anyone ever heard of a Sri Lankan Slingshot?

[15DLongbow]

So, not sure if its ever been mentioned before but last night while watching Les Stroud: Beyond survival, he was hunting with a primitive tribe from sri lanka, Their hunting weapon of choice, was a a slingshot, but it was unlike any i have seen before.

They took a sapling, looked to be about 3 ft long, and made it into a small bow, with the upper limb being quite shorter than the bottom limb, ran two strings, and put a small stick about 2 inches long between the two strings near the top to spread them apart, and then added a small pouch between the strings. they used them in defense and hunting of small game.

any thoughts about these? Kinda look like it'd be a fun build.

[Youngboyer2(billyf)]

Sound pretty cool but can u post a pic or a diagram, I'm not getting a strong mental image

[15DLongbow]

heres the closest thing i could find,

[turtle]

I read an article in a magazine once about rock bows. It mentioned several styles including the one you are talking about. It even claimed that several native american tribes used them by just changing the string on their regular bows and then using fire hardened clay balls for hunting small and flying game. It said that when shooting that you have to tork the bow upon release to keep from hitting your bow hand and bow with the projectile. I wish i could remember the name of the magazine. A friend of mine at work actualy brought the magazine in because he thought i would enjoy it. If i see him tomorrow i will ask if he remembers it.

[Bevan R.]

I cannot remember the issue, but PA had an article about something like that.

[footfootfoot]

I was gonna guess Gin, Cherry Heering, Benedictine, and Pineapple juice. Which might also be a correct answer for how do you unwind thread.

[Prarie Bowyer]

They used to make this sort of thing for crossbows also.  It can go wrong badly.  Look up a medieval crossbow maker called "New World Arbolast".  He put his eye out with a pellet from one of these.  According to him the pouch dosen't alwayse release it foreward.  I don' tnkow if it's true or not.  I've thought about trying to make a stone bow also but the issue of not hitting the bow is what stopped me.

[Dane]

That is true, the projectile can come right back at you, and it can be nasty. This happens too with rubber powered stone throwers. The ball gets stuck in the pouch and it cames directly back at you. You can find a video on youtube from that TV show The Amazing Race. They were shooting these oversized rubber powered slingshots, and the watermellon (or whatever was the projectile) slammed into the girl. She was knocked out, if I recall. So be careful. I too will not be building a stone crossbow, as I like having both eyes.

[TurtleCreek]

  The show "Beyond Survival" with Les Stroud had an episode in which he lived with a tribe that used those.  In the episode, they even showed how they made and used them.

[Prarie Bowyer]

  The show "Beyond Survival" with Les Stroud had an episode in which he lived with a tribe that used those.  In the episode, they even showed how they made and used them.

Did the chief have both eyes?

[Dazv]

i think this is the episode this is only part one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e3Wz_P-ClM

[bhenders]

Strangly enough I saw that there was one for sale on ebay last week.  It's not there now but was called either a stone bow or a stone slingbow.  Apparently also used in India. 

He's a bow maker and made one from some old bamboo pieces he had left over.  He said that there are protectors that go over your hand to keep from whacking your thumb when you shoot.  I've asked him for some more information and will post it here when he replies.

[JW_Halverson]

Sri Lankan Slingshot?  Lemme see....two parts coconut rum, 1 part vodka, one part brandy,  splash of Cointreau, cherry juice, dash of Angostura bitters, serve in a coconut shell with decorative umbrella.  Two of these and I guarantee your grass skirt will go up in a prairie fire. 

If I remember right these pellet bows are also seen in the Himalayas.  There is a little twist of the bow hand wrist just as you release the shot or else the rock bounces back off the bow and smacks you in the head leaving you with the aforementioned hangover.