DARTS and barrels. Does the ideal dart exist?
Don't look at the shape of a dart and think "How will it fly through the air?". Instead think "How will I grip it and how smoothly will it release?". The flying through the air bit takes care of itself.
What you need in a dart barrel.
- You need a dart thin enough to fit three into the same triple.
- You need enough weight to feel your dart and control it.
- You need a grip that feels natural and allows a smooth release.
- You need to balance your dart using available shafts and flights.
- Preferably, you need a shape that allows darts to slide in easily side by side.
Diameter and weight.
Before tungsten darts were invented players were asked to compromise between weight and barrel diameter. Thin brass darts are often too light to control well, and three fat brass darts won't fit into the same triple easily. What players really needed was a barrel weighing 24 to 30 grams with a diameter of just over 1/4 of an inch (6 to 7.5 millimeters). A triple is approximately 1 and 1/4 inches long and 3/8 inches wide or deep.
Some players chose thin and light thus sacrificing some control, some chose fat and heavy and thus hit less 180s. Darts manufacturers made lots of money as players kept buying new darts to find the best compromise. This is when all the strange shaped barrels appeared on the market. They remain today even though they aren't really needed any more.
Tungsten to the rescue.
Tungsten is an extremely dense metal, heavier than lead. By making barrels out of tungsten alloys, darts can be both thin and heavy. No compromise is required. If a dart is made of 90% tungsten it will be heavy enough to control and thin enough to fit all three darts into the same triple easily.
The best barrel weight for almost all players, whether they know it or not, is 24 to 30 grams. Huge meaty, ham fisted men might find 30 grams easier to feel, while petite ladies might throw best with as low as 24 grams. I am not saying you can't throw well with darts outside this weight range. I'm suggesting with a bit of practice you might play better with darts inside this weight range.
Barrel shapes and Aerodynamics
A dart barrel is not an F16 fighter plane, it is a short metal rod with a spike on the end. It only has to travel five or six feet and its aerodynamic properties are negligable at best.
The ideal shape for a barrel is straight. A straight barrel allows an easy natural grip, you can grip it anywhere that feels right to you along the barrel without worrying about release. A straight barrel also allows darts to slide in side by side very easily. There are many straight barrel designs.
There are two main shots you will use while playing darts. One is a straight shot with a flat trajectory, the other is a lob or float with an arced trajectory. Straight barrels allow you to do both equally well. Other shaped barrels often favor one or the other but not both.
If your stance is steady, your grip is good and your release is smooth, a straight barrel is the easiest shape to throw with. Other shaped barrels may look cool but come with drawbacks. They can also mess up your grip and cause a jerky release unless they just happen to fit your hand exactly.
Dart manufactures have been making strange shaped barrels ever since the bad old brass dart days. They make all sorts of fancy looking shapes to attract the unwary customer. (see left column) Don't be fooled. Fancy shaped darts are nearly always more difficult to throw with.
Buying your first set of darts.
Most people can control 24 to 28 gram 90% tungsten barrels easily. The short straight, or smooth barrel shape provideds an easy grip. Often for this weight and shape of barrel, length varies from just under one and seven eigths inches to two and one eighth inches.
The longer barrels can be more difficult to balance.
The diameter of the barrels should be a tad over 1/4 of an inch (6mm - 7mm). Try them with various sized shafts combined with standard size flights and pear shaped flights. (see shafts and flights) When they feel balanced play with them for several days or more to get used to them.
Reasons why I recommend the above are:-
- You can pick up the barrels for as little as $25 if you shop on-line.
- The barrels are thin enough to hit 180s with room to spare and slide in side by side well.
- 24g to 28g darts are very easy to control. Lighter darts fly off target if your release isn't perfect and heavier darts tend to drop quickly prior to hitting the board if you try to float them.
- Straighter barrels are often the easiest to grip, the easiest to release smoothly and the easiest to balance.
- 90% tungsten because you get a thin dart at a controlable weight, and at a good price.
FYI. below is some information about the materials darts can be made of.
Brass Darts
This is the least expensive type: ( $4-$20 )
Brass is a fairly dense (heavy) metal, is relatively inexpensive, and is easy to machine. Unfortunately, it is so soft that the machined "grip" may quickly dull and wear down, changing the "feel" of the dart. Also, since Brass Darts are commonly mass-produced, the quality and consistency of the machining may vary considerably. Brass darts are often used as "house darts" due to low cost.
Nickel/Silver Darts
( less than $35 )
Like Brass, this is a fairly dense (heavy) metal, is relatively inexpensive, and is easy to machine. However, Nickel/Silver is harder and therefore more durable, which prevents the machined grip from wearing away as rapidly. Otherwise, similar to Brass Darts, and popular with budget-minded beginners. (Note: There is no actual Silver content; this Nickel and Tin alloy is often used for the moving parts of silver jewelry and for trophies.)
Tungsten Darts
Tungsten is an extremely dense metal, heavier than lead. It is also very durable, so a high-density tungsten dart resists wear and the grip will last much longer. On softer metal darts, the grooves and rough knurling may wear down fairly quickly from skin acid, friction, and hitting other darts.
Tungsten darts don't all contain the same amount of tungsten.
- 50% to 70% Tungsten - less than $40 (commonly sold at discount stores) Same problem as brass. Nearly always too fat or too light
- 80% Tungsten - less than $55 (popular with new players) these are OK if not too fat
- 90% Tungsten - less than $100 as low as $25 (high density, will hold up well, feel better to throw.) All you need. Best for the price
- 95% to 98% Tungsten - most less than $200 (high density, thiner, will hold up better, feel better to throw.) Consider these if you need a heavier dart and want a very thin barrel
Nickel/Tungsten Darts are made of a high-tech material composed of Tungsten particles bound together with Nickel. They are more dense than Brass or Nickel/Silver Darts. This means smaller diameter barrels, better "feel", and tighter possible groups on the dart-board. Tungsten is also very durable, and the machined grip will not wear down as rapidly as on Brass or Nickel/Silver Darts.
Discount outlets often sell low-density Tungsten darts without specifying the percentage of Tungsten content, but just say "Tungsten Darts". Such darts are often cheap imports of poor quality. Look for the percentage of tungsten on the packaging, a higher number means that the dart is more dense, and generally better quality.
Tungsten prices have gone up in recent years, raising the price of quality darts sets. However, in order to offer "bargain" prices, many sporting good stores & discount outlets now sell cheap "Tungsten Darts" that actually contain only a tiny trace of tungsten in them. Many of these cheap sets are about the same density as brass (or less), but cost quite a bit more. Always look for the percentage of tungsten on the package, and buy from a reliable vendor.
There are also a small number of Copper-Tungsten darts available. This is a much softer material, with about 70% Tungsten content. They are generally less expensive than Nickel-Tungsten darts. Some darters, like the grip of these darts as the metal surface develops microscopic pits after they have been thrown for awhile.
More information about darts and weights can be found here.
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