ArcheryGB/GNAS Field Shooting......
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AndyW
Well-known member
It's more due to field archers being field archers due to the NFAS and despite AGB. There is little migration from NFAS to AGB but a lot more the other way. As one of the principles of the NFAS is no international competitions if NFAS members ever get the itch to compete abroad they tend to join EFAA as a further membership they tend not to bother with AGB.
I will admit, I've never seen the attraction of "shooting less arrows"... cause when I want to do archery that's what I want to do... shoot less.
The thing to remember is that NFAS is solely a field archery organisation, which means every club is a field club, but with GNAS, whilst not all clubs are field clubs, but all members have the ability to shoot field if they wish. My club is a target club, and yet a couple of dozen of us have tried field and two of us are our county field champions.
The joy of GNAS is that you're not tied down to one discipline. This year I have shot field (7 tournaments), target (10-12 tournaments) and clout (1 tournament).
I reckon that (at least initially) you choose the organisation that your local course is a part of. I don't personally think that the shooting style / rules make much difference - I enjoy both.
As to why there seem to be less AGB field clubs in general - I'm not sure.
However an SAA official was at our club once and said something to us along the lines of 'AGB do field too'.
It seemed to me that the fact that he felt that he needed to remind us was quite telling. Field seems to be a bit of an afterthought for AGB.
As to why there seem to be less AGB field clubs in general - I'm not sure.
However an SAA official was at our club once and said something to us along the lines of 'AGB do field too'.
It seemed to me that the fact that he felt that he needed to remind us was quite telling. Field seems to be a bit of an afterthought for AGB.
Don't field clubs require up/down hill terrain and other such landscapes? Traditional target clubs require flat grounds and so do clouts. I think this could be the reason. I knew a couple of field shooters who tire after a few dozen arrows so i don't think they are used to shooting that many arrows whilst I'm used to shooting 150-180+ most days.
It's the 50th All British & Open this year, and we've hosted the FITA/WA World Field Champs three times, the most of any country (other than Italy, also 3 times), so there's some afterthought to field in AGB...
That's the joy of archery in GB... there are options for pretty much anyone
Another problem associated with field archery is finding an area of land where targets can be placed and be there for a long time, and make challenging and varied shots. It might be that some targets are moved to give different shots or have to be relocated due to trees being blown over and making use of a target impossible. Target archery is generally performed on playing fields and the targets put out on club days or for competitions, being stored between times. If that field is no longer available to a club, another location might be found nearby. If a field club is given notice to vacate the area it is not only a case of finding a new location BUT also shifting 24/28 targets and whatever practice bosses at the course. Trees do grow big and in the present climate where biomass is the be all of 'saving the planet' then the landowner generally wants to cash in while the price of timber is high. I am speaking from experience as the course in Argyll is currently subject to harvesting but we will not be affected until after the Scottish Champs next April. We have been offered an alternative site but that will require lots of help in creating a new course. Target archery is not as complicate in it's form.
BillM
BillM
Yes that's my local AGB field course. It takes over two hours to get there. Its really nice. But there must be half a dozen courses closer to me from competing organisations.
Yes it's true that field courses take more setting up and maintaining than target, but that's true for everyone.
It seems that field clubs aren't attracted to AGB.
jon.lewis666
New member
Actually, the NFAS is solely 3D archery not field.I will admit, I've never seen the attraction of "shooting less arrows"... cause when I want to do archery that's what I want to do... shoot less.
The thing to remember is that NFAS is solely a field archery organisation, which means every club is a field club, but with GNAS, whilst not all clubs are field clubs, but all members have the ability to shoot field if they wish. My club is a target club, and yet a couple of dozen of us have tried field and two of us are our county field champions.
The joy of GNAS is that you're not tied down to one discipline. This year I have shot field (7 tournaments), target (10-12 tournaments) and clout (1 tournament).
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AndyW
Well-known member
jon.lewis666. You have been misinformed. Personally I would like it to be so as it would save memorising the kill zones on the innumerable paper targets we have to shoot. Up until very recent years the national champs was paper faces only. Now they throw in a few 3ds but not many.
So far as I know Inverawe is the only course in Scotland set out to WA/AGB Rules (metric distances) while the others are IFAA/SFAA (imperial distance). These are at Inverness, Tayside, East Lothian, near Dunfermline and at Borders. There are also hints of 'private' courses in other parts of the country. While I still attend several target competitions I find field is becoming more enjoyable. The terrain at Inverawe is lumpy and one of the students at the Champs about 2 years ago had an app which showed about 600 metres of ascent and descent covering the 24 targets. If you are not delayed by anyone in front of you then the course can be covered quite quickly and you get a nice bit of exercise. The saving grace is that you don't have to put out the targets like in Target, just turn up, get ready and shoot, but do have to replace faces sometime. We had a bit of vandalism this summer by people (I suspect fishermen) camping and burning anything they could get their grubby hands on but that didn't affect the targets and we can eventually replace the wood that has gone. Field archery does have it's attraction but as you indicate it is the lack of nearby courses which makes it even more minority in an already minority sport/pastime.
BillM
jon.lewis666
New member
But they don't hold field shoots, just 3D with a once a year paper faces shoot run under their unique 3D rules.
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AndyW
Well-known member
NFAS only hold field shoots - and sometimes a clout. That's what we do, it may be the case that there are some 3Ds or all 3Ds or all paper targets to aim for but that just happens to be the target. Sometimes there's an old fur coat or a glove puppet to aim at but it's still a field shoot.
bobnewboy
Member
I have only ever shot NFAS, so cannot comment about any AGB Field shoots or rounds. However for me there are many reasons I chose that way when I began shooting:
- the more relaxed attitude in NFAS,
- a much simpler rule book, but still with an emphasis on safety
- at the time I started, no clothing rules/requirements
- being in woodland
- more traditional equipment classes, covering a wide range of bow types, so more inclusive
- many clubs (10+ ?) with their own courses within an hour's drive from home.
If it is decided on number of arrows shot for some, then I get my money's worth. I am not the best shot, but if i take 2 arrows at a target that is still 80 arrows on a 40-target course. My own club, the Company of Sixty, has four loops of twenty targets laid out 24/7. We can practice during any daylight hours on any day, except when there is an Open shoot on, of course. If I'm feeling brave i can take on all 80 targets for practice in a day off
We shoot 3Ds at each Open shoot, mixed with paper faces - 4 Opens a year. Practice shooting is only at paper faces.
- the more relaxed attitude in NFAS,
- a much simpler rule book, but still with an emphasis on safety
- at the time I started, no clothing rules/requirements
- being in woodland
- more traditional equipment classes, covering a wide range of bow types, so more inclusive
- many clubs (10+ ?) with their own courses within an hour's drive from home.
If it is decided on number of arrows shot for some, then I get my money's worth. I am not the best shot, but if i take 2 arrows at a target that is still 80 arrows on a 40-target course. My own club, the Company of Sixty, has four loops of twenty targets laid out 24/7. We can practice during any daylight hours on any day, except when there is an Open shoot on, of course. If I'm feeling brave i can take on all 80 targets for practice in a day off
We shoot 3Ds at each Open shoot, mixed with paper faces - 4 Opens a year. Practice shooting is only at paper faces.
Oops! With metric and imperial going through my head when typing my post I got the dimension wrong. The ascent/descent at Inverawe is just under 200 metres which is slightly more than 600 feet. Otherwise we would all have to be mountain goats to get round a course which involves walking about 2 miles - 3.2 kilometres. Sorry if I got anyone excited.
BillM
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bobnewboy
Member
NFAS Field can be and is shot on any varied/mixed use land - woodland, forest, hillside, flat/rough, quarries, around lakes etc etc. So it should be far easier to find land to rent to shoot on than for target.
AndyW
Well-known member
Hey,don't dispel the myth. I had bimble convinced I'd got weak little girl arms.:liar:If it is decided on number of arrows shot for some, then I get my money's worth. I am not the best shot, but if i take 2 arrows at a target that is still 80 arrows on a 40-target course. My own club, the Company of Sixty, has four loops of twenty targets laid out 24/7. We can practice during any daylight hours on any day, except when there is an Open shoot on, of course. If I'm feeling brave i can take on all 80 targets for practice in a day off
We shoot 3Ds at each Open shoot, mixed with paper faces - 4 Opens a year. Practice shooting is only at paper faces.
jon.lewis666
New member
Ok, perhaps we have very different ideas about what a field shoot is then. When I was shooting NFAS there were no field shoots, that was only AGB and EFAA.
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