Throwbag - How High Can You Accurately Throw?

lxskllr

lxskllr

Treehouser
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Not talking about a miracle shot, but what's your height before you pull out the bigshot, or something like that? I was loading line into my new bag, and thinking back to that oak tree I took down. I was having issues hitting the crotch 30'-40' up. Boss finally got it placed. My cool had been blown due to fighting with tangled line for an hour, but that doesn't account for all of it. 40' seems low to have the problems I did.

I haven't tried the two hand toss yet. When I started getting pissed at not hitting the crotch, I did a slingshot type throw out of frustration. That worked better than expected. I thought it would be wildly inaccurate, but I didn't do too bad with it. Still missed, but I was in the ballpark. I'm using a 14oz bag. Next order, I'm gonna get some more weights on the lighter side. Maybe 10oz-12oz would be better?
 
14oz is good ... I went thru the same frustration and made an air powered launcher ... guess if you wanted to practice you could hit 40ft+ (or higher) by hand - I just got tired of farting-around with hand launching
 
... you can make one of these for about $60 - can get everything at Home Depot with exception of shreader- valve
 
60-70'.

For one hand throws, I double the line through the throw weight's ring, a la the two-handed cradle throw, but hold it all in one hand. I heard it helps to be more accurate.

Start consistently hitting 30', by visualizing the weight coming under the limb above your gap, above your target crotch. Same shot repeatedly, then 35-40', then 45-50', ...


I throw and shoot 12oz. I manipulate with 14-20 oz. IF I need heavier.
 
I'm consistently accurate to about 50 ft. I kinda surprised myself last week when I set lines at that height right after my little 4 year hiatus. I guess it's like riding a bike. But then again I always was a sharp shooter with s throw ball.

Having said that there are always those days when I'm just not in my zone. Tangled throw line is a pain in the was. Throw line mites get in my bag and wreck havoc. You have heard of throw line mites right? They are kinda like rope gremlins only they are microscopic. On those days when Loki is messin with me I have to make a conscious effort to not get pissed. The more ticked off I get the more mayhem Loki causes. Something ya gotta just settle for a lower crotch and set a higher TIP once your in the tree. It's a humbling option but on bad days it saves time and frustration.
 
Im good to 35', anything higher and the bigshot is just way easier. used to be good for higher, but the bigshot has made me lazy.

Definitely paid for itself many times over, especially setting lines in tight conifer tops
 
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  • #8
Sounds like 50' is a respectable height? How many tries should it be kept under for someone to say "That guy knows what he's doing"?
 
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  • #10
"Always seems like one more try will do it !"

Sure does :^D Get /just/ close enough to make another attempt. I had all but given up when my boss set the line. I was dropping a cherry that was in the way, and I was gonna go up to the office to get my spurs, and set the damned thing by hand.

I have two weights/lines so far. My original is one I found in the woods wrapped on a 2x4 reel. I don't like that line. It's polyethylene; looks like Weaver line. It has semi permanent kinks in it from being wrapped on the reel, and it's amazing how easy those kinks catch on stuff, making things difficult. The weight is all taped up, but it feels like 14oz. My new line is Dynaglide, with a Weaver 14oz weight. I like that one much better. Nice and slippery, and the line's supple, so no kinks.
 
I was used to launch decently at 50' one handed. Not good but I got it done. Max high was around 65' (more lucky than accurate though).
Now, these days seem over as I said in an other thread. Even 30' became tricky. My right hand doesn't want to respond any more as I want. Either I can't get a sufficient grip and the line slips off my fingers, either I hold it good but can't release it at the precise point of the swing. Very frustrating.

My bigshot is 12 years old and was used only when I was learning to climb (100' canopy). I need to replace the slings to put it back at work. An APTA would be nice and probably come in a near future.

Anyway, to get my crotch/limb, I have to aim over it (an other limb, twig, something...), or the throwbag will hit the wood instead of passing over it. Even with that, now, a limb lower than the one expected is often good enough for me. But if there isn't an other limb under it... the actual work in the day can be reduced substantially (contrary to my blood pressure).
One additional problem of many unsuccessful launches is the greatly increased risk of getting the throwline stuck. And that sucks even more.
Always have two complete throwlines in the truck. That saves the day.
 
I have used a BigShot almost exclusively for years, the other day I had a 30 foot placement to make off a second story roof. I left the big shot at home because, "That'll be easy." About 10 throws later I settled for a substandard placment of a rigging line.
 
Pretty good at a cradle type throw up to 65 feet. One handed to about 40. Big shot above 75 is pretty standard. But I like to try hand throwing as much as possible to keep accurate and practiced. If I miss about 6-10 throws or if the placement is in a tiny window, the big shot comes out. Some days, I am just not up on my game and the big shot is deployed immediately. Mostly 16 oz. I often throw 20oz.
 
ccad2b908708f6fdc80d2186d82ae742.jpg


Wow, you throw heavy Stephen.

This is an old (bad) picture I just found when searching for how to post pictures on The Tree House from my phone. The throw line spool is what I was wanting to get up as a way to get almost entirely away from line tangles. I think lxsklr had asked for a picture weeks ago and I hadn't gotten it up yet.

Sitting on the chopping block is a 'fun to malign' TreePedo in two pieces. The other day I was putting a speed line in the top of a spruce tree with a BigShot and shooting directly toward the house. For this reason I used a 12 oz shot bag. First shot slows and hangs up about 8 feet back down. I play with the line and coax it down another six or eight feet, finally give up and pull it back up and out being careful to not wrap it and have it jam. Rewind and second shot is good but does about the same thing. Walk back to the truck and grab the TreePedo. Set up and shoot, reach out and gently grab the line to arrest overshoot and start it falling down through canopy - straight to the ground.

Fun to laugh at but amazingly effective.
 
That tree-torpedo looks like it could come in handy in certain situations ... is that a one-off or a marketed product?
 
John, another really good tip is to let it all the way down regardless if you made it or not. 99 percent of your hangups will happen if you are trying to pull the line back with a throw weight still on it. For attaching the weight to the line simply put a loop through the ring, loop it around the weight, and pull, forming a cow hitch. Takes about 2 seconds. When pulling a line up use a pile hitch, sometimes with a half hitch right at the tip. Easiest/ quickest to tie and untie, and holds as tight as possible. To tie a pile hitch simply make a big loop with the throw line, wrap it going down the rope towards the coil (rest of the line), then put the loop over the end of the rope and pull. Should take about 4 seconds.
 
Back when I stayed in practice, I was pretty solid at 40-50 feet...not too bad at it, could hit a target limb within 3 or 4 tries at most. On a very good day 60 feet. Now retired and out of practice, my accuracy is down by at least 50%. But just today I had to put a pull line in a skinny 70 foot Doug (planted by us, but it never did quite keep up with it's fellows) that a wet, heavy snow last week layed over sufficient for me to declare it firewood and thus fall it, here on the home place. Second toss, 40 feet, hit the spot. The old guy sometimes still has it :D.

I'm a fan of the BigShot, for sure, with the generally tall trees and small targets (climbing lines on conifer limbs must be very close to the bole), in my neck of the woods.
 
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Merle, the fight I had with the inventor of " The silver Dildo" was not so much about the effectiveness of the device, as it was about the fact that he stated that we saved an Eagle every time we used it.
 
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  • #20
"Silver Dildo" :^D

Got me thinking... Well first I thought of the dildos I find on the side of the road. I could fill one with lead shot and use it as my throwbag :^P More practically, I thought of a brass plumb bob. I think all mine are too heavy, but I'll keep my eyes open on used channels. I might find something that'll work pretty well. Streamlined, nothing to break open, and no lead.
 
Wait, you find dildos on the side of the road? And your first reaction is "use as throw weight"? 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣

All fine and dandy until you break something or hurt yourself. Nothing screams "don't hire me" like busting a window before you even fire up a saw:lol:
 
Used to be accurate to about 50 ft, with occasional placements near 60 ft. Used a hunting bow and spinning reel to about 80 or 85 ft years ago. That was all before the shoulders started going. Right shoulder rebuilt in 2013 yet still hurts to throw a ball. Two hand throw still gets me about 40 - 45 ft accurately. After that I get out Jeff Newman’s Sidewinder launcher with the Wichard quick-release. Can hit 80 ft plus on a good day; less if it is cold out and there is less spring in the tubing. The air launcher is great. Lots of distance and the accuracy is pretty good, too.
 
Like Marc-antonie said, it's helpful to look OVER the limb.

I work with another guy most days, and if either of us take more than 3-4 shots we usually swap out. More than that and I get so frustrated that I get distracted and less accurate anyways.
 
8oz weight up to 50 ft.
10 oz weight up to 70 ft.
12 oz weight up to 80 ft.
Cradle style between the legs.
Big shot only when I run out of patience, or down to my last throw line (I now carry 4 to every job; some of you have read about my throwline misadventures... ;) )
 
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