How to Make a Hunting Blowgun

Blowguns have fascinated generations of young hunters and hunter-wanna-bes. They are a very simple weapon that can be made using materials available from your own home or local hardware store. You should be able to make your first blowgun in under an hour, of course, perfecting the use of your new weapon may take much longer.

Things You'll Need

• Seven feet of 1/2-inch diameter metal electrical conduit
• Sandpaper
• Plastic film canister
• Candle
• Epoxy
• Electricians tape
• Camouflaged tape

Instructions

1. Cut your electrical conduit to any length between 4 and 7 feet. The shorter the blowgun, the lower the velocity of your dart. The conduit forms the body of your blowgun.

2. Sand off any sharp edges on either end of the blowgun body using the sandpaper.

3. Form the mouth from the film canister by poking a 1/4-inch hole in the center bottom of the canister. Hold the canister over a candle flame until the plastic takes on a liquid sheen.

4. Push the canister over the conduit slowly. The plastic will expand around the metal creating an airtight seal once it cools. Wrap electrical tape around the tip of the conduit so that the film canister can't slide off. Slide the canister up to the stop that you have created and create another tape stop behind the canister so it can't be pushed down the body of the blowgun.

5. Epoxy around the base of the canister to make sure that it is air tight and can't slide down the body of your blowgun. You will lose pressure blowing your dart if your mouthpiece isn't airtight.

6. Cover the body and mouthpiece of the blowgun with the camouflaged tape. This will disguise the blow gun once you are out in the wilderness.

Tips & Warnings

• You can use pill bottles, suction cups, crutch tips or PVC couplers or end caps for your mouthpiece. You may need to experiment with materials to find out which works best with your mouth shape and breathing style.

• Blowgun hunting is specifically restricted in some states. Check with your local Fish and Wildlife Department, or whichever department issues hunting licenses, to ensure that you can legally hunt small game with a blowgun.

• A blowgun is a dangerous weapon and should be treated as such. Do not treat them casually. They are not toys. Blowgun darts have been known to pierce 1/2 inch thick plywood.