Author Archives: Rob Jones

Jul 13 2016

Shoot report – Druids – June 2016

Druids Solstice shoot

Druids Solstice shoot

Firstly apologies to readers and followers, I’ve been very slow at writing up this shoot report which I put down to writers fatigue. Not with this blog but due to non archery related work levels. So better late than never here is my shoot report for Druids archers event.
A few weeks ago we headed south to a new club to us, Druids. It would be our first ever trip to Druids ground and in many ways we wished we’d been before.
The shoot would be Druids two day summer solstice special with the course being modified for the second day with 3d targets being moved or shooting peg positions being altered to afford different shooting angles.
With 40 3d targets that would take some planning and work. Added to this was the Saturday evening meal which you could book in advance along with the hosts setting up a beer tent, I think the organisers had their work cut out for them over the weekend. Add in around 180 archers of all styles and disciplines and a few trade stalls it was a sizable undertaking.
Though there was the option of camping on site we had chosen not too, which in hindsight was a good plan as I’d been suffering with a virus the week before that floored me for a few days.
Our thanks to Wendy and Mark who gave us details of local pub with rooms.

Sharon shooting

Sharon shooting

We’d arranged with them to stay there and go out for a meal rather than camping which was a shame in some ways as you missed out on the evening banter etc but did provide a dry accommodation, hot meal and socialable evening. Maybe I’m getting old and just enjoying my creature comforts. So Saturday night we enjoyed a good meal and conversations about all things archery and life. Thanks guys for the company.
Anyway back to the shoot.

Second target on Saturday a 3d Lion in the field

Second target on Saturday a 3d Lion in the field

The ground is split over two woods with a few shots in the field that connects them. The two woods being a mix of broad leaf established trees and younger coppice. Though mostly flat terain there are a few locations where the club course layers  made use of the limited inclines affording a few down hill shots. There were also so very nicely framed shots between trees.

Sharon shooting 3D between trees

Sharon shooting 3D between trees

The one thing we were warned of was the public footpath that runs straight through the upper wood. This wasn’t really a problem but we did have to stop shooting Sunday to allow a group of ramblers make there way through. Yes there were lots of requests from them not to shoot them, along with comments about types of bows etc.

Saturday would see a shooting group made up of Brian and Paul,  a father and son both shooting longbow joining Sharon and I on peg 19.
The day ran smoothly with few hold ups until near the end of the day. still we were still finished by 4:30.

3D bear on day one - clever trick

3D bear on day one – clever trick

There were some cleverly laid shots like the bear above that you shot over a slight inclined bank and through long grass. Neither Sharon or I shot particularly well with Sharon making a faithful comment of “you’ve not lost or broken any arrows”

Long down hill 3D fox on first day

Long down hill 3D fox on first day

In the next 7 targets I manages to break or lose 4 arrows, 3 arrows broke in targets as the arrow penetrated the 3d but hit the securing metal stake snapping the pile off. My hope was Sunday would not be so hard on my arrows.

Black 3D raven on branches in front of black boss

Black 3D raven on branches in front of black boss

Sunday we had a different shooting group, though still on target 19, Sunday would see us with Colin in free style and Jennie shooting bare bow.

Very long Bison 3D

Very long Bison 3D

The day flowed well if a little slower than Saturday, possibly because some of the reworked shots were more tricky and technical. The longest delay being at the Bison shot which is not surprising considering the distance.

3D tiger in the field on Sunday

3D tiger in the field on Sunday

Overall we enjoyed the weekend with there being quite a relaxed atmosphere.

3D bobcat

3D bobcat

There were a few shots where I think they were a little bit close to others that made you aware of other archers on the next or previous peg, but this was only in one area and to be completely fair to Druids it was a good course with sensible distances that were challenging but not stretched.

Small 3D fox between trees

Small 3D fox between trees

Fortunately the rain didn’t arrive until late Sunday afternoon and was quite light until we were all sheltering in the marquee. So considerate of it when you remember all the bad weather and heavy downpours we’ve been experiencing.
Despite Sharon not shooting to her usual standard she won ladies afb and I managed to scrape 2nd in gents. A full listing of the results can be found here on the Druids website.
As always thanks for reading.

Jul 5 2016

Literature Review – Bow International Guide to Archery

Bow International - Guide to archery cover

Bow International – Guide to archery cover

Having been lucky enough to win a copy of Bow International Guide to Archery in the magazines Christmas draw I  thought it a great opportunity to give the publication a literature review on this site so here goes.
The book is a large format 114 page publication in a similar style to that of the magazine, being filled with colour photographs, diagrams and adverts from archery suppliers.
To be honest I have always been a little dubious of publishing houses producing a digest of articles previously published in their magazine. I can understand why they do it, just never sure it is worth the cost for the reader. In this case I actually think it is. At £9:95 it’s not over priced and I think it could be of benefit for newbies as it covers some basics well, as well as those archers wanting to expand their archery related library and knowledge. There are certainly articles I would and have recommend to people who are novices or experienced archers.
One such is Chris Wells on Shot Sequence along with articles on preparing for competition.
Bow International - Guide to archery

Bow International – Guide to archery

The articles are easy to read and informative giving an oversight on different elements of our hobby. The topics covered being quite varied from setting up a recurve bow to things to consider when shooting field courses. Some of the articles are quite a light touch on the subjects giving a brief overview rather than in depth analysis which you might find in other books. That is to be expected as after all there are only a few pages to cover a lot of subject knowledge.
Bow International - Guide to archery

Bow International – Guide to archery

I found myself picking it up and reading an article or two between jobs or in an evening when I had some spare time.
On the subject of topics covered, personally I would like to see more on the traditional side of the hobby along with elements on the instinctive archery, but this is entirely for personal taste and interest. Priced for just under £10 I believe it gives you a few ideas and wets your appetite to do some more research.
Overall I’d give it 8 / 10
Thanks for reading.
Jun 25 2016

Equipment review – Bear Grylls Walking Trousers

What they look like on

What they look like on

I’ve been trying these trousers out for the last 12 months for hiking and archery events so I thought it worth doing a quick review of how I’ve found them. Normally for field archery events I tend to wear old army fatigues or hiking trousers, depending on the weather. For colder or wet weather I have lined trousers, along with waterproof hiking trousers and / or over trousers for those shoots in winter months.

I’m guessing many people will have heard of Bear Grylls. He has made his name as an outdoor adventurer, with a number of TV series, Running Wild with Bear Grylls being the latest. What you might not know is he has also puts his name to a range of clothing and other outdoor equipment and the trousers I’m reviewing is part of the range.

Price

Sharon bought me a pair of these trousers as a present so I don’t know the exact price or exactly where she got them from, but doing some research on the net I think they are about £40-50 from most outlets. Where would we be without the Internet.
This makes them more expensive than the army surplus trousers I’ve used in the past, but comparable if slightly more expensive than other hiking and walking gear I have bought over the years.

Bear Grylls trousers

Bear Grylls trousers, showing different colour

Fit and comfort

I’ve found the trousers are comfortable and light weight, drying quickly if they get wet (which is highly likely in a British summer). I think this makes them a good summer months trousers where you might encounter showers whilst out walking or hiking. Though they don’t offer much thermal protection they are comfortable and not as warm as my army surplus trousers.
They aren’t tight fitting which allows for ease of movement when walking, especially useful when I was in Yosemite national park last year and scrambling up the slopes and hills. I’ve also worn them under waterproof over trousers and found them fine and work well at wicking moisture away.
I do like the double waist button and the belt loops allow for a decent belt width rather than having tinny loops suitable for narrow belts which some walking trouser manufacturers produce.

Belt loops, and zip pocket

Belt loops, and zip pocket on the right side

I’m not sure about the quality of the stitching as there are a couple of points where they look pulled having been caught on brambles. Having said that the stitching hasn’t run or needed repair.
I tend to always wear leg gators to protect my shins from brambles and this might be something to consider with these if you are hiking through undergrowth or unbroken tracks.
Pockets are a decent size, which is useful as I often carry my phone in one, and there are leg pockets on both right and left leg (This is a little thing that bugs me with some manufacturers of outdoor clothing, who seem to think you only need a leg pocket on the right leg. Not great when you are an archer and wear a quiver on your right side as it means anything you put in the pocket is firstly buried under your quiver or is being constantly knocked by it.)

A couple of the pockets are made of orange fabric which besides being the Grylls colour also could be useful in a survival situation.
How I hear you ask? If you needed to mark your trail you could use the bright coloured fabric as a marker.
There are 8 pockets, one on each leg (the left also having a zip pocket, two hip pockets with velcro fastening , two front pockets (the right one having an internal zipped pocket).
I know another archery friend of mine that has been using these style trousers and he too has found the fabric a bit thin from time to time, allowing brambles and thorns through. He’s told me how he has taken to wear them as an over trousers, as they are comfortable but not thick enough.
They are light in weight making them great for camping or travelling, packing down pretty small, something that I have found very useful. Though you will need to layer them up either with over trousers or leggings to stay warm if in cooler weather.

Product development or what I’d like to see

If the designers are reading this there are a couple of developments I’d like to see.

  1. The first development is a zip pocket on the left side like the right one.
  2. I also think I would prefer the fabric being a little thicker due to brambles and even nettles getting through. I noticed this most when kneeling drawing arrows from targets and searching for lost arrows in the undergrowth. I think this could be done without adding a great degree of weight to the trousers and would still enable them to dry quickly. So something thicker on the lower legs and knees would be ideal.

Summary

Overall not bad for summer trousers but would rather have a slightly thicker fabric for extra protection on the knees and lower legs. Good number of pockets of good sizes.
For me, I think I will continue to wear them for hiking and walking as they are comfortable, along with archery shoots I know are pretty open. For archery where I might be tracking through undergrowth I think I will stick with old army combat trousers, just for the thicker fabric providing extra protection. For that reason I’m going to give them two scores
9/10 for hiking but only  7/10 for archery
Thanks for reading.