Can I use a sling?

[DavidH]

Does anyone know whether it is legitimate to use a finger sling with a longbow? I'm a bit of a purist but have found that a relaxed "recurve" grip gives a more accurate result, however it has launched forward on at least one occasion

[Malcy]

I don't know if there's a rule to say you can't but I'm not sure how you will hold the arrow with a relaxed hand, plus with there not being a pistol type grip or longrod I expect that the bow will drop to the floor after every shot.

[grimsby archer]

Originally Posted by Malcy

I don't know if there's a rule to say you can't but I'm not sure how you will hold the arrow with a relaxed hand, plus with there not being a pistol type grip or longrod I expect that the bow will drop to the floor after every shot.

I have seen longbows where the leather grip is finished with a leather thong to lace the edges together. The ends of the thong are left purposefully long and looped round the fingers of the bowhand to act like a finger sling.

With the bowhand on the grip so that the centre of the grip lies down the lifeline of the palm, fingers relaxed, you get the classic 45 degree knuckles. This puts the index finger at 45 degrees to the bow, making a valley for the arrow to sit in. This I have seen used to good effect