Sling bullet
The sling bullet is a defunct object that formerly appeared in NetHack until version 3.0.0. They were used as projectiles for slings, and were introduced before actual rocks and flint stones.
Sling bullets also appear in EvilHack.
History
The early versions of hack121 and PDP-11, variants of Jay Fenlason's Hack, used various types of "bullets".
In NetHack 3.0.0, the sling bullet was removed and replaced with the flint stone, which was also moved from the weapon class to the "Stones" category.
Origin
As the sling is a widespread weapon dating back to Neolithic cultures (if not still-older ones), sling-bullets and similar stones and objects used as sling ammunition are common archeological finds. The size of a sling-bullet varies greatly from no larger than a mere pebble to fist-sized stones weighing a pound or more, and in the hands of a skilled slinger could be hurled upwards of 450 meters (1500 feet) at speeds over 250 miles per hour.[1]
Sling bullets would frequently be salvaged from river depths, where the rushing water would slowly shape the stone round. Bullets were also purpose-made from various materials such as clay - lead-cast bullets were considered the most efficient and best-quality ammunition. Symbols such as stylized lightning bolts, snakes and scorpions have often been found molded into lead sling-bullets; others have had holes drilled into them that produce a whooshing sound in flight.
EvilHack
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