I have been playing with homemade atlatl's and darts for a couple of years.power with one of these is amazing,but getting any accuracy is very difficult.Last spring I bought an atlatl and darts from thunderbird atlatl.com.The atlatl is a work of art [mine threw the dart just as well but were ugly].The darts are made of seasoned ash[baseball bat wood]they are far better than anything I made at home. The new equipment motivated me to get serious practicing.One summer throwing almost every night and I can hit a paper plate concistently at 15yds.by next fall I hope to be out to 20yds and intend to hunt with it.Accuracy with the atlatl is the most difficult thing I ever tried to do, but also one of the most fun.Give it a try you will love it.

I've owned one for years that I use to show the principles of leverage to the sixth grade. We love'em but, as you say, power is easy, accuracy is a bitch! I haven't been too motivated to get any good with it because they aren't legal for anything but jackrabbits out here. Other folks are luckier . . . if you think that taking on an irate hog with a dart is good luck!