Judging Accuracy with an Atlatl

This video is meant to provide an honest look at accuracy with an atlatl. I don't doubt others could hit the target with more consistency, but the ranges that work for me personally are consistent with ethnographic accounts. Hunters in preindustrial societies generally try to get close to prey with whatever weapon they're using (bow, atlatl or javelin). Indigenous atlatl hunters in 10 different accounts shot at prey at around 10 m, and not more than 18 m. Only very good atlatlists in Australia shot beyond 20 yards with accuracy, according to some accounts. Indigenous atlatlists also exhibited varying degrees of skill. With an atlatl, I would hesitate to shoot beyond ~13m (14yds). Potential hunters need to practice regularly in varying conditions and develop a thorough understanding of their personal capabilities. Accuracy with an atlatl is very similar to instinctive shooting with a bow. Once the operator has developed the necessary muscle memory, accuracy is a product of his/her ability to focus on the target without become self-conscious. Coordinating the body to strike the target is easier at closer range, resulting in greater consistency.
In this video, I am using an atlatl and dart modeled off of indigenous forms found archaeologically in North America. This is somewhat different than the target gear used by some modern enthusiasts. For more information visit our website, basketmakeratla... (an article with more information for hunters, policy makers, and others interested in atlatl ballistics is in the works).
References: I refer to Ishi, the last Yahi Indian whose people were wiped out through genocide. He was variously referred to as the "last stone age man" and the "last wild Indian" by anthropologists in the early 1900's. He performed better at hunting than target shooting. Read "Ishi in Two Worlds" by Kroeber and "Yahi Archery" by Pope. Ethnographic accounts of accuracy were tabulated by Cundy (1989), "Formal Variation in Australian Spear and Spearthrower Technology."