[Archers] rounds for the Atlatl

[Siegfried]

>    Therefor good atlatl darts need a degree of springiness
> to be effective.  To test out this theory in a crude way, try throwing short
> darts, say 4 feet long, and see what kind of results you get versus your
> "normal" 6 - 7 foot darts.

Ah yes, but, eh-hem, you can adjust for that by finding the correct
'spine' for the dart.   This is determined not only by the individual
'wood/reed/etc' that you are using, but by the species & diameter.

And of course, each thrower (person and device) will have a different
affect on this.

So for example, a 6' long oak 1/2" diameter dart, might work perfectly
for you (For reference, this happens to be what the bulk of the one's
sold at Pennsic are).

But if you get to the 4' range, it needs to be much much more flexible.
  So you need lighter more flexible wood (such as poplar), and you will
need to move down in diameter (to 7/16" or maybe 3/8")

Same would apply as you get longer (8' or 9') ... now needs to be
thicker, stronger.

Basically, to test, throw darts without any fletches on them.   If the
back goes DOWN, then the spine is too stiff.  Use longer shaft or
thinner shaft.

If the back goes UP (IE, it just pitches point first into the ground).
Then the spine is too light.

It should fly 'mostly correct' without fletches.

Siegfried -- Who went waaay down this rabbit hole.