Blowgun power

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hillbilly

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I made a seven-foot-long blowgun out of 1/2 inch electrical conduit and a PVC coupler.

It cost me something like $3.00.

I have discovered that a certain manufacturer's commercial darts fit very nicely into my homemade, cheapie blowgun.

Anyway, I was shooting at a target hanging from a tree branch in my rural front yard--distance to target was 20 yards.

I missed the target a bit and the dart hit my garage, 15 yards behind the target.

Total flight of dart from my front porch, 35 yards (informally stepped off).

What follows are some pics of what happened when the dart hit the sheet metal siding of the garage after flying 35 yards.
 
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i saw a pigeon downtown that someone had shot 4-5 times with similar darts... don't think they were broadhead, but still... I tried to corral it to take it to the humane society but it flew off. I was pretty bummed out by that.

I guess, as they say, shot placement is key.
 
Many years ago, we would make darts from whittled-down pieces of cork and lengths of coat-hangers (cut at as sharp and angle as possible). Shot from a 3 or 4 foot length of copper pipe, we were able to penetrate both sides of a coffee can with fair regularity.
 
Looking to get some members from Arkansas

That's some fair shooting. Ever try competition target shooting with the blowgun? We need new members in the NSBA (National Sport Blowgun Association). Shoot from 10 meters (33 ft), at a target that's 5 ft. 3 in. above ground at it's center - a 6 cm bullseye (7 points), inner ring (12 cm - 5 points), outer ring (18 cm - 3 points) - 5 darts per round, 6 rounds - perfect score is 210 points; World Record (tied) is 194 points) - US record (tied for 3rd in world) is 192 points.
World record for long distance (24 cm target) is 36 meters (like hitting the goalpost with a footbal from the 40 yard line).

The spearhead .625 cal. dart in the photo is a hunting dart. The .625 target dart is the bamboo ones they sell (.40 and .50 cal. are wire darts). The first World Cup is being planned for 2007, the hope is to get the sport as an Olympic event for the 2016 games.
 
Post a link about the National Sport Blowgun Association.

And tell me more!

hillbilly
 
I made a blowgun out of 1/2" OD aluminum tubing (which I haven't seen availible in YEARS) 25 yrs ago. For darts I used crate nails (can't find those any more either, dang it) that were 3" long, but very thin (about like a #2 nail as long as a #8). I made a cone around the rather large nail head out of masking tape. At 30 to 40 feet I could reliably put one of these nails in a cigarette taped to a wall.

It did a good job on packrats.
 
NSBA info

The sport of competition target blowgun shooting started a decade ago in Japan. It slowly caught on world wide. In 2001, the American SBA started, but folded in a year. The NSBA replaced it, and has been the driving force in the sport internationally. A World Cup competiton is planned in 2007, and they're hoping to have the sport as an Olympic event for the 2016 games (the 2012 games are in the planning stages right now).

.40 or .50 cal. 4 ft. one-piece barrel (all commercially available) - 10 meter (33 ft.) firing line. Target is a 3 ring bulls-eye style, centered at 160cm (5 ft. 3 in.) above ground. Bulls-eye is 6 cm (7 points), inner ring is 12 cm (5 points) outer ring is 18 cm (3 points) - downloadable targets fit on an 8.5 x 11 in. letter-sized printer paper. Take 5 shots, record your score and retrieve the darts. Repeat this five more times (5 shots per round - 6 rounds per set - 30 dart shots total). Perfect score is 210. Two Japanese hold the World Record - a 194. A shooter from the USA is tied for 3rd with a 192. Advancement is based on the Martial Arts "dan" (blackbelt) system - with a "Master" level (6th degree blackbelt equivalent) requiring a 186 or above.

No national fees - they're looking for new members, to increase the enjoyment of the sport. Clubs can be as few as 3 participants (adult) - or individual membership is available if there's no local clubs nearby. There's even a Junior Blowgun Alliance for under 18 year olds that was started.

Rules, regulations, history (of blowguns,as well as the sport), safety, jokes, links (to USA and International clubs), free downloadable targets, and a whole lot more are online at:
http://www.enter.net/~craftsman/nsba/nsba.htm

Thanks for your interest.

May your darts always fly true!
 
hey dave? It's Adam (pfalcon425)



About the hunting now:

For blowgun hunting I found it is extremely advantagous to shot a 7 inch dart or so at a downward angle and therefore pinning your query to the ground. That way, if it isnt an instant kill, a quick shot to the head with take care of that or dispatch it cleanly with a slingshot. Now, this takes considerable practice but you should not be hunting with a BG if you dont have considerable skill to cleanly kill animals.
 
Pinning quarry

Excellent point Falkon. Depending upon what you're after. If you're not in a position to get a clean initial fatal shot, and the target is above you (bird in a tree, for example), some hunters usually try a wing shot, to pin it down.

The final objctive should be not to let a critter go looking like a pin cushion! (LOL)
 
I have the Cold Steel air gun. Works for me rather well.

Also, I have found an environmental use for it! Use it to puncture spray cans that I couldn't recycle before :D Can safety "take them out" from a distance and then recycle them. Very impressed that it'll put a metal broadhead through it and out the other side.
 
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