Bow and Arrow Weekend

[Skean Dhude]

(9 May 2012, 12:26)Timelord Wrote: I will be there with my Atlat.

I'm looking forward to that.

I'm bringing a couple of bows, at least one crossbow and some throwing knives.

Don't forget the rental fee for the field is £6 each. Should be a good day.

[Nemesis]

I made one of these and a friend of mine trains with them, can someone take a picture of this Atlatl more so the dart/spear.

I would like close up of the bottom quarter and top quarter if TL don't mind that is.

[Timelord]

The dart I made is not a true replica of a prehistoric one. It is one more suited to expedientness & us preppers. It is a fire straightened wood shaft with a rolled cone sheet steel nose and a semi flexible plastic tail flight arrangement. It seems to do thr trick fine. I may get round to fitting an alternative flat profile expedient head or even a flint one! For the meet it will be as it is at the mo, but no less usable for that. TL.

[Nemesis]

(9 May 2012, 22:15)Timelord Wrote: The dart I made is not a true replica of a prehistoric one. It is one more suited to expedientness & us preppers. It is a fire straightened wood shaft with a rolled cone sheet steel nose and a semi flexible plastic tail flight arrangement. It seems to do thr trick fine. I may get round to fitting an alternative flat profile expedient head or even a flint one! For the meet it will be as it is at the mo, but no less usable for that. TL.

Mine is bit of duct tape on a bamboo stick about 6 feet, my thinking at the time was to make a weapon for defence from what I felt was a common item i.e. bamboo and duct tape add to the mix a 5 inch nail or sharpened hard wood, and away you go it would kill no problem, more care and it would be deadly at longer range.

I can't find the Atlatl it’s somewhere mixed up with the kit.

Here few pics I just took of the spear.

[Timelord]

Nice! Looks well made. I can't help noticing your vast.. er.. meths burner collection.. Impressive. Why you have so many? is it just experimentation? lol.

Anyway, the tail flights & nock look good. What range do you get out of the dart? How long is the launcher? Have you read the articles about "banner stones" attached to launchers in prehistory?

These weapons systems are the first system of mechanical advantage for a projectile weapon that our ancient ancestors developed. It is what raised us above the rest of the food chain and is what we wiped out most of the bug game with in prehistory. It is much undervalued and under estimated today. It has many advantages compared to the more complex bow. While it will not do all a bow does, it does other tasks better. Much much under realised in modern times!!!

(I am not teaching a grandmother to suck eggs as I know you will know all this already W&C - I have put it up for all the other forum viewers) TL.

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Should read BIG GAME, not "BUG GAME". Quite the other end of the scale but no less deadly! lol

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For all afficionardoes out there --> Not dissing bows. Bows have many advantages and are a superior weapon tech. The Atlatl is good at what it does and has some different advantages in some scenarios. that is all.

[Nemesis]

Meth burners are mostly from my Swiss army stoves I have a lot due to having a large family and mates come round and I supply the gear, London friends love the woods don't have the gear though.

The range I am afraid I am limited to 20 yards, my friend and even his younger kids can throw these across a large field and with decent accuracy.

The launcher is 21 inches tip to tip.

Banner stones no but interesting something to look in to.

My interest in these came about after watching a program about the Mayan and warfare of these people, it seem they were a very violent race, so much so they wiped themselves out and the Atlatl played a big part in this.

I wonder how many of these it took to kill a woolly mammoth.

I managed to find the launcher and will take a pic as soon as I get back from my night walk.

[Skean Dhude]

Can't wait to try one. Should be interesting.

[Scythe13]

Is this going to become a projectile toys event? If so, I've got some beautiful throwing knives that can come along haha.

[Skean Dhude]

Bring them. I'll be interested in seeing anyone who can consistently get them to work.

[Scythe13]

(10 May 2012, 14:21)Skean Dhude Wrote: Bring them. I'll be interested in seeing anyone who can consistently get them to work.

From stabbing range, I have 100% success! haha

Haven't used them for a while, but should get up to speed quick enough.