Blowgun with broadheads, often overlooked survival tool.

Ok, so I recently got tired of driving past the bunnies that congregate at the local pond. They look so tasty sitting there chewing grass. I was in need of a silent low profile weapon to take them as they are in an urban area, so I made a blowgun.

Stay clear of the small .38 blowguns with the wire darts you see at the gun shows and swap meets, they are worthless for hunting anything.

I built a real simple blowgun with a 6 ft. long piece of electrical conduit and made darts from 18" long dowels. I don’t remember the diameter that worked for me but I will find out and post it with pictures if anyone shows interest.

For the broad heads I broke off corners of the type of razor blade you would see on a box cutter. I made my broad heads about 1/2 inch long.

This set up will absolutely destroy fish and game up to the size of a rabbit. I took a rabbit from an urban park/pond at night and no one noticed me. Made a nice little stew the girls wouldn’t touch. More for me and my son, but the girls would eat it if they were hungry enough.

Almost completely silent and can be concealed as a walking stick. Great survival tool.

Got the idea from this guy, great site with pics and videos: www.geocities.com...

P.S. I wouldnt advise trying to make a two piece blowgun like he did.

I also posted this over atsimple survival under the name cavscout.


[edit on 19-3-2008 by cavscout]

[edit on 19-3-2008 by cavscout]

I guess a dead rabit, in a bag would be easier to hide, than a pelet rifle.
Hem?
A metal pipe would look quite un-remarkable?
People stare at me if they see me using a wlking stick.

[edit on 19-3-2008 by jmdewey60]

Originally posted by jmdewey60
People stare at me if they see me using a wlking stick.

Nothing is perfect, but like you said, beter than a pellet riffle.

I snuck down there at night, I wouldnt have done it durring the day.

But remember that we are talking about survival, not everyday life. In sit x would you look at someone funny for using electrical conduit as a walking stick?

Tell em its to protect against dogs or snakes.

reply to post by cavscout


I've hunted with both blow guns and real air rifles and for small game and it's pretty damn hard to beat the air rifle even the lower powered models. A pump-up .22 caliber air rifle carbine with a 10"-12" barrel and and take down stock can be hidden easily and kill rabbits at 30-40 yards no problem. I've got a custom air pistol with .375 caliber barrel that will penetrate 1/2" plywood at 20 yards no problem and is way more accurate than any blowgun at distances out to 40 yards or more.

I built a muzzle loading air bolt gun from a blow gun shortened to 16" and a garage sale Crosman pumper that shot some 12" wooden bolts very accurately . Velocity was about 350fps and I hit a paper plate at 50 yards consistently.

Bamboo skewers make great dart shafts. There's an article in the latest issue of the Backwoodsman Magazine that show how to properly fletch arrows that will likel work well for darts as well.

Originally posted by cavscout... and post it with pictures if anyone shows interest.

yep... I have interest in building myself a blowgun. I'm starting to build myself a log cabin in a forest-like environment, and owning firearms is not very EASY where I live (very strict rules to buy one), so I have some knowledge and practice with bows and crossbows, but feel I must expand my horizons when it comes to "shot game down".


A "tutorial" on how to build a good blowgun would be LOVELY.

Thanks and...

Peace

I see you had the sense to use a larger sized pipe.

People like the guy whose site you linked us to really are doing the local community a favour.

Sator, the link provided will take you to a tutorial dude.

first the poor defenseless little bunny trying to get a drink, then possibly the wary little duck who stops in for a well deserved rest after his long flight.

What about the dog next door that's 'just too happy for his own good', what then...

People, It has to stop. Ban the use of blow guns in the rural communities, help save the little critters that meet the blow guns criteria for a successful kill.

Not trying to ridicule your post or the obvious interest in such a weapon, it just struck me as somewhat odd to have a blow gun.

Does it work on the same premise as the blowguns of yesteryear's, long tube... blow through it... dart comes out?

reply to post by crgintx



Remember that we are talking survival, after sit x.

You really want to trade what you have for an air gun?

Wouldn’t you rather just take a piece of electrical conduit that can be found in any building?

I read that article in Backwoodsman, didn’t like the bamboo skewers. Couldn’t find one that was strait. I go through 5 to 10 dowels before I find one with a strait enough section.

I also use a much heavier and shorter dart than most.

Thanks for the input!

Originally posted by Grailkeeper
first the poor defenseless little bunny trying to get a drink, then possibly the wary little duck who stops in for a well deserved rest after his long flight.

Sorry, but the bunny was asking for it, sitting there looking so yummy

out the dog next door that's 'just too happy for his own good', what then...

Dog meat is kinda tough, save them for last.

struck me as somewhat odd to have a blow gun.

Well this is the survival forum, you know.

work on the same premise as the blowguns of yesteryear's, long tube... blow through it... dart comes out?

Exactly!

reply to post by cavscout


Cav, if you're hunting stealthily, the idea is to remain undetected. Wounds from broadheads tend to leave blood trails which may lead other hunters to your hideout or favorite hunting spots. I use brain pan shots on all my small game now. Very little bleeding. Even .177 airguns firing pellets at 600 fps can be extremely efficient game takers out to 25 yards with brain shots.

The idea is to have an air rifle/gun before sit-x starts. How will you get your counduit out of the ruined wall w/o tools? Cut to a portable length? Hone the bore perfectly smooth and round? The primitive blow guns I've seen are finely crafted weaponry with many hours spent refining them.

As far as simple primitive weapons for small game, it's pretty hard to beat a rabbit stick or it's close cousin, the Apache throwing star.

One really good weapon that not many people think of that is really easy to make is the bola. Just a couple of long strings or leather cords with weights hooked to the ends. It's not tremendously effective in heavy woods or jungle, but in relatively open grassland you can bring down some pretty large game with them.

reply to post by cavscout

I too have made my own blow gun and have foung it very effective with hunting small game and such. Also with blow guns you have a few advantedges to an air gun or any other of the weapons suggested before. If you were in a sitx sitution if the blow gun was tall enough it could double up as a fighting staff if you dont have any other weapons on you.

Look, I agree that an airgun would be better for certain situations, however it does make sense to consider all options. You cant tell me that the average person could make sure they always have an airgun close, but everyone reading this is 10' or less from electrical conduit.

Plus, as stated, electrical conduit looks like something one would use for a walking stick. Airguns look like guns, and guns draw attention.

Originally posted by crgintx
How will you get your counduit out of the ruined wall w/o tools?

You can punch through drywall with your fist. Find the stud and avoid it and you risk no injury

Cut to a portable length?

5 - 8 ft is normal size in homes

Hone the bore perfectly smooth and round? The primitive blow guns I've seen are finely crafted weaponry with many hours spent refining them.

All that is not neccessary with electrical conduit. We arent crafting these from a branch, after all.

Mine was enough to kill the rabbit from about 30 meters with no modifications. Used it just like it came from Home Depo, not even a mouthpeice.

The rabbit only moved about 3 ft after shot, BTW. squirells and rats will be droped on contact, even with no broad head.



[edit on 20-3-2008 by cavscout]

Great Cherokee weapon. But possession is a felony in California.

Originally posted by Chakotay
Great Cherokee weapon. But possession is a felony in California.

The superb thing about this weapon Chakotay, is that it cannot be banned! If anyone asks, just tell them its a metal pipe. They cant outlaw metal pipes!

Outstanding idea!- I would have never thought of this.

I was wondering are you talking about PVC conduit or metal? I suppose both would work - right?

A weapon like this could be made by anyone on the fly with materials readily available anywhere there's buildings present that has/had running water or electricity.

Something like this could be made with a couple darts in less than 20 minutes, that's what makes it so beautiful.

Originally posted by verylowfrequency
I was wondering are you talking about PVC conduit or metal? I suppose both would work - right?

Not really.

I work around pools so I had a crap load of schedule 40 PVC. It was far too flexible at any length over 4 feet and 4 feet aint enough.

I thought about adding some sort of reinforcement to the pipe, steel rods or something, but did a Google search instead and found the above link.

The electrical conduit is metal, for practical purposes doesn’t flex, and is lighter than the sh. 40 PVC I have lying around.