finished my first atlatal

[bubby]

here's a pic of my first atlatal, it's a high plains style, what would be the best length of dart to use with this atlatal?, Bub

[swamp monkey]

This style would be called a hammer style grip and they tend not to bend much so you can get by with a stiffer dart.  I use river cane and choose stock with a largest end diameter of 3/4" -- 1/2" or so. Make that end you front of the dart.  Make a wooden  fore-shaft and be sure to wrap both ends with art. sinew or real sinew to prevent splitting upon impact, and to keep the atlatl spur from breaking off a splinter of the nock end. 

[Dane]

You did a beatiful job on this!

How long is the atlatl? That is part of what determines dart length, but the best way is to experiment with different darts and see what works best for you, your atlatl, and the style you throw with. I like shorter darts, but I have some very long darts made by AJ Bagg that perform beautifully. Most folks seem to gravitate toward six foot darts. Dane

[bubby]

Dane it's 22", built pretty much identical to the high plains atlatl plans from a link i got here, i made a 6' dart outta boo and made a white oak point to practice with, my oldest son chucked it 93 yds with a little practice, Bub