Slinging.org Forum - bow vs atlatl

Woonilsra

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bow vs atlatl - whats deadlier?
May 9^th, 2010 at 10:15am

What do you guy think? which one would you be more scared of in a fight?
a short stick thats hurling 8 feet darts are your head, or an english longbow bow shooting 1-2ft whistling arrows at your head?
i think its a draw, both are murderous, seeing as atlatl's took on mammoths, and the english longbow reportedly shot through 6 inches of an oak door at 200 yrds.

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Masiakasaurus Forum Moderation Offline mah-SEE-a-kah-SOR-us Posts: 6069 Alabama, USA Gender:	Re: bow vs atlatl - whats deadlier? Reply #1 - May 9^th, 2010 at 10:41am Bow, because the guy shooting at me would have more arrows than darts, and more retries if he misses!
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Paleoarts

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Re: bow vs atlatl - whats deadlier?
Reply #2 - May 9^th, 2010 at 10:55am

there's no question that, in a general sense, the bow is the more efficient weapon, but people greatly underestimate the atlatl both in accuracy and power. just a couple of weeks ago i and several other atlatlists proved just how close the two actually are by competing alongside several hundred archers in a rigorous 50 target 3D course. we not only held our own but out did a good portion of them. here's a link to some pics of that weekend...http://paleoplanet69529.yuku.com/topic/34873

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Curious Aardvark Forum Moderation Offline Taller than the average Dwarf Posts: 13965 Midlands England Gender:	Re: bow vs atlatl - whats deadlier? Reply #3 - May 9^th, 2010 at 11:46am also bear in kind that mammoths were hunted with altatls not bows
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Bikewer Interfector Viris Spurii Offline I love Slinging.org! Posts: 1627 St. Louis, Mo Gender:	Re: bow vs atlatl - whats deadlier? Reply #4 - May 9^th, 2010 at 11:47am Any culture that developed the bow abandoned the atlatl. As Paleoarts says, it's just a more efficient weapon. That being said, I wouldn't want to take a hit from an atlatl dart....The heavy shaft would drive a flint or obsidian point deep.
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leadrocks

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Re: bow vs atlatl - whats deadlier?
Reply #5 - May 9^th, 2010 at 12:09pm

Curious Aardvark wrote on May 9^th, 2010 at 11:46am:

also bear in kind that mammoths were hunted with altatls not bows

Isn't that more because the mammoth predates the bow? Wink

I have no doubt that a bow would kill a mammoth.
Haven't found one around to try it on yet but
I'll let you know when I do. I do however have
A dvd where fred bear shoots an elephant with a 75
Pound recurve. The arrow buries just almost to the nock side
Of the fletching into the beast. Fred bear's broadheads
Were designed to do maximum damage but that limited penetration
Somewhat. The atlatl is still an amazingly effective weapon though.
The difference in construction time too. Atlatl and dart: one hour.
Good bow and arrow: at least a day if you already have dry wood.

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walter Interfector Viris Spurii Offline Slinging Rocks! Posts: 2453	Re: bow vs atlatl - whats deadlier? Reply #6 - May 9^th, 2010 at 12:11pm I would rather my opponent had an atlatl; we are at least 60 feet apart and I get to fight back using my long bow walter
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Paleoarts Interfector Viris Spurii Offline it don't mean a thing if you aint got that sling! Posts: 1993 oceanside, CA Gender:	Re: bow vs atlatl - whats deadlier? Reply #7 - May 9^th, 2010 at 12:15pm you're not safe from the atlatl at 60 ft. several of us were hitting targets consistantly at 40-50 yards during that competition.
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walter

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Re: bow vs atlatl - whats deadlier?
Reply #8 - May 9^th, 2010 at 12:26pm

Paleoarts wrote on May 9^th, 2010 at 12:15pm:

you're not safe from the atlatl at 60 ft. several of us were hitting targets consistantly at 40-50 yards during that competition.

Paleo, wasn't thinking the shooter couldn't hit. Was thinking the darts have slowed enough to dodge 'em. But remember, Woonilsra called this a fight. I get to shoot too! I'm using my long bow and at 60+ feet there will be two arrows in the air. Grin

walter

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TN.Frank Funditor Offline Throwin' sticks and stones. Posts: 682 Crossville, TN. U.S.A. Gender:	Re: bow vs atlatl - whats deadlier? Reply #9 - May 9^th, 2010 at 12:37pm The Bow took over from the Atlatl so logically the Bow is deadlier. Also, the Bow is a longer range weapon and generally more accurate too.
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Paleoarts

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Re: bow vs atlatl - whats deadlier?
Reply #10 - May 9^th, 2010 at 12:48pm

again, i think you guys are underestimating the atlatl. i can load and throw darts accurately just as fast or faster than most archers can knock and fire arrows. Tom Mills and i proved this at the competition. they had a timed shoot and we were able to get off around ten to twelve aimed darts in twenty seconds compared to the experienced archers in our group who averaged only six to eight.

also, for the average bow of 35-45 lbs, the range is about the same but the atlatl dart has a definite advantage in penetrating power. it isn't until you see the atlatl in the hands of an experienced user that you really begin to appreciate its effectivness. i will conceed that the bow overall is more effective, but the race is a lot closer than some of you might imagine.

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Paleoarts

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Re: bow vs atlatl - whats deadlier?
Reply #11 - May 9^th, 2010 at 12:52pm

walter wrote on May 9^th, 2010 at 12:26pm:

Paleo, wasn't thinking the shooter couldn't hit. Was thinking the darts have slowed enough to dodge 'em. But remember, Woonilsra called this a fight. I get to shoot too! I'm using my long bow and at 60+ feet there will be two arrows in the air. Grin

walter

trust me, you can't dodge an atlatl dart any easier than you can an arrow. at 100fps+ they are coming at you fast!

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timann Interfector Viris Spurii Offline Slinging Rocks! Posts: 2504 Norway Gender:	Re: bow vs atlatl - whats deadlier? Reply #12 - May 9^th, 2010 at 1:26pm Wild guess, but if bow and arrow technology improved, and the mammoths, woolly rhino`s and other HUGE pray that "required" atlatl`s went extinct, and maybe the forests grew denser, it`s not all that strange the bow and arrow became what most people preferred. I know what I would prefer to carry around timann
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Steven Interfector Viris Spurii Offline RaptorIsAsRaptorDoes Posts: 2101 Austin, Tx. Gender:	Re: bow vs atlatl - whats deadlier? Reply #13 - May 9^th, 2010 at 1:29pm If after bunnies at 40 yards bow; mega fauna at 20 yards atlatl. Bow is a much longer ranged weapon. while I was still shooting I was consistently able to hit a torso type of target at 100 yards on an indoor range. It wasn't a small group by any means but most arrows were in the torso.
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walter

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Re: bow vs atlatl - whats deadlier?
Reply #14 - May 9^th, 2010 at 2:48pm

Paleoarts wrote on May 9^th, 2010 at 12:52pm:

walter wrote on May 9^th, 2010 at 12:26pm:

Paleo, wasn't thinking the shooter couldn't hit. Was thinking the darts have slowed enough to dodge 'em. But remember, Woonilsra called this a fight. I get to shoot too! I'm using my long bow and at 60+ feet there will be two arrows in the air. Grin

walter

trust me, you can't dodge an atlatl dart any easier than you can an arrow. at 100fps+ they are coming at you fast!

I do trust your info on atlatls Grin

After I posted about dodging darts and putting a couple arrows in the air before the first hit, I realized you probably could do better than that. Especially with what I call your auto loader atlatls. The style with a groove all the way to the spur.

Had no idea darts travel 100+. Figured that by sixty feet, they would be slowing way down.

My one great hope here is that I'm not fighting with one of the worlds best atlatlists Grin

as i'm still putting my faith in the longbow.

walter

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