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Swiss Arrow (Read 6859 times)

NorthwoodsSlinger

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Swiss Arrow
Mar 31^st, 2013 at 11:10am

I searched the site for a bit and can't find any threads dedicated to the swiss arrow. I made three a while back and dabbled with it fora while, but I just cannot get the throw right. I'm not getting any power behind it. If it helps at all I am using wooden dowels 3/8" x 36" with duct tape fletching and field points as well as a jute string. I think they're weighted fine, because if I throw them by hand they fly true and much further than when I try using the string.

This is such an effective weapon when used correctly, plus it's so lightweight and portable. I'd really like to gain some proficiency. Any help is appreciated

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I cut straight through the forest, and that has made all the difference.

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Bill Skinner Forum Moderation Offline Slinging Rocks! Posts: 3292	Re: Swiss Arrow Reply #1 - Mar 31^st, 2013 at 11:21am Go down and look at the amentum vs atlatl thread. Check out some of David's videos.. Your point is not heavy enough. You will need at least 300-400 (one ounce) grains to make it work right, and a larger shaft will help, go up to 1/2 inch, basically a Swiss arrow is a short spear thrown with an amentum.
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NorthwoodsSlinger Descens Offline Mountain Man Posts: 131 Gender:	Re: Swiss Arrow Reply #2 - Mar 31^st, 2013 at 11:36am Gotcha. So I essentially just have three wooden arrows? I'll have to give them a go out of my bow and see if I might can use them somehow.
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perpetualstudent Interfector Viris Spurii Offline Slinging Rocks! Posts: 1405 Gender:	Re: Swiss Arrow Reply #3 - Mar 31^st, 2013 at 4:50pm I researched these superficially a while back. The wikipedia page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_arrow basically has the "how to" for british schoolboys. Includes some dimensions. Possibly worth the look.
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Steven Interfector Viris Spurii Offline RaptorIsAsRaptorDoes Posts: 2101 Austin, Tx. Gender:	Re: Swiss Arrow Reply #4 - Mar 31^st, 2013 at 7:12pm Pathfinder dart AKA Swiss Arrow : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCyKrQDFA28
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Bill Skinner

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Re: Swiss Arrow
Reply #5 - Mar 31^st, 2013 at 8:50pm

If those are poplar, when you shorten them to 30 inches or so, most will spine out around 50 pounds. I made a lot of squirrel arrows from 3/8th poplar. I used hex nuts for the point, found some moth eaten feathers that were really cheap, (I tossed them in the freezer for a week, problem solved), bought bulk nocks, didn't bother to paint them. I only have one fletch clamp, I made an arrow a night for the summer, shot them up during squirrel season. Great fun and good eats.

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NorthwoodsSlinger

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Re: Swiss Arrow
Reply #6 - Mar 31^st, 2013 at 10:23pm

Increasing the weight of the point worked well! The only way I could do it with what I had on hand was to use two sockets, one that fit snugly on the dowel with a larger one on top of that. I secured it with electrical tape and it throws SO MUCH better now. I was starting to think It was me that was the problem. I hate being the problem. I plan to go pick up some bigger dowels tomorrow.

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I cut straight through the forest, and that has made all the difference.

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jlasud

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Re: Swiss Arrow
Reply #7 - Apr 1^st, 2013 at 1:43am

i played around with many throwable stuff and it got clear,that without much leverage assisting aid ,one needs at least half a pound of weight to be able transfer decent amount of energy into the projectile.

With leverage this weight can go down to as little as 2 ounces (long thin sling with lead gland)
For a swiss arrow a 4-8 ounce weight should be quite good,depending on length,air resistance,etc.
I threw atlatl,amentum spear,spear,sling,by hand,and some kind of swiss arrow too.

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squirrelslinger Interfector Viris Spurii Offline peace through superior firepower Posts: 2870 Ky, USA Gender:	Re: Swiss Arrow Reply #8 - Apr 1^st, 2013 at 3:03pm ILovepancakes, your points are coming.... Anyway, Honeysuckle shoots make good swiss arrows... I have played around with them a bit.
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ilovepancakes

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Re: Swiss Arrow
Reply #9 - Apr 3^rd, 2013 at 7:54am

squirrelslinger wrote on Apr 1^st, 2013 at 3:03pm:

ILovepancakes, your points are coming....
Anyway, Honeysuckle shoots make good swiss arrows... I have played around with them a bit.

Thanks squirrelslinger

On Topic
I have made quite a few Swiss Arrows, modeled them after Dave Canterbury's design. Just using field points I can get about 60-70 yards range and up to the fletching penetration on a couple of layers of cardboard with 1/4 by 36 inch oak dowel rods.

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Bill Skinner Forum Moderation Offline Slinging Rocks! Posts: 3292	Re: Swiss Arrow Reply #10 - Apr 4^th, 2013 at 10:33pm I never had any luck with anything that small and light, my experiance mirrors Jlasud's, its got to have some weight to work well.
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Mauro Fiorentini Forum Moderation Offline Forge your future with the hammer of your mind! Posts: 3442 Ancona, Italy. Gender:	Re: Swiss Arrow Reply #11 - Apr 8^th, 2013 at 9:14pm Topic added to the PW's index. Greetings, Mauro.
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David Morningstar

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Re: Swiss Arrow
Reply #12 - Apr 17^th, 2013 at 11:42am

Here is a video of a German kid making a throwing arrow, 8 mm x 1 m , three feather fletches, nail and two large hex nuts as the point. Interestingly his string is fixed to the tail and extends about half way along the shaft, ending in a loop. The tip of the index finger goes in the loop and the string trails after the dart in flight.

This is pretty close to the description of the Kern dart, a throwing arrow or light javelin with a fixed throwing thong used by Irish light infantry in the middle ages, equivalent to the peltasts of the classical Greek military. The Kern were also slingers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kern_(soldier)

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