How effective were slings actually in classical warfare...

How effective were slings actually in classical warfare? I can imagine they could cause casualties but how deadly were they compared to javelins and bows?

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If I remember correctly, someone who was good with a sling could fire a stone pretty big and break a bone or dent a skull at range.

Idk how prevalent they were in warfare, but slings are extremely cheap, easy to use and sling just plain old rocks you can find laying around.
Good for killing small game and such if your good at it. I got a walmart slingshot I shoot at squirrels and cats in my backyard all the time, although I killed anything...

The Balearic Isles were known for their slingers as mercenaries during the era of Punic influence in the west med. They may not have been as lethal as javelins or bows but you have to make arrows and javelins which is time-consuming to say the least when you can just pick up a rock or cast a lead ball (early Romans did this). As said, someone skilled with it could incapacitate or kill a man. Regardless, the story of David using a sling as opposed to another weapon is to emphasize his divine aid, which means slinsg were probably viewed as a poor mans weapon, if you will.

>and cats
Go fuck yourself.

He probably means wild cats you mong

>sling just plain old rocks you can find laying around.
Ayuckshully military slingers made their own bullets.

Classicals made theirs out of led.

Sumerians made theirs by picking up any old rock and slathering it with clay to form a perfect ball shape.

Hi r.eddit

They worked well, but to train with them is more intensive than bows and javelins. Better to focus your army's official ranged divisions on something they could all get used to faster

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>a slingshot is not a sling, and any old rock wasnt used, rounded pebles from rivers were common. because standard rocks will fly off at jagged angles

It's a fucking rock user, rocks shatter bones

>How effective were slings actually in classical warfare?
Ventidius Basso slaughtered an army of parthian cataphracts with a few contingents of slingers.
Slingers were very effective troops that could be easily as deadly as archers, but they had a few issues: they were rare, took long to train, required a constant source of lead for ammo and new slings as they broke down fast, etc.

>hating cat abusers is reddit

They were being used by Alexander against the Persians.

Kinda hilarious how fast that went out of style when they met actual archers from India.

youtube.com/watch?v=_1oeZQH4oEc&index=60&t=10s&list=LLpL-dX89lPcjaFb0cVPimJA

Jesus Christ imagine a small stone or ball killing this big fucker right next to you.

You didn't train slingers. You recruited them, often from shepherd communities as they already used the sling in their day to day life.

I see that pic related truly was in the family business

>l-look i-i also h-hate niggers...
Go back to rebbit faggot.

Dude, he was calling you a newfag.

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>cats
You deserve death

Soft lead from a sling will fuck you up

t. soyboy cat ladies

None of you urban fags have ever had to deal with a colony of 60 feral cats living around your house killing all your birds, making noise, eating your dogs food and just being a general menace.
I'm too nice to actually shoot them..

>>>/rebbit/

>I have a pest issue
>rather than take care of it as cleanly as possible, I'll just torture what crosses my path
>I am so kind

I live in the woods, you don't get it.
inb4 >redneck trash.
Not even trying to offend anyone, if you're so keen on solving problems why don't you come help me..

He is a faggot. Let him go back to r.eddit.

>inb4 >redneck trash.
What makes you redneck trash is how openly and unapologetically you gloat about killing cats with a sling over the internet.

Kid relax. Feral cats are a huge threat to wildlife and it's not his fault that people are too fucking irresponsible to neuter/spay their cats.

>60 feral cats
Holy shit. You should get a gun or aggressive dog.

THEN JUST SHOOT THEM WITH A GUN STOP HURLING ROCKS AT THEM FOR FUN

with such incredible technology how did the spaniards ever win

Why were Germanics so keen to head-stretch like the Huns? Am I projecting too much or did Romans just dismiss it as more barbarism

>I shot squirrels and cats
I would gladly shoot you with a lead ball carefully aimed at your knees. Imagine how cheerfully that cracking would sound.