Odds are that swiss arrows will be illegal where you live... I'd look it up. Where I live in the US has some very lax game laws and most hunting methods are illegal here.

Sure; birds, bunnies,  game up to coyote or small Texas style white tail deer. If you can stalk or build a good enough blind for a short range throw 7-10 yards. I think you could take up to a white tail in size with careful arrow placement. But as M... said probably not legal where you live .... The states I've hunted in have very specific rules on what you can use to take game.

You can use it in Alabama, as long as the head is 2 inches (5cm) wide.  As someone who has killed deer and hogs with an atlatl and darts, I think it is doable for large game but I would make some changes to the dart.  Bear in mind that this is because I need to make that honking huge point penetrate.  My preferred wood, in this order would be ash, white oak, red oak, hickory, then poplar.  I would start with a 1 inch dowel (25mm) and make it a torpedo taper with the center of balance at about the 3/4 mark or slightly forward.  The tip and base would be around 3/8 inch (1cm), I would make my points from el cheapo 3 inch (76mm) circular saw blades, this will require cutting them out with a side grinder and final shaping on a grinder.  I would split the shaft and glue with two part epoxy, then wrap at least 1/2 inch below with kevlar fishing line to prevent the head from coming loose or splitting the shaft on impact. I would fletch with the highest feathers that I could find but I would make it a parabolic shape.  Then, I would practice daily, starting with about 10 to 15 throws, and working my way to about 50.  I would not fine tune my darts until I could throw them pretty good, probably about three weeks of daily practice. 

I don't know if the 125's would work, it may with the smaller shaft you are talking about.  It will take some whittling to get them to fit and I suspect they may be the weak link unless you have haybales to throw at.  I use 1/2 inch (12mm) ash atlatl darts and I break the tips off pretty regularly when I go stumping with them. Bill

Crow Hat wrote on Jun 21^st, 2011 at 2:20pm:


If you're going to all that trouble why not just take a bow with you?

well for me the definition of a 'survival' weapon is one you can knock up in the wild with nothing but some cord and a knife.

So yeah a swiss arrow would fit. Easier to make than an atlatl and almost as effective - certainly at short range.

if you look around there are a few swiss arrow threads around the forum.

no problem, I'll make a couple, maybe 3-5 and have some fun with it. I'll post pictures when I'm done.

I agree an atlatl would be much more powerful but then again if you are one of those lucky people with a really great throwing arm and you've put the practice in with a swiss arrow I could see you taking a small doe (maybe?). I mean when it comes down to a survival situation where you eat or you die, it's worth a shot. Would make a great story if you took a deer with one.

Having a quiver with 6 or so sounds like a fun afternoon of stumping to me. Makes me want to give them a try.