10 Tips to Help Get into Competitive Archery
Practicing archery is epic, so why not take your skills off the range and into a competition? Competitive archery is one of the most rewarding and exciting sports to master. We’ll show you the ropes for taking yourself from beginner to pro.
3D and Target Shooting
Before you dive into an intense archery competition, it’s ideal to have some solid practice under your belt. Both 3D and target shooting are excellent when gearing up to compete. Both offer a unique experience that can improve your accuracy over time.
3D archery involves participants shooting at three-dimensional foam animal targets.
They can range from big-game creatures like deer and elk to the mystical Bigfoot and dinosaurs. This extra-fun activity can be practiced recreationally or in a 3D archery competition.
Finding a 3D archery range may seem challenging at first, but we guarantee they’re out there. Call local stores or visit archery range websites to see what they offer. You can also view the NFAA or ASA websites to discover a nearby 3D archery competition.
Most 3D courses are set up outdoors in fields. Indoor ones are often created with artificial trees, posts, and other obstacle. The majority of courses have a central trail with between 20 and 40 targets along the way, call your “archery range near me” to confirm.
Targets are often set on hills or partially behind things to create a challenging shot that’s realistic. In most scenarios, you’ll be in a group with four or five other shooters. After each archer takes one shot per target, you’ll check the results and pull your arrows.
Getting a good score requires understanding where to aim and the spot’s system. Scoring techniques will vary by organization and tournament. Each arrow is typically work between zero and 14 points.
3D shooting adds a whole new level of challenge to archery practice. If you’re still on the beginner side and looking to improve, we recommend archery target shooting instead. It’s easier to do ranges with a quick “archery near me” search, or even from your own home.
Understanding Competitive Archery Rules
One of the most crucial aspects of getting into competitive archery is understanding the rules and regulations. These are set in place to guarantee safety, fairness, and quality competition. Each type of archery can have different guidelines.
USA Archery is a governing body for target archery competitions, and selects those who compete in the Olympics, Paralympics, pan American games, world cups, and world champion ships. In addition, they sanction state and regional tournaments around the country. You must understand their rules in order to compete.
– Recurve Equipment
Recurves are the only bow allowed at the Olympics. Under USA Archery regulations, you may not use electronics or a release aid when shooting them. Instead, use a sight, stabilizer, and clicker.
– Barebow Equipment
Barebows tend to raise a lot of questions within the archery community. It should be noted that USA Archery’s rules differ from the National Field Archery Association (NFAA), so some confusion can arise. However all of USA Archery’s national championships offer barebow divisions.
– Compound Equipment
Please note that archers who compete in the compound-bow division can’t shoot bows with peak draw weights that exceed 60 pounds. They can, however, use release aids.
The majority of stabilizers are still allowed when it comes to competitive compound-bow shooting, as long as they don’t touch anything except the bow. Sights with levels are also allowed, just no electronic devices for any competition bow.
– Arrow Rules
Identifying arrow rules is just as important as the bow. Every competitors’ arrows must consistently match in shaft and fletchings. They should also be marked with the archer’s initials, so identification is easy.
Arrow shafts at USA Archery events aren’t allowed to exceed 9.3 mm in diameter. Tips and points should not be over 9.4 mm in diameter. Those with questions about arrows should find an “archery shop near me” to confirm with.
– Procedures for the Range
In most competitions, archers are divided into two groups. Upon hearing two whistles, group A will approach the shooting line and draw an arrow. After one more whistle, they must shoot their arrows in an allotted time.
Once all of group A has shot their arrows, they’ll hear two most whistles, signaling group B’s turn. Then, it’s this group’s turn to advance and follow through with their shot. Everyone’s shooting will conclude with three whistles, indicating it’s sage for competitors to walk and score.
– Scoring Rules
Archers score their shots once everyone has had a chance to go. Be sure not to remove or touch arrows in the target until they’ve been scored. Arrows are scored based on the shaft’s position in the target face.
If your arrow shaft touches two colors or the dividing lines between scoring zones, the arrow gets the higher clue. Each target has two assigned scorers, and they enter each arrow’s value as it’s called in descending order by an athlete. Other archers can also check the value, but judges make the final decision during disagreements.
– Safety Regulations
It’s no secret that when practiced improperly, archery has the potential to be a bit dangerous. That’s why USA Archery prioritizes safety rules. Archers have to be cautious around the targets because pulled arrows can jab someone.
When pulling arrows to shoot, grasp it and look behind you right away to confirm no one is in the way. If you drop an arrow while on the shooting line, just leave it for now: retrieving could be dangerous. A dropped arrow that’s touching the line or closer to the archer can be left without penalty, just shoot another arrow.
– Dress Code Laws
No, USA Archery doesn’t expect you to dress for the red carpet, but there is a dress code to meet safety requirements. Shoes must cover your entire foot – no sandals! Jeans are allowed, but not with rips or holes when shooting in an “archery competition near me”.
Please mind that camo clothing is prohibited. Additionally, shirts shouldn’t be sleeveless or expose the midriff. All of these regulations are set in place to keep folks comfortable and ensure everyone’s safety during competitive archery.
– Rules on Spectators
There’s nothing better than hearing your loved ones cheer you on during a competition. Luckily, USA Archery allows this. Friends, parents, and other spectators can watch in on the shooting.
Just be sure to remind your guests that loud yelling and distracting behavior is frowned upon. Have them show their support respectfully! They may use spotting scopes or binoculars to get a better view and make hand gestures instead of noisy archery talk.
Now that you know the key ways to get some practice in and what rules to follow, you’re on the path to becoming a pro archer! Follow the archery policies for more success when competing. And before you go, don’t forget to check out more from Crow Survival on archery.
