Welcome, Guest. Please Login
SLINGING.ORG
 
Home Help Search Login


Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 
Send Topic Print
Simple Atlatl (Read 15816 times)
Bill Skinner
Forum Moderation
*****
Offline


Slinging Rocks!

Posts: 3292
Re: Simple Atlatl
Reply #45 - May 9th, 2012 at 9:48pm
 
I like hunting.  And, no, you didn't put me off, I have pretty much the same idea about a lot of modern hunters.  

I managed a place for a rich guy for several years, he and his buddies would show up with all the high tech gear, the latest compound bows, and all that neat stuff.  Freaking 7mm and .300 Weatherby Magnum rifles for a whitetail.  They couldn't kill a deer if it didn't have its nose in a pile of corn in front of a shooting house.  Most couldn't shoot worth a dam, either, because they never practiced and they were afraid of the recoil of their rifles.  Before I quit, I spent a LOT of time blood trailing gut shot deer.

I really didn't consider those people hunters, they came up to get drunk and get away from their wives, with some time in the woods thrown in.  And they shot deer, mostly does and small bucks because they weren't smart enough to figure out that the large bucks usually won't come to a spot where you just shot a doe with a rifle that was designed to be used in Africa.

KT, have you gone deer hunting with a dart caster and darts?  The advantage is no noise, you don't have the thump of the bow string.  Disadvantage is all that motion, you need a brush blind or to be behind a tree when you throw.  Never tried a tree stand, it would probably work, you better have a good safety harness or some real soft ground.
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
muddog15
Tiro
**
Offline


Slinging Rocks!

Posts: 10
Florida
Gender: male
Re: Simple Atlatl
Reply #46 - May 10th, 2012 at 9:07pm
 
I just made my first Atlatl and darts and I'm trying to figure out how to throw the things.  I use stuff from Home Depot to make everything,  I know I can do the deed because I have got them in the target 4 times so far but most of the time the 4ft darts go wild.
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
Atlatlista
Ex Member


Re: Simple Atlatl
Reply #47 - May 11th, 2012 at 9:53am
 
muddog15 wrote on May 10th, 2012 at 9:07pm:
I just made my first Atlatl and darts and I'm trying to figure out how to throw the things.  I use stuff from Home Depot to make everything,  I know I can do the deed because I have got them in the target 4 times so far but most of the time the 4ft darts go wild.


With 4ft darts it's the spine issue.  They're short enough that they don't flex, so your dart tip is probably going every which way on release.  You should try longer darts if you can get the materials - at least five feet, preferably six or even seven feet.
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
muddog15
Tiro
**
Offline


Slinging Rocks!

Posts: 10
Florida
Gender: male
Re: Simple Atlatl
Reply #48 - May 11th, 2012 at 11:57am
 
Quote:
muddog15 wrote on May 10th, 2012 at 9:07pm:
I just made my first Atlatl and darts and I'm trying to figure out how to throw the things.  I use stuff from Home Depot to make everything,  I know I can do the deed because I have got them in the target 4 times so far but most of the time the 4ft darts go wild.


With 4ft darts it's the spine issue.  They're short enough that they don't flex, so your dart tip is probably going every which way on release.  You should try longer darts if you can get the materials - at least five feet, preferably six or even seven feet.


My darts are 3/8"x 4ft,  I don't have any wild resources in my area of Florida to harvest,  that's why I'm using stuff from Home Depot.  I'm thinking about trying some 1/4"x 48" inch dowl rods for darts, I think they are going to break on me though either during the throw or at impact.  My sister is about an hour away from me, she says she has a ton of bamboo on her property that I can go get I might do that.
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
Bill Skinner
Forum Moderation
*****
Offline


Slinging Rocks!

Posts: 3292
Re: Simple Atlatl
Reply #49 - May 11th, 2012 at 1:19pm
 
A couple of thoughts, 1.  You can make the dart flex if you put a heavy point on it, a  heavy wire wrap or a couple of nuts screwed on the end should do it.  2.  Above the Artic Circle, neither the darts or the throwing board flex when they are thrown, Little posted a video not too long ago that showed a seal hunt with them.  Look at his throwing style, it is not quite the same as what is used by people with flexable dart casters.  3.  I wasn't worth a hoot for the first couple of times, it does take some getting used to, check out the World Atlatl Assoc. on Paleoplanet, there are several links that show how to throw. 
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
Atlatlista
Ex Member


Re: Simple Atlatl
Reply #50 - May 11th, 2012 at 2:40pm
 
Yeah, that harpooning vid shows no flex in the dart, but you can see how much the point wants to drift off target that way.  The guy doing the throwing must be really experienced to control a dart that size/shape.  Also, I think the downward trajectory helps in this case somewhat.
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
Jabames
Interfector Viris Spurii
*****
Offline


:3

Posts: 1865
Alaska
Gender: male
Re: Simple Atlatl
Reply #51 - May 11th, 2012 at 5:21pm
 
Yeah,  its best when longer range than the vid I shown then it would be in an arch rather than a straight line,  when the dart pans out the weight forwardness balances it like a small football with flights on it,  thats when its most deadly.  And you dont need to use a flexible atlatl,  Ive used flexible darts and it still works fine throws em far too.
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
Rat Man
Slinging.org Administrator
*****
Offline


Slinging Rocks!

Posts: 13659
New Jersey, USA
Gender: male
Re: Simple Atlatl
Reply #52 - May 11th, 2012 at 6:06pm
 
Probably most of you have seen this already, but just in case:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr3QxYvEF0s
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
Rat Man
Slinging.org Administrator
*****
Offline


Slinging Rocks!

Posts: 13659
New Jersey, USA
Gender: male
Re: Simple Atlatl
Reply #53 - May 13th, 2012 at 3:15pm
 
You all have got me thinking now.  I haven't messed much with the atlatl yet because I was thinking that the atlatl and darts would be too difficult to make.  Mark was playing with a very primitive one which was working surprisingly well and I started coming up with ideas for improvements.  It wouldn't be that difficult to make a simple atlatl and bamboo darts with big nail points and duct tape fletching.  More later....
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
Bill Skinner
Forum Moderation
*****
Offline


Slinging Rocks!

Posts: 3292
Re: Simple Atlatl
Reply #54 - May 13th, 2012 at 8:49pm
 
Careful, RM, atlatls are almost as addicting as slings.  And they complement each other so well.
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
Jabames
Interfector Viris Spurii
*****
Offline


:3

Posts: 1865
Alaska
Gender: male
Re: Simple Atlatl
Reply #55 - May 13th, 2012 at 10:52pm
 
atlatl=almost any big game on the planet
slings=almost anything smaller than big game,  maybe some medium but mostly suited for small critters cough cough and self defense/offense against people if the need arises...
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
Atlatlista
Ex Member


Re: Simple Atlatl
Reply #56 - May 13th, 2012 at 11:21pm
 
Atlatls are fantastic, and can be very serviceable even as simple as you describe, Rat Man.

Of course, now I've gone and got myself bitten by the bow bug in a bad bad way.
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
timann
Interfector Viris Spurii
*****
Offline


Slinging Rocks!

Posts: 2504
Norway
Gender: male
Re: Simple Atlatl
Reply #57 - May 14th, 2012 at 3:22pm
 
I find atlatl pretty amazing too.  It`s rather easy to make a simple but functional atlatl and darts.  And after practicing slinging atlatling isn`t that hard.

Well, aiming was pretty impossible until I found this video.  I found it last summer and played around a little then (I now realize I used way to thin darts), and when the bug bit me a couple of weeks ago I remembered it and was able to aim pretty easily.  Okay, not bullseye accuracy but I could probably hunt with it in a survival situation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhrJ6kaojwM
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
Atlatlista
Ex Member


Re: Simple Atlatl
Reply #58 - May 14th, 2012 at 3:36pm
 
timann wrote on May 14th, 2012 at 3:22pm:
I find atlatl pretty amazing too.  It`s rather easy to make a simple but functional atlatl and darts.  And after practicing slinging atlatling isn`t that hard.

Well, aiming was pretty impossible until I found this video.  I found it last summer and played around a little then (I now realize I used way to thin darts), and when the bug bit me a couple of weeks ago I remembered it and was able to aim pretty easily.  Okay, not bullseye accuracy but I could probably hunt with it in a survival situation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhrJ6kaojwM


That's a great video.  I love the way he spines his darts, I never thought of that, but I wish I had.  It makes so much sense.  I'll have to go spine my favorite darts so I can make new ones more easily.
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
Morphy
Slinging.org Moderator
*****
Offline


Checkmate

Posts: 8098
Re: Simple Atlatl
Reply #59 - May 19th, 2012 at 8:21pm
 
Quote:
Atlatls are fantastic, and can be very serviceable even as simple as you describe, Rat Man.

Of course, now I've gone and got myself bitten by the bow bug in a bad bad way.


Bwahahah, welcome to the dark side 'Lista!  Cheesy
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 
Send Topic Print
(Moderators: Chris, David Morningstar, Masiakasaurus, Rat Man, Bill Skinner, Curious Aardvark, Mauro Fiorentini)