Target Archers have no sense of adventure?!!

[Swaledale]

This country is blessed with 22k target archers 1/3 of which step outside their club and shoot at other lawned venues where the layouts are a perfect clone of there own. There they can shoot just what they are comfortably used to with their site marks (X4). At what point do they realise that they are not actually aspiring to a challange?
What I am saying is, when are you lot actually going to think outside the box and realise that there is more to life than 90, 70, 50 and 30 0r you girls 70, 60 50, 30?????
This is the age of fitness, this is the age of creative thinking, if you we expected to shoot a target at 60m on an 80cm face up a slope of 45 degrees how would you cope? Do you think your arrow would go where you pointed it.... well do you? ....come on target archers have a go if you think your're hard enough!
TRY SOME FIELD then you would know you had put in a days shooting!!!!

[grantwomack]

Originally Posted by Swaledale

At what point do they realise that they are not actually aspiring to a challange?

Shoot me a 360 at all distances then come back and say that.
It is a challenge just like any form of archery.
I could come back and say something about how we use imperial measurements as well; something about how field is too bloody confusing because there are so many different associations, target faces and rounds; something about the challenge being less because the scoring zones are fewer; something about archers being closer to attaining a perfect field score than they are obtaining a perfect target score. But that would be just as weak and feeble as your post...

[NoAngel]

Originally Posted by Swaledale

TRY SOME FIELD

Tried it, not my thing, I can live with that.

Are you trying to say that Target Archery is less of a challenge than Field Archery? I think you will find that one of the reasons that Field Archery is less popular than Target, is that the venues are few and far between compared to Target Archery grounds.

I would have to travel for an hour to get to the nearest Field Archery club, or I can go less than 10 minutes down the road to my local Target Archery club. Archery is archery, as I see it, the only difference is not knowing the exact distance you are shooting at. However, like anything, in time you start to learn this and can give quite accurate measurements of distances just by looking.

So now then, what’s the difference, you know how far away your target is, we know how far away our target is, in principle it’s the same, so I see it makes no difference which discipline of the sport people follow. The same could be said about Recurve and Compounds, should be all be shooting Longbows? I have shot all 3, and they all require their own unique skills to shoot properly, no one is that much harder than the other, its just down to a level of accuracy.

[PorlyP]

I've got to say I'm with Grant on this one, totally.

There's no need to be all "this discipline's better than that" about archery.

At the end of the day, you get out what you put in, be it shooting a paper face on a boss, or an animal shaped target.

[Haywain]

Is this the start of the "My archery's better than your archery" thread? I hope not.

When I read Swaledales post it sounded like a toungue in cheek invitation for some to try field archery. But as with most things Internet, unless you're actually next to the person saying the words, they can be taken the wrong way.

Each to their own I say, but everyone should also try all aspects of the sport before they run down or say what they do is the best.

I tried target but it wasn't for me, so I prefer field. Out in the woods, watching the scenery and the wild life unfold as I walk between targets, chatting to friends and other archers and having a damn good laugh. But I know others who prefer the approach which target archery gives.

It would be interesting to try target again, just for the fun of it. But I also like the idea of showing a few target archers what I like doing at the weekend.

So some on folks, why not get together and organise those try it days instead of running each other down. Or am I just baning my head against a wall ??

[Old Bloke]

Oh dear Swaledale, O'h dear!

I can see where you are coming from having done the majority of my archery "in the field" so to speak. But to say target archery is any lesser of a challenge is I'm afraid too sweeping a statement. In archery their are different challenges. Afterall, the name of the game in target archery is to get all of your arrows "clustered in the custard" but you try doing that down here in the South West when those good old Westerlies are a blowin in all the way from America. To get one arrow in the gold is the ulimate challenge. Field is a very different challenge, but that to depends on whose society rules you shoot under. For me the ultimate challenge in field archery is to place an arrow exactly where you want it to go, say on an NFAS 3D and say 52 mts, where the drop on the animal is only 1 mt! and you are shooting a cross slope either up or down hill. That kind of shot and the execution thereof stays with you for years and years, unlike the shots you make in target archery which tend to become just one of all the same. I have done target archery and have been very successful at it, and for me it's field archery, but because the target archers do not get "the call" for field, do not assume that THEIR archery (target) is any less of a challenge to them. But, I know where you are coming from.

[WhitehartFB]

What ever your discipline and bow type good shooting form will always prevail.

You can learn how to shoot target or field its all part of the learning curve but if you can't shoot properly it doesn't matter what discipline you choose you will struggle.

[Tony_zelah]

Find me a field course I can do in safety from a wheelchair and please let me know cos I'll give it a go

[SLOWHAND]

Almost all of my archery is target, the quest for ranking and classification scores not to mention the chance of an odd European or World record takes up most of my time. BUT, I do shoot one field event each year- the Nether Witton 2 day FITA Field. I absolutely love this shoot, stunning scenery, great people and a totally different type of challenge (a downhill 60m shot over a valley and a small stream is something not to be missed).
And just to prove that us target archers can hack it with the field specialists,I was in the lead after the first day and came second on the second day.

[simon m]

Maximum's shot in field...........several

Maximum's shot in target........none.

You do the maths