Blowguns- The Beginner's Primer

An Authoritative Book Concerning the Details of the

Blowgun's Construction and Usage
Written By Oliver Krystal
Preview Release
Version 1.6
Prologue:
The young man moves slowly and stealthily from the deep woods toward the edge of the clearing. He is short
and muscular by todays standards, and is dressed in a buckskin shirt, leggings, and moccasins. His jetblack
hair falls from beneath a turbanlike headdress, decorated with a few feathers and shells. !n his hands are the
long slender cane blowgun called Tugawesti and several needlesharp wooden darts tufted with "ull #ettle. The
darts are called $itsi. He has prepared himself by singing the hunt song, and shooting one of his darts away. !t
is a sort of sacrifice to the spirits of the hunt. His black eyes are intently focused on his %uarry, a flock of birds
feeding on the &ervice "erries in the low trees by the edge of a stream. They are considered to be a great
delicacy by the 'herokee. He makes a low hissing sound with his lips to calm and attract the birds.
The 'herokee are his people. He is of the "ird 'lan, known for their prowess with the Tugawesti. He has been
preoccupied of late with a pretty young woman of the "lue clan, and the birds will make a nice gift for her
mother. Hopefully this will work in his favor when the women of the "lue clan consider his initial re%uest to marry
the young woman.
&lowly he loads a dart into the blowgun, and raises it to his lips. (nother dart protrudes upward from his gripping
fingers a few inches in front of his right eye. !t serves as an improvised sight. The young man deliberately
rela)es his body, seeking to still himself from within. (s in most aspects of his life, this rela)ation techni%ue is
spiritual in origin. ( %uick puff of air sends the dart on its deadly mission at nearly *++ feet per second. There is
a brief %uiet flutter, and one of the birds falls to the ground. The other birds flit around in the trees, but do not fly
away. The young man slowly loads another dart. ,therwise he is as still as a statue. (nother dart flies, and
another, and another. -ach time a bird falls. He does not miss. The "ird 'lan members are indeed masters of
the Tugawesti. .hen he has enough he gathers the birds, reverently thanking each one in turn for giving him the
gift of its life. He then turns toward the village, and the home of the young womans mother.
!t is a beautiful day in the smoking mountains, the heartland of the 'herokee. The proud young man is full of
hope and dreams of the future. He has no way of knowing that within his lifetime, pale strangers will come:
&trangers who will change his way of life and that of his people forever. He strolls slowly along, daydreaming of
the pretty smiling face of his young woman.
/ess than four hundred years later, the thriving city of (sheville #orth 'arolina engulfs the area of the hunt with
tall buildings, paved streets, businesses and shops. The stream has long since been diverted, swallowed up by
concrete, asphalt, and steel. Pale metropolitan people hurry back and forth, living their contemporary lives. !f
asked, most would have only a vague notion of what a blowgun is. They will never know how wonderful the birds
taste when rubbed with herbs and roasted on a stick. They will never master the subtle skill of the Tugawesti, or
care to try. !n spite of this, there will be those few who remember. There will be those few who know0
Welcome to Blowgunning!
Blowgunning is not a well-known hobby. Now, you know of it as well. he !ur!ose of this book is to
!rovide a very good grounding !oint for all new blowgunners to start with- so that you could s!end
"oney on getting into the hobby and not on literature.
#o"e do !a!er blow darting as an alternative to air soft $Charles #ha!iro%. #o"e hunt rats $Blowgun
&oe%, while others hunt rabbit and s'uirrels. here is also a s!ort version of which you co"!ete for the
highest score. #o"e do all three and "ore.
Although there is a wealth of infor"ation about blowguns on the (nternet, it "ay be confusing sorting
through it, or getting all of the good links which "ay not be found at first with a )oogle search. Index
A lists *+ blowgunning sites- read through the" $so"e re'uire )oogle translator%. Although this book
contains a wealth of knowledge and is ho!efully a very good starting !oint $as ( intended it to be%, it
doesn't have every thing. ( have tried to get a co"!lete listing of the websites that are available on the
web.
A lot of things are hy!erlinked in this book. ( did that so that ( wouldn't have to co!y !aste a lot of
infor"ation that isn't "ine or because ( could not find a way to integrate that "aterial into the te,t.
( also have various blowgunners fro" the "essage board who would be ha!!y to answer you 'uestions.
hey are-
neondog.blowgunners.co"- Neon Dog, very interested in hel!ing you with ten-"eter
co"!etition.
hey would be ha!!y to hel! you with any !roble"s you "ay encounter. Also, feel free to visit the
Blowguns North/est 0essage board.
1ou "ay 2ust find the answer to your !roble" there.
3h, one thing. his book is to be given to your friends. (t is available on the (nternet fro" a "yriad of
sites, and should not be charged for. Feel free to freel give it awa for free..
4lease note that this book assu"es you have general knowledge of tools and how to use the". (f you
see a ter" you do not understand, D3N' )(56 U47 #end an advisor an e"ail and he would be ha!!y
to hel!.
Table of Content
Chapter 1- A Discourse Concerning Blowgun Safety
Chapter 2- History of blowgunning
Chapter 3- Designing a Blowgun
Chapter 4- Dart Design
Chapter 5- arget shooting!Ai"ing
Chapter #- ASBA Shooting $egulations% Si"plifie&'
Chapter (- )oison
*n&e+ A- ,ist of Blowgunner-s Ho"e pages
*n&e+ B-Blowgun Designs
*n&e+ C- Dart Designs'
*n&e+ D- Blowgun Accessories an& How to Buil&
*n&e+ .- )ro&uct $e/iews
Cre&its- 0es% * ha/e to' *t-s where * tell you where * got this stuff'
Chapter 1- Blowgunning Safety
1ou didn't think that a blowgun book would deserve a !age on safety would you8 /ell, nor"ally (
would laugh and say, 9No, it shouldn't.: But, if you've every looked for blowgun videos on 1ou ube,
you'll see !lenty of du"b stuff.
/ant to know what a blowgun can really do8 /ell, a ; foot <= caliber, $2ust guessing, the video didn't
say but that style see"s to be a retailer favorite% can sink a wire dart $the "ulticolored ones on the
cover% "ore then half way into a butt cheek. 1e!, so"ebody was that stu!id.
/ant a !iercing but can't afford one8 /ell, the blowgun can solve all your !roble"s. 1e!, so"eone
was that stu!id.
hink they can't be used in a cri"e8 /ell, several !eo!le were arrested for shooting other !eo!le with a
blowgun. 1e!, they were that stu!id.
(ts annoying because it gives us, the honest law-abiding blowgunners, a bad na"e.
#o ( ask you to do several things.
*. Don't shoot anybody. 6ven if they ask you to. 6ven if they beg you to. 6ven if they offer
"oney for you to. A standard wire dart will do so"e !retty nasty things. he designs shared in
this book are worse. hey are designed for "a,i"u" !enetration. hey were design by hunters
who desire to to 'uickly kill a s"all ga"e ani"al. ("agine what they would do to a butt cheek,
and leave it at that.
>. ?now if your blowgun is loaded or not. ?ee! it unloaded, unless you are hunting or intent on
using very soon.
;. (f you are hunting, be consistently able $about @ out of *= ti"es% to the 9kill: Aones of an ani"al.
3ff hand, behind their shoulders is a good !lace to find a heart. 4lease !ractice hu"ane killing.
( know that !hrase sounds wrong, but it "eans that you need to eat what you kill $if at all
!ossible%, and "akes sure that your !rey's death is 'uick.
<. ?ee! your hunting darts locked u! so that no one can use the" without you knowing. ( built a
dart bo, that has a to! locking device to !revent these kinds of !roble"s. ( a" very willing to
hel! you design a bo, that will be very secure if you have storage trouble.
B. 3nly give your blowgun to a res!onsible !erson who knows and res!ects these rules. /hile
they don't have read this book before they handle the blowgun at least infor" the" that a
blowgun can be very dangerous used incorrectly.
+. (f you live in California or 0assachusetts, don't get caught with a blowgun. hey are illegal
there.
@. Don't take a blowgun to a !ark. ( had a run in with a co! because a buddy and ( were shooting
!a!er cones at each other. (f a co! does sto! you, co"!ly with his re'uests. Ce's not out to get
you. By the way, to scare you off, ( think their was an un"arked s'uad car watching us. here
"ay also have been an officer on a "otorcycle as well. his was a s"all town. Don't even think
about it in Chicago.
3ther things to think about $no, !a!er darts aren't the sa"e as hunting darts%-
*. Don't run with a blowgun in your "outh. (t'll hurt if it goes back in.
>. /ear safety glasses during !a!er dart wars. /hile fun, a dart threw the eye could occur and that
would be the end of your eye- as well as any"ore !a!er dart wars.
(f you follow these rules, you:ll have a fun ti"e !laying with blowguns.
Chapter 2- History of Blowgunning
0any !eo!le are aware that they were used in the 2ungles, in con2unction with !oison $including the
infa"ous curare, featured in a Co"edy Central sketch% by the !yg"ies- the blowguns of which "ay be
;-< ti"es the siAe that the !yg"ies are. (t is said that these wielders could hit a hu""ing bird in flight
at a hundred !aces. Cowever, the blowgun was found in "ore !laces than the #outh A"erican 2ungles.
&a!anese nin2as utiliAed the" to !oison those that they were e"!loyed to assassinate. hey were also
utiliAed by the authorities and others in con2unction with !e!!er to blind attackers and unruly citiAens.
*
Blowgunning also gained firing rituals and such and is still !o!ular today.
Cowever, a relatively unknown fact $!erha!s even a"ong devoted blow gunners% is that the Cherokee
(ndians utiliAed a blowgun "ade of river cane, and an un-!oisoned wooden dart.

hey would select a
!iece of river cane +-D feet long, bore out the solid 2oints in-between the sections, taking the
a!!ro!riate "easures to s"ooth out the inside of the cane. hen, the cane is heated, then dried while
holding the cane straight. Darts are "ade of hardwood, and fletched with thistle down and sinew.
hey never utiliAed !oison on their darts, because they believed $rightly% that it would !oison the rabbit
or another other s"all ani"al they were shooting out.
>
&ivaro Blowguns constructed and sold their s"all .;E caliber blowgun in the *D+=Fs, @=Fs, and E=Fs.
hey did this threw s"all ads in outdoors "agaAines, shooting "agaAines, and the like. he faded
away towards the end of the E=Fs. heir vacuu", of course, was filled by chea! and wasteful things,
si"ilar to the blowguns available today fro" 9Co"e Defense: sites $a silly idea%. Blowgun &oe has
one of these blowguns and uses it today, >=-<= years later. he .;E has been re!laced by the .<=
blowgun.
According to Cold #teel, the one e,ce!tion to the over stuffed "arket of chea!, trashy, under!owered
blowguns was the &./. 0cGarlin Co"!anyHs version, a heavy alu"inu" .+>B caliber blowgun. Iynn
C. ho"!son $4resident of Cold #teel% ac'uired the blowgun co"!any as soon as the co"!any went
for sale. hese blowguns are now sold under the Big Bore J na"e fro" Cold #teel.
;

oday, the blowgun is !o!ular in A"erica. he A#BA currently regulates co"!etitions in the U# and
recogniAes award winners. #o"e !eo!le believe that the blowgun also blowguns in the !aintball arena
as a back u! wea!on, however, so"e !aint ballers disagree, citing trouble getting the !aint ball to burst
on their target.
he G#BA Currently regulates the Grench blow gunning. Although not wildly !o!ular, its is gaining
s!eed and recognition due to the work of individuals engaged in the s!ort there.
(t is wildly !o!ular in &a!an, where is is called 9fukiya.: he blowguns were used by the sa"urai
class, and there are rituals that "ay be co"!leted before use. hey utiliAe a blow!i!e with no
"outh!iece.
! have "oste# a ver in-#e"th article $%& "ages' small "rint( on m we)site at this lin*. +lic* on
the histor article lin*.
Chapter 3- Designing and Building a Blowgun
&ust what kind of s!eed can a blowgun achieve8 &anich will have you believe that a blowgun can go
about B== feet !er second $f!s%- or "ore. $As will the tables !resented below% ( believe that the casual
user "ay be able to achieve that kind of s!eed, if only on a fluke. A nor"al s!eed is *== f!s. hat's
still !retty doggone fast.
Blowguns North/est released this table, telling how fast a <= caliber can travel in various lengths.
GUN LENGTH 24 36 48
ACCURACY RANGE 28 feet 50 feet 67 feet
MAXIMUM RANGE 86 feet 150 feet 205 feet
MUZZLE VELOCITY 210 feet!e" 280 feet!e" 355 feet #e$ !e"%&'
Kuote- 9I6N)C ACCULAC1 AND 56I3C(1 D(GG6L6NC6#- (n !osting the following
infor"ation, this was based on the .<= caliber. Use the references for the .B= caliber and .+> caliber as
well. Cowever, the "anufacturers clai" that by using the .B= caliber and .+> caliber blowguns you can
achieve about >BM "ore velocity and distance(
hat "eans that in theory, a B= calibers and +> calibers will give you these kinds of velocities-
GUN LENGTH Ve)%"*t+ f%$ , 50 ",)*-e$ Ve)%"*t+ f%$ , 62 ",)*-e$ *& .EET
/ER 0ECON1
24 263 322
36 350 438
48 444 555
Note that the bigger the caliber or the longer the gun, the faster the velocities are. Now !lease stick
with "e here for 2ust a second.
1ou !ut a dart in a blowgun, correct8 1ou have 2ust created a te"!orary $and fairly loose% seal. Now,
to get a dart going fast, you si"!ly create an 9e,!losion: of air by e,haling 'uickly into a !i!e. At this
!oint, that burst of air accelerates a dart as fast as it can. he idea is to find the length that allows you
to get the dart to "a,i"u" acceleration before the air runs out and the dart starts to slow down in the
!i!e- say a B foot !i!e- because it allows you to get the biggest burst of air behind the !i!e before the
seal ends and you can no longer !ut "ore !ressure behind it.
Gro" the table, you should get that a bigger, longer blowgun should go faster. Cold 3N7 here is a
blowgunning rule that li"its how big your blowgun should be. #ince this book is written towards
beginners !ri"arily, 2ust take a few things into account.
he *N*=
th
rule says that a blowgun should be one-tenth of your lung ca!acity. his is nor"ally about
;== cubic inches. his "eans that your )lowgun volume should only use u! to ;= cubic inches. he
for"ula for cubic volu"e is-
he for"ula co"es out to vOC$4iPLQ>%. ( 2ust thought that looked nicer.
his "eans that to find the volu"e of a blowgun, take the the dia"eter of your blowgun, divide it by >.
#'uare that, then "ulti!ly by 4i, or ;.*<. hen take your blowgun length and find it in inches $*>
inches to a foot%. 0ulti!ly this nu"ber by the !revious nu"ber.
An example:
( have a ;' +: $or <>:% blowgun. (t is a +> caliber. #o, .+> divided by > is .;*. #'uare this, and it is
.=D+*. 0ulti!ly this by 4i, ;.*<. =.;=*@B<. Now, "ulti!ly this by <>:. (t co"es to *>.+@;++E. 4lenty
of breather roo". According to the *N*=
th
rule, you're doing 2ust fine.
0outh!ieces- A !i!e has two dia"eters- (.D. and 3.D. (.D. "eans inner diameter and 3.D. "eans
outer diameter. 1ou can "ake a "outh!iece fro" "any things- a co""ercial "odified to fit the 3.D.
of your !i!e, tubing that slides on with 2ust enough resistance to "ake it stay on, or a 45C fitting with
a screw in it or ta!e wra!!ed around to "ake it stay on. &ust wander around the 45C fittings for a little
bit, sli!!ing the" on and off the !i!e to see which fits the best.
#o"e blowgunners !refer a "outh!iece with a 9bell: that they can fit li!s inside of, so"e !refer one
that they wra! their hands around and then seal by !ressing their li!s to their hands, while still other
don't even bother with a blow!i!e $Gukiya style%.
Kuivers- 1ou can !urchase 'uivers for you blowgun or you can "ake the" by taking !i!e the sa"e
(.D. as you !i!e and folding ta!e into the inside so that it "akes the !i!e s"aller. 1ou can also use a
s"aller (.D. !iece of !i!e to "ake 'uivers. 4ersonally, ( wouldn't use the" on a hunting !i!e, unless
the hunting broadheads are covered for safety.
#tra!s- #tra!locks can be "ade by twisting so co!!er wire or using cable ties.
Iight "ounts- #ee (nde, D for an idea
4orting- his is done either to "ake the blowgun look tougher or to "ake the blowgun 'uieter by
re"oving the !o! fro" the end- realiAe that this dro!s "uAAle velocity because of the esca!ing air.
#ights- Bruce Bell of the A#BA has designed "ulti!le sites for usage. #ee the A#BA ho"e site for
!lans.
LealiAe that the accessories for a blowgun are only li"ited by your ability to a. build it, or b. describe
it.
Design a blowgun with as "any s!ecifications as !ossible- this will hel! you to create an efficient
design for that !ur!ose. ake note of any restrictions you "ay have- for instance-
rans!ortation
Are you walking and carrying the !i!e on your back
Liding a bike8
Driving a truck8
a car with no trunk s!ace8
Available "aterials-
conduit is heavier and has a bigger bore siAe
co!!er is lighter but is nicer when done right
45C is usually available anywhere
0onetary issues
Conduit is "uch chea!er than conduit
co!!er is e,!ensive
45C is about as chea! as conduit
Beatings it "ay take
co!!er and conduit will both dent
45C will take the blows, but "ay shatter
Available tools-
Co!!er and conduit will re'uire !i!e cutters and deburring
45C can be worked with a hacksaw and a knife.
0outh!ieces
Conduit can use a R: 45C fe"ale threaded fitting
45C can use any !ro!er siAed fittings
Co!!er "outh!ieces can be "ade out of tubing
Consider uses-
Cunting blowguns should be no shorter than B feet, unless using a high !owered blowgun,
such as )eeAer's. According to his tests, this can shorten the length by u! to a foot.
(f co"!eting, a blowgun can be no longer than <E:.
/hen !a!er blow darting, you need a good balance of accuracy, !ower, and
"aneuverability. Consider if you are a sni!er $who could use a longer !i!e% or so"eone
who is u! close and !ersonal in your style $try ;' or s"aller, de!ending on how close you
get%.
/rite down what you want the blowgun to do, and then begin designing it according to those
s!ecifications. hen begin testing to refine your design and to get it to where it is the "ost !ossibly
efficient at that use.
(f hunting, consider using BlowgunCunter's !i!e or )eeAer's beginner's !i!e or his high !owered
design. Gor !a!er blow darting, consider utiliAing the Charles #ha!iro style or "y general use version.
Le"e"ber that "aterial is not necessarily as i"!ortant as efficiency. (nde, B is devoted to blowgun
designs- use the" if you don't know what to do. Also consider e"ailing an advisor for hel! if you're
2ust !lain out confused.
Chapter - Designing and Building a Blow Dart
Index B contains many effective dart designs.
If you do not feel up to the task of designing a dart,
or ant to ensure that your dart ill make as clean a kill as possi!le,
you can use one of those dart designs until you are sure of your design.
Before we even get started- o insure yourself a continuous flow of cones, learn how to roll a !a!er
dart.
,art ,esign -ui#elines. /via the +aveman's site0
4referred weight of a cal .+> Dart is ;.> gra"s $however darts =.B to B gra" can be used%
Above darts !erfor" best $waggle free% when fired by >.> 0eter Blowgun, fired with a
strong blow -S "uAAle s!eed about <E "etersNsecond
he dart "ust have the "a2or !art of the weight in the first half of length. he 4oint of
Balance also known as TCenter of )ravity: $Co)% shall be located always less than B=M
of length $"easured fro" ti!%. (f Co) e,ceeds <=M then !roble"s with waggling of dart
will increase.
a!ering the shaft ensures that "ost weight is located in the first half of the dart shaft.
Cone "ust be ke!t as light as !ossible $ less than =.@ gra"s%
Above darts have a cone with a slo!e of about ; - * $ Iength - Dia"eter%
(nitially, the cone is "ade with D fins that are too long $*B ""%, later they are cut off to
o!ti"u" length.
Gins "ay have a !arallel sha!e $as far as !ossible%
he end dia"eter of cone at the end of the fins shall be close to DBM $U->.BM% of cal of
blow gun $e,ceeding *==M of cal. leads to overco"!ensation of the dart%
he average ga! width between two fins shall be *.* "" $U-=.> ""% -S for cal .+>
Note on Gins- Gle,ible fins do auto ad2ust during flight $they bend under strea"ing air%
and can be used for a wider range of s!eed. wo layers of =.* "" 4olyester $46% Gil" is
best. A cone rolled with ; or < layers of fil" will be e,tre"ely stiff. 6,tre"e stiff $thick%
fins do not bend during flight. heir ca!ability for waggle co"!ensation is higher, but the
cone can only be used for a s"aller s!eed range.
hese are the Cave"an's Dart design guidelines. (f you've ever gone to his site, you know that he has
so"e of the best dart designs ever.
Darts "ainly fall under two "ain categories- huntingNfishing and target darts. Cunting darts are
designed to be as deadly as !ossible, while target darts are designed to be accurate and enough to stick
in a target.
LealiAe that a hu"ane hunter, though he kills, insures that the ani"al suffers as little as !ossible. hus,
we use as deadly a dart as !ossible on !rey that can be sanely killed with a dart. 4rey includes- rabbits,
s'uirrels, fish, cockroaches $see Blowgun&oe's site%, and "ice.Vso"eone hel! "e fill this in, !lease7S
he !ur!ose of a hunting dart is to cut as wide of a blood channel as !ossible, and to strike at vitals.
he lung shot kills *==M of the ti"e. Ai" for it. 0ost blowgunners li"it their hunting range to about
>= yards $right8% to insure the 'uick death of the !rey.
('" not going to give infor"ation on how to hunt, because entire volu"es can $and have been% filled on
the sub2ect. Also, BlowgunCunter's site can teach you "ore then ( could. Light now, ( would suggest
that you either use his blow dart, or the hunting dart fro" /his!erss.
-eneral ,art ,esign
he entire !ur!ose of a target design is for the dart to be accurate. )eeAer has stated that "ulti!le
cones on the shaft drastically increase accuracy. hunker's disk dart has created a 9stor": because of
the accuracy that this creates.
('" going to use "y dart as a case study.
As you can see fro" the rendering,
there are ; "ain !arts of a dart, !lus
one not shown-
*. he tail cone, "ade fro"
"any things, such as the
Cave"an's cones, "y cones, a
#ha!iro style !a!er cone, and
beads $if they brush right.%
>. he shaft. his is "ade fro"
ba"boo skewers, *NE
:
dowel,
;N*+: dowel, alu"inu" rod.
;. And the !oint, with a slot or
hole in in for the ti! $broad
head.%
<. he Broad head, or the ti!.
he reason the Broad head isn't in the
dart is that ( haven't got that far yet.
Cang on.
Now, ( did cheat a little bit. Nor"ally ( would "ake the dart shaft *>: long. Cowever, to "ake it look
9right: for this !icture, ( cheated. his dart shaft is actually only ;: long. (n real life, dart
aerodyna"ics work differently. But let's not get to far ahead.
"he tail cone. 6verything starts and ends at that cone. he center of the end of the shaft should be
concentric with the end of the cone. #o"e !eo!le use disks to for" the ends of their darts- like
hunker, while others $like &anich% utiliAe a bead for the 9tail cone: of their dart. here's nothing
wrong with these styles. ( !refer to roll a !a!er cone via Charles #ha!iro's instructions because they
are chea! and easy. A table for your consideration.
Tail 1+one2 Pros +ons
#aper $one Chea! and easy to "ake )ets wet, which ruins it.
Bead Bought at store, chea!ly 0ust find the siAe which fits, "ust cull to "ake sure
that you get a tight enough fit- which leaves useless
leftovers
%isk 0ake fro" cardboard, foa",
what-have-you
Le'uires an accurately tri""ed disk to fit. Need ;
or "ore for "ost accuracy.
"he &haft he shaft balances the differences of the broad head's weight with the light tail cone. (
!refer a shaft *>: long, because ( think that it's a good balance of the accuracy a longer shaft offers,
while the shaft isn't to long. #o"e like wire or alu"inu" rod or ba"boo.
3haft 4aterial Pros +ons
Alu"inu" )ood sturdy shaft /eight "ake the dart heavy. 1ou "ay
have to buy it fro" a !lace such as
0c0asterCarr. )etting e,!ensive
Ba"boo 0aterial that is vary sturdy. Available in
the cooking accessories !art of the
grocery store
3nly available in a few siAes- what your
grocer has. ('" sure you can order online
though.
4ine dowel Classic. /hat else is there to say8 3ak is tougher, but e,!ensive. Co"es in
either ;' or <' sections fro" the store so if
your shafts are odd siAed, you'll have
so"e leftover that you can't shoot out of
your !i!e.
"he #oint'All shafts should be !ointed for "a,i"u" !enetration through an ani"al. Again, re"e"ber
that a blow gunner's goal is to "ake his !rey's death as 'uick as !ossible. 1ou can !ut in the !oint with
sand!a!er. #tart with *== grit !a!er, then 2u"! to >B= grit to finish it. Add a slot with either a hobby
saw, s"all hacksaw, or a scroll saw.
3lot +utter Pros +ons
Cobby #aw 0akes slots well enough Blade "ay be slightly thicker then an ,-
acto blade.
0ini Cacksaw 0akes slots well enough he blade is thicker than an ,-acto blade,
harder to line u! through the center while
cutting
#croll saw 0akes slot 'uickly and easily, the
width is 2ust about !erfect
6,!ensive. 1ou also have to think about
what kind of blades you're using as that
affects the slot width.
#!litting with a knife Chea!, 2ust get a knife and a
ha""er $"ade fro" a block of
wood and a dowel%. 4lace in the
"iddle and ta!
(f the grain is s'uirrelly and you give it to
"uch of a ta!, its easy to shear off a !iece
of the dowel. 0ay weaken the shaft- fi,
by wra!!ing with e"broidery thread and
su!er glue.
"he Broad head.
he broad head can really be "ade fro" 'uite a few different things. Cere,
('ve rendered two designs- a nail that is filed to a !oint at the end, and a
broad head to be ground fro" a steel. he broad head is !ut in the slot and
su!er glued in. he nail can be !ut in a s!lit, a slot, or a hole, while also
being su!er glued in. he triangular broad head is designed to be deadly,
while the nail ti! is designed !ri"arily to stick into a board.
Broa# hea# ,esign 3tarter Form Pros +ons
(ail "ip A nail 6asy to "ake, sticks
well. Chea! as far as
"aterials are concerned
akes a lot of ti"e to build. Not for
hunting
)'Acto W-acto blade 6asy to "ake, 2ust sna!
off the end
Not as chea!- also you have to sna! a
raAor blade which is a fairly dangerous
!rocess if done i"!ro!erly
*tility Blade Utility blade #a"e as above, e,ce!t
that you get a wider
blade and two fro" one
knife blade
#a"e as above. 1ou will have !arts of
a wasted raAor blade leftover.
+round Broad head A block of
steel or what
ever
&ust the sha!e you
wanted7
6,!ensive and "ore e,!ensive because
you either have to find so"eone who
will tool the" for you or a sho! that
will, of course for a !rice.

o the Designing7 Now, a target dart has to do several things-
*. Cave re!eatable results. his "eans that grou!ing $shoot ; darts, draw lines to connect all
three, "ake a circle around the dart furthest away fro" the center, "easure the dia"eter and
you have the grou! siAe% should be fairly consistent.
>. 6n2oy the !unish"ent of being shot in a board over and over with out having the ti! affected
greatly or the re!eatability being di"inished.
;. Not shatter if the ti! hits the backsto! to hard $a !roble" with ,-actos%.
<. 4referably have a re!laceable cone- in case it gets shot by another dart.
As with the blowgun, it is best to begin designing with as "any s!ecifications as !ossible. #it down
and write out or develo! a list in your head of e,actly what you want the dart to do, then begin
designing it.
Again, study the designs in (nde, C. hey will give you several designs that will serve you well until
you begin designing your own darts. #tudy the !rocesses for "aking the darts- they will give you
"any ideas for the ways you can "ake your own darts. Light now ( only have a few designs, but with
each new edition, ( ho!e to add "ore.
Chapter !- "i#ing
An A"using 4ost about a Blowgunning Cyclo!s.
he !icture above relates about blowgun ballistics and flight !aths of a dart. All !ro2ectiles fly in a
!arabolic sha!e. he red ,light #ath illustrates this. Due to weight, the dart loses altitude, thus you
need to account for the dart dro!!ing as it travels through the air. he gray -ine of &ight !ath
illustrates this.
Paralla5 6iming
here are "any "ethods to the "adness of ai"ing a blowgun. he one that "ost
9!rofessional: blowgunners utiliAe is called parallax ai"ing. he !icture beside
relates to parallax aiming. A !aralla, occurs because you are focusing on the
target, yet the end of your blow!i!e is still within your field of vision. he trick
now beco"es to utiliAe this !aralla, to ai". As the illustration shows, you take
and 9s!lit the difference: of the !i!es. /ith the 9center: you !lace this 2ust over
the center of the target, then blow.
13na" an# 3hoot2 3tle
his is the sort of shooting that you would benefit the "ost fro" in a !a!er dart war. (t's not accurate
enough for the sort of shooting that you would need to do in co"!etition shooting, but it is "uch
'uicker then !aralla, ai"ing.
13hotgun2 3tle
his uses the end of the !i!e as a reference !oint for shooting.
A #arallax
Chapter $- "SB" %egulations& Si#plified
&ince I.m in the *nited &tates, I.m under A&BA regs.
I encourage everyone to go to the home page for the !logunning country that you are in,
and register to !ecome a mem!er of that group.
A#BA Legulation arget A A#BA Legulation arget B


Target Rules.
UtiliAe one the two targets !ictured above. he center should be +;: fro" floor height.
Di"ensions of the rings are-
Di"ension Color 5alue
+ c". Circle 1ellow @ !oints
*> c". Led B !oints
3uter *E c" Blue ; !oints
he first thing you need to know about a A#BA co"!etition is-
Blowgun Regulations.
Blowgun with calibers larger then +>B are not !er"itted.
Blowguns longer than <E: $< feet% are also not !er"itted.
#econd, you "ust have the !ro!er dart to co"!ete. hese rules are a little "ore co"!le,-
/ire darts only. he e,ce!tions are-
Gukiya style cone darts
Ba"boo shafted .+>B caliber darts.
1ou "ay also utiliAe !lastic cone darts.
hird, !lease observe these following "iscellaneous rules-
Kuoted- 9(o rear'mounted /mouthpiece'side0 sights, no light'emitting sights, no !arrel
handles or other supports are permitted.:
(f you are !hysically unable, ad2ust"ents "ay be "ade to suit you and your disability.
-ame Pla
4layers will shoot B darts !er round and + rounds !er ga"e, for a total of ;= darts.
1ou "ay shoot one !ractice round of B darts only before the co"!etition co""ences.
1ou are re'uired to shoot your round in B "inutes, with the total ti"e being >B "inutes for a
ga"e.
Ieft over darts are Aero.
1our blowgun and ar"s "ay go over the 9foul line,: but your feet "ay not. Don't cross the
foul line with your feet.
Any darts shot with your feet over the line count as Aero. (f they can't decide which shot it
was, you lose your highest dart score7
(t is the score kee!er's 2ob to alert you if you cross over the foul line.
1ou "ay fire a new dart in !lace of a dart that rebounded. (f you load two darts into your barrel
and fire, it counts as two darts.
(f you dro! a dart over the foul line, it counts as Aero, unless you can retrieve the dart without
crossing the foul line with your feet.
6,cess darts fro" the B dart li"it are dealt with by subtracting the highest value dart and
working the way down.
/ait until all blowgunners have finished firing before checking your score.

3coring our 3hots
Both you and your score kee!er should a!!roach the target when the firing has been co"!leted.
Announce your total nu"ber of @'s, B's and ;'s. 1our scorekee!er will check it, and record.
(f you break the dividing line, the dart gets the higher score.
(f you have an argu"ent, the 2udge for the event will decide. Cis decision is final.
Lobin hooded darts count for the value that the !ierced dart received.
/hen scores are confir"ed, darts "ay be re"oved.
/hen all blowgunners have returned to the foul line, shooting "ay begin again.
his is a drawing of what the firing lane should look like fro" the side.
Chapter '- (oison)
7et me sa this as em"haticall as ! can.- I do not !elieve in the use of poisons. (n a blowgun, they
!resent as "uch danger to the hunter as to the !rey. /hile A"aAons have used blowguns for "any
years- no doubt "any died before the !ro!er !rocedure was discovered. he !ossible e,ce!tion is
ca!saicin !oison.
! #o so ma*ing no claims a)out the safet' usa)ilit or effectiveness.
/hile &anich s!ends a large a"ount of his ti"e e,tolling the backyard blow gunner about how to "ake
various kinds of darts intended to deliver !oison, he doesn't really talk about how dangerous it is. Ce
doesn't really talk about safety, he 2ust suggests using a !a!er cone to shield the "outh!iece fro" the
!oison. ( say that !oison should be left to the !rofessionals, such as veterinarians who can use it to
sedate and ani"al. hat's what ( intend to do.
he only !oison infor"ation that ( canNwill $take your !ick% offer is here
Ca!saicin !oison is "ade fro" hot chili !e!!ers. he 9!oison: !art is e,tracted using *D= !roof
6verclear- so"ething 2ust short of being *==M alcohol $in actuality, it is DBM !ure%. 1ou will have to
be over the age of >*- >@ or "ore de!ending on your ho"e state and local laws to !urchase it.
4oisoning an ani"al is 2ust not worth it.
wo views fro" !ro"inent blowgunners.
From Blowgun 8unter
9( stay far away fro" !oison and have never tried hunting with it. A blowgun is only a s"all ga"e
wea!on. #ince ( can kill rabbits and s'uirrels without !oison, ( don't see the need to risk "essing with
it. )oing after anything large enough to re'uire !oison see"s like using the wrong wea!on for the 2ob
to "e. Cowever, in the book 'A #!orting Chance' by 0anni,, the author gets a !er"it to ac'uire so"e
kind of !oison, then gets s!ecial one-ti"e !er"ission to use it hunting and is successful at killing a
s"all deer with a !oisoned blowgun dart.:
$htt!-NNwww.geocities.co"NblowgunhunterNGAK.ht"l%
From the +aveman
9/hat we do N3 encourage in any for" is the use of !oisons on the darts, a !ractice historically used
to over-co"e the li"ited striking force of the darts by A"aAon natives, and often utiliAed as a assassin's
tool in the "ovies. 4oisons are si"!ly too risky to have around any household and have no !lace in our
society. Nuff said.
$htt!-NNwww.!olar-electric.co"NBlowgunNDartsNDisclai"er.ht"l%
(ote: I copy1pasted these off of their sites. "hats hy the links are their. If you don.t !elieve me, you can find it there.
IF YOU FEEL YOU MUST HAVE POSION TO KILL YOUR TARGET, ITS TOO BIG OR YOU
ARE TOO POOR A SHOT TO BE HUNTING!
"gain& I state* I do not belie+e in the use of poisons)
I a# not responsible for anything that you do with this)
Inde, "- Blowgunning Ho#e pages
Th e s e ar e the per s o n al we b pag e s of bl o wg un n e r s on the net
Blowgun &oe- htt!-NN*>.*B>.***.++NinfoNblowgun2oeNinde,.ht"l
Blowgun &oe hunts rats. Ce has !ictures of kills !osted on his site, but you won't
9accidentally: find the". Ce has infor"ation to "ake a travel blowgun out of co""ercial
!arts, as well as a thorough section on ai"ing.
he Cave"anFs Co"e!age- www.!olar-electric.co"NBlowgunNDartsNinde,.ht"l
he cave"an has very !recise darts. Ce has thoroughly tested the" and has very good
infor"ation on flight characteristics and ad2ust"ents of each. ( also used things fro" his
site in "y dart construction cha!ter.
Build a Better Blowgun with Blow)unCunter-www.geocities.co"NblowgunhunterN
Blow)unCunter has on line instructions for "aking a co"!lete hunting set, fro" blow!i!e,
to darts, to ai"ing, to using you kill. he *sing 2our Kill section is very nice, because its
hard to find instructions on how to skin and cook your kill.
Cas the blowgunning section out of A &porting $hance available for download
he 4a!er Dart #ite- www.to"shiro.orgN!dartNinde,.ht"l
Cow to roll !a!er cones7 his is the easiest way to "ake a lot of cones for your darts.
hey're chea! and easy.
0add DoggFs 4age- www.geocities.co"N"adddXdogggNblowgunNintro.ht"
0add Dogg has a very in de!th section on "aking blowguns for a s!ecific lung ca!acity, as
well as the hard core calculations behind it.
3liver 90r.#ou!*>: ?rystal- www.geocites.co"N"r.sou!*>Nblowguns.ht"l
his is "y web !age. ( don't have a lot- though ( do have a guide for building a flashlight
"ount, a !df of the five best sites $as far as ('" concerned% on the web, and a few other
things. Also check out the !ortable a!!s section to find out about the co"!uter on a flash
drive.
Iawton Girst BlowgunnersN Neon Dog- www.blowgunners.co"N
his is a blowgunning club in a church7
he Blowguns North/est 0essage Board Co"e!age-
htt!-NNgrou!s."sn.co"NBlowgunsNorthwest4layers)rou!N"essages."snw
his is the hottest blowgunning co""unity ( know of. his is were the a lot of
blowgunners can be found.
he Cybrid Blowguns 0essage Board
htt!-NNgrou!s."sn.co"NCybrid BlowgunsN"essages."snw
his is "y grou!, hosted by 0#N- this is the !lace to get the newest edition of this book.
(f you e"ailed "e about a ty!o, there "ay be a new, revised version. Also check the
"essage boards- ( "ay add a new cha!ter and that's where you'll know.
3ld 6ditions of this Book.
3ld editions of the book are www.geocities.co"N"r.sou!*>Nbook.ht"l
Blowguns North/est Co"e!age- www.blowgunsnw.co"N
#ince Blowguns North/est s!onsors the blowgunning board, ( thought it only fitting that (
listed the". 0ore blowguns for sale can be found on other !laces, but ('" $fairly% sure that
you'll get good service fro" the".
6ric's 0use- htt!-NNho"e.neb.rr.co"Nerics"useNblowgun.ht"
A !age about ca!saicin !oison and a few other things.
Blogunning Associations
he A"erican #!ort Blowgun Association- htt!-NNho"e.att.netNYasbaNinde,.ht"
A#BA ho"e!age- it has "any targets for use, including a terrorist target
#tandard arget here. his will o!en a .!df file in your browser.
he Grench #!ort Blowgun Association- htt!-NNwww.fsba.frN8!ageOho"eZhlOus
(n Grench, utiliAe )oogle ranslator to translate to 6nglish
#!ort Gukiya Co"e!age $&a!anese Blowguns%
htt!-NNwww.echigo.ne.2!NYdhiguchiNinde,Xe.ht"l
his is the 6nglish version of the web !age.
)er"an #!ort Blowgunning Co"e!age $Deutscher Blasrohr #!ort Club%-
htt!-NNwww.blasrohr-s!ort.deN
(n )er"an, utiliAe )oogle ranslator to translate to 6nglish Blasrohr "eans blowgun. (t's
not the best, but you'll get the general idea.
The one thing that I hav e n' t list e d. At ti"e of !ublishing, )eeAer's Corner was still off-line.
A!!arently his web rental la!sed. /e "ourn the loss of his site, and ho!e that it will return. Cis web
link was- www.geeAers-corner.co". ( have scanned !ages of his website here. 1ou can also get !lans
for his high !owered blowguns there.
Othe r non- Int er ne t re s o ur c e s .
Boo* that is availa)le for free #ownloa#.
A #!orting Chance $the blowgun section% fro" here.
0irror #ite.
his book. &ust in case you forgot the link.
Boo*s that are not availa)le for free #ownloa#.
A #!orting Chance by Danial 0ani,,- the entire book. 3ut of !rint so you'll !robably s!end a whole
lot on it.
Blowguns- he Breath of Death by 0ichael &anich. $[*B% #!end your "oney on a blowgun, and
borrow this fro" a buddy.
Inde, B- Blowgun Designs
Note: It is strong! s"ggeste# t$%t !o" re%# % instr"&tions 'e(ore '"i#ing
% 'o)g"n*
Charles Shapiro Style Blowgun
Okay, so you.ve looked at all this stuff and decided that you ant to !uild a !logun. Well, okay.
"hese are the instructions for a $harles &hapiro style !logun.
1ou will need-
*. R: co!!er !i!e. Note that at !rinting this stuff was bloody e,!ensive $about [*B for a ten-foot
length%, even though the !rice ca"e fro" a !revious high of [>B. Iike ( said, bloody e,!ensive.
1ou "ay be able to have the store that you bought the !i!e at $a s"all store like Do-(t Best% cut
and deburr it for you.
>. A "outh!iece. his can be done BNE (.D. $inner dia"eter% thick wall tubing. Cut it about >:
long.
;. A way to deburr the inside of the !i!e. Choices include-
*. rattail file
>. deburring tool $so"eti"es available at the store that you bought your !i!e%
;. dre"el stone. /arning, this will really trash your stone after awhile
<. 4i!e cutter, "easuring ta!e, !er"anent "arker.
4er Charles #ha!iro instructions, cut it ;' long. Attach the "outh!iece. he "ost annoying !art will be
deburring the !i!e. Don't sto! until the burr is co"!letely gone. Now you have a co"!leted blowgun.
Te c h ni c al Read- Out
Lengt h 3' (cut for a Charl e s Shapir o styl e)
Calib er !" ! (#ownl o a d for spe cifi c b or e si$e at %y sit e)
&aterial Coppe r pipe- rust pro of
Co %% e n t s Light wei g ht ' go o d all- round bl o wpi pe &yper s o n a l fa(orit e
)ses *ape r darting or targ e t sh o o ti ng (+S,+re gul ati o n s st at e that a bl o wg u n %a y b e any
lengt h up to and includi ng -') That' s ab o ut all .ts far too sh ort and low po w e r e d to
ta/e hunting
Other de si g n
Co %% e n t s
0one
Cad Lendering of #ha!iro style blowgun, utiliAing a tubing
"outh!iece
My General Use Style
(For paper darting and general screw around fun.)
"his !lopipe has a fe accessories, thus its !uild time is longer,
as ell as my instructions
1ou will need-
he sa"e "aterials as above, e,ce!t-
*. 1ou will use conduit instead of co!!er $its "uch chea!er%.
>. A *N>: 45C Ge"ale to Ge"ale connector
;. *=->< ta! and corres!onding drill
<. *=-><, ;NE: bolts
B. Co!!er wire and !liers, as well as so"ething round, about \ of an inch.
+. A drill with a *NE: inch drill bit.
@. Iots of electrician's ta!e

Porting
his is a rendering of what
the end should like when
finished. 1ou will drill ; sets
of *NE: holes, *N>:, ;N<:, and
*: away fro" the "uAAle.
0ake sure that you deburr the
inside and outside of the
holes.
3tra" 7oc*s
his is a drawing of the !ath the wire should take for" your stra! locks. he tail
ends should be about >-; ti"es the width of your electrician's ta!e. 0ake two and
!lace one about +: away fro" the "uAAle, and the the other about E: away fro"
the to!. his is relational to your shooting gri!, as well as the 'uivers. "hese strap locks must go one
first, !ut their position is relative to the 3uivers. (nsure you have enough s!ace to acco""odate your
'uivers and whatever way you gri! your "outh!iece.
4outh"iece
1ou can use a "outh!iece si"ilar to the one "odeled here, or you can use
one that has treads on both ends. hese are called R 45C Ge"ale to Ge"ale
fittings. Drill and ta! with a *=-;> ta!, then screw in a *=-;>, ;NE
th
. 1ou
can get away with 2ust using a single screw, or you can use two screws.
9uivers. Cut two !ieces of conduit ;: long. /ra! these with electrician's ta!e, leaving about a width
of the ta!e hanging over one edge of the !i!e. Cut into the ta!e vertically, then fold the tabs down into
the inside of the !i!e. o install, hold like your going shoot it with the "outh!iece.
Buil#ing :otes
(n "y shooting style, ( wra! "y hand around the "outh!iece, then !ress "y li!s on to! of "y hand.
Gor "y !ositioning, ( would have the "outh!iece installed, then wra! it with "y hand like ( would gri!
it. ( would allow about * R:- >: of s!acing fro" the to! of the 'uivers so the to! of the darts have
so"ewhere to go. ( "ark where their going with the "arker, !ut on the stra! locks in about the "iddle
of the "arks, wra! the blow!i!e in electrician's ta!e, then !ut on the 'uivers. Cut out or drill out the
!orting holes, then again insure that there are no burrs on the inside of the !i!e.
(f you have so"e fairly thick string you can use that, as well as a gun stra!, a carry case stra!, a ca"era
bag stra!. Anything that will fit on the stra! locks can be used.
Te c h ni c al Read- Out
Lengt h 3' 12
Calib er 13- #ownl o a d +(ailabl e at &ySite or Ca(e % a n ' s Site
&aterial 4&TConduit- fairly rust pro of Consi d e r ho w wor n your tape is 4lectrici an' s tape is
fairly wat e r pr o of ' but do n' t pus h it
Co %% e n t s 5airly he a (y- its gal ( a ni $ e d st e e l aft er all 3' 12 lengt h is a c o %pr o %i s e b et w e e n a sh ort'
go o d all-round 3' and the high e r po w e r e d and %o r e ac c ur at e -' bl o wg u n
6as strap loc/s s o that you can attac h a strap to carry with 4lectrici an' s tape wr ap
lowe r s (isi bility at night
)ses *aper darting or targ et sh o o ti n g (+S,+re gul ati o n s st at e that a bl o wg u n %a y b e any
lengt h up to and includi ng -') That' s ab o ut all .ts far to sh ort and low po we r e d to ta/e
hunting
Other de si g n
Co %% e n t s
*orting on the e nd %a y re duc e the %u$$l e (el o city' ho w e ( e r ' during a ni ght pape r dart
ga % e wh e r e sil e n c e can %a / e or br e a / your strat e g y' it %a y b e a wort h it
Note that you could forgo the 'uivers and stra! locks and
add the" in later. &ust a thought.
Geezer's Beginner Pipe
(For HUNTING!.)
Although +ee4er.s e!site is no currently off line,
I made print outs of parts of his !logun design !efore the site as shut don.
"his as1is his easy !eginner.s pipe.
Te c h ni c al Read- Out
Lengt h !'
Calib er 13- #ownl o a d +(ailabl e at &ySite or Ca(e % a n ' s Site
&aterial *7Cpipe ' alu%i nu % cha n n e l tape - Rust pro of' thoug h pro b a b l y not the %o s t wat e r
pro of
Co %% e n t s 0e(er ha(i ng %a d e or us e d on e ' . can' t say %uc h 6owe ( e r ' the abund a nt us e of tape
%ay det e r us e
)ses *aper darting' targ e t sh o o ti ng (cut sh ort to -' to %e e t +S,+re gul ati o n s)' and hunting
Other de si g n
Co %% e n t s
0one
Inde, C- Dart Designs
The Oliver Krystal Dart Design
his is the dart ( designed. ( designed to be several things.
*. 6asy- ( wanted to be able to build it in about *B "inutes, with !ro!er tools.
>. Accurate- at least enough that it would hit "y target "ore often then not.
;. 0ediu" weight- #!eaks for it self. Iight weights fly far, but donFt !enetrate as well, heavy weights !enetrate,
but donFt fly far.
<. ail cone had to be interchangeable. hat was easy- "ake it out of a !a!er cone then ta!e it on with
electricianFs ta!e. Note the electricianFs ta!e- it sticks really well.
B. Le!roducible with chea! "aterials ( could get really easy- no ,-actoFs at all.
+. (t had to stick into a board7 ( wanted that really bad.
/ith that in "ind- ( ca"e u! with this design-
Actually , ( built a test first, then rendered it in AutoCad >==>- drafting software.
wo different shots. he first one $4revious !age, left hand side% is of the darts. Notice that the shaft
is s!lit, the nail inserted, and then su!er glued. he ne,t one $right side% is of a 9robin hood: that ( shot
without su!!ort. (ts not a true robin hood because it went threw the side of the flight. he ne,t one has
a nickel in between the two darts. he last is another 9robin hood: again, not a true because it ca"e
out the side of the flight.
8ow to )uil#.
ools that you need-
*.A "ill file, bastard cut- donFt laugh
>.A "allet- ( "ade "ine.
;.Utility knife
<.#u!er glue
B.6"broidery thread
+.<d finish nail, * R long
@.;N*+ inch dowel, *>: long
E.6lectricianFs ta!e
D.;>= grit sand!a!er
*=.A !air of vise gri!s
Girst, begin by cutting the head off the nail. hen, lock that side into the vise gri!s. Begin filing it
down, so that the ta!er starts about half way down the nail, running to the !oint. Gile it until it is fairly
!ointy and round. 4ut the file away and begin sanding it until it is round $"ostly% and shar!. Lelease
the nail fro" the !liers.
)ri! the dowel shaft with the !liers $lightly, donFt break it%. )ri! the dowel in such a way that you can
ta! on the utility blade so that it s!lits about an inch down the shaft. 4ull out the knife, then set it about
*N;> of an inch to the side, then ta! the blade in at an angle. /hy the angle8 (t will !rovide you a little
e,tra s!ace for the nail. Do the sa"e on the other side of s!lit.
Coat the s!lit with su!er glue, then insert the nail. hen tie the botto" of the s!lit with the e"broidery
thread, as well as the to! of the shaft. ri" off the ends, leave about *NE of an inch, then coat around
the thread with su!er glue.
Do not get su!er glue on your fingers. (t bonds instantly and !er"anently. hen only way to get it off
is to take a ,-acto blade and cut of the layer skin.
0ake a flight fro" whatever you !refer. Cowever, ( like to "ake a short, stiff !a!er cone !er Charles
#ha!iro instructions, tri" the !ointy end to fit the shaft, tri" the other end to fit "y !i!e, then attach
with electricianFs ta!e. (t will hold securely- lots of shots, the !a!er wore out before the ta!e.
Note that you can also use "y cone downloads, or the Cave"an's downloads.
Dave hisperss! Design
Whi s p e r s s s e nt me the followi ng s e t of instr ucti on s via e mail.
Many thank s .
My not e s ar e in Bold
he first set of instructions for "y favorite broad head.
1ou need the following "aterials-
*. *>T ba"boo skewers
>. >lbs test fishing line $heavier will work u! to about *=lbs test, 2ust use less of it%
;. ]> W-AC3 blades $]**'s will work too%
<. "agaAine !a!er $full !ages%
B. #cissors
+. nail cli!!ers
@. !liers $two !air or a cla"! of so"e sort and a single !air of !liers, !referably needle-nose%
E. su!er glue
D. !ony beads $actual na"e% #hould be about *N<: big, with a *NE: hole for the shaft
*=. utility knife
Optional 5aterials-hin walled alu"inu" tubing slightly larger than the dia"eter of the skewer
$should al"ost fit by friction alone% is an o!tion. (f you use the tubing, you'll need so"ething to cut it
with. ( use a s"all tubing cutter. !f using tu)ing' ou ma omit the fishing line. 6lso remem)er to
remove the li" forme# ) the "i"e cutter.
*. )lue a !ony bead to the unshar!ened end of the skewer about *N<T fro" the end.
>. /hile that dries, cut a !age fro" the "agaAine into 'uarters of e'ual siAe. ake one 'uarter and
roll it into a cone, Charles #ha!iro style. A !erson "ay find it easier to use a half sheet instead
of a 'uarter, but with !ractice, a 'uarter will work and be that "uch lighter. )lue the cone onto
the shaft. Note that you can use ta!e $ ! "refer electrician's ta"e( to secure the cone for
!ractice darts, a good idea because as accuracy i"!roves, so does the nu"ber of robin hooded
darts, an e,cellent way to ruin a !a!er cone.
:ote that ou can also use these #ownloa#s.
m cone #ownloa#s' or the +aveman's #ownloa#s.
;. Using an unused scra! of !i!e fro" your B), dro! the now dried cone into one end and "ark
where the cone and !i!e "eet. ri" to fit your B) based on that "ark. he cone should be
slightly tight but still be able to be blown out of the !i!e under nor"al blowing !ressure.
<. Now, tri" the ti! to barely fit over the skewer. #lide the cone onto the shaft, using the !ony
bead to center the cone onto the shaft and glue into !lace. Le-check the cone for fit as the
installation !rocess can so"eti"es change the end dia"eter of the cone.
B. Carefully take the W-AC3 blades one at a ti"e and break the base off at an angle leaving as
"uch blade as you can so that the shar!ened end looks as close to a !erfect triangle as you can
"anage. 6ither use the two !liers, or !lace the base end into a cla"! or vise and use the !liers
to sna! it off at the correct angle.
+. 3to"! !f ou inten# to use the tu)ing' ou will nee# to sli# it onto the s*ewer B;F<R;
com"leting this ste". ake the breakaway utility knife and gently tri" a s"all !art of the
shar!ened end of the skewer so that it is flat. 6yeball the center of the flat s!ot and use the knife
to s!lit the ti! of the skewer to a de!th of about *N<T or so, leaving the knife's ti! still e"bedded
in the skewer. Ieaving the knife in there hel!s insert the W-AC3 blade by holding the s!lit
o!en.
@. Using the !liers, take your now broken W-AC3 blade and insert it into the s!lit end right
above the e"bedded utility knife and !ush it into the s!lit until the ti!s of the skewer al"ost
"eet the shar!ened !art of the blade. (f the s!lit is not dee! enough, use the utility knife to
dee!en it.
E. Le"ove the utility knife and center the W-AC3 blade onto the shaft, then su!er glue into
!lace.
D. /hile that dries, cut a length of fishing line $length varies as to how "uch you want on the
shaft% around +-E inches long. Iay a s"all stri! of glue right u! near the base of the blade $give
it about a *N<T or so% and wra! fishing line u! fro" the botto" end of the glue towards the
blade. 1ou will "ake >-; layers before you are done but "ake sure you leave a tag end long
enough to hold onto.
*=. A!!ly glue liberally to the wra!s and allow to dry while holding the fishing line tightly in !lace
against the shaft by the tag end.
**. 3nce dry, tri" the tag ends with a nail cli!!er as close as !ossible. he trick to this wra!!ing
!art is that you want to !ut enough line and glue on the shaft to "ake a good hold, but not so
thick that it hinders !enetration...a !urely !ersonal 2udg"ent based on e,!erience. he
wra!!ing serves two !ur!oses. Girst, it secures the shaft and !revents it fro" ever s!litting
further after the blade is in !lace. #econdly, it adds so"e weight forward.
=sing Tu)ing instructions.
Another "ethod is to take the alu"inu" tubing, and cut it into *N>T sections. Before s!litting
the shaft in !re!aration for blade installation, slide a section of tubing u! the shaft and out of the way.
(nsert and glue the blade as instructed.
Now, instead of wra!!ing the shaft with fishing line, slide the tubing u! as close to the blade as
you can and gently cri"! both ends so that the tubing will not "ove. A!!ly glue to the ends of the
tubing for added security.
Both will work but ( have found the fishing line to be "uch chea!er and since ( fish anyway, ( have a
steady su!!ly of it E-% Any !referred cone will work instead of the one ( offered.
-Dave /his!erss
Illustration 6: Attached Broadhead
Illustration 7: #ony Bead #lacement
Illustration 8: Attaching Broadhead
Illustration 9: 5aterials (eeded
Illustration :: ,inished %art Illustration ;: Wrapping "ip
STU" D#$T
So me time s you may want a si mpl e e a s y to mak e dart to s c ar e s o m e t hi ng away or giv e it a
little mor e punc h. Thi s is st un dart that can !e us e d for that pur p o s e .
his dart uses "y dart downloads. 1ou could also use a Charles #ha!iro #tyle cone, as well as the
Cave"an's cones.
Note that the shaft of this dart is *NE: Alu"inu" +=+*. /hile you could use a ba"boo shaft or dowel,
the heavier weight of the alu"inu" gives it "ore !ower. his alu"inu" rod is fairly chea!- !robably
no "ore than [B fro" 0c0aster Carr.
6n2oy
)ather-
*. Alu"inu" +=+* *NE: rod or co"!arable.
>. 4i!e cutter. Although !ri"arily a !i!e cutter, it is very effective for this use.
;. A cone
<. 6lectrician's ta!e
B. A hot glue gun with hot glue.
Do-
*. Cut out the cone.
>. Cut a section of the rod down to >: long.
;. #li! into the cone cutout and secure with electrician's ta!e.
<. 4ut a ball of hot glue onto the other end of the rod so that it for"s a neat little head that will fit
into your barrel.
1our done. #ee, it's si"!le.
Illustration <: $o+ $omparison
Illustration =: "u!ing
Inde, D- Blowgun "ccessories
Pa"er ,art 9uivers
o "ake a 'uiver, you can !urchase a co""ercial 'uiver $if you utiliAe co""ercial 'uivers% or "ake
your own by doing the following-
ake a !iece of !i!e, !referably the sa"e siAe as your blowgun. /ra! with electrician's ta!e fro" one
edge to the end. Continue wra!!ing about a half width of ta!e !ast the edge. Cut slits in the end thats
hanging off the end. Gold this inside of the !i!e, than attach to your !i!e $with "ore ta!e%. #tore darts
in it this way-
4lace a dart threw the rear of the 'uiver towards the front. hen !lace the other dart in. (t is acce!table
for the end of the other dart to !oke threw.
Broa#hea# ,art 9uivers
3tra" loc*s
+arr +ase
0any blowgunners have discovered that a fly rod case works very well for this a!!lication. Alternate,
you can hand stitch a case fro" 2ean "aterial. &ust "ake it long enough for you to have the to! close
so"ehow- ( have used velcro and elastic.
4outh"ieces
( have used \ fe"ale to \ fe"ale !vc connectors, drilled and ta!!ed on one end for "y conduit
blow!i!es. ( like these, although others have a bigger flare where the "outh goes.
3i>ing Tu)es
Targets
,art cases
Porting
4u>>le )ra*es
how to "ake
how to insure straightness
Bi "o#s?
Any other ideas8
6 Woo#en 4allet
0allets are available fro" a variety of sources. Cowever, they are costly to !urchase. his wooden
"allet can be "ade in about *= "inutes with the !ro!er tools.
1ou will need-
Drill
Another ha""er $don't ask "e how the first ha""er was "ade% and
$>% <d finish nails $sca" the" fro" your darts% or
glue $which will take longer%
*N>: drill bit.
Cut the hardwood block to di"ensions about the sa"e as those listed in the rendering. Drill the R:
hole through the center of the block. (nsert the dowel and ha""er in the nails to kee! it in or glue it.
1ou now have a lightweight yet effective ha""er to s!lit shafts with.
/hen s!litting the shafts with a raAor blade, give a shar! ta! the back of the blade to drive it into the
shaft slightly.
Inde, -- (roduct %e+iews
>ust a general note: If you can afford the commercial guns, the smoothness of the !ore makes it orth
it. Otherise, copper pipe is a good su!stitute.
@62 AB +ali)er Terminator Blowgun
Where to get it:
his is the basic blowgun that 2ust about every blowgun co"!any has for sale. Cabela's has it, so does
Blowguns North/est
What it can do:
he <= caliber is what ('d classify as a 9toy: because of the wide variety of factory accessories such as
ca! darts^ wire darts^ helico!ter darts^ blow"atics, which function as a dru" for your blowgun^ and
!aintballs. (t is still dangerous, able to sink a wire dart ;NEs of an inch into a sheet of !lywood, fro"
about *B feet away- you'll still need a !air of !liers to get the" out.
"he ?-o'%on@:
0y !ersonal feelings on the <= calibers is that they are fun as a toy, but nothing else. hey have a low
range of effectiveness, and are unable to fire a !a!er dart, because of the s"all bore siAe. (f you intend
to "ake your own darts, insure that you order cones for the blowgun. Cone download a!!ear to be
worthless for such a s"all caliber $fat fingers%.
AC2 6% +ali)er Blowgun Dit from Blowguns :orthWest
Where to get it:
3nline, order fro" Blow)uns North/est. [>+, !lus shi!!ing and handling. ('ve found Blow)uns
North/est to be a good co"!any. #ZC is fair, and !rices are decent.
What it can do:
/ell, "y conduit blowgun in the +> caliber can sink the nail darts about *N>: to BNE: of inch into a
!iece of *,E.
"he ?-o'%on@:
his is the biggest blowgun co""ercially available. (t uses the BoarCog !i!e, the sa"e as the
BigBore used by Cold #teel, or so says Blow)uns North/est. ('ve had trouble in getting the foa"
hand gri! on, but otherwise, ('" very ha!!y with the blowgun.
AB +ali)er +a" ,arts
Where to get it:
Co"e fro" the "akers of the er"inator Blowgun. Blow)uns North/est has the"
What it can do:
0ake a very loud !o!ing noise that will blow your socks off
"he ?-o'%on@:
)ood fun, but basically worthless. 1ou could !robably "odify the darts to fit other calibers by cutting
u! cones and glueing the" in.
-pilogue
(n old man sits in his cabin, rela)ing in his favorite chair. His long hair is tied back and falls down to the center
of his back. !ts color is a mi)ture of silver and jet. He is dressed in a calico shirt, with woolen breeches, and soft
moccasins. He absently puffs on a corncob pipe. .ithout thinking, he waves the curling smoke back over his
face and hair in an ancient gesture from a time when pipe smoking was a sacrament. These days, he smokes
from force of habit.
His plump pleasant wife brings his supper, prepared in a cast iron skillet. The skillet is her most pri1ed
possession. &he is dressed in a floorlength calico dress and moccasins decorated with colored glass beads.
Her hair is twisted up in a bun atop her head. !t too shows streaks of silver. ( tiny gold cross hangs from a
delicate chain around her neck. &he pats his hand as she turns back toward the fireplace.
( bright eyed boy perhaps si) years of age bursts in, all energy, e)citement, and motion. !n his hands are a
short blowgun and two darts. His uncle has made the Tugawesti and $itsi for him, boring the cane joint sections
out with a long steel drill to form a uniform tube. The process took perhaps half an hour, much less tedious than
the old way.
The boy begs the old man to show him how to shoot the Tugawesti, and tell him the stories of long ago. 2oung
as he is, he has heard them all a hundred times. They tell of how his grandpa was once the greatest blowgun
master of all time. -veryone in the village knows them by heart.
&lowly the old man rises, and limps out into the yard. His wife follows, and watches from the doorway. ( small
s%uash about the si1e of an apple is hanging by a string from a tree limb a few yards away. The old man s%uints
to see it clearly. &lowly he loads a dart into the blowgun. !mmediately his aged body goes into the %uieting ritual
which is the secret of mastering the Tugawesti. He takes a deep painful breath, and the dart flies with surprising
speed from the short slender blowgun. !t strikes the s%uash just below the center, causing it to spin and sway on
its string. 3or an instant, the old man is propelled back in time. He is in the woods near a clearing by a stream,
and the s%uash becomes a flitting bird. He sends the second dart toward the swaying target, timing it perfectly. !t
strikes the s%uash less than half an inch away from the first. The old man is overcome by a fit of coughing. He
hands the short Tugawesti back to his grandson, and waves him away. The boy races off to get a closer look at
the skewered s%uash. He s%ueals in delight at the sheer improbability of the shot. .hen the old man recovers
his breath, he looks toward the cabin, and sees his wife smiling at him from the doorway. !t is the same smile
she wore the day he brought the birds to her mother.
Credits
Apilogue and #rologue- he wo ugawesti #tories- #trange Gat"an- 3riginally A!!earing
here and here.
o 0any thanks- they are the !reface and end #tory, after all
he two blowguns for the cover- !ictures 9courtesy: Blowguns North /est
o +> Caliber B() B3L6 Broad head Darts- the orange ones
o <= Caliber Delu,e Blowgun
o <= Caliber #!earhead Darts
o B= Caliber Delu,e Blowgun
o $lick on themB "hey link to the page you.ll find them onB
Cha!ter *- Cistory
o en.wiki!edia.orgNwikiNblowgun
o www.cherokeeheritage.orgNdefault.as!,8tabidO<>+
o www.coldsteel.co"Nblowguns.ht"l
Although ( have these sites hy!er linked, ( do not guarantee that they will work,
nor that they contain a!!ro!riate "aterial. At ti"e of viewing they did contain
a!!ro!riate "aterial, nor did they attack "y co"!uter with a virus. ( do not
guarantee this to be true when you visit the".
Cha!ter ;- Designing and Building a Blowgun
o 0ade by writing the Gor"ula in 3!en 3ffice 0ath, then converting to 4DG for"at,
taking a 9!icture: of it, then !asting it in.
o Iung 5olu"e fro" e"ail corres!ondence with XXXXXXX.
Also on this "essage !osting on the Cave"an's foru"s.
o Not to offend anyone, but ( wanted to "ake sure !eo!le knew *>: to *'. ('ve "et
so"eone didn't get that .B inches "eant *N>:. #ad, but true.
Cha!ter <- Designing and Building a Blowdart
o Cave"an's dart design guidelines- ( edited the" a little to give the" "ore of a standard
6nglish version. Cere.
o Lendering by 0e, in cad.
o 3riginal dart s!eed tables co"e fro" here. ( did the rest of the work.
Cha!ter B- Ai"ing
Cha!ter +- A#BA Legulations #i"!lified. "hese simplifications have not !een revieed or
accepted !y AB&A. $heck to make sure that you and your !logun ill !e alloed to compete.
o 3riginal and full length regulations here.
o ranslations by "e.
o Drawing at the end by "e. 4aint- it's that si"!le.
Cha!ter @- 4oisons
o htt!-NNho"e.neb.rr.co"Nerics"useNca!saicin.ht"
o htt!-NNwww.!olar-electric.co"NBlowgunNDartsNDisclai"er.ht"l
o htt!-NNwww.geocities.co"NblowgunhunterNGAK.ht"l
(nde, A- )oogle searches, B)N/ 0essage board, other websites.
(nde, B- Dart Designs
o (ts "y dart design. 1ou can get "ore !ictures fro" here. Again, all renderings are "ine
o Dave /his!erss Dart designs fro" e"ail corres!ondence. hose are his !ictures.
hanks7
(nde, C- Blowgun Designs
o Charles #ha!iro is, of course fro" his web site.
o 0y design is "y design and it's currently not on line.
o )eeAer's design fro" his offline web!age. #cans here
o Again, renderings by "e in Cad
(nde, D- Blowgun Accessories
o Lenderings by "e.
"his !ook as produced primarily on Open Office 7.C Write #orta!le' a +(* solution to 5icrosoft Office Word,
hich I as using, until I got this. I also utili4ed Open Office 5ath. &creenshots from the *ltima Online &creen&hot
*tility and ,ast&tone $apture #orta!le. "hree'% draing produced in $A%. #ainting in 5& #aint.
"his !ook as produced as a non'for'profit text to help others !egin !logunning. Although I intended the primary
method of transmission to !e digital /.pdf format0, it as also created ith copying and printing in mind. "hat is hy
some of my fonts and such are messed ith' so the text fits on a certain num!er of pages.
Thin* ou foun# a t"o? ;mail corrections to )oo*t"osEh)ri#)lowguns.com
! can )e emaile# at mr.sou"1%Eh)ri#)lowguns.com