# My Philipino Flechette shooter



## John-Boy

Ok so i knocked this up today, its made from a piece of unknown wood maybe oak or maple







, strong enough and does the trick!! I branded my seal of approval on it, added thumb dimples (also branded in) and wrapped in paracord.

The bands are 3 layers of theraband 2 gold and black in center, cut 23cms and tapered 2.5cm-2cm at the loop. The loop is simply paracord tied in a loop.

Just need ideas on making flechettes for this, as the ones i made for it are made from cut down arrows and seem to be a bit light, but fun to shoot!!

Any ideas??


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## Jax

Hi JohnBoy, your Filipino launcher is really cool! Three layers of TheraBand that looks like some serious power. Here are my latest flechettes 8mm wood screw, they fly excellent and hit hard. Easy to make with angle grinder. They are slightly different than those in my video, I think much better now. They are twice as heavy as green arrows in my video, a bit to heavy for my thin tubes but should be good for your bands.
I hope it helps. Enjoy your new toy and stay safe







.


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## John-Boy

Jax said:


> Hi JohnBoy, your Filipino launcher is really cool! Three layers of TheraBand that looks like some serious power. Here are my latest flechettes 8mm wood screw, they fly excellent and hit hard. Easy to make with angle grinder. They are slightly different than those in my video, I think much better now. They are twice as heavy as green arrows in my video, a bit to heavy for my thin tubes but should be good for your bands.
> I hope it helps. Enjoy your new toy and stay safe
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> .


Aaah yes i seen how you've done that, they should be just the job







Thanks!!

Im enjoying shooting this very much, thanks for the idea!!

John


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## harpersgrace

Funny I started experimenting on something along the same lines today but far cruder, but the weathers been so bad havent had the chance to try it yet...


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## HOE

Jax said:


> Hi JohnBoy, your Filipino launcher is really cool! Three layers of TheraBand that looks like some serious power. Here are my latest flechettes 8mm wood screw, they fly excellent and hit hard. Easy to make with angle grinder. They are slightly different than those in my video, I think much better now. They are twice as heavy as green arrows in my video, *a bit too heavy for my thin tubes* but should be good for your bands.
> I hope it helps. Enjoy your new toy and stay safe
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> .


HEY HEY! Be careful with too heavy darts with light bands. There were accidents happened before with flip shooters shooting too heavy ammo with light bands. The shot leaves the pouch too slowly and shoots back at the shooter in the chest. BE CAREFUL! Since you're flipping these darts, you don't want to get shot by a dart in your body.

An experience from Tex-shooter.

Anyway, awesome little shooter! So simple yet effective.


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## ZDP-189

Not that I know for certain that it would, but just imagine if it got snagged in that paracord and did an RTS.







Touch wood that it won't.


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## Jax

HOE said:


> Hi JohnBoy, your Filipino launcher is really cool! Three layers of TheraBand that looks like some serious power. Here are my latest flechettes 8mm wood screw, they fly excellent and hit hard. Easy to make with angle grinder. They are slightly different than those in my video, I think much better now. They are twice as heavy as green arrows in my video, *a bit too heavy for my thin tubes* but should be good for your bands.
> I hope it helps. Enjoy your new toy and stay safe
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> .


HEY HEY! Be careful with too heavy darts with light bands. There were accidents happened before with flip shooters shooting too heavy ammo with light bands. The shot leaves the pouch too slowly and shoots back at the shooter in the chest. BE CAREFUL! Since you're flipping these darts, you don't want to get shot by a dart in your body.

An experience from Tex-shooter.

Anyway, awesome little shooter! So simple yet effective.
[/quote]
Hey HOE, thanks for the word of warning. I'm always trying to be reasonably careful without getting paranoid







. 
What I meant the darts were a bit too heavy for the bands was that they don't reach same speed as lighter ones but they are not too much for the bands especially after I shortened the bands in order to get maximum draw without going into semi butterfly.
What I achieved is a bit more speed and more importantly more stability in flight.

Now my word of *WARNING*







to anyone trying this kind of flechettes:

What's absolutely crucial for safety is to check before EVERY shot that cord or metal loop can slip out out of the notch very easily .
I learned it the hard way (ok not too hard as I didn't get injured ) when after a shot into very hard wood the tip of the green arrow got bent just a little. It was impossible to spot as it was only a fraction of a milimeter but that already caused too much friction between the cord 
and the notch. As a result the next shot went back and the arrow hit my leg. It didn't hit with the tip and it was a very weak impact but now I check that connection before I shoot and I suggest you do the same.


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## John-Boy

ZDP-189 said:


> Not that I know for certain that it would, but just imagine if it got snagged in that paracord and did an RTS.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Touch wood that it won't.


So far so good, i think i will go by Jax's advice on this and *regularly check my setup before shots*. I have had around 100 shots to date and have had no flaws in release of dart, flight pattern or stray shots. Not saying i won't injure myself or worse, just saying it hasn't happened yet, but im hopeful


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## bleachbone

i am going to have to make one of those, you did an awsome job


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## John-Boy

bleachbone said:


> i am going to have to make one of those, you did an awsome job


Thanks, but be careful!! It may only take the slightest of imperfection to send a dart somewhere fatal!!

Otherwise have fun....


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## slingman49

any developments in this?


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## Chuck Daehler

Novel. Hope it works well. Looks pretty wicked alright. Possibly a little less deep notch to help prevent "return to sender" issues?? Dunno, never made one of these. Nice darts, good trim on the duct tape vanes. Did you use a feather burner rig for natural fletching on arrows like I did when making my own home rolled arrows as a kid, or just scissors? Looks neat.


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## fsimpson

i would not want anything that pointed and heavy flying around unsupported to the rear of my hand !!

i`d have to opt for a atlatl or a pistol crossbow -----much safer


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## Viper010

fsimpson said:


> i would not want anything that pointed and heavy flying around unsupported to the rear of my hand !!
> i`d have to opt for a atlatl or a pistol crossbow -----much safer


Very true but the "point" of these Filipino flechette stick shooters is that they can be carried in the pocket. It was originally a gang weapon used for street warfare.


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## pgandy

I had a Filipino friend that in the past sent me several emails concerning those. Unfortunately I no longer have the emails nor photos. The darts looked wicked and as well as I remember some were in two pieces so that part would remain imbedded after pulling out.


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## Viper010

pgandy said:


> I had a Filipino friend that in the past sent me several emails concerning those. Unfortunately I no longer have the emails nor photos. The darts looked wicked and as well as I remember some were in two pieces so that part would remain imbedded after pulling out.


Ouch! Nasty! ????


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## Steve32

Jax said:


> 'HOE' said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 'Jax' said:
> 
> 
> 
> Hi JohnBoy, your Filipino launcher is really cool! Three layers of TheraBand that looks like some serious power. Here are my latest flechettes 8mm wood screw, they fly excellent and hit hard. Easy to make with angle grinder. They are slightly different than those in my video, I think much better now. They are twice as heavy as green arrows in my video, *a bit too heavy for my thin tubes* but should be good for your bands.
> I hope it helps. Enjoy your new toy and stay safe :thumbsup: .
> 
> 
> 
> HEY HEY! Be careful with too heavy darts with light bands. There were accidents happened before with flip shooters shooting too heavy ammo with light bands. The shot leaves the pouch too slowly and shoots back at the shooter in the chest. BE CAREFUL! Since you're flipping these darts, you don't want to get shot by a dart in your body.
> 
> An experience from Tex-shooter.
> 
> Anyway, awesome little shooter! So simple yet effective.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Hey HOE, thanks for the word of warning. I'm always trying to be reasonably careful without getting paranoid
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> .
> What I meant the darts were a bit too heavy for the bands was that they don't reach same speed as lighter ones but they are not too much for the bands especially after I shortened the bands in order to get maximum draw without going into semi butterfly.
> What I achieved is a bit more speed and more importantly more stability in flight.
> 
> Now my word of *WARNING*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> to anyone trying this kind of flechettes:
> 
> What's absolutely crucial for safety is to check before EVERY shot that cord or metal loop can slip out out of the notch very easily .
> I learned it the hard way (ok not too hard as I didn't get injured ) when after a shot into very hard wood the tip of the green arrow got bent just a little. It was impossible to spot as it was only a fraction of a milimeter but that already caused too much friction between the cord
> and the notch. As a result the next shot went back and the arrow hit my leg. It didn't hit with the tip and it was a very weak impact but now I check that connection before I shoot and I suggest you do the same.
Click to expand...

I use a metal loop instead of cord I don't know what you call the shall of it, but it's like a triangle with the top off. The narrow top is where the far is hooked. It never fouls.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk


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## sagecraft

great shooter.. and really nice darts too.. i am Filipino and yes these were used for gang warfare.. they are nasty nasty nasty.. one of my friends before got stuck with one of those when it failed to release.. the metal ring is a good suggestion instead of the paracord.. we used tassels instead of fletches for the tail end when we made them. made for better durability and flight stability also made holding on to the darts easier.. spot repairs are also easier if your in the field..


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## pgandy

sagecraft said:


> great shooter.. and really nice darts too.. i am Filipino and yes these were used for gang warfare.. they are nasty nasty nasty.. one of my friends before got stuck with one of those when it failed to release.. the metal ring is a good suggestion instead of the paracord.. we used tassels instead of fletches for the tail end when we made them. made for better durability and flight stability also made holding on to the darts easier.. spot repairs are also easier if your in the field..


I had forgotten my friend's had streamers, or tassels as you call them, and no fletching. I wish that I could remember what he called the device, which was a forked stick in his case. Can you refresh my mind?


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## fsimpson

pana darts ??? looks interesting but more than a bit dangerous to the user ----------vids below


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## pgandy

fsimpson said:


> pana darts ??? looks interesting but more than a bit dangerous to the user --------


Thanks, I thought that it started with a 'p', after that I drew a blank. I wasn't into slingshots at the time but blowpipes. Actually I had tried a slingshot from Amazon, a Marksman wrist brace jobby, and couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with it and gave up in favour of a blowpipe which worked out well for me. During an exchange of ideas amongst other things my friend who lives in Mindanao told me about the pana. I tried out of curiosity to make one. I am sure that I tried for a separating dart and that put the notch to the rear. As I began the first draw and saw all of that unsupported shaft ahead to the notch and my hand I said no way. That was the end of my experience with a pana. I really had no use for one and the blowpipe was working great for my needs. Later, someone else from Malaysia talked me into trying flat bands so I bought an A+ jobby and have been satisfied with slingshots since, but have gone back to tubes using a Dankung clone.


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## sagecraft

pgandy said:


> sagecraft said:
> 
> 
> 
> great shooter.. and really nice darts too.. i am Filipino and yes these were used for gang warfare.. they are nasty nasty nasty.. one of my friends before got stuck with one of those when it failed to release.. the metal ring is a good suggestion instead of the paracord.. we used tassels instead of fletches for the tail end when we made them. made for better durability and flight stability also made holding on to the darts easier.. spot repairs are also easier if your in the field..
> 
> 
> 
> I had forgotten my friend's had streamers, or tassels as you call them, and no fletching. I wish that I could remember what he called the device, which was a forked stick in his case. Can you refresh my mind?
Click to expand...

Hmmm.. what did he use the forked stick for? Darts?

Sent from my ASUS_T00J using Tapatalk


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## pgandy

sagecraft said:


> pgandy said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> sagecraft said:
> 
> 
> 
> great shooter.. and really nice darts too.. i am Filipino and yes these were used for gang warfare.. they are nasty nasty nasty.. one of my friends before got stuck with one of those when it failed to release.. the metal ring is a good suggestion instead of the paracord.. we used tassels instead of fletches for the tail end when we made them. made for better durability and flight stability also made holding on to the darts easier.. spot repairs are also easier if your in the field..
> 
> 
> 
> I had forgotten my friend's had streamers, or tassels as you call them, and no fletching. I wish that I could remember what he called the device, which was a forked stick in his case. Can you refresh my mind?
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Hmmm.. what did he use the forked stick for? Darts?
> 
> Sent from my ASUS_T00J using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

He was not shooting a pana, only stating its existence and that they were used by gangs, he did send some photos and explanations. I have not been able to locate the photos, probably long since disappeared. I think the slingshot was a natural, but can't remember the substitution for a pouch. I remember clearly the tassels being orange and looked strangely like the yarn tassels I used in my blowpipe to restrict the range, sort like a flu-flu arrow. It seems like all of the darts shown were very similar to those in the videos being made with a nail with a forward notch except the separating type. Sorry that's the best I can do, but will continue to look for the photos. Our common interest was the blowpipe.


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## sagecraft

Yes they are the same.. the tassels i used when i made some was plastic twine. as far as i know these are rarely used now. But i know a lot of people who make them. They even made them with broadhead lead tips like rabbit ears which were called "rabbits" cause of the shape.. those are extra nasty..

Sent from my ASUS_T00J using Tapatalk


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## Steve32

Steve32 said:


> Jax said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hi JohnBoy, your Filipino launcher is really cool! Three layers of TheraBand that looks like some serious power. Here are my latest flechettes 8mm wood screw, they fly excellent and hit hard. Easy to make with angle grinder. They are slightly different than those in my video, I think much better now. They are twice as heavy as green arrows in my video, *a bit too heavy for my thin tubes* but should be good for your bands.
> I hope it helps. Enjoy your new toy and stay safe  .
> 
> 
> 
> HEY HEY! Be careful with too heavy darts with light bands. There were accidents happened before with flip shooters shooting too heavy ammo with light bands. The shot leaves the pouch too slowly and shoots back at the shooter in the chest. BE CAREFUL! Since you're flipping these darts, you don't want to get shot by a dart in your body.
> 
> An experience from Tex-shooter.
> 
> Anyway, awesome little shooter! So simple yet effective.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Hey HOE, thanks for the word of warning. I'm always trying to be reasonably careful without getting paranoid
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> .
> What I meant the darts were a bit too heavy for the bands was that they don't reach same speed as lighter ones but they are not too much for the bands especially after I shortened the bands in order to get maximum draw without going into semi butterfly.
> What I achieved is a bit more speed and more importantly more stability in flight.
> 
> Now my word of *WARNING*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> to anyone trying this kind of flechettes:
> 
> What's absolutely crucial for safety is to check before EVERY shot that cord or metal loop can slip out out of the notch very easily .
> I learned it the hard way (ok not too hard as I didn't get injured ) when after a shot into very hard wood the tip of the green arrow got bent just a little. It was impossible to spot as it was only a fraction of a milimeter but that already caused too much friction between the cord
> and the notch. As a result the next shot went back and the arrow hit my leg. It didn't hit with the tip and it was a very weak impact but now I check that connection before I shoot and I suggest you do the same.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> I use a metal loop instead of cord I don't know what you call the shall of it, but it's like a triangle with the top off. The narrow top is where the far is hooked. It never fouls.
> 
> Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

That same design, With a pouch makes a great compact Slingshot

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk


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## Chuck Daehler

I tried streamers on my slingshot carbine arrows and they worked very well. I used hemp rope that was unraveled and about 6 inches long taped on the end of the shaft just as an experiment and ball nocks I lathed out of aluminum stock so I would not have to change the pouch from ball to arrow.


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