[jadlem]

This Friday was our last proper indoor session at Ely Archers. Not wanting the even to pass unmarked, my wife Ellen decided to organise a mini competition.

The event was to consist of 2 dozen arrows at 20yds on a 60cm face.

The results were ranked and a 3 arrow head to head shot.

I had recently set my mum up with a new recurve bow (she's only been into the sport for a couple of months!) and thought I'd switch back to my roots and leave the compound packed away in the case.

Anyway... Out with the wifes recurve (mine is on loan to my dad at the mo) Yes I managed to get the limbs on the right way round, yes the sight marks were accurate enough to keep me in the red at 20yds, so all good so far.

The competition began and I was keeping up with most of the regular recurves.

Part way through a friend came over holding some rather forlorn new arrows I'd just fletched up for him, they were all missing their bottom hen fletch, oh dear...

In between ends we diagnosed the problem as a quite obvious clearance problem and being a wooden riser with very little adjustment, wound the button right out to resolve it, still so far so good.

Anyway, the last end came, I scored my arrows and managed 211 out of 240. Not bad, I was in 4th place, the top two being compounds!

My friend brought his bow over to show that we'd stopped the orange scuff marks on his rest and Ellen got on with organising the head to head...

I was shooting against Dave, he'd managed 199 points so I was in with a chance of making it through to the next round. I'll show those recurve archers that us compound shooters can beat them at their own game. So in with the amusing quips about recurves being trainer bows etc etc. Provoked a nice competitive atmosphere as we got onto the shooting line. I could show them all!!!

Ooops....

Dave congratulations mate, your through to the next round...

In my rush to see my results and sort out Olivers clearance problem I'd quite plainly not bothered to remove the 4 only working arrows long enough for me to use on a recurve bow from the target....

Not being the sort to get upset by my endeavours I always like to see the positive side of such a situation. Two useful lessons can be learnt from this...

Never tell recurve archers they shoot woossey trainer bows unless you are certain you can beat them and...

Always make sure you have more than 4 working arrows...