Does anyone here agree with me that it is unfair that there is no separate category for Longbow in the GNAS Field Archery classification scheme?
Longbows and Recurve Traditional (Modern recurve, no sights, one anchor point, and wooden arrows) are grouped together.
I feel that this is wrong. For example, to achieve GMB status with a Longbow I would have to get 258 points in 4 separate shoots, one of which must be marked, and one unmarked.
To do this I’d have to break the British National Unmarked FITA record of 247 by 10 points, and the marked FITA record by 52 points.
To achieve MB I would have to beat the British record for the Marked 24 FITA by 22 points, and get within 19 points of the Unmarked record.
This in my opinion makes it all but impossible to achieve GMB with a longbow, and unreasonably hard to achieve the other classifications.
For an idea of how the styles match up in results compare the gent’s British records,
Longbow Unmarked 247, Marked 206.
Traditional Unmarked 328, Marked 289
It’s like making recurves shoot against compound unlimited. Yet there’d be an outcry if that were allowed.
What are your opinions on this matter, does it only matter to me as I am a Longbowman who feels that I am better than 3rd class, even though so far I can only get a 3rd class classification, or am I justified in my feelings?