Windrush Bowmen - Shooting With Windrush

Target Archery During the 6 summer months the club meets every Tuesday and Friday evening to shoot outdoors at our target ground. Outdoor shooting distances range from 10 to 100 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. Joining Windrush Bowmen gives automatic membership of 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 various unknown distances over uneven terrain, usually in woodland. Targets are either 3D or paper representations 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 Chipping Norton. 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 most Sundays to two or more members who wish to shoot subject to the club rules. Field archery at Windrush is according to the rules of the National Field Archery Society (www.nfas.net). With the exception of beginners' introductory shoots, Windrush members must join NFAS to shoot on the field course. NFAS membership is not included in the Windrush subscription fee. There is no extra charge for shooting at the field course. Many Windrush members shoot at NFAS open competitions, both at other clubs and at national level. The NFAS stages two national competitions each year – the National Championships and the 3D Nationals. In order to compete in these it is necessary to have taken part in at least 6 open shoot competitions beforehand. NFAS open competitions usually cost around £6.00 per person to enter. Windrush stages its own open field shoot over the August Bank Holiday weekend. This is where we play host to archers from all over the country to come and shoot on our ground, which is one of the best. There are two days of competition and on the Saturday night a pig roast, real ale and live music.

Shooting with Windrush