Flight Shooting

[SVL]

Just wondering how do you actually shoot flight?
Do you use something like clout style?

[geoffretired]

I'm guessing that it is like clout shooting but, getting optimum elevation will be the name of the game, plus fastest loose and very quick bows+arrows.Having shot 1/4 mile or so I think finding the arrows becomes part of the scoring!! hee hee.

[TJ Mason]

The arrow needs to be in the region of 45 degrees (or 42.5 degrees ideally, I've heard). So you need to bend a long way back at the waist and push your rear leg well back. Fairly extreme unit aiming - much more extreme than for clout but not as extreme as for popinjay.

With compound, you could probably come to full draw then lower your drawing hand till the arrow's at the correct angle.

I'll be doing my first (and probably only) flight shoot on Saturday, so I'll know for sure after that!

[mk1]

Barry Groves - who hold several British REcords has some pages about Flight archery on his web-site. You'll notice he's got a thing about food too



World Record holder, Barry Groves, on Flight Archery.

[geoffretired]

Tim, That's an interesting idea about compounds. I guess it could apply to recurves, Yes? The objective is to know when you reach 42 ish degrees and that the left to right direction is correct for landing in the (fairway?)
Perhaps leaning back is not so necessary. References, like under the chin, may not be relevant. I think "Flying" loose comes into it.

[TJ Mason]

You probably could do it with recurve, though it would mean sacrificing back tension, alignment etc. This could knock a lot of power out of the shot. Easier to mitigate this when using a compound and release aid.

There's a photo in Don Stamp's "The Challenge of Archery" showing a guy clout-shooting with a one-piece recurve using the "high kisser" technique. The kisser is nearer to the top limb nock rather than the arrow nocking point, so his hand's down near his waist. This allows him to shoot with a normal target-sight setting. Something similar could be done for flight-shooting.

[*JJ]

Originally Posted by TJ Mason

You probably could do it with recurve, though it would mean sacrificing back tension, alignment etc. This could knock a lot of power out of the shot. Easier to mitigate this when using a compound and release aid.

There's a photo in Don Stamp's "The Challenge of Archery" showing a guy clout-shooting with a one-piece recurve using the "high kisser" technique. The kisser is nearer to the top limb nock rather than the arrow nocking point, so his hand's down near his waist. This allows him to shoot with a normal target-sight setting. Something similar could be done for flight-shooting.

No - I've done several flight competitions now, and I've never seen anyone try to shoot like this. You always lean well back, so that you get your shoulders square. In this way, you get the maximum power into the arrow. You can get someone else to check that your arrows are at 45 degrees with a set square (they have to stand behind the second line), or you can make a 'flight sight' with spirit levels to give you the angle.
It is actually quite easy to find your arrows (unless you do something stupid) because they are vertical in the ground, and as long as you shoot reasonably straight!

[Shirt]

Originally Posted by TJ Mason

With compound, you could probably come to full draw then lower your drawing hand till the arrow's at the correct angle.

Originally Posted by GNAS Rules of Shooting

Part 6, Flight Shooting.
Rule 600
Class C Target Compound
i) Competitors shall... use their conventional anchor point...

So nice idea, Tim, but specifically prohibited.

[TJ Mason]

Gaaahhh, them pesky rule makers!

[geoffretired]

Tim, I agree; they're spoil sports.
Someone must have tried a different way, propably one like your idea and as it was seen as a threat, it was written out.
I mean, who would try to write out a worse idea????