Main Discussion Area > Cave Men only "Oooga Booga"

Atlatl questions

(1/4) > >>

Kegan:
My first atalat was a bit of a slug (I didn't really know what I was doing) so I hope someone can help me.
First, is a thinner dart, about 3/8" be acceptable (the amterial will most likely be sourwood, a rather rigid material).

Second, is it better to have the atlatl itself lighter, or slightly heavy?

Third, would a two foot long atlatl work well with a 60"-66" dart?

Thanks in advance :).

wolfsire:
Dart thinkness depends and the material you use.  1/2" is good for a nice heavy dart, but 3/8" might very well be perfect.  Many material taper too, and many of the principles applicable to arrows apply.  Diameter for me is just a guild.  Spine is more important.  You probably will not know your ideal spine with until you toss a few, because it is a function of the power of your toss, arm, stance, leverage, etc., but 5-7 lbs is recommended.  Grab one end of the dart and push the other end into a bathroom scale.  It will bow out and then at some point, stop increasing in weight, even if you push more.

Atlatl and dart length will vary with the user.  Most say that the lenght from your elbow to finger tips is ideal for an atlatl.  I can only say that that works for me, but a short one I made, 16" is difficult for me to use.  Some like 7' darts others 5', even less or more.  Of course length affects spine, which to me is more important.

On weight, I have heard that if they are about the same that is good, but I don't know.  I do know that I like the feel of an atlatl with a stone weight added.  My darts are mostly 4-6 oz, which I have heard is heavy.  I have heard of those that are heavier, but I have also heard, been recommended, and seen more of those that are 1-2 oz.

Experiment and have fun.

Kegan:
Thanks for the quick reply!

The last one I made was too stiff (and was 1/2" thick). We have plenty of useable shoots though, so I'll jsut have to wait and see.

Ahhh, that makes sense. That would be about two feet for me. Again, I'll just experiment with the dart length.

Excellent. If it turns out too light, I could just add a weight! I have made arrows that weighed almost as much as 3 ounces, and they weren't that heavy. But, again, my last dart was too heavy. I'll look for a happy medium :).

I'll have to keep in mind not to overhtingk it. That usually kills me :D.

radius:
2 feet from your fingertips to elbow!!! You must be 7 feet tall!

leapingbare:
i had a dream last night that i was slinging fishing rods at targets with an atlatle... hmmm strange.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page