# Survival > Primitive Skills & Technology >  Throwing Objects

## your_comforting_company

I was looking over some pictures and have seen folks throwing all sort of things. 
Through much experimentation and practice over the last 4 or 5 months, I think I have perfected my personal technique for throwing a rabbit stick. (sorry no pics)
My stick is made of red tip bushes.. mine are severely overgrown at about 30 feet high. My rabbit stick is about as long as my arm, almost long enough for walking stick. It's about 2" on the big end and I guess it weighs about 3 lbs.
I stand at approximately 45 degrees to my target, holding it in my right hand, left foot forward. I let the stick lay across my back, sort of, letting the end rest on my shoulders.
backspin and point at target with left hand, then let her rip. the twisting action and the arm radius extension really seems to put good spin on it.

That's about all I can say for throwing the stick and it'll probably work differently for anyone else, I just found what works for me.

The real question here is about other things. Things like hatchets, knives, hawks.. whatever you happen to have handy that you can use to procure a meal. Suppose you were out chopping a little wood or whatever other scenario you want to place yourself in. Most of us carry knives, What are the proper techniques for throwing these objects.

I don't know for sure, but I think Mel does a bit of hawk chucking, and I believe I read that a couple other guys here throw knives. I'm wanting to learn about these throwing techniques and keep the information on this board. I like having all my info in one place, don't you?

Things I've tried to throw with little or no success are knives, stars, axes, hatchets, and improvised umm... projectiles lol. I do okay with water balloons but they don't really get you any meat.. i'm thinking of stepping up to hand grenades, but apparently you need a license to buy that sort of thing so.. I'm asking for someone to tell us how to throw hawks and knives and perhaps try to translate that into hatchets, machetes, and knives... things we will likely have with us in the woods besides just a stick.

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## crashdive123

I profiled three throwing knives today.  I can say with authority that if I were hungry and only could rely on the throwing knives........I would probably still be hungry.

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## Rick

I would have to echo that thought. 

The throwing stars are illegal in Indiana so make certain what you are chucking is legal. I think Frank is our resident expert on throwing hawks and knives. I'm pretty certain he said he's done competitions to the point that they make him retrieve his own because he sticks them so deep. I'll let him give the instructions here.

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## crashdive123

There was that one throw however..........just goes to prove the old saying that even a blind Crash can find the handle of another hawk every now and then. :Smile:

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## pocomoonskyeyes

You mean this one? Oh doesn't he look so smug? Yes this is "Robin Hood Crash"

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## palm stalker

i have thrown knives,hawks.. trick is not to induce spin.let the natural gravity take over.i used to throw over 50 ft.in 3 inch groups.i used bed frame angle to fasion,three knives,clamped together and ground.so each had the same weight.practice daly,hours,if possible.measure off a distance,draw a line throw several times.if it hits hilt first or flat,move forward or back and throw somemore.find the distance that works for u.target should be soft wood planks(i used soft pine)about 4 ft sq.good luck ..send im if u need help of clarifacation.

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## hunter63

Been a while, but with a hawk and knife, 3-1/2 paces from your target.

Stand with your back to the target, step off the paces, keep track of what foot, then turn at 3-1/2 
Grip the handle, facing the target, swing your arm/hand like a pendulum, can start down or even at waist level, over your head, and let fly on down swing.
Smooth even swing, like a golf swing, will stick point first.
This is one revolution

From that spot, pace off 3-1/2 more paces, turn around only grip knife by the point, or turn hawk blade backwards, knife will stick, hawk will stick handle up.
This is a revolution and 1/2.

Three more paces reverse again, handle grip knife, blade forward hawk.
This is 2 revolutions and so forth.

You may have to adjust the paces as we are all different, but this is a good start.
Don't "flip it" on your throw, just release when it looks right.

As far as animals go, I would stick to a throwing stick, sling, spear, sling shot, at-tale(spelling?) or somethine other than your knife, axe, whatever, unless you plan on carring a lot of them.
Too valuable to be throwing around that new knife/hawk and risk possible loss.
All movie knife throws are just that, movie stuff.
And if you miss, the bad guy/animal now has your knife.

Don't bother with a fancy handle on your throwing knife, I will break.
Ask me about my hand made, almost sanded off half my hand, on a set of fancy cherry wood grips, (scales I guess you knife guys call them).
Busted them on the first throw.
Most throwing knives are made point end heavy, handle wrapped in leather cording or para-cord.
Have fun, and have spare hawk handle if you get in a handle match.......

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## your_comforting_company

presumably you would need to be pretty good at guestimating paces in the field.

Of course, we aren't talking about throwing it at an "enemy", never give your NME your weapon... but rather we are talking about a "pop shot" at a rabbit or squirrel. If you miss, you go pick up your hawk or machete or whatever. If a squirrel throws it back at you, it might be time to relocate to another Bug Out Location and stop eating wild mushrooms LOL!

Good info Hunter. I was just thinking that sometimes you might be working on something in the field, like a debris shelter or what have you and some small critter run out (this has happened to me before) and if you had something IN HAND to throw, you just might get to eat tonight.
Thanks for the instructions!!

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## Rick

That was an excellent tutorial, Hunter. Concise and easy to understand. Very good post!

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## Rick

I took a set of Cold Steel True Flight Throwers to the Jamboree. Everyone seemed to like them. Crazy sharp and seemed well balanced to this amateur.

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## canid

i'm an expert knife thrower.

from the handle or from the tip, i can hit the narrow side of a barn with the handle or flat side every single time.

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## Ole WV Coot

I made 5 years ago out of mild steel. You need them 12" min. length and weigh 1oz per inch. Google knife throwing and get instructions. Nothing beats practice. I don't throw much, walking back and forth to the target gets old. I wouldn't depend on throwing one at man or beast, too many variables.

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## canid

certainly not at a person.

combat knife throwing just seems too much like handing your weapon to an enemy for my liking. you might embed it in him in a vital area x number of times out of a hundred, but you only need to get stabbed once to loose your life.

recreationally, i love it, but then again the point where i get tired of retrieving shuriken is usually where i stop practicing and do something else for a week or two.

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## Sourdough

I take a fair amount of Grouse with a thrown stone.

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## hunter63

For those that have kids, great way to spend "bonding time".
Caution, be careful, may have an irrigate parent of a kids friends calling and asking "why is my daughter throwing axes?"
Answer, boys will treat a girl with respect if they know the girl can throw a knife, axe and shoot. 
Also doesn't hurt to let the boys know that you own remote acreage, a 12 ga and a shovel.
DD beat me when she was about 13, I stuck the hawk 21 straight times, she stuck it 22, still haven't heard the end of that one.

Funny thing is that when I'm throwing the "music" that Chevy Chase was humming as he was pitching golf balls, blind folded, in The movie "Caddy Shack".
nananananana, nananananana and the words "Be the ball Danny, be the ball.
Concentration and practice.

BYW, nice stick, Crash, good thing they still have a handle....handle match continues till you have a winner, 21 points, whether you have a handle or not.
Oh, ya, try a playing card for a target.

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## hunter63

LOL, OMG, WTF.........
Interesting enough, as I was writing the last post, I hit the Google spell checker and found out the I had spelled "nanananana" wrong! I had wrote, "nananananaa".
I can be easily entertained, I guess.

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## Old GI

> certainly not at a person.
> 
> combat knife throwing just seems too much like handing your weapon to an enemy for my liking. you might embed it in him in a vital area x number of times out of a hundred, but you only need to get stabbed once to loose your life.
> 
> recreationally, i love it, but then again the point where i get tired of retrieving shuriken is usually where i stop practicing and do something else for a week or two.


There might be times, but I don't understand throwing one's weapon away; hit or not.  Might also be because I can't hit anything with the pointy end.

P.S. I've thrown a lot of BS in my life and never killed anyone with it (came close I think, maybe). :Innocent:

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## hunter63

YCC, stick with your stick, my brother got real, real good with a small kids base ball bat, 'bout 24" long, as his garden rabbit weapon.(subdivision, busy body prying eyes, no chance for a pellet rifle).

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## pocomoonskyeyes

I guess I can see where you are going with this,but I think that depending on what you were doing, would you be experienced enough to throw that variety of objects. I mean if you were hammering something and a Coon came up would you be able to hit it? If you were trimming some limbs with a 'Hawk in camp, and an animal showed itself would you be able to hit that? Unless you're hammer,'Hawk, and stick were very similar in length,weight,and balance , I think you would have a hard time using what was "at hand"
 I think what is more important if this is what you intend, is to practice with a variety of things of different sizes, weight, and balance, to improve on hand-eye coordination and accuracy. Kinda' like Sourdough picking up a stone and throwing and HITTING a Grouse. It isn't so much a thing about getting used to the same-same all the time,as much as hitting what you are aiming at. Sorta' like instinctive shooting with a Bow or Rifle. You "know" what will happen whatever it is. 
The brain is an amazing thing, No computer can match it when you think about ALL the information it processes AT THE SAME TIME. But really this Skill is no different than all the others we talk about here all the time. They all have one thing in common..... PRACTICE. As Cliche as it is, Practice does make perfect. Just pick up something,anything... pick a target of unknown distance... and throw. Then repeat the whole process on another target.Then repeat.......... and so on. I still think it is a matter of hand-eye coordination,and as much as that phrase is batted around, everyone seems to forget that it is the brain that does most of the work. I think if you do this enough, that ...eventually... it won't matter what you throw,you will be hitting the target more often than not. Even if you just stun an animal it will give you enough time to give the coup de grace.

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## Rick

> Oh, ya, try a playing card for a target.


We had an 18 inch diameter piece of Cottonwood for a target and a half acre of grass behind it. That was plenty tough for us.

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## crashdive123

and let me tell you.......the grass didn't stand a chance.

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## Rick

There was a road just beyond the grass and we had the good sense to stop throwing when a vehicle drove by.

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## hunter63

Handle match---Playing card target, 1 point stick, 2 points nick card, 3 points cut card.
Last throw that was closest throw first.
Better if you have at least 3-4 throwers.
If your handle gets broken, gotta keep throwing with whats left of it or forfeit.

Always had bad luck throwing stuff "at hand" at stuff.

Had a ground hog living under my shed at "The Place", was digging up every thing.
Was working on some thing, using a claw hammer, he popped out, so I let loose at him.
Bounced up off the ground, went through the back window of the old camper parked there.
Didn't get the ground, hog, cost me a trip to town, $30 bucks, and a couple of hours time.
So don't do it any more.
Ground hog met his demise with a well placed shot from the Porch gun, H&R .223 SS, @ about 80 yds, or so.

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## your_comforting_company

> I take a fair amount of Grouse with a thrown stone.





> I guess I can see where you are going with this,but I think that depending on what you were doing, would you be experienced enough to throw that variety of objects. I mean if you were hammering something and a Coon came up would you be able to hit it? If you were trimming some limbs with a 'Hawk in camp, and an animal showed itself would you be able to hit that? Unless you're hammer,'Hawk, and stick were very similar in length,weight,and balance , I think you would have a hard time using what was "at hand"
>  I think what is more important if this is what you intend, is to practice with a variety of things of different sizes, weight, and balance, to improve on hand-eye coordination and accuracy. Kinda' like Sourdough picking up a stone and throwing and HITTING a Grouse. It isn't so much a thing about getting used to the same-same all the time,as much as hitting what you are aiming at. Sorta' like instinctive shooting with a Bow or Rifle. You "know" what will happen whatever it is. 
> The brain is an amazing thing, No computer can match it when you think about ALL the information it processes AT THE SAME TIME. But really this Skill is no different than all the others we talk about here all the time. They all have one thing in common..... PRACTICE. As Cliche as it is, Practice does make perfect. Just pick up something,anything... pick a target of unknown distance... and throw. Then repeat the whole process on another target.Then repeat.......... and so on. I still think it is a matter of hand-eye coordination,and as much as that phrase is batted around, everyone seems to forget that it is the brain that does most of the work. I think if you do this enough, that ...eventually... it won't matter what you throw,you will be hitting the target more often than not. Even if you just stun an animal it will give you enough time to give the coup de grace.


This is exactly what I'm getting at. thank you Poco.
One good example is one time this summer we were out camping and I was gathering some wood for the fire. It was a good quiet walk through the woods and I had my axe when a covey of quail ran out ahead of me across the sort of "trail" it was a fairly wide spot, but I missed like a mile when I chucked my axe over that way.
you just never know what you might have in your hand to go do something when food presents itself. 

I just thought pro knifers and hawkers could give some good instructions and keep it all in one neat place  :Big Grin:  If you get the general method for said item and practice a little, if you can get decent with the item through practice, it becomes "muscle memory" and brain has all the functions wired. We just need a good starting point  :Smile: 

I've learned a lot in my time here from you guys.
Thank you all for that!

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## neondog

I spent fifty percent of my childhood on the island of Newfoundland. The locals say that on the seventh day God just sat around and threw rocks at Newfoundland because there's about twice as much rock as there is dirt.

When ever a group of young hoodlums spotted another group from a different area during the six or seven months that you could see the ground , both groups automatically started throwing rocks at each other. Since the sky was overcast about half the time we'd try to grab light grey rocks. 

I got to where I could hit a beer can with just about any rock under 12 ounces at any distance up to about fifty feet. But at that age I spent several hours a day just throwing rocks. Around the time I turned twelve, my dad retired and brought me to Oklahoma. Dirt clods just don't compare!  :Frown: 

I am now perfecting my atlatl skills and can already hit the narrow side of the barn (as long as I am in the barnyard!)

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## Batch

My brother worked hard coating architectural building accents. He had a set of kitchen knives in a block. Chefs knifs, paring, steak, and what not. I would go by for a beer or to shoot our bows in the side yard. If it was raining or too dark to shoot our bows he would set up a cardboard target and we would throw those knives at it. You learned the knives pretty quickly.

Him and hi co-worker always had some past time going while waiting for rush hour traffic to be over. 

He'd take an arrow that had been damaged and take the tip off. Then he would balance it on the tip of his finger and flip it end over end and catch it on the tip of his finger again. He could flip that arrow at the wall and have it hit "tip end" on the wall and bounce back at him and he'd catch it and then flip it over to his co-worker who would catch it and flip it for awhile and then flip it back to him. They would also kick the arrow back up in the air.

To him it was no different than juggling a soccer ball...

I have seen them do that for over an hour with very few times them dropping the arrow.

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## Batch

Oh. I had meant to say that if I were throwing an axe or bat or stick, I would throw it side arm with lots of spin and aim low. So the stick would travel horizontal and if you aim low can still bounce and hit your target.

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## Sarge47

When I was back in my 20's I got into throwing knives, but not anymore.  What if the animal you hit doesn't die and runs off with your bladed implement still inside?  A sling shot might be better; or snares, but I can't see throwing something.  What if I miss and it keeps on going into a fast moving river, over a cliff, or into a really nasty briar patch!   :Cool2:

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## hunter63

> When I was back in my 20's I got into throwing knives, but not anymore.  What if the animal you hit doesn't die and runs off with your bladed implement still inside?  A sling shot might be better; or snares, but I can't see throwing something.  What if I miss and it keeps on going into a fast moving river, over a cliff, or into a really nasty briar patch!


I agree.
It seems that some of y'all are just wanting to throw what ever you have at what ever you see. 
Guys go for it.
Man has been throwing rocks and sticks since the beginning of mankind, so it's not your fault, in just some thing we all want to do.
When they invented better inplements, they threw them also, and so one.

I will stick to rocks and sticks, as tools, axes and knives are expensive, and really don't give you any advantage.

I can remember, when I was very young, I wasn't allowed to cross the street. 
There was a girl that lived on the other side, so we used to stand there and throw rocks at each  other. 
Street was wide enough that we couldn't get a rock that far anyway, but seemed like that natural thing to do.

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## your_comforting_company

the advantage would be that it's already in your hand. Ever tried finding a suitable throwing rock on a deciduous forest floor in the span of the few seconds an animal shows itself?

Sorry, but I'm chucking whatever I have in hand at the critter cuz I want to eat. And if my fancy expensive machete or axe is damaged by such a simple "throw" then it probably wasn't worth what I paid for it.. just sayin...
Briars and brambles are the least of my worries when I'm starving. And with my superhuman powers of observation, I think I could avoid any fast flowing rivers or catastrophic cliffs.

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## Rick

> I think I could avoid...catastrophic cliffs.



It's a little known fact that smartest animal is a pig. Scientists say if pigs had thumbs and a language, they could be trained to do simple manual labor. They give you 20-30 years of loyal service and then at their retirement dinner you can eat them.

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## Nativedude

Been bow hunting since I was 8 years old. Learned to hunt instinctive, no sights, no match stick, just a simple stick & string.

Instinctive shooting teaches you, quickly, how to judge distance (yardage). Doing so, allows you to become proficient with stone, sticks, bone, antler, and spears as weapons.

To be proficient as an adult starting out: PRACTICE! PRACTICE!! PRACTICE!!!  :Ohmy:

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## your_comforting_company

What is the general size and shape of your spear. I could probably fashion a pointy walking stick that would double as a spear. Fire harden the tip and you got yourself a regular possum spit.
What are the general guidelines for chucking a spear?

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## rwc1969

I think I agree with Sarge about the throwing knife. An animal might just run off and you'd be knifeless, animalless, or both. Maybe not though. I'm not sure my throwing knife would penetrate far enough into a deer to kill it quick enough.

Anyway, in a survival situation a cattail can be used as a spear for frogs, small fish like bluegills, smaller bass and such. We used to spear em alot as kids. We'd just keep walking around the pond and chuck the cattails at em. The cattail floats and you can retrieve it and the fish with a fishing line or rope, long stick, etc. Or just let it float to shore. The fish stick on pretty good and I don't remeber any getting off. If there's no fish on it, just leave it and grab another cattail.

Pheasants are easy to hunt with sticks or rocks, but there ain't any left around here. They usually flush close. You rarely kill em, but they are winged easy. Then you just run up and ring their neck, stomp em, etc. You pretty much gotta be running right after you chuck though, cuz pheasants run fast.

I think a spear outta wood would be good for deer, but you'd probably want a bloodgroove or blade so you get a good bloodtrail. I've always wanted to try that, but laws don't allow it. When I was 15 or so, my cousin and I stalked up on some deer with pointed stick spears and were so tempted to stick em, but we didn't. We'da had em for sure, but by the time we got to em someone else woulda probably showed up and freaked out on us. I've thought a weighted spear would work hunting deer from a tree too. 

I don't think a rabbit stick would work too well around here. the cottontails run fast and I usually jump em pretty far away. Unless you caught one sitting and then it'd probably take off as soon as you chucked the stick. It's hard enough blasting em with a shotgun. We chucked a lot of rocks and stuff at rabbits and squirrels as kids and never had any luck. Maybe if they were in an open field, but rabbits and squirrels don't run around in open fields here. If they did they'd all be dead.

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## crashdive123

While I disagree with the suggestion to throw an axe side-armed (the weighted properties of one end would not lend itself to efficient aiming and flight), I do agree with throwing a rabbit stick in that fasion.  The striking surface area is greatly increased, and with practice you should be able to become very efficient with it.

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## Ted

YCC, your stick sounds great! IMO the only practical thing to throw at a animal is a stick. Throwing knives and hawks at anything is nothing more than a entertaining past time, if you do get something your one lucky s.o.b.
The only practical thing to hunt with a stick is birds (throw side arm). Maybe a rabbit if the undergrowth is less than 6 inches, anything taller would stop the momentum of the stick.

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## rwc1969

That's the problem here w' sticks. Too much underbrush. It'd be nice to hear how people avoid that. Are they hunting in the desert?

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## owl_girl

ive thrown a hatchet twice in my life and statistically i can hit my target half the time. knives i suck at. i think i was good with throwing stars but i dont remember for sure. dose anyone throw atlatls? i sucked at that too when i tried it but i never had any practice before that so i wouldnt expect to be that good yet. i really want to get good at it though. i learned that the longer the arrow the better. the material its made of makes a dff also.

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## your_comforting_company

> dose anyone throw atlatls? i sucked at that too when i tried it but i never had any practice before that so i wouldnt expect to be that good yet. i really want to get good at it though. i learned that the longer the arrow the better. the material its made of makes a dff also.


this is the true nature of this thread. this is the kind of information I'm wanting to collect into one place. How about dealing with the underbrush? how does it react to atmosphere? What's the right posture?

that's some good info there sjj. throwing "objects" albeit random was one of the most anciently conceived ideas. they just didn't have the advantage of the internet and mostly had to learn in smaller groups through trial and error. we have the luxury of being able to share  :Big Grin: 
Even the catapult and modern firearms are based on the idea that we need to get some machination of death in motion from point A to point B so we can fill our bellies, on the pre-concieved notion that at the time , we are not dedicating that time to hunting. Do you deer hunt and gather firewood at the same time? I don't. I usually do one or the other. It seems instinctive to throw a limb if a squirrel runs out, no?
I have no fantasies of becoming an expert marksman with a pocketknife or 5lb axe, but if I could take a better "pop shot" at the food.. I might eat tonight.
anyone see any semblance to throwing a boomerang and throwing a rabbit stick?
.
.
.
.
neither one comes back!

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## neondog

A good atlatl is flexible and the darts should also flex. The atlatl website will tell you that the atlatl acts like a diving board and the dart acts like the divers legs. Put the two together and you gain almost as much from the springing action as you do from the extended throwing arc that most people attribute the gain in distance to.

I'm just beginning with the atlatl so any questions about material and such would be best sent to the old timers, but I have played with mine enough to know that with practice, they could put a lot of meat on the table.

I was lucky enough to get a hit inside the kill zone on a 3D elk this summer from about 25 yards. I don't think I had quite enough umphh on it to bring down an actual elk but it still felt pretty sweet!

Six feet is a good length for the darts.

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## neondog

Mine was a gift from Mamerto Tindongan. You can see lots of examples at  Worldatlatl.org

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## your_comforting_company

some of the information I've read suggests adding a stone or other weight to the "cup" end of the atlatl handle to give it more "uumph". might try adding weight to yours neon and see what kind of penetration you get on the next go?

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## neondog

The darts I have at the moment are six feet of aluminum tubing with one end flattened and the other end finned. I think when I get some river cane darts made with a stone point that will add a little more flex in the shaft. After I get the feel of that I'll start playing with weights on the atlatl.

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## Rick

Here are some pics I took in Tucson at a museum showing the local version. 

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## your_comforting_company

I have gotten good enough with the rabbit stick that I clobbered a stray dog with it last night while outside knapping. Mutt got after my kitty cat so I snuck up around the side of the house where he had her in a tree. at about 10 paces away, the whoosh scared him and while he was turning, THUMP! ARK ARK ARK!!

sticks and stones.. gotta love 'em

(I hope this isn't incriminating HAHAHA! just kidding, there are leash laws here)

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## SurvivalFaith

how about boomerang

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## Rick

How about sailing over to the introductions? You can return here if you want to. 

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...ead.php?t=7813

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## your_comforting_company

lol.. you know what they call a boomerang that doesn't come back?

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## Rick

.....Lost?.....Oooh, wait. A stick?

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## SurvivalFaith

maybe slingshot much better to get a rabbit and bird, than a throwing weapon except for a sharp light spear  :Big Grin:

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## your_comforting_company

I went off on a madman rant there, and erased it all.. you'd all hate me lol

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## Ted

> I went off on a madman rant there, and erased it all.. you'd all hate me lol


 We could never hate you Bro!  Well I couldn't anyway! You can PM me your rant if you'd like. I promise I won't hate you, even if you call me every name in the book and make up some new ones!

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## your_comforting_company

It's just that this has turned into a 3 page list of alternatives rather than 10 pages of techniques, like the initial post inquired of.

All my scenarios in my head involve extended tenures in the wild places. I'm not talking about going out for a week an a survival camping endeavor. I'm talking about something bad enough has happened that I have to leave my home and seek safety in the deep forest indefinately. to be more elaborate, No Wal-Mart to buy rubber bands for your wrist rocket, no gun dealers to buy more bullets.. all you got is you and whoever you are protecting and whatever you carried with you. Did you carry a weeks worth of supplies? How many extra bullets are you packing? enough to last you a week? a month? a year? Even if your BOV was a freakin army tank, you won't be able to drive it to the location where I'm bugging out.
How about straps for your slingshot? I have yet to find a tree or bush with rubber slingshot bands growing on it.
How long do you think it would take to get over economic collapse? If money is worthless how are you going to procure straps for your wrist rocket??

In my mind, all you will be left with should the world revert to the 1930's, after all your supplies run out is sticks and stones and the gear you brought that isn't expendable.

Go ahead. depend on your guns; they will run out of bullets eventually. Take your slingshot and  extra bands. I broke bands on every slingshot I ever owned. garbage.
a sling would go a lot farther in the long run, as would any retrievable item like an axe/ hawk, machete, stick, rock, etc.

I don't know how I can be any more clear about the intent of this post than that.
If you aint got some useful techniques to impart to us lowly stick throwers then just don't post. I don't want to hear about your slingshots and guns.. all modern marvels that perpetuate the money machine THAT WILL NO LONGER EXIST IF SH!* REALLY HITS THE FAN. I prefer to find my comforting tools out there and I intend to throw whatever I have in hand at whatever food presents itself. Pass or fail, at least I freakin tried instead of waiting with an empty gun and broke-*** slingshot for starvatioin to take me under.

Ok.. I feel better now.

So. Who is gonna teach us to throw knives and axes and spears and atlatls and slings?? anybody?
Then you aren't truly prepared to survive. Tell me how long the Great Depression lasted and tell me how many people starved to death because they didn't know how to fend for themselves, or the only way that they knew was dependence on some newfangled invention that uses powder to propel a projectile.
And how many of you know how to make black powder from materials you can find in the woods?
These are all questions you should be asking yourselves when you ask "am I prepared?" because I think that if you depend on all these modern machinations, then you really are just dependent and I don't think you thing things will ever get that bad again. I call it naivety.

ok.. I'm done ranting and I'll get off my soapbox now. Love me or hate me, but that's where I stand on the whole "surviving" thing. A week in the woods and a society to get back to are NOT examples of surviving any damn thing. I did that when I was 15 with my best friend and absolutely no other experience other than knowing how to walk and fish at the same time. That's "adventuring" not surviving.

I'll figure out how to throw random items on my own. Thanks for all the tips on the techniques!!

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## crashdive123

Our last jamboree we practiced some of the very skills that you mention.  Reading about them is nice, but getting out and doing them is what really counts.

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## Rick

No one in the group was an expert but we counseled one another and just did it. We had some laughs, some oohs and aahs and a couple of "Look out!s" thrown in for good measure. You just have to do it.

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## preachtheWORD

YCC, you make a very good point.  Guns, slingshots, and other manufactured tools will fail us at some point, but we will always have sticks and rocks with us.

Perhaps this will get the thread just a little back on track.

I once made a pretty decent "rabbit stick."  It was about 18" long and about 1-1/4" in diameter.  It had a slight bend in the middle, like a boomerang, but not so pronounced.  I intended to fire harden it, but never did.  There are two basic methods of throwing it - overhand, like throwing a tomahaw; and sidearm, kind of like throwing a skipping rock across a pond.  Both have advantages.  Overhand gives you more power, but sidearm is more forgiving if your aim is off.  Let me explain.  If you throw overhand, your aim has to be pretty dead on because the stick is only an inch or two wide.  But, if you throw side arm, the stick goes through the air like a helicopter blade, giving you the benefit of the full 18" of length to hit something.  A throw that is somwhere between overhand and sidearm might give you the best of both worlds.  Takes a lot of pratice.

Unless you are really good or really luck, you probably won't kill anything with the initial hit, but you will sure slow it down.

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## Ted

> YCC, your stick sounds great! IMO the only practical thing to throw at a animal is a stick. Throwing knives and hawks at anything is nothing more than a entertaining past time, if you do get something your one lucky s.o.b.
> The only practical thing to hunt with a stick is birds (throw side arm). Maybe a rabbit if the undergrowth is less than 6 inches, anything taller would stop the momentum of the stick.


PTW and I are on the same page with you Bro!

Great rant, I couldn't agree more!

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## your_comforting_company

PTW, thanks for the tips. I tried initially to throw it overhand, but on a moving target it was practically impossible to hit anything so me and a buddy figured out that sidearm would be better. We tried diagonally (like you throw a curveball?) and it wasn't much better. Made a fun practice game though, if one threw the ball like a rabbit running, and the other tried to hit it. 
My biggest problem with my stick is the "whoosh" it makes as it's swinging around before I let go of it. What mods can I make to it to reduce the noise? If you look back at my "doggie" post, the dog heard the whoosh and was alerted before I actually let go of the stick. If he'd have been much more than 10 paces away, I wouldn't have had a chance.
We have a brushpile that some rabbits live in. they can be spotted in the field and if they see you, they just stop like a stone and hope you don't see them. (kinda wierd, but they'll sit there forever waiting for you to leave). I'd imagine the whoosh would scare them off.
was your stick loud? maybe I should get a smaller diameter and try that? I'm using a pretty heavy wood: photinia fraseri. smaller may still be reasonably heavy enough to throw..

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## justin_baker

Well, this was REALLY lucky, but one time i was walking up a steep, thick wooded, mountain stream and got about 20 feet away from a squirrel in a tree. He couldnt hear me because the stream was pretty dang loud, i couldnt even hear my own footsteps, and i killed him by throwing a rock.
Im sure you could kill a bird with a rock if you were determined enough.

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## crashdive123

> Well, this was REALLY lucky, but one time i was walking up a steep, thick wooded, mountain stream and got about 20 feet away from a squirrel in a tree. He couldnt hear me because the stream was pretty dang loud, i couldnt even hear my own footsteps, and i killed him by throwing a rock.
> Im sure you could kill a bird with a rock if you were determined enough.


Did you roast it or fry it?

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## Pict

I have been known to throw machetes.  The secret to throwing a Latin pattern machete it to turn it around in your hand so the edge is facing towards you like you were going to chop with the spine.  This puts the swept point rotating forwards and the blade will stick better.

Nothing really to add on technique, I use the same for throwing hatchets or machetes.
*
SAFETY WARNING* - If you are going to attempt to throw a machete keep in mind that they are basically a sharpened leaf spring.  A machete that misses can rebound very far and in unpredictable directions.  People standing off to the side are NOT safe.  You need to treat the range as if you are shooting handguns, everyone must be behind the line of fire.

Mac

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## your_comforting_company

Thanks Mac. How come you wouldn't use the edge forward so that the cutting edge might hit. Do you throw it sidearm, like a rabbit stick, or overhand like an axe?

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## welderguy

> Well, this was REALLY lucky, but one time i was walking up a steep, thick wooded, mountain stream and got about 20 feet away from a squirrel in a tree. He couldnt hear me because the stream was pretty dang loud, i couldnt even hear my own footsteps, and i killed him by throwing a rock.
> Im sure you could kill a bird with a rock if you were determined enough.


Three Questions.

1. did you eat said squirrel

 2. is throwing rocks a legal method of taking game in your state

 3. Has Ken read this post yet  :Innocent:

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## Pict

> Thanks Mac. How come you wouldn't use the edge forward so that the cutting edge might hit. Do you throw it sidearm, like a rabbit stick, or overhand like an axe?


If you throw edge forward it could cut if you get it right, it just won't penetrate or stick in wood.  I don't see this as anything more than "Redneck Lawn Darts", it's a game of skill but not really a skill for survival.  It is very fun to throw a 14 - 16 inch machete and have it THUNK into the target.  You can actually get very good at it with a little practice.

If I was going to take small game by throwing something I would use the machete to cut a throwing stick.  If by some off chance (a last chance act of desperation) I had to throw at man or beast I would reverse the blade and go for maximum penetration, cuts or slashes tend to be superficial and actually do very little damage.  In reality under such circumstances I would be more likely to launch myself at the target and lead with the machete.  I would much rather use a 16 inch spear point mounted on a 200 lb shaft.

Mac

*ETA* - I throw overhand like an axe.  It is very critical when throwing a machete to keep it "cutting the air" with no axis spin.  Keep your thumb off of it and make sure the blade is in line with the forearm.  Arm motion is perpendicular to the ground, body bladed to the target right side forward, weight on right (front) foot.  Release happens naturally when the arm comes to full extension out in front of the face.

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## your_comforting_company

awesome explanation. Thanks again!!

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## welderguy

Pict, Great explanation as always, Thanks for posting

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## Ken

> Well, this was REALLY lucky, but one time i was walking up a steep, thick wooded, mountain stream and got about 20 feet away from a squirrel in a tree. He couldnt hear me because the stream was pretty dang loud, i couldnt even hear my own footsteps, and i killed him by throwing a rock.


*You did WHAT???*  :Sneaky2: 




> Three Questions.
> 
> 1. did you eat said squirrel
> 
> 2. is throwing rocks a legal method of taking game in your state
> 
> 3. Has Ken read this post yet


1. He damned well better have. Fur and all.  :Sneaky2: 

2. Probably not. What's the law in your state say about shooting criminals, justin_baker?  :Sneaky2: 

3. I just did. Thanks for the heads-up, Welderguy! This justin_baker is gonna' stay on my radar screen for a long time. Keep an eye on him, everybody. This newbie sounds like trouble to me.  :Sneaky2:

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## 2dumb2kwit

Mmmmm....tenderized squirrel! :Drool:

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## Ken

Memo to justin_baker:

Squirrels ain't worth the effort.  Not enough meat.  Instead, I suggest that you throw rocks at brown bears.   :Smile:

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## Ken

> Memo to justin_baker:
> 
> Squirrels ain't worth the effort. Not enough meat. Instead, I suggest that you throw rocks at brown bears.





> Mmmmm....tenderized squirrel!


Second Memo to justin_baker:  Practice your aim by throwing rocks at 2dumb first.   :Sneaky2:

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## welderguy

> Second Memo to justin_baker:  Practice your aim by throwing rocks at 2dumb first.


Now wait a minute Ken, wouldn't it be better practice to throw at something that is fast, cause I remember several references to how SLOW 2D2K is. :Innocent:

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## welderguy

> *You did WHAT???*


He Said he killed a squirell with a rock

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## 2dumb2kwit

> Second Memo to justin_baker:  Practice your aim by throwing rocks at 2dumb first.





> Now wait a minute Ken, wouldn't it be better practice to throw at something that is fast, cause I remember several references to how SLOW 2D2K is.


Slow?.......Yes.
Ticked off and armed?......Probably. :Sneaky2:  LOL

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## welderguy

> Slow?.......Yes.
> Ticked off and armed?......Probably. LOL


 you got a pocket full of rocks too ?

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## 2dumb2kwit

> you got a pocket full of rocks too ?


Yeah...'cuz, you know.....all my guns being lost in that canoeing accident. :Innocent:

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## justin_baker

I dont know the legality of it  :S (The op mentioned hunting with throwing weapons, your not getting on him with the legality of that?) This was 6-7 years ago while playing in the woods with my friends.  :Blushing:  Trust me, im not that stupid anymore. We were slingshot hunting and messing around in the woods. As a kid i threw rocks at everything, after hundreds of tries i was bound to hit something.



> Did you roast it or fry it?


 I just left it there. I still feel bad about it. I would kill tons of birds with out bb and pellet guns, pathetic i know. Me and my friends would go around kill lizards and snakes too. I wouldnt do anything like today. If i killed something i would eat everything including the heart and liver and make something out of the fur. 

*
Anyways*, i was reluctant to post this, but i figured the OP might be interested in a success story. In the right position and at the right time, it wouldnt hurt to try. If people killed kangaroos in the outback with boomarangs then there must be something to it,

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## welderguy

> I dont know the legality of it  :S (The op mentioned hunting with throwing weapons, your not getting on him with the legality of that?) This was 6-7 years ago while playing in the woods with my friends.  Trust me, im not that stupid anymore. We were slingshot hunting and messing around in the woods. As a kid i threw rocks at everything, after hundreds of tries i was bound to hit something.
>  I just left it there. I still feel bad about it. I would kill tons of birds with out bb and pellet guns, pathetic i know. Me and my friends would go around kill lizards and snakes too. I wouldnt do anything like today. If i killed something i would eat everything including the heart and liver and make something out of the fur. 
> 
> *
> Anyways*, i was reluctant to post this, but i figured the OP might be interested in a success story. In the right position and at the right time, it wouldnt hurt to try. If people killed kangaroos in the outback with boomarangs then there must be something to it,


Well thank you for responding and clarifying your actions, However I could go into another tangent but wont, I will say I am glad you learned from that mistake and havent repeated it since. 
And I have seen videos of how deadly accurate some Australians are with a boomerang , It is very impressive how well they hone there skill.

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## your_comforting_company

for the record.. if I'm desperate enough to try to kill a squirrel with a rock, I couldn't care less about the law. In fact if things are bad enough that I have to resort to throwing rocks, I'd bet the law couldn't care less and would probably join me for a meal of tenderized squirrel.
Yall are makin me hungry!

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## your_comforting_company

disclaimer: Since things aren't that bad YET, it is a good idea to make sure you are hunting legally. I like to practice throwing things with a friend at an old soccer ball or the like. Friend rolls the ball, I have a throw, then we switch.

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## welderguy

> for the record.. if I'm desperate enough to try to kill a squirrel with a rock, I couldn't care less about the law. In fact if things are bad enough that I have to resort to throwing rocks, I'd bet the law couldn't care less and would probably join me for a meal of tenderized squirrel.
> Yall are makin me hungry!


I have to agree with your statement, in a SHTF situation I would be a rock chucking fool , but just to kill something with a rock to see if I can is another thing all together.

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## welderguy

> disclaimer: Since things aren't that bad YET, it is a good idea to make sure you are hunting legally. I like to practice throwing things with a friend at an old soccer ball or the like. Friend rolls the ball, I have a throw, then we switch.


I was wondering were that was LOL

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## 2dumb2kwit

I thought you guys would like this one. LOL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oScmodG_riM

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## your_comforting_company

I used to love watching that old man cook and his stories always reminded me of some of Jerry Clower's tales. I got a good chuckle out of that one, Thanks 2d!

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## Batch

> I used to love watching that old man cook and his stories always reminded me of some of Jerry Clower's tales. I got a good chuckle out of that one, Thanks 2d!



Well, since it is about throwing stuff for food...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFlao...eature=related

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## hunter63

Well maybe some day I'll tell y'all the story about the tackle box grenade.

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