Blowguns Made in America

Did we mention that our blowguns and accessories are made in America? We are proud to offer this quality product at a very affordable price.

The Aboriginal Airgun

It started innocently enough – with the National Geographic channel; a program called “The Snake Wrangler” and an episode entitled Mission to Malaysia. On the screen, a college professor and three of his students are trekking through the jungle, carrying these really long hiking sticks. (This perked my interest because I usually hike with a stick.)

Suddenly, one of them stops and says, “There’s one now.” He does something to the end of his hiking stick, puts the stick to his lips, and – phuuut! – knocks a lizard out of a tree.

While the four adventurers are rhapsodizing about the rarity of this particular reptile (which was hit with stun dart that leaves the lizard unharmed), I realize what I had just witnessed. “A blowgun,” I thought. “Cool! I’ve gotta look into this.” I jump on the Internet and make some phone calls.

Within a couple of weeks, a torrent of blowgun-related stuff had arrived at the house. BlowgunsNW.com shipped four blowguns and a book called The Breath of Death. A buddy sent a copy of Eldon Wolff’s Air guns.

Blowguns, it turns out, have been around at least since the 15th century, and some sources claim they’ve been around much longer, maybe for thousands of years. Eldon Wolff devotes an entire chapter in his book to blowguns, including a map that shows blowgun usage in North and South America, Asia, Africa, and Europe. Native American tribes known to have used blowguns include Cherokee, Choctaw, and Iroquois, among others.

In his excellent book Blowguns – The Breath of Death, Michael Janich points out that the guys with the “black belt” in blowguns were the natives of the Malay Archipelago (Borneo) and the Indians of the Orinoco and Amazon river basins. The South American blowguns range from 12 to 20 feet long, and there are those who claim the Jivaro Indians can hit a hummingbird at 50 yards with one. Blowguns are, or have been, used by Ninjas in Japan, various military units and by modern folks wishing to tranquilize wildlife.

At the heart of every blowgun is the same principle that powers every airgun you’ll see in Airgun Illustrated: place a moveable projectile in a tube, quickly pressurize the gas behind it, and – zing! – the projectile comes zipping out of the tube. The big difference, in the case of a blowgun, is that you are the power plant!

Just because there is no spring, CO2 cartridge, pump or scuba tank supplying the energy behind a blowgun, don’t make the mistake of thinking they are harmless toys. It’s true that you can knock a lizard out of a tree, de-squirrel the birdfeeder, or chase a stray dog out of the yard without doing harm if you use a blowgun and a stun dart. But even the wimpiest blowgun I tested could, at ten yards, stick a pointed target dart into a block of wood with enough energy that it always required pliers to pull it out.

Modern blowguns are generally made of aluminum tubing and come in various lengths and calibers. Forty caliber is the most common, and lots of different ammunition and accessories, including a repeater setup, are available. A wide variety of projectiles – target darts, spear darts, spike darts, stuns darts, and so on – are available. The widest ranges of darts are available in .40 and .50 cal. All velocity tests, except where noted, were conducted with the target dart of the appropriate caliber furnished by the supplier.

When messing around with blowguns, select your targets with care. A Daisy Target Cube works well at stopping darts, but is a bit small at long range. An “Eternity” archery target is an excellent choice. A pizza box is the right size but must be backed by something more substantial. I found that sometimes the cone of the target dart would be stopped by the cardboard, but the sharp head of the dart would keep going, right through both sides of the pizza box and burying itself in the archery target behind. It’s a mistake to underestimate the power of a blowgun.

I chronographed the three-foot, .40 cal blowgun from Blowguns Northwest and found – when huffing and puffing normally -- the highest velocity for target darts was 106 fps; the lowest, 87, and the average, about 95. Technique, however, does matter. A couple of days after those initial tests, I found that if I pursed my lips in the mouthpiece, put my tongue behind them, pressurized my lungs and mouth, and then suddenly removed my tongue – so that the air was expelled explosively (PWAH!) – velocities increased considerably. With the same three-foot .40 caliber gun, speeds jumped to an average of 130 fps.

The next size up is .50 caliber. Testing the 3-footer from Blowguns Northwest with target darts, I found average velocities of 133 fps. With the 4-foot .50 caliber, I got 158 fps average, and with the two-piece 6-foot .50 caliber, speeds averaged 166 fps. (The 6-footer consists of a 4-ft section, a 2-ft extension, and a connector. If you also own the 3-ft gun, you can use the bit and pieces to assemble a 5-ft gun.)

Blowguns Northwest also sent a .62 caliber, 4-foot blowgun. With it and target darts, I averaged 130 fps. The darts are obviously much heavier, so for me, the bigger gun delivers more power. One blowgun enthusiast reports shooting marbles out of his .62 caliber blowgun with enough force to kill small rodents. This blowgun has a rubber tip so it can be used as a walking stick.

Janich reports that the average person, with a bit of practice and a 4-6 foot blowgun, could probably hit a grapefruit at 40 feet. That pretty well squares with my experience. In fact, with practice I’ve found I can hit a dime-sized bullseye at 10 yards surprisingly often (but certainly not all the time). On occasion I have “Robin Hooded” darts – stuck one into the back of another.

So what’s the best blowgun? A lot depends on you and your lung power. Some people don’t have enough lung capacity to make a 4-foot .62 caliber worthwhile for them. Others will simply like the feel of a .50 caliber or a .40. Some will prefer long and powerful over short and handy. Since I now have a small collection of blowguns of various calibers and lengths, I can honestly say that I enjoy them all. And it appeals to my Scottish “thrift” genes that the ammunition is reusable.

Fortunately, it’s relatively inexpensive to experiment with blowguns. You can purchase a .50 caliber 3-foot basic model with a handful of darts or a deluxe .40 cal. 3-foot model for less than $20, plus shipping. Or purchase Janich’s book from Blowguns Northwest (ask nice, and they’ll send you an autographed copy) and learn how to make your own.

There is also a wealth of information about blowguns on the Internet. “Blowgun Joe” was of invaluable help in providing information for this article. Be sure to check out his website: http://www.adventuresportsla.com/info/blowgunjoe/. There is even a website that proclaims the health benefits of shooting blowguns: http://www.fukiya.net/english/english.htm. Blowgunning is certainly good for your lungs, your diaphragm, and your abdominal muscles, but apparently it’s also a stress reliever and it stimulates your medulla oblongata. Who knew?

Ultimately, I discovered that there is a whole lot to like about blowguns. They’re fun, accurate, quiet, and even good for your health. Now, if you’ll excuse me, there’s this lizard I need to knock out of a tree.

photo captions

Photo 1 – In the jungles of darkest New York State, the author shoots the Blowguns Northwest 4-ft. .62 caliber blowgun.

Photo 2 – With just a puff of breath, a .50 caliber dart penetrated this deep into a board.

photo 3 – This is where you become the powerplant

Photo 4 - A group of 5 .40 cal darts stuck in a Daisy Target Cube from 10 yards.

Photo 5 – The WholesaleGoods.net deluxe 3-ft .40 cal includes a variety of darts, quivers, and a carry strap.

copyright by Jock Elliott. We - Blowguns Northwest, Inc. (wholesalegoods.net) - has permission from Jock Elliott to use this article.

Blowgun Electronic sighting system

This new targeting system offers a fully adjustable red dot scoping system and mounting hardware. Fits all .40 caliber
blowguns. Improves accuracy with a red dot aiming point. Fully adjustable for windage and elevation.

INCLUDES: Electronic Red Dot Sighting System and Mounting hardware

IMPORTANT: Be sure your blowgun is
not loaded.

MOUNTING:

1. Loosen screws and fit the mount base onto the rails or Weaver rails.


2. Hold the pipe in natural shooting position and adjust the scope eye relief
   until achieving a full field of view.


3. Tighten locking screws to ensure a firm grip onto the pipe. Do not over tighten
   as you can cause damage to the pipe.

ZEROING:

1. Place a target at an appropriate distance.


2. Switch on the electronic dot, aim at the center of the target and fire a
   test shot.


3. If the dart hit the center of the target, the dot sight was zeroed.
   If it didn't, adjust the dot using the elevation and/or windage adjusters as
   follows:
   

   a. Vertical Adjustment (Elevation) - Turn the elevation adjustment
   knob clockwise to move the point of impact up and counterclockwise to move
   the point of impact down.

   b. Horizontal Adjustment (Windage) - Turn the windage adjustment knob
   clockwise to move the point of impact left and counterclockwise to move the
   point of impact right.

   
   
4. Keep adjusting and test-firing until the test shot hits the center of the
   target.

Blomatic 8 shot repeater

The Blomatic transforms any .40 caliber blowgun into a rapid-fire blowgun. Loads of fun! The Blowmatic allows you to shoot up to 8 darts in rapid succession. Load each dart into a separate chamber. Rotate the assembly to line up each chamber and then fire. The newest item in blowgun technology.

This connects on the blowgun where the mouthpiece is. Shoot as fast as you want. This is great for the person who would like to use this for hunting. Instead of taking the time to stop and reload your dart, giving the animal time to get away, turn the gattling gun and fire. This product is for use with .40 caliber blowguns only.

NEW - Pirates of the Caribbean, Water Bomb Water Balloons

This item is new for the Spring line of water balloon launchers and water balloons. We have a nice selection of themed water balloons to choose from:

• Baseball water balloons - when filled, shows stitching on the balloons. Great for birthday parties.
• Water Grenades - looks like little grenades when filled with water. This one is very popular with our military clientele.
• Groovy Soakers - Tye Dye looking water balloons. Nice retro balloons for those 70's and 80's parties.
• Camouflage Waterballoons - looks like the real thing. Again, very popular with our military clientele.
• Cherry Bombs - has a scent of cherry (strange, but true).
• Pirates of the Caribbean, water bomb waterballoons. This is a very popular water balloon for parties and Halloween.
  

COLD STEEL BIG BORE .62 CAL RAZOR TIP DARTS

We have now added the all new Cold Steel Big Bore .62 Cal Razor Tip Darts. This dart is great for penetration and hunting. This dart measures 5-3/4" long.

Wholesalegoods.net

Blowgun Art created by our loyal customers

This page is dedicated to the "art" of blowgun. Many of you know that owning and shooting a blowgun is not only a great sport but there isn't much out there in the way of "art" for blowgun enthusiasts. We have many talented customers that have sent us pieces of art work over the years. This page is going to be a posting ground for those works of art. If you are an artist and have created some funny doodles, send them to us and let us post them for all to view.

SEND US YOUR WORKS OF ART: Send your picture in .gif or .jpg format with the caption you have selected for it. Please keep it clean as young and old blowgun enthusiasts will be viewing these.

The pictures with the red * beside it are the ones we own and those will be made into t-shirts for sale. Please do not duplicate the pieces listed here without permission from the artist (if listed) and/or BlowgunsNorthwest.com or wholesalegoods.net

1. I don't care how proud you are of it! (18 Mar 2003 by Norman D.)
2. Learn to aim! (20 Jan 2003 by John D)
3. Blowguns and bad dental work do not mix (12 Jan 2003 by Vincent B)
4. I think I need a bigger blowgun! (26 Dec 2002 by Justin A)
5. *Blowguns Make Perfect Xmas Gifts
6. *When practicing with your blowgun.....
7. *Bob never read the directions....

Paintball Care

HOT AND COLD CONDITIONS: When purchasing any item that has paintballs included in the purchase, please be aware that during hot summer months and very cold temperatures, paintballs can sit for extended periods of time in transport trucks (UPS, FedEx, etc.) It is advised that you select a faster means of delivery so that your paintballs arrive in good condition. If you need to know what paintballs are made of and the care for paintballs, we have provided you with some important information.

PAINTBALLS USED FOR HUNTING: The larger paintballs, the .50 and .62 (when available), are used in hunting deer. Some hunters have dipped the paintballs into the deer scent and splattered the paintball onto a tree. The deer will come up and smell this scent.

WHY DON'T .40 CALIBER PAINTBALLS BREAK VERY EASILY? Paintballs are temperature sensitive. The smaller they are, the harder it will be for them to break. If they are hard to break, you can use a blow-dryer on them for a couple of "SECONDS." This will soften them up a bit. You can also hold them in the palm of your hand and close your hand over the paintballs. This will give them some heat also. It is important to keep them out of the heat, cold, and the sun. Too much heat can cause the gelatin shell of a paintball to soften, meaning the paintball might deform, bounce more or stop feeding into the paintball pistol or the blowgun. Never leave your paint in the direct sun. Do not buy paintballs and then leave them in your trunk. Paintballs that get too cold will eventually become deformed, and you cannot make them back into round paintballs.

WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO STORE MY PAINTBALLS? Store paintballs at temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit, in not more than 50 percent relative humidity. Humidity and moisture make paintballs "swell up." Both the gelatin shell and the paintballs fill is moisture sensitive. They will absorb moisture and begin to swell. Once they swell, they'll never be the same again. Since you cannot take the moisture back out, it is very important to keep paintballs in moisture-barrier bags or containers. You can use the thick plastic bags they come in or you can purchase the "View Loader Paintball Holder." This item holds 700 .40 caliber paintballs. It will also accommodate the .50 caliber, .62 caliber and the .68 caliber paintballs.

There are also medical grade plastic bags or plastic bags that are four mils or more thick, like a moisture-barrier freezer bag. Paintballs can be stored in tubes or pods that have snug fitting caps. Keep the containers closed as much as you can, at home, during transport and at the field. The more humid it is, the more important it is to protect your paint from the humidity. DO NOT store paint in the refrigerator.

WHAT'S INSIDE THE PAINTBALLS? Food dyes (pigments), the same as those in orange soda, candies, ice cream, bubblegum, mints, etc., and polyethylene glycol (not to be confused with antifreeze). This liquid fill in a paintball is non-toxic and non-caustic, water-soluble and made of biodegradable or naturally-occurring ingredients. When a paintball hits a target, the thin gelatin skin splits open as it is designed to do, and the liquid inside makes a "paint" mark on the target.

We have lots of stuff available for the .40 cal blowguns and .50 cal blowguns that you can use paintballs with.

Paintball games using blowguns

Annihilator

Groups of five go into the field and slug it out in this "elimination only" game.

Teams:
Multiple five man teams.

Setting Up:

1. Set up multiple five man teams.
2. The maximum limit is four teams for every acre of playing area.
3. Place teams in the area so that they are not in line of sight of each other.
4. To make score keeping easier, the teams may be accompanied by a referee and each team shoots their own distinct color of paint.

Time Limit:
Thirty to forty-five minutes.

Rules:

1. Teams will stay in their starting points until the "Start of Game" signal.
2. The team gets a point for each elimination it inflicts on the other team.
3. There are no points for surviving members of the team.
4. All players must begin the game at their flag station (or assigned starting point) and cannot leave that area until the game begins.
5. Players who are hit are out of the game.
6. Players who are eliminated may not, by word or gesture, indicate any intentions or locations of the opposing team members.

Winning:
Team with the highest score.

Tactical Advantage:
One thing you'll learn REAL quick, WATCH YOUR BACK AND FLANKS! People will figure out really quick that while two teams are slugging it out, it's real easy to drop in and blind side one team and then take off. Don't hang around, get a couple of eliminations and get out of there.

.62 CAL BOAR HOG BLOWGUNS

The .62 caliber blowguns and accessories make the perfect hunting blowgun. There are not as many accessories for this blowgun compared to the .40 or .50 caliber but this has become a favorite to many of the blowgun enthusiasts.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE SIZES:

• .40 caliber blowguns are 3/8".
• .50 caliber blowguns are 1/2".
• .62 caliber blowguns are 5/8".
• Measurements are taken by measuring from the inside wall of the blowgun. Darts are not interchangeable. You can only chose the darts and accessories for the blowgun you have chosen.

PURCHASE INCLUDES: Blowgun tube, mouthpiece, twelve stun darts, twelve broadhead darts, 1 foam grip, and one rubber tip.

LENGTH ACCURACY AND VELOCITY DIFFERENCES: In posting the following information, this was based on the .40 caliber. Use the references for the .50 caliber and .62 caliber as well. However, the manufacturers claim that by using the .50 caliber and .62 caliber blowguns you can achieve about 25% more velocity and distance.

.50 Caliber Broadhead Darts

Broadhead Darts are specifically designed for hunting. Broadhead darts are great for leaving a bleed out wound. Darts come in various lengths but currently are available in 4" lengths. Each dart has a sharp broadhead point that is secured onto the end of a target wire. It is designed for maximum tissue damage. This is by far one of the most popular darts used with blow guns and is highly recommended for the serious game hunter.

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