumSPQR Oh... and its a cord. A moderately thick cord. So its also something to tie things to or tie together tall sticks as part of an overnight emergency shelter. In the daylight take it off and go hunting. Come back and tie it back together.
Those slings in the video are powerful enough to kill a deer at close range. You'll have to hit it in the head, but it can be done.
It seems that using a stick with a short side of the rope attached to the end and the other side going all the way to the hand would achieve a far greater range. Not so much by rotating but in one create three steps forward and trebuchet action.
Also, having dense stones carved into fat, short arrow heads with barbed tips would surely do more damage. They would be time consuming to make but easily recovered after/if the battle was won. though of course, the advantage of regular stones is that they don't need to be transported to the battle ground as a quick pre-battle forage would likely supply enough ammo in most places.
Slings similar to this were used to throw grenades during the Spanish Civil War.
You're basically describing an atlatl, which is a piece of equipment that acts as a lever to extend the power and range of thrown darts or javelins. It's been around for thousands of years. Amazing how early people figured out engineering and physics without necessarily understanding the science.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spear-thrower
@@PRC533he’s not describing an atlatl, he’s describing a staff sling.
Man,,, that was an amazingly an unexpected surprise ! ! !
THANK YOU SO MUCH ! ! !
🙂😎👍
Beautiful aesthetic 🙌🏻👏🏻
I love slings .
I own several I made.
Absolutely terrifying weapon in the right hands.
I have practised with the sling lately. When the rocks sometimes accidentally lefts directly upwards youn call to mama. One time i just thought it went into bush or somewere but in few secs its penetrated the ground right next to me. You dont want them into your skull. Only handgreanate is scarier to throw than a sling. Sling kinetic energy can be brutal because it can hit hard several places before stopping. Good sling size is little shorter than your arm. For example from armpit to lower palm.
These used to be fun. I fooled with these when I was a teen ager. Never developed any real accuracy, but had lots of fun in the effort !
Thumbs up .. Subscribed!! Now make one on where to buy or DIY how to make your sling! Love the content.
This was awesome man. Keep it up and thanks for giving David a shout out for killing Goliath
I always have one in my pocket. Is too much fun to practice with.
The sling is used all over the world. Almost as much as the bow and arrow. I am spanish, fron Andalucia. In Spain, shepherds still use it to keep vermin away from their flocks. And in Palestine the youth use it against the soldiers of Israel. It is a cheap but effective weapon. But he needs more training than an archer.
Interesting fact tho about "squad leaders giving orders to fire simultaneously". According to historians this never was a thing and it's only a Hollywood creation. Archers, slingers or whatever never fired in volleys as it was ineffective.
The experience and skill of every archer for example is different. 10 might be able to fire 1 arrow every 10 seconds, another 10 maybe 2 every seconds, and 5 could maybe fire 3 every 10 seconds.
And so firing in a volley, 1/3 would be to fast for them to handle, and another 1/3 would be to slow.
So they actually apperently only said "fire" once and then they shoot as much as they can in a "fire at will mode"
You got us. We did it for the "Hollywood effect". After all this is a video ;)
The word "Fire" is in regards to firearms, you're looking for the word "Loose" meaning to set loose an arrow or rock.
I like your spin on things.
I adore that armour!!
Me too. With some fair degree of accuracy I could hit a garbage can lid at sixty yards. (But I was smart enough to practice in open ground. :-)
I’ve never understood why it’s never been a sport. It was a lot more fun than being at a gun range.
I’m guessing it has something to do with class distinction, since slingers were regarded as the “low-life” on the battlefield.
I understand it is a sport ... but is slow catching on.
Recommend a link to purchase or how to make for a sling like that. I'm a little unfamiliar on knitting.
huh... saw various paracord videos and started dabbling in it. An hourish later almost done the first prototype. Pouch section coming out a bit narrow. So if you have cord maybe 2-3 hours to make one. This being a woven cord pouch vs the much faster if you have a hunk of leather for the pouch. That means you could do it in one evening in camp. Totally could see a many year veteran telling the green horns that tonight they are weaving a sling so tomorrow they can go hunting.
Nice video! Like your armor too
Great work Sir thank you
very much like a slingshot, but not a slingshot. It's really interesting, maybe I should try it too
Cool video... I really enjoyed this.. thank you for making it.
Nice work!
You got a new subscriber!!
I learned a style that is claimed to be more historically accurate, it's actually more like a tennis serve. Not being a historian, all I have is my experience and love of slings as a kid. The style I learned has immediate deployment, as an extension of the arm's natural throwing mechanics.
My dad taught me to use a sling when I was a small boy. The longer thong was tight on the base of my little finger. Once the stone was in the pouch, the right arm came over the head above the left shoulder. The left hand held the pouched stone and pulled the sling tight. Then it was a single 270 degree swing to lauch the stone. I could hit a fence post most times at about sixty meters.
@@mikespencer4922 cool !!!! I keep meaning to ask my Dad if we can do a "make a sling like Grandpa's" day during our family reunion/campouts -- I really should teach my kids !
Absolutely Shane. Im a grandpa now and I have made slings for all my own kids and grand kids. My youngest son developed his own technique using the same short swing but using a long flat strap with a hole for his pinky. He's pretty darn good with it.
4:02 if you dont exaggerate spinning, its not every direction in my experience. It can fall out of the pouch, which can can result in the projectile going anywhere around you but only within a few meters and with very little force. Since power comes from the last swing before releasing the projectile, full force shots are only likely to fly in a 135°-180°, slightly offset direction (depending on right-left handedness, using overhead throws). I like to call this the "kill zone". So to sum it up, the most dangerous is by the sides (especially the non-throwing hand side) and in front of the slinger, also anything closer than 5 meters might land a hurtful but non-lethal stone on your head.
We agree with you. Seems like you have expirience with a sling. However the tutorial is for begginers. Hopefully they read the comments for that extra knowledge!
Fish in lake: It's those blasted Romans again!
I love this video
I like the first stone carving @ :40, showing the small grapefruit sized stone, in the sling.
Damn! You can bet That would do some Serious damage. 😲😨😱😱
i made a sling a while ago and was pretty good with it. i could launch rocks over 100 yards and very high. didnt really aim at anything just wanted to test the limits. i was sure if i hit a cow in the head the rock would go right into its brain. (i did not try it btw) if you just do it for fun use golf balls if you cant find the right rocks.
"Romans never been good archers" *few second later a lead sphere hits the head of the ignorant barbarian*
Nobody expects the Spanish... no wait... the Roman Auxilia!
@@ContuberniumSPQR 🤣🤣🤣 i'm subscribing rn
How often do slingers train with lead weights heavier than the bullets they would ordinarily be using
I was at a roman re-enactment event at ribchester in northern England 3 yrs ago and a Israeli guy was talking to a Roman surgeon (re-enactment) about injuries sustained on a typical battlefield and l heard him say that the Palestinian youths use slingshot and they do it in a vertical mode and release the projectile in the up phase which results in a lot of head , face injuries …..not the horizontal mode …
Excellent video, i also like that suit of armor very much. Keep it up with the videos! My only suggestion is to lower the music a little bit.
When I was a kid I made one of these out of shoelace and a piece of cloth. I was practicing with it in a field by the train tracks, throwing rocks up into a tree and trying to hit a spot on the trunk of the tree. This hobo type guy came walking along eventually and he was like, "if you're trying to kill birds, go down to the slow spot in the river where the ducks all crowd together". I wasn't trying to hit birds, but I just said OK thanks! I always wondered if he killed ducks for a meal.
Damn
in my childhood i used to know ppl they were so precise at shooting slings.. they would hit the cola can at a distance like 150+ ft away
1966 14 years old 50# nylon trotline cord old brogan boot tongue & a load of solid lifters.
Wonderful whir of sound & distance. Power enough to force a stop sign to & fro about an inch - leaving a half inch deep dent.
1973 21 years old @ Ft. Bliss Texas Desert Training noon chow break & group of buzzards within throwing distance with only flat rocks. Buzzards pulled back just out of range. Inside flap of nylon rucksack for pouch 2 550# arm length sling lines & a speed spiral trajectory of a major league pitcher had the flock dodging 3 or 4 casts before backing off even further.
Top Sgt. later quipped... I see why you were nicknamed 'Rock'!
Reckon It'd work in a pinch for a one swing grenade Top?
~U.S. Paratrooper Sgt. William 'Rock' Gilpin 82nd Abn. Div. 1/504 way back in '74.
Good tutorial
We sling golf balls, better accuracy and good weight. Try it, you'll like it.👍
the overhead "helicopter" throw is the one this girl in the SCA back in the 90's used. I watched her hit people in the face at over 100 yards, on purpose. You had to be careful and watch her, she was like a sniper.
In England it was compulsory to go to Longbow practice every Sunday - that level of skill put paid to the French on several battlefields.
Great video. I have a question: how much the range increases by reducing the weight of the stone? For example, using half weight gives you how much range in return?
Thanks. Smaller stone does not necessarily mean greater range. From our slinging we can definitely say that the shape of the projectile has much more influence. The rounder and smoother the stone the better. I assume that drag plays a crucial role here.
@@ContuberniumSPQR interesting point. I know for sure that in ancient Mesopotamia they used baked terracotta round pellets as projectiles. I really wondered why, I guess this may be the explanation I was looking for.
I learned the overhead throw lol and it's the only one I can use
Helicopter is the only one that I can hit a target with. If i want to just launch out into the abyss I use underhand and launch at an angle.
@@jgtheman84 oh I just call that overhead throw lol
These slings have been in use as late as in the beginning of 19th century, Tamil Nadu southern state of India. The britishers have gone to the extent of banning its use along with Valai thadi a kind of boomerang.
Some of the slings stones werent round in shape maybe was a later development...
And def no armour I think. But great stuff!
My stones keep falling of when I start swinging. I was advised to find a good sized stone, is it true? The stones you used in the video would slip in half a rotation with my sling...
This indicates that your sling's lines are not tense enought during roation. Get to feel your projectile's weight first. Repeting the exercies at 2:45 should help. Good luck with your slinging!
@@ContuberniumSPQR since I made that comment I improved my sling and it turns out that I shouldn't have used cloth forcthe pouch. I replaced it with 2 leather strips and it works great now. Thanks anyway.
Ok..That was cool.
I can skip rocks by throwing them with my sling. It’s not as good as throwing normally because I only get 2-3 skips whereas normally I can get 10-15.
It was believed that David used this to kill Goliath.
Where do I get those skirts
These are tunics mate. You are breaking my heart. Its like saying that a kilt wearing Scotman has a skirt 😂
@@ContuberniumSPQR just kidding don't get your panties in a wad
More fun if you could find a driftwood or put a decoy duck in the lake to hit.
I never have seen a sling like before. They are truly deadly.
I know the concept but a sling shot would be more efficient for moving targets such as a bow a bow in a way is a sling shot the arrow being the rock such in modern warfare a rifle. Or even a tomahawk or battle ax or even the spartan spear. Or in today's terms a javelin missile
Im going to put a bucket on my head and try that..
still think david used a sherpards sling, the kind that are on the end of a staff
Salve, Im italy, noi tradizionalmente, abbiamo usato la fionda dalla preistoria, ai giorni attuali, probabilmente, alla maniera antica, la fionda come giustamente viene rappresentata nel disegno, e come noi sempre abbiamo fatto, portiamo il tiro o colpo dal basso verso l'alto, di modo che la pietra per iniezia vinca l'attrazione, così portando il tiro molto più lontano, se pur possa essere una buona tecnica la tua, la pietra comunque tenderà ad abbassare e quindi per effetto, schiantarsi prima al suolo, questo io dico da esperto e conseguendo i canoni della nostra più antica tradizione.......ok saluti From sardinya gonare
A sling can be even more accurate and forceful if it is combined with a staff, as the bible said "David took his sling and his staff". The staff gives more leverage and makes it easier to judge the timing to let go of the string.
I think that David used a staff sling🤔
David used a staff sling.
How long or short do the slings need to be? Does it depend on anything such as height?
There are no specifics when it comes to sling's length. We have those ranging from 60 to 90cm from lines end to the pouch. The longer the sling the less accurate it is, but carries the projectile further.
@@ContuberniumSPQR thank you very much for you’re response.
Her: Omg he's probably cheating on me right now
Me and the Boys: 4:27
The Irish were pretty good at it too mate
Is there anything that Irish were not good at at some point in time?
@@ContuberniumSPQR Great at making whiskey😁
I once made a sling from an old shoe I found .
God I love History, This proves you don’t need a Firearm to incapacitate the enemy.
No indeed! The firearm just rendered the old plate armour redundant. 😅
@@Afro408 it didn't render it redundant at all, not by any stretch of the imagination, early and even late firearms and muskets couldn't even pierce plate armor even at literal point blank being pressed on the plate, and we have many accounts stating as much.
Firearms made armor expensive due to denting, also you had to buy it yourself, maintain it and so on, hence why it fell out of favour in infantry for the most part, plate armor continued to be significantly used to this day, and even if you wanna argue "old plate armor", both cuirasssers and other light cavalry such as dragoons wore armor, it wasn't for show, in Ww1 it was very prominent, movies do it a massive deservice, and in the 1930s polish riot police was using it, so were alot of British soldiers(they wore a plate in their chest under their clothing, up to 200.000+ soldiers) during Ww2, and some elite Soviet shock ones, and plate armor is still used today in "bulletproof" jackets
I agree with everything except david used a staff sling to kill goliath. so he didnt use that throw. but good sling content is hard to come by so good job
Thanks, my mistake about David's throw was already corrected in the comments by Jeffrey Oller who even supplemented it with a passage from a written source
Are these any good for hunting
Definitely, but much better for war
Imagine walking your dog around a lake one morning and you see some dude dress as a roman soldier slinging rocks into the water lol and yelling
Those poor fish in the lake never had a chance
I’ll stick with my gladius! Get it?
Great vid, music is a little loud though.
David used a staffsling
The baleleric throwing is best n only true way thx me in the next life
It is definitely the coolest
I hope Santa leaves a sling and 2 lumps of coal for it!
Interesting..
I'm not an expert, but didn't auxiliaries use the sling, rather than legionaries?
Yes, it was mostly auxilia that used the sling. However given that sling is very handy, easy to learn and quite effective it seems obvious that legionaries used it too. There is even some written evidence to support it. Vegetius in his de re militari, writes: They should be doing campicursio, as they themselves term a review of arms, constantly, they should have opportunity for no leave of absence, they should continually be obeying the muster and be present at the standards, and be kept as frequently as possible shooting arrows, throwing javelins, throwing stones with the sling or by hand,… …Soldiers who have been so trained and exercised at their base, whether they are legionaries, auxilia or cavalry…”.
Didn't some make match grade ceramic stones ?
Yes they did, as well as lead projecties, which we will cover in one of the upcomming videos