Tag Archives: barebow

May 9 2013

Shoot report – Long Eaton Field Archers – 5th May 2013

It was bank holiday Monday (a public holiday in Britain) when I started writing this and for a change it was bright, sunny and warm. It normally rains in Britain on a bank holiday, just one of those things.
The only down side to the day was I ached lots. My shoulder had tightened up loads but I managed to shoot round the course on Sunday, so was worth it.
Big thanks
Before I go any further I would like to thank my shooting group, Andy from Artemis, Len from Hanson and of course Sharon. They were very supportive especially in the second half of the day, when my shoulder began to ache and lock up. Thanks guys.
Shooting group - Andy, Len and Sharon

Shooting group – Andy, Len and Sharon

So on to the shoot report. LEFA is one of our favourite shoots and we do our best to get there whenever possible. (last shoot report can be seen here if you are interested)  Though this time I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it, as the trapped nerve in the shoulder had meant no shooting for several weeks.

On Saturday I had managed to get round 20 targets at our wood and that had been a challenge, so a full 40 course might be too much. Was I nervous, oh yes!!
Added to this is that this shoot is only a few weeks before the national 3D champs many archers will use it in good preparation for the 2 day championships and I really want to be fit for that, so no pressure!!

This course had been very carefully laid, with 2 distinct sections. One section being very technical with the course layers using the limited ground cover and tree avenues really well. It was a really good pre championship course, well done guys.

Lunch break verses shoot through… old debate
My only criticism of the day is the lunch break. LEFA stop the shoot at 12:30 and restart it at 1:30 to allow archers to come off the course and grab some food. Other clubs run a shoot through, which means the course is designed so as you pass the food stops once or twice, where you stop for 15-20 minutes to grab something to eat. The advantage to this method over stopping for lunch is it means you have a steady stream across catering and through the course, rather than a mad rush of 180 people wanting food at once.
The reasoning behind the stop is they say they can’t design the course to allow people to shot through, which is a real shame as you result in stopping for an hour and lose the flow.

Also after lunch the shoot slowed a lot. In the morning we had done 17-18 targets before lunch (about an hour and a half) After lunch we had only done 9 targets in the same amount of time as we were always catching the group in front , who had been catching the group in front of them and so on and so on. In fairness LEFA do provide a good lunch menu with some great desserts for those with a sweet tooth.
Anyway back to the course. It was a full 40 target course mad up of all 3D targets of varying size and shapes, with 4-5 people  a peg there were about 180 archers making for a very full car park.
Start was delayed slightly due to some late arrivals, but we got out on course at about 10:30. Our first target was a small 3d rabbit at about 15 yards. Great I thought a small target to start on doesn’t build confidence,especially with my first arrow skimming its back, second arrow hit though.

As I said the course had a good mix of small to large 3ds with a couple of the new 2D/3D targets. These skins as they are sometimes called have a 3d relief and can work well where a full 3d can’t be used due to space or safety concerns.
Long Eaton ground is a mix of established  broad-leaf woodland and more open younger areas. Mostly flat it does have a number of what can best be described as scrapes or shell holes.

LEFA grounds

LEFA grounds

The site had I think had been an old open coal pit with a small coal seem a few feet underground which has long since been mined but had left these depressions. These holes were used a number of times by the course layers,  resulting in us having to shoot into, across or sometimes out of them along the ground.  Very hard to judge distance when you are at ground level.
Lack of photosYou might notice there aren’t as many photos in this shoot report, this is due to changes in the rules in the NFAS. Archers are no longer allowed to take photographs before they shoot, so sorry there aren’t many target shots in this shoot report. I also didn’t want to delay my group and groups behind.

Sharon at LEFA

Sharon at LEFA

The reason for the change is that some people were using the camera as a targeting aid, to judge distances etc. I’m not a fan of the rule change but have to obey it.

So how did I get on?
Well despite Sharon feeling she didn’t shoot well she came away with gold, though I think she has plans to increase her practice time.
As for me well I managed to get round the entire course with only one blank, though too many 3rd arrows which I think aggravated the shoulder. I dropped 70 points in the last quarter of the course.I did come home with  second place, missing out on first place by 6 points. Not bad I suppose, considering I wasn’t sure I would make it all the way round at times.
In all our club came away with 9 medals in different classes, so was a good day for all. Full shoot results can be found here.

As ever thanks for reading.

Mar 6 2013

Shoot Report – Pride Park

Pride Park

This shoot report covers our experiences of the Pride Park March shoot. This was the first trip to their new wood, which is only a stones throw from one of our old clubs Black Arrows wood.

So on Sunday we headed just north of Derby, about  an hour and 20 minutes drive for us. The weather was dry but not as sunny or warm as the previous day, which had been the first real sign of spring arriving. But as I said it was dry, though it did get cold in the afternoon, which was a shame.

The shoot would also be a test for Sharon’s new arrows or rather piles for her x7. We have been experimenting with the pile weight in her arrows and she had tried a few different ones out on Saturday. So Saturday evening was spent with me swapping out old points for new inserts and screw in points.

Our shooting group was made up of 5 people, Pride Park limit their group numbers to 5 and I think this is a good plan. There was a good flow with no hold ups. The only delay in the day was after the lunch break, by which point it was getting a bit cold as the wind had picked up. In fact there was a really relaxed atmosphere all day.

The course was a mix of paper faces, 3D targets and couple of hessian / fabric faces. We started in the small wood, with a downhill hessian target.

first target

Sharon at first target

It was good to see that targets, especially paper ones, had been put out at sensible distances making them hitable targets.

target 13 Close paper duck

target 13 Close paper duck

In fact there were a few larger faces put closer than normal that confused a lot of archers, resulting in them misjudging the distance.

Scott shooting target 15

Scott shooting target 15

The paper faces included my 3 least favourite, the ermine,  standing hare and red squirrel.

JVD Ermin target face

JVD Ermin target face

JVD Hare target face

JVD Hare target face

JVD Red Squirrel target face

JVD Red Squirrel target face

Why do I hate them? Well besides 2 of them being very small (ermine and squirrel have a 20mm inner scoring zone) the 3rd, the hare, is easy to miss if you lose your line and go slightly left or right, as it is quite tall but skinny.

For those interested I scored 20 on the ermine, 8 (3rd arrow) on the hare and 16 on the squirrel. so that is 2 first arrows and one 3rd, not too bad really.

It all it was a good day with Scott and Zack Ball, Norman joining Sharon and I to make up our group of 5.

Despite being very close to Black Arrows wood the grounds are very different. Black arrow is on a hillside and quite small whilst Pride Parks ground is made up of 2 woods with a connecting field / hedge row, with a small coppice that allows for steeper angles and downhill shots, the other wood is more open and flat allowing for longer shots.

As for how I got on, not great 604 on 36 targets, top score in my class was 654 I think. Sharon did well getting first place again in ladies Barebow. Guess the new arrows worked.

As always thanks for reading.

Feb 18 2013

Shoot report – Paget de Vesey 2013

As promised here is the write up from the Paget shoot which took place on Sunday 17th. This was the first competitive shoot of the 2013 season for us and before I start I will admit to having a soft spot for Paget de Vasey shoots.

Paget was the first NFAS shoot we ever did and have made sure we have booked on their shoot ever since. It was also going to be the first shoot that Sharon would be competing at following recovering from her injury.

Paget 2013 - start of the day

Sunny start of the day

Unlike in previous years, where the shoot has been cold and damp, last year even having a dusting of snow, we enjoyed a sunny Sunday. The only problem was having the sun in your eyes for a few shots 😉

The Paget club only hold one shoot a year and they use an outdoor activity centre when they do. This means the club members have to set everything up the day before and have everything cleared out by the end of Sunday. An advantage to this site is the catering is superb, with 2 food stop huts with an excellent selection of cakes for those with a sweet tooth.

On the day we were very fortunate to have a had a great group too shoot with Trev, Emma, Robin (also from SVYF who we were taking round for his first ever NFAS shoot), Sharon and myself, with a mix of styles too with longbow, hunting tackle, barebow and compound. I was shooting Hunting Tackle (recurve bow without sights and wooden arrows) as I’d not had any practice with my flatbow.

From left to rightEmma, Chris, Sharon and Trev

From left to right
Emma, Robin, Sharon and Trev

The course was made up of 36 targets, being a mix of 3D and paper faces about 50/50 I’d say with some less familiar faces too. The centres grounds are flat, with the woods being mainly deciduous woodland.

The shoot started at 10 am the day flowed well with only a short stop for lunch and no hold ups. We started on target 15.

Target 16

Target 16 – 3D coyote

Some of the shots were very nicely set like this one below of a 3D boar in a hole by an uprooted tree.

Paget Shoot - 3D boar in hollow

Paget Shoot – 3D boar in hollow

There were a few paper faces targets that were stretched for the distance which was a shame. Often course layers will put a paper face out and increase the recommend distance to make it a harder shot when it truth it can be done with careful positioning or use of ground. Sorry winge over.

In fairness there were also some very nicely set paper faces. This crocodile was a great example, can you spot the interesting feature? (No, Trev hasn’t shot himself in the head, its just the angle of the photo and how he is holding the arrow)

Paper Crocodile shot

Paper Crocodile shot (No Trev hasn’t shot himself in the head)

This target was  made more interesting as the target boss was slightly slanted forward.

target 14 - last of day

Target 14 – last of day – 3D bobcat

As readers of this blog will know I was a little anxious about this shoot. It would be the first Sharon had competed at following the recovery from injury. Saturday she had managed to shoot round the wood in full (40 targets) for the first time with her own bow for nearly 4 months.

Sharon (holding my bow)

Sharon (holding my bow)

I needn’t have worried as she did really well and enjoyed the day. Though she will admit she was not up to her usual scoring level, she managed to shoot the entire course and it wasn’t until the latter part of the day that she began to feel tired and scores dropped off. Even then she scored 546 points  (an average of just over 15 points a target) which was enough to secure first place in ladies Barebow. Well done.

Robin also did really well and seemed to enjoy himself and already booked on another shoot in  a couple of weeks.

I came in with 596 points, no blanks and secured second place in gents Hunting Tackle, 8 points off first. Not bad considering I’ve only shot the bow a couple of times in the last few months.

Overall I’d say it was a great day, really good to catch up with so many familiar faces who we hadn’t seen for so long. Here is hoping for a good 2013 season.

Thanks for reading.