[Timo Nieminen]

[Connor Ruebusch]

Agreed, harassment is, I think, one of the most important jobs of missile troops. The effect that massed missile "fire" would have on troops' morale, whether the projectiles are arrows or stones or lead bullets, would be significant. Not every shot has to even be a killing or seriously wounding shot. If the enemy gets it in their heads that at any moment they might get a half pound lead sling bullet stuck in one of their faces, I should think it might be a lot easier to break them.

Any way, slinging style might have something to do with it. I did see a video where a slinger from the Balearic Isles, where the slinging tradition is apparently still very strong, did some very accurate slinging underarm... However, I'm always more accurate with an overarm throw. I do the "Byzantine Style," in which the sling makes one semi-horizontal circle around the head, terminating in an overarm release. It's a nice quick windup with no wasted movement, and with practice it's not too different from throwing a baseball. It does great with shorter slings, too. It seems like that might work better in a situation in which the enemy is closing in fast.

Edit: I really should have just quoted you. I also wanted to say that I do indeed use a finger loop, and have never even tried a wrist loop. I'll have to see how they work. I loop on my ring finger and squeeze the knot between forefinger and thumb.

Also! Here's a nice video of the Byzantine throw: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHDAXa_-gC0

[Timo Nieminen]

[Benjamin H. Abbott]

In light of the tests performed for The Great Warbow, these archery ranges seem somewhat low. 150lb simple wooden bow managed around 230 meters with heavy arrows and up to 350 meters with light ones. A 100lb longbow should do as well with an equivalent number of grains per pound unless earlier bows were an essentially different animal, a notion Strickland argues forcefully against in the book.

[Connor Ruebusch]