# What's the farthest anyone has ever thrown a projectile? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 29, 2017, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-farthest-anyone-has-ever-thrown-a-projectile/783266 "2017-03-29T03:08:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-farthest-anyone-has-ever-thrown-a-projectile/783266/21 "2017-03-30T13:47:16Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Considering an ICBM to be thrown is pushing it just a tad. 😛 But if you _can_ hand throw an ICBM, any distance at all, you win. . ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-farthest-anyone-has-ever-thrown-a-projectile/783266/22 "2017-03-30T13:56:04Z")
No mechanical augmentation? Because using an atlatl would still be a form of hand-thrown, mechanically extending the throwing lever (arm length) but still muscle-powered and hand-held. [Longest atlatl-assisted spear throw was 850 feet.](https://aftermathblog.wordpress.com/2007/07/01/practical-skills-atlatl/) Decide for yourself if you want it to qualify as “hand-thrown” per the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-farthest-anyone-has-ever-thrown-a-projectile/783266/23 "2017-03-30T14:06:15Z")
I was going to say, imagine using an atlatl to assist throwing that Aerobie Pro thing…That would be crazy. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-farthest-anyone-has-ever-thrown-a-projectile/783266/24 "2017-03-30T14:43:23Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > No mechanical augmentation? Because using an atlatl would still be a form of hand-thrown, mechanically extending the throwing lever (arm length) but still muscle-powered and hand-held. If you go by “muscle-powered and hand-held,” bow and arrow would qualify. I don’t know the record for that, but found some unreferenced comments online saying it is “1,222 metres by Don Brown in 1987.” ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-farthest-anyone-has-ever-thrown-a-projectile/783266/25 "2017-03-30T15:29:52Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > No mechanical augmentation? Because using an atlatl would still be a form of hand-thrown, mechanically extending the throwing lever (arm length) but still muscle-powered and hand-held. > > [Longest atlatl-assisted spear throw was 850 feet.](https://aftermathblog.wordpress.com/2007/07/01/practical-skills-atlatl/) Decide for yourself if you want it to qualify as “hand-thrown” per the OP. The classic [sling](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sling_(weapon)#Slings_today) beats that with a 1434-foot throw. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-farthest-anyone-has-ever-thrown-a-projectile/783266/26 "2017-03-30T16:14:04Z")
Going a bit OT for humor’s sake: [This guy was able to throw a discus farther than Hercules!](https://youtu.be/snEiW-PjuNc?t=33s) ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-farthest-anyone-has-ever-thrown-a-projectile/783266/27 "2017-03-30T20:28:24Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > [Non-returning boomerangs.](https://www.boomerangshack.com/hunting_with_boomerang.htm) I thought those were called sticks 😃 A buddy once threw an Aerobie off Half Dome in Yosemite - almost 1500 meters to the valley floor… ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-farthest-anyone-has-ever-thrown-a-projectile/783266/28 "2017-03-30T21:25:32Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > Astronauts have intentionally thrown objects off the ISS. [Cubesats, for example](http://www.space.com/26841-spacewalking-cosmonaut-launches-peru-satellite-video.html). Assuming the cubesat stayed in orbit around 6 months, that’s 74 million miles. Michael Collins dropped a Hasselblad Super Wide C during a Gemini mission that stayed in orbit about 3 years. I think that’s the record. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-farthest-anyone-has-ever-thrown-a-projectile/783266/29 "2017-03-30T22:04:28Z")
> [@mmmiiikkkeee](#): > > The bolded part is where things gets grey, and I would suggest the OP probably didn’t intend to include objects designed to extend distance traveled by taking advantage of lift, air currents, etc… at least that’s what I get from using the term “projectile”. > > A person can throw a paper airplane (or even a balloon) into the wind and have it travel very long distances; far beyond the distance the person actually “threw” it. I’d say the boomerang record shouldn’t qualify, but the baseball record should. Actually the baseball also has the advantage of lift. It’s going to spin to travel any substantial distance. A non-spinning knuckle ball would not travel anywhere near 400 feet. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-farthest-anyone-has-ever-thrown-a-projectile/783266/30 "2017-03-30T22:49:13Z")
> [@smithsb](#): > > Actually the baseball also has the advantage of lift. It’s going to spin to travel any substantial distance. A non-spinning knuckle ball would not travel anywhere near 400 feet. Very rare thing: (baseball) Line drive to center field with no spin. 100mph+ knuckleball with room to _dance._ ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2017, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-farthest-anyone-has-ever-thrown-a-projectile/783266/31 "2017-03-31T01:38:01Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > No mechanical augmentation? Because using an atlatl would still be a form of hand-thrown, mechanically extending the throwing lever (arm length) but still muscle-powered and hand-held. > > [Longest atlatl-assisted spear throw was 850 feet.](https://aftermathblog.wordpress.com/2007/07/01/practical-skills-atlatl/) Decide for yourself if you want it to qualify as “hand-thrown” per the OP. Or one of those jai-alai throwers. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-farthest-anyone-has-ever-thrown-a-projectile/783266.md?page=1)