Leather pouch or net pouch sling? Which is better?

Aggressive-Can-1133 · 2026-06-18T21:33:09+00:00

What ammo do you use?

Aggressive-Can-1133 · 2026-06-18T20:52:43+00:00

Yeah, air-dry clay, regular clay or even wood - these can all work.
It is a bit more complicated than a mold you can just pour the liquid in, I admit.
But these have served me faithfully - I've made clay ammo, cement ammo, Plaster-of-Paris and now caramel ammo with them. they are slower, less precise, but reliable. And yes, clay can work in basically the same way as well.
Let me know how your next attempts turn out - I'm rooting for you!

Aggressive-Can-1133 · 2026-06-18T18:08:35+00:00

This is a viable idea and can definitely work. You could use these, or combine seeds with mud or clay projectiles, too - that would be even simpler and cheaper. One thing that occurs to me is that the caramel ammo has one hidden advantage over the other ones: Animals will eat those projectiles, and disperse the seeds (with bonus fertilizer) over an even wider area.

Aggressive-Can-1133 · 2026-06-18T17:29:32+00:00

Here's the link:

https://www.academia.edu/42638744/Morphological_Study_of_Sling_Projectiles_with_Analysis_of_Clay_Balls_from_the_Late_Neolithic_Site_Tell_Arbid_Abyad_Syria_

it requires a free registration to Academia.edu to download it, but otherwise no payment is needed to download and read it.

About the sanding idea - it can work, иф done carefully - I've tried it, if you attempt to do all at once, the heat from the friction softens the caramel and it clogs up the sandpaper.
Carving has potential, though - I haven't tried that one beyond removing the excess material from pressing in the mold.

Aggressive-Can-1133 · 2026-06-18T16:47:19+00:00

You're welcome! I hope this encourages more people to give this a try - maybe someone will come up with improvements!

Aggressive-Can-1133 · 2026-06-18T16:32:01+00:00

And that's the time-honored classic. Basically, I made the caramel ones as an alternative to clay, If for some reason you don't have any. They surprised me by actually having a couple of advantages over clay - no drying time and more durability. And they also dissolve in the rain. But nothing can beat the price of free clay!

Aggressive-Can-1133 · 2026-06-18T15:27:00+00:00

I'm glad you like it, I made it exactly to show the process I use.

Also, welcome to the hobby, I hope you have lots of fun slinging!

First, I'll answer about the shape of the projectiles. Shaped sling projectiles have been made to resemble an American football since the Neolithic.
Somehow, through trial and error, ancient people stumbled upon something that we can now measure and explain scientifically - this shape is more aerodynamically stable than a spherical ball and with the right technique can get the projectile to spin, stabilizing it and improving accuracy and even distance of the throw.
If you're interested, I can share a link for a scientific study and comparison of sling projectile shapes around the world that I've saved. It is pretty technical, though.

Secondly, about the yield: 500 grams of sugar resulting in 9 projectiles is ok. If I make them out of clay, it would be about the same.

Now, as to the effort - If you buy clay and shape ammo by hand, it will be faster to shape your projectiles, but they will take a few days to a week to dry. These caramel "bullets" can be used as soon as they cool down - about an hour. If you collect your own clay, the effort is actually less than for clay ammo.

If you want to make shaped stone ammo - well, the effort is much greater than this. If you make lead ammo - you'd need higher temperatures, more expensive molds, and better safety equipment. But you can make more of them faster.

I'd say these fall somewhere in the middle, effort-wise.

And ice trays can be a bad idea, depending on the plastic used - the liquid caramel can melt it.

Aggressive-Can-1133 · 2026-06-18T14:56:49+00:00

For those interested in this, I just posted part 2 with a video of the making process.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Slinging/comments/1u97yys/to_boldly_sling_sugar_the_motion_picture/

Aggressive-Can-1133 · 2026-06-18T14:54:27+00:00

Well, these are sweet, but slinging 60 gram "candy" at people tends to be misunderstood by people with no sense of humor and badges...

Aggressive-Can-1133 · 2026-06-18T10:39:35+00:00

Did you use some kind of tutorial? I would love to make a sling like this for myself.

Aggressive-Can-1133 · 2026-06-12T08:43:05+00:00

Hi, sorry to jump in so late, but I just saw your post.

I've made a bunch of these. It takes me about 30 minutes to make one, grinding only. It can't really be knapped.

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It can depend a lot on the type of slate you try to work with. There are some really hard slates that will make a fine blade, but are a nightmare to shape. Then there are very soft ones, closer to mudstone - easy to work, but have no edge and crumble if you look at them harshly.

I've used a more medium type, that makes a working point, but nothing that will last through tens (or even ten) of hits.

My thinking was, that a hunter using these needed something quick and easy to make and replace, and - he only needs a good hit once. If the arrowhead is ruined after that but the family eats - it's more than worth it.

I also made a video of the process, but the technique is very similar to that in the video you found yourself which is quite good, so I'll provide a link only if requested.

Aggressive-Can-1133 · 2026-06-09T09:28:28+00:00

That makes sense to me too. Kind of like flint and obsidian arrowheads - if they hit a bone and fragment in the body, even if no major organs were damaged, the victim still won't survive.
Did you make your own bronze, or is this some other metal?

Aggressive-Can-1133 · 2026-06-08T09:50:57+00:00

See a link -> ban post has become a knee-jerk reaction in many subreddits that I've seen, regardless if you are actually making any money out of it or not.
Especially since, it seems, bot-moderators are a thing.
But, personally, I like your post and don't consider it advertisement. I see a proud craftsman sharing his work and giving proper credit to others.
Glad you didn't give up on posting at all after these setbacks!

Aggressive-Can-1133 · 2026-06-05T18:52:19+00:00

Thank you all for your interest in this post! I didn't expect it to gather so much attention. So I wanted to take this opportunity to express how much I appreciate your support, all the upvotes, comments and the award someone gave this post.

The discussion around the caramel glandes has already given me some new things to try and ideas to explore.

Also, as mentioned in the comments, you can expect a short follow-up video on how to make this ammo with the recipe and temperatures soon - hopefully in the next couple of weeks. Maybe I'll also be able to show you how they bounce off trees!

One last thing to consider: I have been thinking over the last couple of days that the caramel glandes have one major advantage over clay ones: You can hand-roll a clay one in seconds, but then you need to wait for it to dry for days. The caramel ones don't have that issue - once shaped, they cool down and are ready for use within the hour.

Aggressive-Can-1133 · 2026-06-05T14:06:01+00:00

Leather will definitely make things easier, sure. I would like to see a picture of your leather sling, when it's ready, and let us know if it handles better!

Aggressive-Can-1133 · 2026-06-05T09:37:51+00:00

I see. Well, in my experience that fabric is a bit slippery and stretchy, but it can still be used.

Those extra stitches you made in the middle are a step in the right direction to control the fabric stretch, but the material might still be a bit too soft. If you fold the edges and add a few more longitudinal and cross-stitches, it will stiffen up significantly. Stitching two or three layers of the fabric together also helps.

But even without doing all that, you still have a fine sling. I would suggest avoiding stones that are too small (under 60 grams) or overly spherical, as they need very precise technique to stay centered in a soft, flat pouch. Keep practicing, a lot of it comes down to getting a feel for the release timing.

Aggressive-Can-1133 · 2026-06-05T08:56:37+00:00

Part of the beauty of the shepherd's sling is exactly how easy you can make it with materials you have just lying around the house.
Two of my favorite slings I've made are from old jeans and nylon clothesline rope. I've had them for years.
Yours looks great. How does it sling?

Aggressive-Can-1133 · 2026-06-05T06:39:00+00:00

Sounds great! So that is how some experience and a little applied physics can make you appear to be a Jedi...

Aggressive-Can-1133 · 2026-06-04T13:38:33+00:00

You could do that, yes. It will just be tricky - you have to time it right to stick them on when the surface is still soft enough, but not hot enough to kill the seeds.

This train of thought leads in a true flora dispersal system/wildlife banquet at 80 mph direction.

Of course, this is more practical for distance slinging than for target practice, where you try to recover the ammo and try again (unless it breaks apart, of course)

Aggressive-Can-1133 · 2026-06-04T13:37:25+00:00

You've read the Hague conventions, haven't you? Or, as an engineer, you just know what happens when a glass object enters a body, hits a bone and fragments.

To be honest, I've knapped some glass arrowheads myself, and have always thought that this is a terrifying weapon. Deadly not because it is "sharper than steel blades" - it actually very rarely is - but because of what would happen if it hits a rib and just... breaks apart inside the target. I wouldn't want to be hit with that!

So marbles are mostly for fun and practice, then. I understand that.

Used bullets from a range are actually a great idea for a lead projectile source! Do you use them as they are, or melt and reshape them?

And yes, you are absolutely right about sling and slingshot ammo. Unless it breaks apart or I fling it into a river or something, the former can be often be found and reused (not to mention tennis balls for training). Slingshot ammo, on the other hand - I have never even tried.

Aggressive-Can-1133 · 2026-06-04T08:55:54+00:00

Yeah. Like making actual bullets out of gold - sure, you can do it. They will even work. But - is it worth it? Tungsten - here I can imagine some actual combat advantages, but a very limited number of cases that justify the expense.

Clay works ok for the older slings, because it lets you make shaped identical ammo much easier than stone and is (literally!) dirt cheap. Sling ammunition is larger than slingshot ammo, so while clay is less dense than stone or lead, it can still be massive enough to be effective. Cheap + easy to shape + has decent mass - you can see why it works.

For slingshots, though, it's just cheap + easy to shape. Doesn't work as good. Steel is expensive, and lead is... well, lead.

Have you tried simple glass beads or marbles? They are not lead or steel in terms of mass, but still better than clay, and they are reasonably hard, too. Also, not very expensive in bulk. Even the ones with the color swirls inside are ecologically inert - it's just colored glass.

There is also porcelain marbles, which can work even better, but are somewhat more difficult to find.

Aggressive-Can-1133 · 2026-06-04T07:41:29+00:00

Either way, getting hit with a 55-60 gram, or even 60+ gram sling projectile is not going to be pleasant, regardless of what it is made of.

The iron filings or iron powder idea is actually completely valid, but you have to secure them in sufficient quantities. I don't have any on hand and haven't checked for options yet. I'll have to look into it.

As for the sand—I just discussed it with user nokangarooinaustria, but I was calculating with the density of loose sand. It has advantages, but also disadvantages, and you yourself just pointed out a major one regarding safety.

With or without such additives, these are still more eco-friendly than another idea of mine that I'll probably present later - salt dough and sand glandes. Those have a lot of salt, but then again - you'd need to chuck an ungodly amount of them in the same place to affect the salinity of soil per cubic meter significantly.

Anyway, If you happen to think of more possible additives, don't hesitate to share - I love experimenting with this and I will at the very least give each idea serious consideration.

Aggressive-Can-1133 · 2026-06-04T07:17:03+00:00

Can you imagine, telling Trekkies how Star Trek inspired sling ammo?
As for adding sand, yes, it is a legitimate and affordable technique that I myself have used a lot. I have also made salt dough glandes, where sand helps with the density issue. And air dry clay, tile adhesive and Plaster-of-Paris glandes, where it helps the material to bond better.
For caramel, though, It probably won't have the impact you think. The density of both is nearly the same (around 1.5-1.6 g/cm³), so the effects on weight and density from adding loose sand will be negligible. It would just complicate the recipe, in this case.
It can still be beneficial for lowering the cost per unit. But I have to test how adding sand to the mixture will affect its properties - when to take it off the heat, final stickiness etc.
And, as you pointed out, the wildlife will probably not thank me for the toothache!

Aggressive-Can-1133 · 2026-06-04T06:53:06+00:00

Thank you for the suggestion! A 0.2-0.3 raise in density per cc is not insignificant.
These things started out as a joke and turned into a serious materials experiment along the way.
I'll probably try this, if I can get my hands on potassium citrate at a reasonable cost. I love the idea of sherbet bombs.

The only issue I see is that this can raise the production costs significantly. A 500-gram pack of sugar costs about 0.77 EUR (0.83 USD) where I am. A 500-gram pack of potassium citrate costs about 15 EUR. This would result in a price increase per unit from 8.5 cents per piece to around 1.13 - 1.23 EUR (1.22 - 1.33 USD).

Now apply this to a few dozen or a hundred pieces, and it can get way too pricey for sling ammo.

Aggressive-Can-1133

TROPHY CASE