Windrush Bowmen - Shooting With Windrush

Target Archery During the 6 summer months the club meets every Monday and Friday evening to shoot outdoors at our target ground. Outdoor shooting distances range from 10 to 80 yards. During the 6 winter months we shoot indoors on Friday evenings only. The usual distance indoors is 20 yards. Target shooting is what most beginners learn as their first taste of archery. It is a rewarding activity in its own right and the discipline required is very useful for instilling the good technique required for all other types of archery. The usual form of event is a long line of archers all shooting together at coloured-ring targets. Many WIndrush Bowmen members also join the Grand National Archery Society (GNAS) which entitles members to compete against other target clubs and at county, national and international level. GNAS is an affiliate of FITA which is the international association that governs target archery all over the world. There are many versions of target competition, shot over varying distances indoor and outdoor and lasting from an hour or so up to most of the day. Target archery is the only type of archery included in the Olympics, and it was the first Olympic sport for women. Target shooting is also an easy sport to do from a wheelchair. It is the only sport where able-bodied and disabled athletes can compete on an equal basis.

Field Archery Field archery consists of shooting targets at either marked or unmarked distances over uneven terrain, usually in woodland. Targets can be roundels or paper representations of animals, or 3D models of animals. All types of bow may take part. Towards the end of the beginners course there is an introductory session at our field course near Witney. Club field shoots are held once a month on a Sunday. The date each month is chosen to fit in with the calendar of open competitions staged by other field clubs around the country. The date is posted on the club website and email reminders are sent to everyone on the Windrush mailing list. In addition the field course is available at other times to two or more members who wish to shoot subject to the club rules. Many Windrush members shoot at open competitions, both at other clubs and at national level, under the auspices of the National Field Archery Society (NFAS) and the English Field Archery Association (EFAA). In order to compete in these it is necessary to become a member of the respective organisations.

Shooting with Windrush