Archery?

[.Simon.]

anyone here do archery? i just started going to a local club, and i must say, its really fun lol.

most people think shooting a few arrows is boring, but its stress relieving

[Steve]

tried it a few times but nothing to serious or involved. would like to try some long range stuff, would be coolio

[Webviper2006]

I do. But I have a crossbow, why?

[~MOUSE~]

I used to do archery (toxophily ) I was a member of the "Dean Bowmen" (Archery club).

After a motorcycle accident I found it a bit hard pulling back the bow (40lb draw weight x 144 times), eventually gave up.

[Lakie]

not to bad with a japanese longbow, never really tried anything else...

[-Tigger-]

when i was in primary 7 (was 10 or 11 yrs old) done archery, 50m range on a school trip found it pretty fun

[Habitat]

Stabbing people, and shooting them is more fun... Trust me

[IcIshoot]

I did for a few years... Was state champ twice for my class (not that impressive, the one time it was my friend I was competing against... Every one seems to use triggers today).

The thought has entered my mind to take it up again, it was fun. Especially when I was younger, our archery club would have fun shoots. We had to shoot at ping pong balls @ 20 yrds


IcI

[VooDoo-]

i got a 50 pound recurve bow. .. it's pretty fun .... i have a hay bail in my back yard i shoot a few arrows in time to time ..

[Mauser 98K]

used to like fidiling around with a bow, till i found out the fun of shooting 500+yards with a rifle

[Chrispy]

Archery Eh?

Archaeologists suspect that archery may have begun up to 15,000 years ago, but the earliest concrete evidence is between 8,000 and 9,000 years old. The bow probably originated for use in hunting, and was then adopted as a tool of warfare. Bows eventually replaced the atlatl as the predominant means for launching projectiles. Archery was practiced in antiquity on every continent except Australia, demonstrating that it is both basic and versatile.

A compound bow is designed to reduce the force that an archer must hold, and increase the overall energy stored by the bow. Most compound designs use cams on the ends of the limbs to optimise the leverage exerted by the archer and reduce the holding force of the bow at full draw while maintaining the force through the draw.

The archer usually uses a release aid to hold the string steadily and release it precisely. This attaches to the bowstring at a point and permits the archer to release the string with a pull of a trigger (More commonly known as a release aid). With less force required to hold a compound bow at draw, the muscles take longer to fatigue, thus giving a compound archer more time to aim. For these reasons, the compound bow is sometimes derogatorily referred to as a "training-wheel bow." In general, good recurve technique usually makes good compound technique. A compound bow must be adjusted so that its draw length is correct for the archer. The draw length is determined largely by the archer's arm length and shoulder width.

There is much controversy over hunting with a bow, also known as bowhunting. Many people believe that bows are an acceptable if not preferred way to take game, while others, such as animal rights activists, find the practice objectionable.

In North America, bow hunting is regulated much as rifle hunting. Regulations address issues of where and which animals may be hunted with a bow, as well as technical specifications for "tackle" such as minimum draw weight, arrow weight and arrowhead design. A much more lethal, unbarbed "broadhead" arrow may be required, for example, to minimize chances of wounding (but not immediately killing) the animal. Draw weight requirements strongly encourage the use of compound bows.

Many American hunters prefer using a bow because of the added challenge. While a rifle hunter may take a shot at any distance under 200 yards (180 m), archers must get within 30 yards (27 m). Some localities stipulate that certain types of game, often deer, may only be taken with a bow. In other localities, special bow hunting seasons are set aside for safety and to prevent interference from rifle hunters. Besides deer, many bow hunters shoot feral pigs, small game, or birds. People also occasionally fish with modified bows, a practice called bowfishing.

In certain other areas, including many countries in Europe, bow hunting is considered unnecessarily cruel to animals, and is therefore prohibited. Bowhunting, like target archery, was revived in Britain during the Victorian era, but became outlawed when the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1963 excluded bows and crossbows from its list of permitted hunting weapons. Since 2003, Scotland has been considering the reintroduction of bowhunting as a means of controlling its deer population. France, Lithuania and Finland have reintroduced bowhunting since 2000. Several other European countries are considering its reintroduction.

Using bow to hunt animals requires proper training and practice. Hunting with a bow requires additional training to firearm training. Bow hunting is much different from hunting with a firearm. Proper practice and practical training will increase the odds that an animal can be taken successfully and humanely. An experienced archery hunter can place a shot that will kill an animal just as quickly as a firearm. For example, a whitetail deer can drop on impact from a firearm or a bow. However, most deer or large game, gun or bow, can travel as far as 100 yards, even when hit fatally. An inexperienced shooter may fire a non-fatal shot with a gun or a bow, which could wound the animal and may not kill it. Shot placement is important when hunting an animal and will also increase the chance of a harvest. Proper shot placement also insures an animal will be killed in the most humane way possible.

Compound bows are usually preferred for hunting, although recurve bows are not uncommon and usually legal. Longbows are often used by those who want to make the hunting experience as traditional as possible, but much more skill is needed to get a clean hit from a longbow than from other bows. Crossbows are generally permitted for disabled hunters, and in 2005 many states allowed able-bodied hunters to use crossbows, a move that has been somewhat controversial among bowhunters. Hunting points are traditionally broadheads, which are wide and knife-like in design in order to cut into game.

Archery competitions may be held indoors or outdoors. Indoor distances are 18 m and 25 m. Outdoor distances range from 30 m to 90 m (for senior archers, juniors can shoot closer distances), with 70 m being used in the Olympic Games. Most outdoor competitions consist of several distances.

Competition is divided into ends. An archer shoots between 3 and 6 arrows per end, depending on the type of round. After each end, the competitors walk to the target to score and retrieve their arrows. There are 20 ends of 3 arrows in a round of indoor competition. Outdoor competition varies, but outdoor rounds generally involve more arrows being shot. All competitors must wait for the command to shoot and retrieve.

Archers have a set time limit in which to shoot their arrows. For indoor competition, this is 2 minutes. Signalling devices such as lights and flags inform the archers when time is up. Since archery involves the use of potentially lethal weapons, much attention is paid to order and safety.

Targets are marked with 10 evenly spaced concentric rings, which have score values from 1 through 10 assigned to them. In addition, there is an inner 10 ring, sometimes called the X ring. This becomes the 10 ring at indoor compound competitions. Outdoors, it serves as a tiebreaker with the archer scoring the most number of X's winning. In FITA archery, targets are coloured as follows:

1 ring & 2 ring - white
3 ring & 4 ring - black
5 ring & 6 ring - blue
7 ring & 8 ring - red
9 ring & 10 ring - gold
Archers score each end by summing the scores for their arrows. Line cutters are awarded the higher score. Values scored by each arrow are recorded on a score sheet and must be written in descending order (e.g. if an archer scores 5, 7, 6, 10, 9, 8, this must be recorded as 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5.).

However, in the imperial method of scoring, the coloured bands are counted 1, 3, 5, 7, 9. The lowest score is for all the white on the target face and the 9 for any gold. Arrows are shot in 'ends' of three with six arrows being released before each count. When a dozen arrows have been shot, the scorer will add up the miss rates, the number of golds and the total score. This will then be repeated a certain number of times depending on the tournament type.

During competition, there are usually at least two archers per target. This is to allow for "double scoring", a system where two archers will record and sum all scores on individual sheets. This is done to prevent any errors. During and before scoring no one is allowed to touch the arrows. After scoring, each hole is marked before arrows are retrieved. In the event of a "pass through" (the arrow passes straight through the target) or "bouncer" (arrow hits the target and bounces out), points may be awarded to an unmarked hole.

Different rounds and distances use different size target faces. Common sizes (and example rounds they are used in) are:

40 cm (18m FITA Indoor)
60 cm (25m FITA Indoor)
80 cm (30m and 50m FITA)
122 cm (70m and 90m FITA)
122 cm faces are used in Olympic competition. There are also versions of the 40cm and 60cm targets known as the "3 Spot". The targets contain 3 instances of the inner 5 rings of the 40cm and 60cm faces arranged in a line or an equilateral triangle.

Clout Archery (G.N.A.S. rules in the United Kingdom) Similar to target archery, except that the archer attempts to drop arrows at long range (180 yards for the men and 140 yards for women) into a group of concentric circular scoring zones on the ground surrounding a marker flag. The flag is 12 inches square and is fixed to a stick. The flag should be as near to the ground as is practicable. Archers shoot 'ends' of six arrows then, when given the signal to do so, archers proceed to the target area.

Scoring. A 'rope' with a loop on the end is placed over the flag stick. This rope is divided into the scoring zones of the target: Gold (5 points), Red (4 points), Blue (3 points), Black (2 points) and White (1 point). The rope is 'walked' around the target area and arrows falling within a particular scoring zone are withdrawn and,on completion of the full circle, are laid out on the rope on the corresponding colours. The designated scorer would then call out the archers' names and the archers would (in turn) call out their scores as they pick up their arrows.

A Clout round usually consists of 36 arrows. Clout tournaments are usually a 'Double Clout' round (36 arrows shot twice). They can be shot in one direction (one way) or both directions (two way).

All bow types may compete (longbows, recurve, barebow and compound). There are shorter distances for juniors depending on age.

Roving Marks A number of marks or flags are set out in an area. Archers shoot from a start point at an elected mark attempting to drop arrows as close as possible. The archer coming closest to the elected mark scores that shot and selects the next mark. Ranges vary. The furthest 'Finsbury' mark is 13 score and 5 (265) yards. When England was a less crowded, country roving marks was a popular pastime and military training. Marks would have been artificial markers or natural features such as tussocks of grass or tree stumps. Roving marks are normally shot with English Longbows.

Flight Archery. Flight Archery can only take place where space permits since archers compete by shooting for sheer distance. Archers shoot a number of arrows and then search for the one which has been shot the farthest, marking it with an identifiable marker. At the end of the round, archers stand or sit by their furthest arrows while judges measure the distances they were shot.There are many classes that one can shoot in, depending on the type of bow and its draw force.

Popinjay (or Papingo). A form of archery originally derived from shooting birds on church steeples. It is almost unheard of outside of Belgium. Archers stand within 12 feet (3.7 m) of the bottom of a 90 ft (27 m) mast and shoot almost vertically upwards with 'blunts' (arrows with rubber caps on the front instead of a pile), the object being to dislodge any one of a number of wooden 'birds'. These birds must be one Cock, four Hens, and a minimum of twenty-four Chicks. A Cock scores 5 points when hit and knocked off its perch; a Hen, 3; and a Chick, 1 point.

From Wikipedia.



Chris_OJB_DF645 --

[BADDOG]

I used to be a member of an archery club but I gave it up quite some time ago sadly.....


Warm Regards

[Steve]

i imagine it would but some strain your your back sometwhat BD?

[Capers]

Tried it once when i was younger, barely remember doing it - not really much opportunity to do it in the area I live.

Chris, why not just post the link to the Wikipedia articles rather than filling the forum database and the topic pages with a lot of text most people aren't likely to bother reading through? (Not being nasty, just a suggestion)

[.Simon.]

cool, never knew so many people had tried it

[-Tigger-]

it puts abit of strain on your shoulders, more than anything else

i want to go and try it again.. lol

[.Simon.]

yea my arms ache like hell after i finish, i go for 1 hour 1/2 at a time. but i guess if i stick at it, they should be ok after awhile

[Chels]

I have done archery before with friends at a paintball valley club lol they let us come over when it was "closed" and shoot arrows into the hay stacks and stuff its pretty fun

[BADDOG]

Originally posted by !!Steve
i imagine it would but some strain your your back sometwhat BD?

It would now for me Steve but back when I did it I was still fit lol!!!! It's a great sport and I really enjoyed doing it!!!!

I used to go clay pigeon shooting too with my trusty Pedretti shotgun and of course I loved my off road dirt bike!!!!

Those where the days sigh......


Warm Regards