The Atlatl was used for thousands of years. It's arguably one of the most important innovations ever.
Most Australian throwers are used with really long heavy darts, like 10 or so feet. Most also employ a hammer grip, and the dart doesnt sit on top, but rather to the side. The wide body and airplane wing or birdwing cross section aids in tracking during the throw. The end of yours is probably incorrect-- the angle is wrong to nock darts, from my view.
Flexible N. American throwers don't really increase dart speed, even if calibrated to the weight and length of the darts. Most flexible atlatls fail to transfer their potential energy into the dart, transferring less than a stiff thrower. They do feel different. Kinda nice.
Bannerstones and weights act to stabilize the throw (partially by lowering the felt center of gravity of the fulcrum of the dart and nock, if that makes sense), and so may be seen to help increase consistency, but they do not appear to increase dart speed or result in an increase in energy delivered to a target.
Anyone who is interested, I encourage you to make a thrower and some darts. Its very easy when you learn the concepts, and the equipment is free and easy to make.
I've made dozens of throwers, and throw at least a few times a week. My atlatl goals include taking a rabbit, and hunting a shark from my kayak.
I will mention, its a helluva lot easier to make meat with a bow than with an atlatl.
But if you're going for Pleistocene megafauna, and you have a bunch of guys and a big herd of mammoths or something, go with the atlatl.
cool stuff
