Types of archery

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Target archery

Targets are set at pre-arranged distances with a certain number of arrows being shot at each distance depending on the round to be shot. Everyone shoots on a given command and similarly collects their arrows all together. Scoring is on 5 colour zone target faces; gold, red, blue, black and white concentric circles, with either 5 or 10 scoring bands that are determined by the type of round. An inner 10 is now provided for the compound bow archers.

Clout

This requires the archer to drop their arrows into a scoring area 24 feet across on the ground at a distance of 180 yards for men, 160 yards for women and 120 yards for juniors.

There is a peg holding the clout flag. A cord is attached to the peg, so it can be rotated around the scoring zones. You score one, two, three, four and five as you move in towards the middle and in the middle is a tiny white target which gets you six points if you can hit it Where the arrow shaft enters the ground is the position taken for the scoring value. A clout round is 6 ends of arrows, (6 x 6 arrow ends = 36 arrows total.)

Field archery

This normally takes place in undulating or wooded terrain. Archers move around the targets in groups of around four. The archer stands with their lead foot against a post in the ground. There may be one post for the target or four at the same distance in a “fan” or posts at different distances. You may be told the distance - marked round - or it may be an unmarked round, where you have to judge the distance for yourself. Every shot may be from a different standing position with natural obstructions to overcome in order to hit the target. You may shoot at target faces, different sizes of animal and bird pictures or 3D rubber animals of different sizes.

Targets can be set-up on the sides of hills, making the judgement of the actual distance to the target difficult, especially for the unmarked round.