Field Round

[longbowguy]

sWe haven't posted field and hunter round in a while so I'll start a thread. It was just a practice round, not at an organized shoot, but I took the Howard Hill Tembo out today and shot a 159 with heavy hunting arrows.

Anybody else shooting a Field Archery (NFAA) course these days? - lbg

[John49]

I haven't shot a field round as of yet, but I am looking forward to trying it in the coming year. I plan to join NFAA and also shoot in our state shoots(PA). I have ordered a Fox Triple Crown and it should be here by the end of January. I will start with indoor season and then go to the outside events. I have been reading everything that you guys have been printing about field and I am anxious to try it.

[Desert Archer]

John,

If you are like a lot of us, once you try field you will get hooked. Lots of shooting at lots of different ranges and different size targets.

Dave

[bobferrell]

I love to shoot the field range (99% just for fun after work - I rarely enter tournaments because I'm so bad).
Your score beats most of my best ones over the last 6 years for 14 targets, ha ha. I use hunting weight arrows most of the time, too, and shot instinctive until the past couple years when I started trying to learn some sort of better aiming system.
I admittedly screw around a lot, and often "sight in" along the way with a new setup, switch bows, try different aiming systems and mess with my form in the middle of the round and stuff like that. It's very relaxing and enjoyable though, (except when I get frustrated and end up beating myself over the head!). It's nice to be out in the woods and I enjoy the walking around and the variety of shots.
Hopefully my scores will be better next time out as I work out the string walking thing, but I haven't been able to hit the range lately between hunting and a new later work schedule that makes it difficult to shoot before dark...

bob

[Redbow]

When I shoot practice field rounds, and I shoot them 3 times a week (longbow wooden arrows), I aim to shoot in the 170s for 14 targets, and if I am having a bad day I try to limit the damage to 150\160.
But that is Practice when it comes to tournaments the game changes. If I can shoot 330for 28 targets in a tournament then I know my practice has gone well.
At world class level 370s is a winning mark. This month I shot my first 381, but as I said that is in practice.
If one goes to the florida archery association website you will get an I dear of the scores the Florida longbow division is shooting. (THEY ARE THE BEST IN AMERICA)
If anyone want to give field a try , come on down to florida in December and shoot the IFAA North American Champs.

[Desert Archer]

I'm putting on a 28 target combined shoot (14 Field/14 Hunter) this Sunday (Usery Mountan Park Range - Mesa, AZ). Weather is supposed to be sunny and 72, but that temp won't be until the middle of the afternoon. It will be in the 50s & 60s when we're shooting in the morning.

I haven't been doing much field shooting lately so I'm looking forward to going around the course for competition. I'll post my results, good or bad, on Monday. Only one other recurve shooter likely to be there, my shooting partner Richard. Sure wish I could get some traditional folks to try field. Maybe one will show up and surprise the heck out of me! At lest I keep hoping. (smiley face goes here)

Dave

[longbowguy]

Shot a 195 field round today. But I used a recurve and aluminum arrows- it almost feels like cheating. I'm still working on sight marks at some distances, but getting closer to the 200 level. I shot the hunter round first and didn't do very well. I lost track of the score. I'll try to get a decent score for all 28 before month end. - lbg

[Desert Archer]

I'm embarrassed to post this score from our combined 28 target shoot today but maybe it will shame me into doing better. You wouldn't believe how many misses I had. I mean arrows off the scoring part of the target. A really bad day for me.

Anyway, the 14 field targets yielded a 190 and the 14 hunter target allowed me a 202 for a total of 392. I feel I should break 400 every outing so this is really stinko! Obviously I need better focus and more practice.

Dave

[longbowguy]

Made 205 today with the recurve. - lbg

[bobferrell]

That sounds great to me, lbg :)

I finally sneaked out of work early Monday for only my second range visit this month, and nearly set a new (low) record on the first half with a 49! I think the record is 43 when I was testing a new fedora that was too heavy for me years ago, and was collapsing and shooting to the right. This time I was screwing around trying straight 3-under gap with my 45 lb Lee hunter recurve, dacron, and 1916s. I just can't seem to gap shoot even when I get the point a little closer to my face - it seems I need to use point-of-aim. On the second half I gave up and shot instinctive on the short shots, and used the point from 35 on out (definitely waving in the sky on the long shots), and managed a 109 with no zeroes, so it felt like a bit of a victory :) It was a nice day to be out, though, 50 degrees and sunny, so I had a great time.
I hope to hit it tomorrow to get the new year off to a proper start...
bob

[longbowguy]

Well, Bob, I nearly matched that 49 last year. With a new bow and setup when it goes wrong it can go very, very wrong. I use instinctive aiming out to about 45 yards, and gap thereafter.

On the long you can use the front of your arrow shelf for an elevation reference, then the rear of the shelf, then the web of your thumb, then your second and third bow hand knuckles.

No zeroes. That is a fine accomplishment. - lbg

[Desert Archer]

Bob,

As lbg said, no blank targets is a real accomplishment, particularly when you're having a bad day (boy do I know that experience - lol). I haven't got my courage up to shoot even a 14 target field unit with the longbow. I'm still working on 10 yards with the pointing/instinctive/become the arrow stuff. I probably should take the Best Mercury and the FMJ Navigators out to the field range and remind myself I can actually hit what I'm aiming at...well, most of the time. (smile)

Dave

[bobferrell]

I tried using the shelf when I was string walking and didn't have much luck, although I probably just need to practice it more. Practice time has been very difficult to come by since they changed my hours at work (although to be truthful, I always went and just shot for score rather than working on any certain distance).

Dave, I can imagine you're having some fun with the longbow, ha ha. I've shot instinctive, or maybe split vision or whatever I do for many years, and some days I seem to be able to trust myself and am "on", then other days I'll come to full draw and will be wondering if I have the right hold, and the arrow goes who-knows-where.

Today I got out to start the year off right, and took my old beloved osage Great Northern Traditional for the first round honors. Partway through I realized it turned 10 years old in October, and I don't think I got it out for a hunt, so shame on me!

It's way more weight than I normally shoot anymore (marked 59, scales 56, pulls maybe 54 at my 27 1/2" draw). I managed a 94 with no zeroes, then swapped for my new 45 lb Martin Dream Catcher, and shot a 114 on the back (hunter) half, again with no zeroes. I used dacron and 1916/125s on both bows, and they were similiar in "sight marks", with the Martin being a tad faster, point on at about 60 split finger with my index finger corner-of-mouth.

I necessarily nearly snap shot the longbow due to the weight, but toward the end with the Martin I was able to settle in and observe the position of the target in relation to the sight window, which gives me hope that I may eventually be able to learn to gap at the bow as described by Larry Yein in the MBB II DVD. Hope so, that'd be nice.

So far string walking (and sights) have been the only aiming methods that really work for me, but I don't like the iffy broadhead tuning and noise when string walking for hunting, and it doesn't work out well on quick shots, or shots where the squirrels are flitting around on the ground changing distance. Plus, I love to shoot different bows (a definite bad habit for accuracy) and string walking doesn't work with many of my favorites.

I bought wood shafts and arrows this winter, and would like to pursue the longbow regulation FITA rounds, so that means split finger.

For recurve, I think 3-under with a fast arrow might work out well for hunting if I could learn to gap (and also learn to use the shelf for longer shots on the field range).

It'll be interesting to see how it all works out - I've been bouncing back and forth between split and string walking for 2 years now. Hopefully I can get my experimenting done and commit to something before the hunting season this year!

Oh, I almost got the 80 with the northern today - maybe 10" to the right. It's been a while since I even hit the bale :)

bob

[longbowguy]

Bob: I am going to post a response but I'm going to place it up the Field Archery Group section in the hope that more will see it there. lbg

[psamtani]

Just shot my first field round this past weekend. I'd never shot anything further than 30 yards before. Embarrassed myself with a 90 (14 targets). Everyone else was shooting compounds with super-fancy setups (sights, stabilizer, the whole works...).

I have to say it was a tremendous learning experience. The compound guys tend to have excellent form, and they helped straighten me out. Got rid of my snap shooting habit, practiced holding my T-form. Gonna retry in a couple weeks using the point-of-aim system, once I practice some more on my local course.

[longbowguy]

Good for you. 90 is not bad before you have your sight references.

You are right that most pulley pullers have good form. Their infernal devices, if properly set up, force them into it. Our bows, especially heavy ones, tend to force us out of it. Therein lies our challenge.

Welcome to our merry band. - lbg

[psamtani]

Alright, shot my first half field round (14-target). Score: 98

Was at a 73 after the first 7 targets, score significantly dropped after that. My aim is to get to 300 on a 28 target by the end of the year, started archery November 2008. PSE Sentry 40#, no sights, plastic rest.