0

How to Make a Laser – Assisted Blowgun An Effective Weapon and Hunting Tool

It is hard to track when and where blowguns actually originated but historians believe that it was already used by primitive tribes during the old times to hunt small animals and to protect themselves from bigger wild animals. It is a good weapon for hunting small games like birds and rabbits because it is silent and will not alert your target. Many types of blowguns can be purchased in the market but you can also make your own for a cheaper price. You can even make a laser-assisted one which gives both power and accuracy. Making your own laser-assisted blowgun is quite easy and the materials you will need can be found in your household. Do you want to try and make your own laser-assisted blowgun? Let me help you with that. In this article I have made easy step by step instructions on how to make a laser-assisted blowgun. But before we proceed let us first know some basics.

What is a laser-assisted blowgun?

A blowgun is a simple ranged weapon which consists of a pipe and a projectile like darts, seeds, or pellets. It works by putting the projectile inside the pipe and blowing into it. How powerful your blowgun can be will depend on the strength of your respiratory muscles and the vital capacity of your lungs. For the laser-assisted blowgun, you will just need to attach a laser into your pipe that will point to your target so that you will fire with more accuracy.What is a laser-assisted blowgun?

The basic parts of a laser-assisted blowgun

Knowing the basic parts of your blowgun will make it easier for you to understand how to make a laser-assisted blowgun. Here are the parts and some simple descriptions.

Pipe

This is the main body of your blowgun where your projectile will go into and out. In the ancient times, it is usually made of bamboo, wood, or cane but now, you can also make it using a PVC pipe. When using bamboo or cane, the wood is heated and carefully bent to straighten them while for the woods which are not hollow inside, they are cut in half, carved a hole inside, and then put back together. Blowgun pipes’ length may vary but longer ones tend to propel your projectile faster.

Projectile

This is your blowgun’s “ammunition”. It can be darts, seeds, pellets, or other materials depending on what you will use it for. Smaller darts tend to propel faster and are easier to shoot while longer ones tend to penetrate deeper and do more damage.

Laser

This serves as the pointer of your blowgun which will help you in shooting your target with accuracy. For the laser that you will use in making your laser-assisted blowgun, you can purchase one from an office supplies store. You may also use one with a flashlight so that you can also use it in the dark.

Quiver

This is where you will keep your blowgun’s projectile. It is attached to your pipe so that it can be easily accessed.

How to make a laser-assisted blowgun?

Before we proceed on the steps on how to make a laser-assisted blowgun, here are some materials that you may need:

• PVC pipe/bamboo/cane/any straight, hollow wood

• Laser pointer

• Nails

• Glue gun

• Screw

• Scissors

• Saw

• Party hat or any cone

• Electric tape

• Duct tapes with designs

• Foam pipe insulation

• Paper

• Reducing coupling

Step 1. Prepare the pipe

Take a PVC pipe with a half inch diameter and cut it to a length that is comfortable for you to carry. Make sure that it is not too long that it will bend because this will affect the route and trajectory of your projectile. Next, get a reducing coupling with a smaller side that is fit to your pipe and attach it to your pipe. Tighten the attachment to secure it down by hammering it down. this will serve as the “mouthpiece” of your blowgun. For a great finish, you may design your pipe by using a decorative duct tape. Just cut a length the same as your pipe, lay the non-sticky side on the table, then place your pipe into the sticky side of the tape and roll the pipe into the tape. Secure the tape by pressing them with your fingers. You may also use paint to design your pipe.

Step 2. Make the darts

For the darts, you may use a party hat or any cone as a shape-reference. Wrap the paper in the party hat making a cone shape and secure it with tape. Cut the cone into a size that will fit into your pipe. Next, insert a nail or a screw through your cone. For the nail, the head must be inside the cone while for the screw, it should be outside since its purpose is for glass breaking. Also, you may use long or short nails depending on your purpose. Secure the nail or screw in the paper cone by applying glue inside using a glue gun. You now have two different types of darts.

Step 3. Create the quiver

For your quiver, you may use a foam pipe insulation that fits your pipe. Cut the foam crosswise to around three fourth of an inch thick. Make two of these doughnut-shaped rings. Next cover the outside part with electric tape to add to its durability. Bore holes on one of the rings using a hot nail. It’s up to you how many holes you want to make. Just make sure that there is enough space between them so that the foam will be able to hold the darts when they are placed.

Step 4. Attach the quiver

Attach the quiver by inserting the two rings into the pipe. Place them a bit more inclined to the side of your mouthpiece and make sure that the one with holes is on top of the other ring in reference to your mouthpiece. Place them around half of an inch away from each other. Lastly, put your darts in your quiver by inserting them into the hole and pinning them into the foam below to secure.

Step 5. Attach the laser

Using a hot glue, attach the laser on top of your pipe placing it slightly closer to the opposite end of the mouthpiece. Make sure that the laser is pointing away from the mouthpiece and it is aligned well with your pipe to ensure accuracy. Next, fasten the laser with plastic zips to make sure that it is steady. You may also use electric tape but remember not to cover the switch. Also take into consideration that your laser may ran out of battery after some time so attach it in such a way that you can easily change its battery.

Conclusion

A blowgun can be a good and effective instrument for hunting small game animals and attaching a laser to it is a good way to greatly improve its accuracy. Although blowguns can easily be purchased in the market, it can also be a good decision to make your own because it is cheaper and it is just very easy to make. To add to that, looking at your own piece of work can be very rewarding especially if it is well-made. So why not try? In this article, I have written steps on how to make a laser-assisted blowgun to guide you. I hope this helps!

Did you like this article? If so, please leave a comment below and share this with your friends. Thank you for reading!

1

Survival Shelters: 10 Best Designs and How to Build Them?

1

The Best 5 Early Season Squirrel Tips

1

How to Eat a Snake Safely and Correctly

In some cultures, snakes are hunted and caught for their meat. For most people, snake meat is a delicacy and is something that is not eaten regularly. In some cases, snakes are eaten in emergency situations for sustenance and survival. If you are an avid snake hunter and want to try getting a taste of their meat, let’s talk about edible snakes first and if they are safe to eat.

Some snakes are safe to eat while others are not. Before you try eating a snake or catching one for food, make sure that you identify its species and determine that it is not a poisonous snake. Needless to say, eating a poisonous snake can be detrimental to one’s health.

So, how do you know if a snake is safe to eat?

Which Snakes are Safe to Eat

It’s pretty obvious that venomous snakes are risky to eat. You can identify if a snake is venomous or not if you know the appearance and skin pattern of the most common venomous snakes. However, the most dangerous venomous snakes are unlikely to be recommended as edible snakes.

The four venomous snakes are as follows: coral snake, cottonmouth snake, copperhead snake, and the rattlesnake. These species of snakes are highly venomous and their venom can easily kill a human adult with a single bite. For reference, here is a list of the top 10 most venomous snakes in the world.

Identifying a venomous snake can be difficult for those who are not very familiar with snake species. Thus, if you want to hunt for a particular species of non-venomous snake, make sure that you know what it looks like or you might end up encountering a dangerous snake.

Some sources say that cooking a venomous snake can inactivate the remaining venom in their bodies, but let’s not risk it, shall we? Especially if you are not an expert on snakes and snake venom.

On the other hand, if you happen to find a dead snake lying around, it is not recommended that you eat it especially if you don’t know the cause of death. Because in some cases, snakes can die from eating poisonous animals like rodents or frogs. If you eat a contaminated snake, the toxins may transfer to you and cause detrimental health effects.

It is also not recommended to get yourself into a situation where a snake bite poses a high risk. If you really want to eat a snake, there are some restaurants that offer this delicacy. On the other hand, you can also find someone who sells snake meat so you don’t have to catch it for your own.

How to Eat a Snake Safely and Correctly

So, you find or catch your non-venomous or non-poisonous snake. What do you do now? If you happen to capture a snake for your own, you need to clean it thoroughly and learn the proper way to cook it so that you don’t pose any health risk to yourself. Here is a slight overview of what you can do to eat an edible snake.

Step One: Prepare your snake

Preparing your snake means that you have to clean it, skin it, and gut it before cooking. Just like other edible reptiles like alligators and frogs, preparing the snake for cooking can be a bit more tedious that when using regular store-bought meat. But that’s the fun of it! You will really feel like a survivalist while preparing your snake.

The first thing you need to do is cut the snake’s head off preferably with the best tactical knife or hunting knife you have. Cutting the head off is necessary sometimes because the snake can still pose a bite threat due to reflexes post-mortem.

Next, find the anal opening of the snake. This is where you will make your first cut. With a pair of scissors or sharp knife, cut through the snake’s anal vent and work your way upwards until you reach the neck. Be careful while cutting because you would want to save your snake skin for later.

After you’ve cut the snake vertically, you would notice that there is connective tissue that attaches the snake’s skin to its muscles. If you have experience skinning a fox or rabbit, then this part should be easily. But if not, practice makes perfect.

Carefully cut away the connective tissue until the snake skin separates from the muscle or until you can easily peel away the skin. Then, the next step is peeling the snake skin off of the body. Take hold of the snake’s body and use your other hand to carefully separate the skin from the muscle.

The next step in preparing your snake meat is to remove the guts. You can easily do this but cutting along the snake’s stomach and removing the tube that contains its innards. Easy-peasy, just like gutting a fish. Make sure you don’t puncture the innards so that you avoid getting the gross goo/snake bile all over the place.

Give your snake meat a good wash-down and then clean up the area you used for preparing the snake.

Now, you’re left with your precious snake meat! It’s time to get cooking!

Step Two: Cook your snake

There are a few recipes available on the net for snake meat, but the most common ones are frying and grilling. If you’re out in the wilderness with not much choice for cooking options, you can grill the snake over a fire. Just make sure that you’ve cleaned the snake thoroughly.

Another snake cooking method we recommend is to fry it up like chicken fillets or gator meat. You can do this by simply cutting the snake meat into thin slices, seasoning it as desired, dredging with bread crumbs, and then frying in deep oil. Snake meat can go well with cornbread, rice, pasta, or veggies.

Step Three: Save the snake skin

Of course, you cannot let the snake skin go to waste. After cutting it off from the meat, you can trim the excess tissue of, rinse it, and then save it as a trophy or use it for other creative purposes. You can also sell snake skin online!

What Are the Qualities of Snake Meat?

Like frog meat, people who have tried eating snakes say that snake meat tastes like chicken or fish. Thus, you can season snake meat the same way you would season chicken or fish.

On the other hand, when we’re talking about nutritional quality of the snake meat, you can find it a great source of lean protein. It has lower fat content and calories than regular red meat, but it has a high protein content that can serve as fuel for the body and for repairing of tissues.

In the case of using snake meat to survive in the wild, it will definitely keep you going due to its nutritional content. You can also grill, bake, or sautee snake meat instead of deep frying to keep the calories on the down low.

Conclusion

Snake meat can be delicious and nutritious to eat both as a delicacy or emergency food item. If you plan on eating snakes, make sure that it is one of the edible snakes and it is safe for human consumption. Now that we’ve answered the question on edible snakes: is it safe to eat? You can try acquiring one of your own and trying it out.

Do you have any questions regarding this topic? If so, feel free to leave them in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

0

How to Make a Paiute Deadfall Trap

0

Top 10 Most Venomous Snakes in the World

0

How to Use a Duck Call Effectively

2

How to Make a Crossbow from Scratch

One of the weapons that you can use for hunting is a crossbow. It is a very good weapon especially for novice hunters since it is fairly easy to use and does not require much upper strength. However, accuracy, efficiency and practice are still needed to put a crossbow in its best use. One good thing about a crossbow is that it is inexpensive and is easy to make. So, if you are someone who wants to make his own crossbow just for the fun and satisfaction of it, or if you happen to be in the wild, and for whatever reason, you have no weapon in you that you can use in hunting for food then this article will be very helpful for you. Here are very easy steps on how to make a crossbow from scratch. In this article we are going to make a simple crossbow from readily available materials. But before we proceed to that, let’s have a short discussion of some things that you need to know first.

Basic Elements of a Crossbow

The Bow

The bow is basically composed of the limbs and the string. The limbs are the arms of a crossbow. They are the flexible curved shaped part of the crossbow which is attached to the stock and is where the potential energy of the crossbow is stored. This determines the force that the arrow will have when it is fired. There are different designs and materials that can be used in making crossbow limbs which vary from every manufacturer. For the design, there are two types which are the compound crossbow and the recurve crossbow. The former has much stiffer limbs than the latter and the latter has limbs where the tips flare away from the archer. For the materials, manufacturers usually use fiberglass because of its strength and flexibility while others use steel. However, since what we aim in this article is how to make a crossbow from scratch using readily available materials, we would consider using wood or PVC pipe.

The bow – Photo credit: vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net

The string is what holds and launches the arrow. It is attached to both ends of the limbs and connects the limbs together. This transfers the kinetic energy from the bow to the arrow. Strings should have high strength and low creep or stretch. Materials usually used for strings are high modulus polyethylene, polyester, synthetic fibre, or a spun fibre of liquid crystal polymer.

The Stock

The stock – Photo credit: i.ytimg.com

The stock is where the bow and all other components of the crossbow are attached. It allows the shooter to easily hold or shoulder the crossbow in order for him to take a good aim. A good stock should ergonomically have good positioning and allows the shooter to have a good grip. Materials usually used for stock are wood, molded synthetic plastic, or other composite plastic materials.

The Trigger

The trigger – Photo credit: i.ytimg.com

The trigger is housed into the stock. It is responsible for firing your arrow. The trigger retains the string when the crossbow is cocked and releases it when the trigger is pulled. It works like pulling the trigger of a rifle, but it is quite different since it holds back much more weight due to the string’s tension. A good trigger must be crisp and clean when pulled. Also, it should hold the string well in place to avoid accidental release of the arrow. Many triggers, however, are accompanied by a safety mechanism.

The Bolt

The bolt – Photo credit: http://www.glaciertraditionalarchery.com

The bolt serves as the arrow of the crossbow. It must be compatible with the crossbow in size and must not me too heavy or too light to have a good shot. Also having a notch and fletching on the butt of the bolt helps for a better flight.

How to Make a Crossbow from Scratch

Before we proceed on the steps on how to make a crossbow from scratch, here are some materials that you may need:

1. Knife

2. String or Rope

3. PVC Pipe or Bamboo

4. Wood

5. Saw

6. Measuring Tape

7. Chisel

8. Drill

9. Wood Rasp

10. Sandpaper

11. Wood Glue

Step 1. Prepare all the materials that you will need

If you happen to be in the wild and wish to build a crossbow for survival, it is enough that you have a good knife and a rope. The next thing that you need to do is to search for a wood that can be used to make the crossbow. The wood must be both strong and flexible. A good wood material that you may try to find is bamboo. If you are not familiar with it, it is a green woody grass that grows as high as 40 meters. They are green, tree-like in appearance, have narrow leaves, and have hollow jointed stems. Choose the ones with a stem diameter of about an inch or two and cut three stems which are around 1 meter long each. If you do not have a string with you, you will also need to look for fibrous plants that you may use to make one. Examples are the leaves of Cattail, Yucca, Agave, and Douglas Iris, the bark of Willow, Maple, Basswood, and Cedar, and the bast of Dogbane, Milkweed, Nettles, Hemp, and Flax.

If you are going to build the crossbow at home, you can make a crossbow from wood plank and PVC pipe which will require more materials to use. Prepare all the materials listed above except for the bamboo.

Prepare the materials – Photo credit: vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net

Step 2. Construct the limb

If you are going to build the crossbow in the wild, you are going to use a bamboo stem. Get a bamboo stem which measures around 1 meter and cut it in half lengthwise. Smooth the inner part of the wood using your knife. Afterwards, bend the wood such that the inner part of the arc is the outer (green) part of the wood. You may use your knees to help bend it easier but make sure that you don’t put too much stress on the wood more than it can handle so that it wouldn’t break. Create two grooves opposite to each other around one inch from the end of the limb. Do this in both ends. This is where you will attach the string later.

If you are going to build it at home, cut a 38-inch PVC pipe with one inch diameter. Measure 1 inch from inch end and drill a hole through the PVC pipe. This is where your string will be attached later.

Construct the limb – Photo credit: https://sensiblesurvival.files.wordpress.com

Step 3. Make the stock

For the bamboo crossbow you’re making in the wild, get a bamboo stem which is around one meter and make a hole around 1.5 inches from the end of the stem. The hole must go through the stem and it must be big enough to fit the limb that we have made earlier. One good way to make this hole is to make two slanted cuts that form a “V” on the opposite sides of the stem. Also, make a square hole through the center of the stock which is big enough to house your trigger.

If you are at home, you may use a wood plank for the stock. Any decent hardwood will be fine. Get a wood plank of around 2 inches wide, 2 inches tall, and 38 inches long. Hold it as if you are holding a crossbow and mark the area where it would be comfortable for you to place the trigger. In this area make an rectangular hole which is around 3 inches long and a ¾ of an inch wide using your drill and chisel, and wood rasp. Smooth the surface with sand paper. Next, find the center of the stock and make a channel of around ¼ inch deep from the front end of the stock to the hole that we just made for the trigger. The channel should be wide enough such that the arrow can comfortably sit on it without being restrained when fired. Also, drill another hole around an inch away from the front end of your stock. The hole must fit the size of your PVC pipe limb well. You can also create a grip for your crossbow by attaching a plank of wood with a comfortable size at the back end of your stock using wood glue.

Make the stock – Photo credit: http://www.medievalcrossbow.info

Step 4. Make the trigger

For the bamboo crossbow you’re making in the wild, carve a piece of wood into a “T” shape wherein the horizontal part is around 1 inch long and the vertical part is around 2 inches. The horizontal part must be thicker so it can retain the string and the vertical one must be thick enough to hold the pressure of the string.

If you’re making it at home, you can use a small piece of wood plank to make the trigger. Using a saw cut an “L” shape from it of around 1 inch wide and slightly less than ¾ of an inch thick. The height of the “L” must be around 3-4 inches. After that, make a channel of around 1/8 inch at the center traversing the width of the outside part of the base of the “L”. Then, drill a hole near the intersection of the “L” where you will insert the screw to attach the trigger to the stock.

Make the trigger – Photo credit: i.ytimg.com

Step 5. Construct the bolt

For making the bolt in the wild, you can also use the bamboo by cutting a thin piece of the wood, around 1/3 of an inch wide and sharpen one end to a point. Then, smooth the arrow all around and put a notch at the other end. You can also put feathers (if you are able to find some in the wild) to the notched end to improve arrow flight.

In making the bolt at home, you can use dowel. The length should be longer than the distance from the trigger to the front end of the bow. Sharpen the other end of the dowel and put a notch on the other end. Lastly, glue feathers opposite each other on the notched end.

Construct the bolt – Photo credit: http://www.huntingnet.com

Step 6. Assemble the parts

For the bamboo crossbow, insert the limb onto the front hole we made earlier making sure that it is centered and it is secured well. Next, tie the string at both ends of the limb where you make the grooves and secure them well. The limb must be slightly bent when the string is attached. Then, place the trigger on the square hole and pull the string and slip it onto the trigger. Make sure it is retained well to avoid accidental slip. Lastly, place the butt of the arrow onto the string. Our crossbow is now ready for firing.

If you don’t have an available string, you can make it using the fibrous plants that you have collected earlier by twisting them together.

For the PVC pipe and wood crossbow, insert the PVC pipe on the hole we made at the front of the stock making sure that it is centered and secured well. Next, tie the string on both ends of the limb where we made a hole and secure it well. The limb must be slightly bent. After that, place the trigger on the rectangular hole in the stock and screw them together making sure that it is loose enough to be pulled. Next, pull the string onto the trigger and slip it on the groove of the trigger. Lastly, place the butt of the arrow on the string. The arrow must fit the channel of your crossbow without being restrained. Our crossbow is ready for firing.

Assemble the parts – Photo credit: i.pinimg.com

Conclusion

Having knowledge on how to build a crossbow from scratch will be a great help for us hunters who may face unexpected circumstances in the wild. A crossbow is a good tool for you to hunt possible source of food in the wild, and you can also use it to protect yourself from predators. Also, if you want a crossbow but can’t afford one or find it too expensive to buy one, you can just build one yourself. It not only helps you save money, it also gives you a feeling of satisfaction of being able to make your own crossbow. I hope this article helped you with that.

Did you like this article? If so, please a comment below and share this with your friends. Thank you for reading!

0

How to Survive a Wild Animal Attack in the Woods

0

Do I Need Camouflage to Hunt?