A question about blowguns....

B

bishop85gt

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Nov 5, 2004
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Ok I have never really used one. A friend of mine when I was like 12 had one and we played with it a little so that is the extent of my knowlage. How hard would it be for me to pick up and use it and be good at it? Who makes the best and what do they run about?

I was thinking of adding one to my hiking gear.
 
You can make your own pretty easily.

Go for a 1/2" or 3/4" piece of EMT conduit at any hardware store or pick one out of a construction site trash. Just be sure to deburr and ream it so it doesn't slice your lips or interfere with the dart.

Darts are easy to make as well--there's a ton of stuff out on the web you can find with Google on making your own darts.

That said, the blow gun is a misunderstood weapon. If the one you have is less than 3' long, it won't be good for much. You need a good 4' - 6' blowgun to really hit game--and that's not easy to carry.

I've used smaller ones informally, and you get fair accuracy with them: but the range is pretty poor--darts tend to bounce off the target beyond 20-25 feet.

And always remember: blow out, not in.
 
Watchful said:
And always remember: blow out, not in.
Click to expand...

Otherwise you'll have an experience like my great aunt. She used to sew a lot and always held her pins in her mouth. Well, you can imagine what happened one day. :rolleyes: Surgery was required.
 
Howdy,
I have to say I've been wanting a Blow Gun since I saw the on Cold Steel's "More Proof" dvd. I played around with one when I was a kid too. I don't know much about them and I live in CA so I'm not getting one anytime soon. But here's the Cold Steel link for thier Big Bore Blow Guns.

http://www.coldsteel.com/blowguns.html

Also Mike Janich has a book and vid on blow guns. You might want to check that out too.
 
A number of laces (some on the internet;do a search) sell 2-piece 4 to 6 foot blowguns in .40 (the most common caliber). They'll also sell a number of darts of different design/uses.

"Breath of Death" (the book by Micahel Jainch mentioned above) has a wealth of info on making your own darts anda rrows from easily obtainable materials. Even those unforunate enough to live in Ca. or Ma. can make their own, perfectly adequate, blowguns.

I make hunting darts from bamboo skewers, paper cones for fletching and x-acto blades for tips. My tube is .40, but I'm looking hard at the .63 Big Bore.

My first suggestion would be to do a web search, as there are tons of sites out there that cover every aspect of blowgunning. Then decide if you want to make or buy your 'gun and darts, then go to it. It's a fun hobby, but requires a LOT of skill for hunting. Stalking takes on a whole new meaning with a blowgun.
 
not sure if I'd go the CS route...but blowguns are definitely cool. :cool:

the easiest way to keep from inhaling the dart, is to keep your tongue on the mouthpiece.

I have inhaled one with feathers before...fortunately, no damage...but :barf: :barf:
 
I have one of the Cold Steel blow guns. I was amazed at how powerfull it is. These things are definately not a toy! When I first got mine I was shooting at one of the targets that Cold Steel sells (not thick enough). I had the target set up on a plastic lawn chair. I shot a bunch of darts, then went to retrieve them. When I did I discovered that the darts were going through the target and had knocked out big chunks of plastic from the chair. I had to throw it away. When you shoot the bamboo darts they easily stick into trees and will go through a squirrel up to to the dart's tail cone.

Blowguns are fun, but be careful!
 
Ha ha this thread reminds me of some great times in Australias Northern Territories.
My mates and I used to sit around a spar in their back yard drinking home brewed beer next to a huge mango tree in the neighbours yard.
We came up with a competition involving what we call grey 20 millimetre conduit about 6 foot long, paper cones approximately 6 inches long and a bamboo squewer (dunno how to spell that) sticking out the end of the cone about 8 inches and a bit of sticky tape wrapped around it.
As none of us ate mangoes they became the targets and what great targets they were at around 20 feet away.
If you could hit a mango then you didn't have to get the next beer, simple as that ... for me ;)
 
Already decided to pick up one of the cold steel blowguns to play with thanks. I'll let you know how it turns out.
 
Anyone think a blowgun would be enough to get rid of a problem stray feral tomcat?

I have one that is attacking my pets, but local animal control won't help, and it's illegal to fire a gun in town.

poisoning is out since I have pets loose also.

Blowgun vs. a roughly 15lbs Tomcat????
 
Hit him with enough darts over time and he'll stay away. I know I would.

You might find a slingshot a faster and easier solution. A little easier to use with slight practice, too. And you can build your own out of all sorts of stuff around your house.
 
Thanks, I had considered a slingshot, I'm just not sure I could hit anything with one!

I have used blowguns on targets and can hit failry good with them, I was just not sure about killing something as large as a Tomcat, I hate to do it, but am not sure what else to do, he has seriously maimed one of my younger cats twice now.
 
that's what my BB gun is used for....keeping a large gray tom away from the house....grrrrr! :mad:
 
Once in North Carolina using the basic dart in one of the smaller (.40 cal or so) blowguns I watched a cat shot at close range run off with the dart dangling off the shoulder. The bone kept it from penetrating much.

A Crossman 1377 pistol with a good pellet will work at close range if you can shoot a handgun at all. You have the option of a few pumps and a wadcutter as a painful warning or you can pump up and use a good hunting pellet to settle the matter.

However, if you just want to be "Hunting the Feral Cat'" with an exotic weapon. Get ya a big bore blowgun and go for it! Don't forget, there be mousies around what's need eliminating too. With practice, you could provide a nice mess of grasshoppers for roasting. Adventure in your own back yard.
 
The Last Confederate said:
Anyone think a blowgun would be enough to get rid of a problem stray feral tomcat?

I have one that is attacking my pets, but local animal control won't help, and it's illegal to fire a gun in town.

poisoning is out since I have pets loose also.

Blowgun vs. a roughly 15lbs Tomcat????
Click to expand...

Well, not to be a Cold Steel whore, but they make a stun dart that would be good for scaring off that cat. In the Big Bore Blow Guns dvd its shown that you could add a small screw to the tip to give it more weight. That way the neighbors don't start to say " see that old guy, he's a cat killer ".....:D

B625S.gif
 
To be honest I think it would be. I have been poking around the net and found someone who took down a groundhog with one. Thats much bigger than a cat but cats are damn near bullet proof believe me.
 
Daniel Koster said:
that's what my BB gun is used for....keeping a large gray tom away from the house....grrrrr! :mad:
Click to expand...

I've popped him with BB's about 6 times now, he comes back in a day or so. This is one of the old battle scarred (literally) Tom's. My young outdoor cat is a male, and I think he's trying to drive him out of the neighborhood because he's a new young male.

I have to watch it though, it's actually illegal to fire an "airgun" inside my city.

Oddly enough, a bow and arrow is legal, but I can't hit crap with a bow!

.
 
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