| blowgun! Has there ever been a more simply | | | | The .50 caliber blowgun measures 1/2" in |
| designed weapon with such amazing power? Well | | | | diameter, |
| maybe a stick, or a rock would be simpler, but | | | | These measurements are based on the "inside" |
| for distance and accuracy, the blowgun, really | | | | diameter of the blowgun tube. |
| blows them both away. | | | | I’ve also tried a larger .62 caliber blowgun, |
| A blowgun is not much more than a small tube | | | | but this size is used primarily as a paintball marker. |
| that’s used for firing light pellets or darts. | | | | As for the length, I’ve found modern |
| You simply blow into one end, forcing the | | | | blowguns ranging from 18" up to 72" but |
| projectile out the other. It doesn’t get | | | | I’m sure you can find them even longer if |
| much easier than that, but wow what a great | | | | you really go looking for them. |
| weapon it is. | | | | Today we have many uses for the blowgun. |
| No one knows exactly where blowguns originated; | | | | Hunters can use the blowgun to hunt small game, |
| however, it is generally believed that they | | | | and blowguns are used all over the world to help |
| appeared simultaneously throughout many parts | | | | maintain wildlife by delivering tranquilizer darts in |
| of the world. The earliest evidence of blowguns | | | | complete silence. The animals can then be studied |
| dates back thousands of years to parts of Africa | | | | and released back into the wild. Also, many people |
| and Asia. | | | | are finding that blowguns can offer quite a |
| In the America's, blowguns have been used for | | | | challenging sport. With different darts to choose |
| several thousand years by Native Americans as | | | | from such as soft-tip darts, stun darts, and even |
| survival weapons. They were also used as far | | | | paintballs, the blowgun offers a wide variety of |
| back as the year 1500 by the Ninja in Japan for | | | | sporting activities. |
| silent assassinations. | | | | There are several competition styles of blowgun |
| Blowguns are still used today by Amazonian | | | | practiced around the world. A standardization of |
| Indians in South America and by Pygmies in Africa | | | | competition is being pursued by the International |
| for hunting small game. Although to be effective | | | | Fukiyado Association and has high hopes of |
| against larger animals, blowgun darts require | | | | becoming an Olympic event. It is a 10-meter |
| poison. Many tribesmen will rub the tips of their | | | | target shoot, using a standardized barrel caliber |
| darts across the back of certain types of frogs. | | | | and length, and a standardized dart, as outlined by |
| These fogs have a sticky substance on their skin, | | | | IFA. |
| which is some of the most deadly poison on the | | | | Two other styles are also being pursued to make |
| planet. Perhaps you’ve even heard the | | | | up the Olympic blowgun event. The Field Style |
| term poison dart frog, well it’s not | | | | competition is where the shooter runs from a |
| just a catch phrase; it’s for real. But | | | | starting line to a target lane, shoots, and retrieves |
| I’ll leave the frog articles up to the | | | | the darts, and then continues to the next station. |
| amphibian experts and continue on with the story | | | | The course length varies from 1/4 mile to 1/2 |
| of blowguns. | | | | mile (400 to 800 m) or longer, with a number of |
| In the beginning blowguns were made from | | | | targets at various heights and shooting distances. |
| bamboo or other hollowed out sticks of wood. | | | | The final style is the Long Distance target shoot. |
| North American Cherokees were known for | | | | The target is a circle that is 24 cm in diameter, |
| making blowguns out of river cane to hunt for | | | | and the firing line is 20 meters away. Each |
| rabbits and other small creatures. As crude as | | | | shooter fires three darts, and at least one dart |
| these primitive weapons were, they were also | | | | must stick in the target. All successful shooters |
| extremely accurate. | | | | move to the next round, moving back 2 meters |
| As a primitive weapon, there were no set | | | | each time. |
| dimensions for a blowgun's length and diameter. | | | | I personally don’t have any ambition to be |
| However today, most modern blowguns typically | | | | the next Olympic gold medal blowgun champion, |
| come in two sizes: | | | | but out in my own backyard, I am still the |
| The .40 caliber blowgun measures 3/8" in | | | | target-shooting king. |
| diameter, and | | | | |