A sling is a projectile weapon typically used to throw a blunt projectilesuch as a stone. It is also known as the shepherd's sling.
A sling has a small cradle orpouch in the middle of two lengths of cord. The sling stoneis placed in the pouch. Both cords are held in the hand, then the sling is swung and with a flick of the wrist the pouch is pulled away at the precise moment. This frees the projectile to fly on a tangent to the circle made by the pouch's rotation. The sling derives its effectiveness by essentially extending the length of a human arm, thus allowing stones to be thrown several times farther than they could be by hand.
The sling is very inexpensive and easy to build. It has historically been used for hunting game and in combat. Today it still interests sportsmen as a survival tool and as an improvised weapon. It is also possible to see the sling used in riots around the world.
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