Mar 31 2023

Shoot report – Centaura Bowmen – March 2023

So, I’m slowly getting back into the hang of writing these shoot reports. I hope you are enjoying reading them. It’s been a very long time since I wrote one for Centaura, looking at my past write up I had to go back to 2018.

Considering the crazy weather we had been having in the preceding week or so running up to the shoot, with rain, snow followed by a rapid thaw the Sunday morning weather was pretty good for an early spring day. Bright, with it not getting cold until about 4 pm.

The club is situated in a small woodland not far from Derby, so just under an hour travel for us despite the motorway being slow. The course would be a twice round 21, being a mix of paper and 3D targets. Normally a twice rounds course are 18 or 20 so, 21 was a little unusual. We would be shooting with Roger and Julie for the first time in what seems like years, both shooting bowhunter.

There was a good turnout on the day with many pegs having 4 or more archers but I know they had some no-shows, which is always a shame for clubs.

Unfortunately part way around the first half I had to escort our son off the course due to him being taken ill. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank the marshals who helped on the day to escort me and my son off the course. (He’s feeling much better now after spending the afternoon wrapped in a blanket in the car with his Mam. Thanks). This would mean Sharon and I each effectively shot half the course or once round, rather than twice round.

Centaura club is housed in a small site, with little space to accommodate all the cars, meaning once you are parked up you are there for the day.

The progress around the course slowed in the afternoon with periods of delays and waiting around. I’m uncertain of the cause. It could be due to numbers per peg, I know there were some new archers there. I’m sure if I could identify what causes events to slow then every club would be beating the way to my door for the secret.

There were some downhill shots at very steep angles. Think shooting off a cliff near straight down, the type of shot you don’t often have the opportunity to shoot. This is thanks to the nature of the terrain as I think the site was once a quarry.

An example of such a shot is the near vertical shot down onto a bedded ram 3D where you shoot all your arrows from the top of the cliff. The marshals collect your arrows, using a rope and pully to hoist your arrows back to you so you can continue along the ridge line to the next shot.

The flip side of this is the number of steps as you climb and descend multiple stairs. It proves to be a good workout for your legs.

Personally, I feel there were a couple of shots on the course that could have worked with a slightly larger target for the distance, like the 3D beaver and 3D badger, but these were in the minority.

Having not been out shooting at many competitions it was great to have the opportunity to meet up with some readers of this site and listeners to the podcast. If you do see me at a shoot pop over and have a chat.

One thing I liked to see was the map at the central gathering point, showing the woodland and the locations of the targets. It’s good for archers to have a rough orientation of the wood but I am sure it would prove invaluable to any emergency services who might be called in an incident.

Personal performance

I decided to shoot the 38lb recurve in hunting tackle class (that is a non compound bow, with wooden arrows, feather fletchings and no sights). I ended up not shooting the full course but I did feel fatigued. The upside was I managed to shoot it with some degree of accuracy and consistency. It is still a long way to go but small steps in the right direction.

If you visit Centaura clubs’ Facebook page you will be able to see a gallery of photos from the day. I’ve chosen one for my new profile picture.

Thanks for reading.

Dec 11 2022

New NFAS Target Faces review

The number of different target faces for field archery courses is quite simply astounding, probably numbering in the hundreds when you consider the different suppliers. I’m not talking about the round ones of different sizes and colours, but those depicting animal targets. So the JVD, Merlin, Delta etc. Over the last 12 months the National Field Archery Society, here in the UK has designed and produced a series of its own target faces to fit their needs.

These new faces were designed from the outset to be suitable for the NFAS championships and available for clubs to buy. The results of all this hard work being a collection of 80 custom faces, across 4 size groups giving organisers 20 target faces in each size group to choose from.

These faces can be printed on either paper or a plastic like mesh, (more on the mesh later) depending on the clubs requirements. The target faces have been designed with individual scoring zones ideal for NFAS competitions covering wound, kill and inner kill.

Explanation of Scoring zones

It’s worth noting NFAS made the decision when creating these faces that they wanted to make the scorings zones in some ways generous whilst still being challenging. The result was a series of target faces where the wound lines are running round the edge of the animal, thereby making the possibility of scoring a wound significantly easier than with other faces, This means not only the head and body area scores but also the legs, something very different to many other target faces currently on the market. Having said this the kill and especially the inner kill is small, making it challenging to get an inner kill,

At this point it might be worth explaining how the most common NFAS field course round – The Big Game round is scored. Everything is shot over unmarked distances and no range finding equipment is allowed. The goal for all archers is to go round and hit the target with their first arrow. Something I have never achieved. Courses are usually 36 or 40 targets set at distances from 5 yards to 70 plus yards. Yes, I did say 5 yards. Courses are set mostly in woodland and unlike other societies who insist on clear shooting lanes NFAS course layers will use all the vegetation and terrain to disguise the distances and make for a challenging shot.

The shooting distances are the same for all genders, the only difference being the age of the archer. younger archers shoot from junior pegs. This means you could have a compound archer shooting from the same peg as a longbow or Olympic recurve.

When you hit, what you score is dependent on which arrow you first hit with. Therefore if you hit the target with

First arrow wound is 16 points a kill 20 points inner kill 24 points, if you miss you go again.
Second arrow wound is 10 points a kill 14 points inner kill 14 points, if you miss you go again.
Third arrow wound is 4 points a kill 8 points inner kill 8 points. If you miss with your third attempt then you blank the target and move on.
The inner kill area only bestowing a bonus score on the first shot, after that point it scores the same as the kill zone.

On a personal note I would like to see the faces organised in a northern / southern hemisphere . This simple is because I prefer seeing target faces in woodlands I could imagine being present historically in the country. So wolves, bears, deer, etc I’m not a fan of a lion, zebra or hippo. This is an entirely personal point of view.

The faces can be bought from the NFAS website https://nfas.net/

To give you an idea of the cost a group 1 target, printed on the mesh is £9.76 and a group 2 is £8.66 (this is at December 2022)

The testing of the mesh

Over the past few months the field Archery club (Briar Rose Field Archers) I belong to have had some of these new NFAS target faces out in our woodland course, as well as using them for the open competition a few months ago.

The bison shown below has been out since our clubs open shoot and lasted really well. The target is on a 1300 mm x 1300 mm boss so you can get an idea of size.

To give you an idea of what the target looks like from the shooting peg, I’ve taken the photo below. On the day of the shoot we had to fit a catching net at the back of the target due to so many people misjudging the distances. It is actually under 40 yard shot.

These target faces are printed not on paper but a plastic mess, which according to NFAS website can last several months or even a couple of years. It has certainly lasted a couple of months so far.

There has been a few discussions about the line colours being a little hard to see at a distance or the contrast being a little unclear on some faces.

The mesh has proved to be a lot more resistant to the wet weather we’ve been experiencing. Unlike some printed faces these mesh ones don’t seem to be eaten by slugs and snails. A big problem with some of the old JVD faces which when they get wet seem to disappear due to slugs and snails almost overnight.

I’m reviewing the mess faces here, but you can order them printed on paper if you rather. Below you can see a closeup of the target face, showing the holes in the mesh. This highlights the only drawback with the target face we’ve found. Our experience has shown that the weave closes up pretty well for most arrows but some wooden arrows where the pile can sometimes snag when the arrow is drawn out. This can create a slightly larger hole, which is visible in the photo below. It;s not for all wooden arrows just those where there is almost a groove behind the pile, so not quite flush to the shaft.

close up of target face — Close up of target face

I’ve recorded a couple YouTube videos available on my channel, showing a couple of the target faces we have been using at the wood.

One tip I’d like to offer anyone considering using these faces, is covering the target bosses with black fabric. This may sound a little strange, but consider this. Many target bosses are made up of layered foam, sometimes of different colours. By wrapping or covering the bosses you don’t see the different colours and said bosses are less visually intrusive in the woods. It also means when holes are made in the target face the brightly coloured foam is not visible. To keep costs down we use the weed suppressing material available online or from garden centres.

So are they worth the money?

At a time where every penny counts this is of vital importance for many clubs and individuals alike. I don’t think the mesh is worth it for small target faces (group 4) as I think they would be shot out too quickly. For our club where paper faces are likely to be eaten by slugs and snails, before they are shot out. Then yes there is a benefit. If you are looking for a target faces that is weather resistant and look good then they work well. I’ll freely admit that I was a bit skeptical originally largely due to the costs and concerns on how long they last but they have lasted well and still going.

It’s also nice to see some new faces, with very friendly wound lines. It might encourage more clubs to use paper faces. I think the 24 are small and could do with being a little larger. I don’t know if NFAS are going to add more faces over time, but that I think would be great idea.

Thanks for reading.

Feb 15 2021

A virtual walk with Harry Boyce

It’s with great pleasure I get to introduce my next victim, I mean guest to off the arrow shelf. Sadly, due to the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions in the UK we have had to do this remotely but I’m sure you will still enjoy the banter.For the last 12 months it’s been nearly impossible for field archers to meet up in person, with the national society having to cancel it two main tournaments and countless local tournaments it’s been 12 months of challenges for Harry Boyce in his role as the president of the National Field Archery Society, so I’m very grateful for his time.

photo of Harry Boyce — Harry Boyce at the champs

So, let’s get going. For easy my comments are in bold italics and Harry’s are in italics.

Rob – You are pretty well known to many on the archery circuit, thanks to your past successes in shooting and role as NFAS President, but how would you describe yourself?

Easy going & prepared to give anyone or everyone time to listen to their comments or problems.

Rob – Why did you first get into archery?

45 years ago, I was a youth club leader & along with another local youth club leader we organised an activities weekend for the members, part of which was archery by Friskney Bowmen. Having returned home & informed Terri what we had done over the weekend, she said “I have always wanted to try archery”. I took her along to Castle Bowmen to try it & told her this is your sport, I am not going to get involved with it. As I had always been into shooting rifles & shotguns from around 12 years of age, it didn’t take me long to get interested myself. The rest is history.

Rob – For those that don’t know Terri is Harrys’ other half and a very competent archer in her own right.

I’m sure others out there would be interested in knowing what you shoot, when you do get the opportunity to shoot round a course. So can you talk us through your kit set up?

As most NFAS members will know I shot barebow for over twenty years. My last barebow set up was a Bernadini riser with Hoyt carbon limbs 49lb at full draw, fastflight string & ACE 520 arrows with 70 grain piles.Fancying a change. I bought a L/H compound, went straight into Unlimited & I have been shooting that for about seven years.

Current set up is a Hoyt Nitrum 34, Fuse long rod with side rod, Hoyt Ultra rest, Black Eagle Challenger 400 arrows with 100 grain piles & Chocolate 3 finger release aid. I’m now going through the motions of thinking about having a go at Barebow again.

Rob – I think you have been shooting compound most of the time I have really known you. I do vaguely remember you shooting Barebow, when I was shooting Hunting Tackle.

How would you define the appeal of field archery and what makes it such a draw for you, as you have bene shooting for several years?

The appeal of field archery to me is twofold, being out in the countryside & the friendships you make on your journey through archery.Over the years of setting courses & competing at shoots I have seen wildlife that some people only read about or watch on the TV. The most memorable being at a World Champs in Australia when kangaroos came thundering through the course. I didn’t need telling twice to get out of the way.

What’s better than being out in the woods when everything is in leaf & in bloom with the birds singing. Field archery gives you the opportunity to meet a number of people that become friends for life. In the time we have been shooting, my wife & myself have made friends all over the world.It may have been a long time since you may have seen some of your friends, but when you do meet up again it’s like it was only a month ago & it’s nice to catch up again.

Rob – Can you explain what your love or passion is that drives your interest in archery?

All my life I have been an outdoor person & shot everything from catapults to rifles & shotguns. The love of it is being out in the countryside with friends. The passion is seeing people enjoying themselves, try to hit what you are aiming at & trying to improve each time you are out.

It’s hard to describe the feeling of hitting the target that the course builder set so deceivingly to try & make you miss. Introducing a beginner to archery & then watching them to go on to become a top archer in their own right is a very satisfying feeling. I have been mechanically minded since I was a kid & used to take my toys apart to see how they work. To me a bow & arrow (regardless of if it’s a longbow or compound) is just another mechanical devise, so I still get to tinker with the tools.

Rob – This year’s been challenging for so many people within the archery community and beyond. How has it affected you?

Over the last year I have been fortunate to still be in full time employment. As my work has continued to increase throughout the year it has helped to keep my mind occupied through these times. Like most people I have missed seeing family & friends, being out in the woods & socialising. But in doing that I realise that I have been more fortunate than some people or families & grateful to be able to still enjoy archery once things get back on a normal basis.

Rob – The global Pandemic has impacting our lives hugely. How are you coping with the lack of shooting?

Although there has been no shooting to speak of over the last year, I have still been working with the committee to ensure that once things are back to normal (whenever that may be) we still have a society that’s ready for us to continue shooting & enjoying our hobby.

It’s also helped to keep my mind off the lack of shooting with all the jobs that Terri has found to do around the house & in the garden.

Rob – Yes, I have seen some of the photos of garden projects Terri has shared. If ten years ago I’d told you where you’d be today, how do you think you’d have responded?

Ten years ago, I would have said that you were wrong (and possibly off your head), as having stepped down after serving 6 years in the position as President, I wanted to take a back seat & was not looking at taking up office again.Having said that, I have no regrets about returning to the job.

Rob – What would you say has been your biggest challenge you’ve encountered to date with your archery? How did you overcome this challenge?

The biggest challenge that I encountered was that less than perfect was acceptable. If I made a mistake in executing a shot, I used to get annoyed with myself because I knew I could have done better. It took me a while to realise we are all human (probably Tony Weston is the exception to that rule) & we all make mistakes. You cannot change what has happened, you can only change what is about to happen. Learn from your mistakes & carry on. I found that the more I relaxed, the more I enjoyed it & the more I enjoyed it the better the score.

Rob – I am always curious what people feel they can pass on to other archers, especially newbies. If you could reach every newbie archer out there with one single piece of advice what would it be?

When you look around at the archers consistently winning their class, remember that they too were just like you, a beginner at one time of day. The only thing that will stop you from doing the same is you. Learn as much as you can from everyone you can. Knowledge of how to shoot and become a top archer can be free. Once gained, knowledge cannot be taken from you.

Once again, I would like to say a huge thanks for your time Harry. It is very much appreciated.

Thanks for reading, stay safe and well.

My Archery Experiences

Field archery experiences, shoot reports, equipment & book reviews, tips and advice from a UK archer and coach.

Tag Archives: compound bow

Shoot report – Centaura Bowmen – March 2023

Personal performance

New NFAS Target Faces review

Explanation of Scoring zones

The testing of the mesh

So are they worth the money?

A virtual walk with Harry Boyce

Personal performance

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Explanation of Scoring zones

The testing of the mesh

So are they worth the money?

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