# hunting with stone.....



## dtala

There have been several references to actually hunting with the stone points we knappers make. Thought I'd show some pics and get some folks interested....

I learned to knap 7-8 years ago just to make points to hunt with, learned from Bill Metcalf of Texas. Great knapper and self bow maker.

I've killed near a dozen deer/hogs/turkey with various stone points I've made over the last 6-7 years. I found that I, and early Americans, did not giver up anything to steel points when using stone. I get better penetration on pigs with stone for sure, usually in the offside dirt.

middle points are near ideal in shape and size for hunting...






I glue with pitch/sap glue or sometimes 24 hour epoxy. Be sure and spin test as they dry. I over wrap with real sinew, wet when applied, then lightly glued over to hold it. Be sure to extra wrap the shaft right behind the head to prevent splitting.

The very best points for hunting are made from raw Texas cherts, sharp and very tough. Never broke a Texas point on bone. I have broke every glass/obsidian/Tallahatta point I ever shot into an animal. I recovered all except one Tallahatta hit that broke on impact with a rib and didn't penetrate at all.

stone point/self bow hog kill...





another stone point kill...




this is the head used to kill the above hog. It is one ugly little point, made that way on purpose to prove that one dosen't need "perfect" points to kill with, just sharp ones....arrow shaft is hickory.





more to come

  troy


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## Dawg Tired

Man that is so Awsome!!! Great tutorial!!!!


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## Miguel Cervantes

This is good stuff. You sure do some good lookin work.


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## dtala

stone point /osage/sinew self bow doe kill...22 yard shot, long for me!




head used...





my best stone point kill, Dwyer R/D longbow




head used, raw Texas chert, buck went 80 yards and down.





broken points....








tip of green glass point was found while eating a pig roast!!!

Tallahatta Quartzite stone point hog, killed with grandson Dylan in the blind with me...





stone point turkey, last day  season before last. Tallahatta point at TWO yards, way inside my zone of death!!!





self bow/stone pig....




point used..





and anuther stoned pig, with Dylan and Gris Gris, my Catahoula





last, but not least...future stone point killer....





ya'll enjoy and go stone something.....

  troy


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## BOHUNTER

AWESOME! Glad someone getting some action! DANG!


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## Dawg Tired

Would river cane work as well as hickory shaft ,I'm sure the hickory would be more durable?


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## dtala

Dawg, rivercane makes a great shaft, and is tough as nails. 

Hickory makes a heavier shaft, and almost won't break in half. It's a little harder to KEEP straight.

My favorite is Lodgepole Pine, Chundu, from the west coast. Heavy enough and pretty straight. It's hard to get these days though.

   troy


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## chehawknapper

Great work!


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## Al33

Great stuff David, and congrat's on all the fine kills. I am not an artist with the knapping of stone but I can knap hunting points. Just this year made my first self bow, an osage with a 56# draw weight and it's a smooth shooter. Have also made a hickory self bow with two more in the works. Killed a tree rat with the osage bow and a rivercane arra I made but it had a steel blunt point on the front end. I haven't tried making hickory shaft arras yet. Do you harvest your own, buy dowels, or use some other method for the hick shafts?

Have not tried hunting big game with any of the above yet opting instead to use my more conventional longbows and two blade steel heads. May as well have though 'cause I can't buy a bow shot this year.

Good stuff and very encouraging!!! Thanks!!!


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## dtala

Al, I got those hickory shafts from Troy Breeding several years ago, I've bent em, twisted em, split em, but never broke one in two pieces!!!

  troy


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## Willjo

Nice work, there are some stone point hunters over in my area. The person that showed me how to make bows and arrows kill several deer each season with his bow. I hunt but not often enough and have yet to kill a deer with mine.


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## Jake Allen

Awesome Troy, thanks!
You are living a big part of my stickbow dream.
Lot's to learn; one step at a time. 

Your grandson is a fine young man! 

Those are some mighty fine kills, congratulations.


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## Nugefan

way too cool ....

congrats to ya ...


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## dpoole

congrat on some great kills. I have tried this year but have missed two with my self bow and rock points. Had nothing to do with the equipment though, I take full blame on the misses.


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## dtala

dpoole, the first doe pic..I missed her at maybe s..si...six yards, shot right over her back. She ran to her left and stopped at 22 steps. I guess she figgerd I sure as heck couldn't make that shot. I think I surprised both of us

  troy


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## whatsamerc

nice. have you tried any of the purple colored agate from peavys landing? it's hard as the devils heart and very sharp when you get a decent piece.............benji


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## The AmBASSaDEER

WOW! one day...


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## dtala

benji, have not ever had the pleasure of knapping that rock...

  troy


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## dpoole

Do you know what the total weight comes out to with the hickory shafts n rock points? I am useing river cane and the ones i have weighted come out about 450. Would like to get my weight up some. You obviously have plenty of weight to get complete pass true shots with. did you start out with small hickory limbs or a stave and worked them out or how did you make shafts out of hickory?


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## bam_bam

Great post, you have many nice kills with your stone points. I love seeign pictures like that.


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## dtala

dpoole, I posted a while back and it went into cyberspace

I bought the shafts from a fella made em from hickory boards, they are tapered. Can't seem to find any more though. I'll weigh one when I find my scales.

bam bam, now I'm going to have to haft up a CP point to kill something with after looking at your points.

  troy


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## bam_bam

dtala said:


> dpoole, I posted a while back and it went into cyberspace
> 
> I bought the shafts from a fella made em from hickory boards, they are tapered. Can't seem to find any more though. I'll weigh one when I find my scales.
> 
> bam bam, now I'm going to have to haft up a CP point to kill something with after looking at your points.
> 
> troy



Go on cant wait to see the pics


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## Paymaster

Now this is some really cool stuff! Thanks for sharing.


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## blocky

Very inspiring. I am happy to see some guys keeping the old ways alive. Maybe the new trend of returning to traditional bows will get more youngsters involved.


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## Katera73

awesome pics !!!!


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## Willjo

bump


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## westcobbdog

Dtala, thanks for the awesome post.


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## robert carter

Good stuff Dtala, Twig Archery has the chundoo shafts now. From what I hear excellent quality. At one time I did a lot of hunting with Chundoo and may get some more. Makes a good med-heavy arrow thats a bit more durable than cedar.RC


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## dtala

chundoo is my favorite shaft material for sure, thanks Robert.

  troy


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## dukedog1

i have a few points made. Also got some river cane that needs straighting. Main question is how do you fletch the feathers? are you using a jig or just eye balling and hoping for the best? When I make some arrows i'm gonna want to shoot them to make sure they fly good. What do you shoot them into to not break the point? styrofoam? Loose bedsheet?


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## dtala

Dukedog1, you can use a jig or just pin em by hand...it's not Olympic shooting. I mean I usually shoot 10-12 yards.....

You can shoot em into a layered target like a Block Target....won't hurt for one er two shots.


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## T.P.

dtala, where's your sights and release and rangefinder? Man that's coooool right there, I can't believe I have not seen this thread. You are the man in my book, and that's a nice buck too.


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## 1brokenarrow

Great pics, trying to break into the stone world.


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## JJS6385

you sir are my hero, that has gotta be about the coolest thing i've seen.


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## win3006

very cool & neat


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## Apex Predator

Good stuff Troy!


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## Maduro on Point

Dtala...OUTSTANDING! enjoyed this post. Tells me I got a long way to go to get to your level..nice job!


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## Sixes

Wow, thats amazing!


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## country_guy9734

just plain awesome


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## Swampthang2

Very nice!


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## Son

You're really knocking em out. Great pictures.
I tried it one deer season back in the 80's. Took a doe, with a coral point that I knapped. She went about 40 yards, but the point got lost off the shaft. Never did find it. That's the only deer i've stonepoint hunted. Next day, killed a five point from the same stand with a metal head. I cheated though, used a compound bow.


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## dtala

I've got a couple of coral points mounted up, never tried on game...yet. I don't know how tough coral will be on game.

  troy


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## Nicodemus

dtala said:


> I've got a couple of coral points mounted up, never tried on game...yet. I don't know how tough coral will be on game.
> 
> troy





I would imagine coral will do very well. Some that I have knapped is purty strong.

I`m impressed with your kills.


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## dtala

raw coral is very, very tough. The cooked coral I've knapped is not near as tough. I need to try it on a pig for sure.

dang Nic, ain't killed near as many as some here, just chose to use rock  instead of steel. I actually think stone kills better than steel, so I ain't really handicapping myself.

Only thing that impresses me about those kills is that I actually HIT em at all....bad as I shoot beyond nine yards....

  troy


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## Jamey J

Looks like they fly pretty good. Good job.


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## arkie1

nice pics very interesting forum


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## yote killa

dude sweet kills


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## jcinpc

Coral is a 7 on the mohs hardness scale, with Diamond being a 10.
Nic I will have to send you a box of coral to play with


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## Nicodemus

jcinpc said:


> Coral is a 7 on the mohs hardness scale, with Diamond being a 10.
> Nic I will have to send you a box of coral to play with





I would sincerely appreciate that Jeff!


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## sawtooth

AWEsome Awesome Awesome! love this thread...... dtala that's the way to get it done right there...


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