A Complete Guide to Tungsten Darts

When getting into darts, you may find yourself wondering why certain darts feature steel or brass, while others will feature tungsten. There is a reason for this! This blog will be your complete guide to understanding what tungsten is, how tungsten darts are made, why tungsten is used to make darts, and we will discuss the differences between tungsten darts and brass darts.

What is tungsten?

Tungsten is the heaviest naturally occurring metal on Earth, and it is also rare to find naturally. Tungsten is mainly found in the minerals of scheelite and wolframite. Furthermore, tungsten is also known for being one of the most robust elements in the world, especially because it has the highest melting point of all known elements at 3,422 degrees Celsius (6,191 degrees Fahrenheit). All of these aspects of tungsten make it a great material to construct darts out of.

How are tungsten darts made?

Tungsten metal is naturally found as a powder, and it is very brittle on its own. To make darts, tungsten powder is mixed with nickel, pressed together, and heated to extremely high temperatures to form a billet of tungsten. How much nickel do you mix with tungsten during this process? It will tell you directly on your dart box. For example, if a dart is 90% tungsten, the other 10% would be composed of nickel. The reason for this is that a 100% tungsten dart would be brittle and break if repeatedly hit by another dart during close groupings. Making a 90% tungsten dart with 10% nickel allows a dart player to achieve close groupings on the dartboard, while maintaining the integrity of the dart barrel over a period of time.

Once the billet is formed, it is put onto a CNC lathe, where it is cut and shaped into the model’s desired diameter, length, and weight. To view the entire process of how tungsten darts are made, check out the Craft page on our website.

Why is tungsten used to make darts?

Tungsten is used to make darts because of its density. As the 7th most dense metal on Earth, tungsten darts can be manufactured slimmer while still maintaining the same weight compared to other metals like brass or steel. A slimmer dart barrel is important as it allows the dart player to group dart barrels closer together. A tight grouping on the dartboard provides the dart player with a better opportunity to hit those 180s!  

The density also allows manufacturers to control the weight of a dart barrel more easily. This is how we can make each barrel in a dart set within 0.05 grams of one another. It is important to make darts within a set close in weight as this will help players repeat throws and add to consistency in play. Using dense tungsten metal on dart barrels also allows for darts to be manufactured with more grip by featuring axial cuts or angled cuts. Although some dart players prefer the standard ring grip, axial and angled cuts on the dart barrel will provide more grip for the dart player than the standard ring grip. The grip you choose is just based on player preference and how much grip you want on your dart barrel.  

The Difference Between Tungsten Darts and Brass Darts

While both tungsten darts and brass darts have their place in our sport, there are key differences in the quality and lifespan of each. Brass darts are a great entry-level dart as they are less expensive and durable. However, the better you get and the more you group your darts closely, the more contact between the barrels. This contact will cause brass dart barrels to wear much faster than tungsten dart barrels.

Tungsten darts will maintain their integrity much longer than a brass dart, simply because tungsten darts are much more dense than brass darts. Since tungsten darts are so dense, the barrels will be much slimmer compared to those of brass. Along with this, tungsten dart barrels are also able to have more axial and angled cuts throughout the dart barrel than more entry-level brass darts, which will typically only have the standard ring grip. More cuts in the dart barrel means the more grip a dart player will have.

Tungsten darts will also have more defined push points on the dart barrel due to the darts being manufactured slimmer than brass darts. Amore defined push point is extremely important for a dart player, as they can grab the same spot on the dart every time. This allows the player to repeat throwing mechanics much easier. A brass dart barrel will not have these defined push points, which can lead to “walking fingers,” which is when the player grabs a different spot on the barrel each time. For these reasons, tungsten darts are much better in quality and performance than their brass counterparts.

The Best Quality Tungsten Darts

When we think about making the best quality darts, there area few things to consider. The design, manufacturing, innovation, and quality control all come into play when it comes to manufacturing the best quality tungsten darts. For this reason, Shot Darts are the highest-quality tungsten darts you will find on the market. At Shot, all of our high-end tungsten darts are 100% designed, prototyped, and manufactured in our New Zealand workshop by our talented dartisans. Crafting ingenious darts in-house means we have total control over the quality and precision of our darts, making us the flagship of dart quality and performance in this space.

The Best Tungsten Darts 2024

Choosing the best tungsten darts will depend on the barrel shape, balance point, grip, and weight you desire. With that being said, we have an array of options to choose from so you can find your perfect dart! Whether you are looking for a center-weighted or front-weighted barrel, Shot’s AI darts range has you covered! The best tungsten darts for center-weighted are the AI Cyberpunk darts and the AI Replicant. Both of these darts will be center-weighted and feature stunning designs and grip patterns.

For someone looking at a front-weighted version of the best tungsten darts 2024, check out either the AI Mimic or AI Mecha dart sets. Both of these darts will have great grip and be front-weighted. These darts are truly a thing of beauty and each of the darts from our AI range will feature 90% tungsten barrels!

Now that you understand the ins and outs of everything tungsten darts, you’re equipped to find the perfect tungsten dart set. Checkout our Find Your Dart feature for more!