A moan about GNAS Classifications

English Bowman

Well-known member
Does anyone here agree with me that it is unfair that there is no separate category for Longbow in the GNAS Field Archery classification scheme?
Longbows and Recurve Traditional (Modern recurve, no sights, one anchor point, and wooden arrows) are grouped together.
I feel that this is wrong. For example, to achieve GMB status with a Longbow I would have to get 258 points in 4 separate shoots, one of which must be marked, and one unmarked.
To do this I?d have to break the British National Unmarked FITA record of 247 by 10 points, and the marked FITA record by 52 points.
To achieve MB I would have to beat the British record for the Marked 24 FITA by 22 points, and get within 19 points of the Unmarked record.
This in my opinion makes it all but impossible to achieve GMB with a longbow, and unreasonably hard to achieve the other classifications.:thumbsdow

For an idea of how the styles match up in results compare the gent?s British records,
Longbow Unmarked 247, Marked 206.
Traditional Unmarked 328, Marked 289

It?s like making recurves shoot against compound unlimited. Yet there?d be an outcry if that were allowed.

What are your opinions on this matter, does it only matter to me as I am a Longbowman who feels that I am better than 3rd class, even though so far I can only get a 3rd class classification, or am I justified in my feelings?
 
R

rgsphoto

Guest
Looking at it the way you describe EB it does look near impossible:boggled: Not sure that you can do about it though. Respect for trying, IMHO Longbow is by far the most difficult aspect of the sport to master. I hope one day the GNAS will cut you some slack and make your goals more realistic. Out of interest, how many Longbow MB/GMB's are there in the UK? Any on here?
 

Bald Eagle

New member
All the longbow records were set years ago when the longbow was the only bow. Now interest has been renewed in this old mode of shooting,nobody has been able to match the scores set by the men of old. G.N.A.S. has already dropped the scores required for classifications, perhaps they will have to reduce them further to give the modern longbowman a chance.
 

robtattoo

New member
Sack off the GNAS shoots & join in with the NFAS. Classification is worked out on a much more even scale. Membership's only a tenner for the year + you don't have to dress like a pillock to compete :D
 

LineCutter

Active member
robtattoo said:
you don't have to dress like a pillock to compete :D
Surely, dressing in camouflage for a day in the woods with other people shooting arrows around close to you is quite close! Mind you, I'm not sure whether anyone's twigged that a decent proportion of the male population are somewhat red:green colour blind too.
 

robtattoo

New member
LineCutter said:
Surely, dressing in camouflage for a day in the woods with other people shooting arrows around close to you is quite close! Mind you, I'm not sure whether anyone's twigged that a decent proportion of the male population are somewhat red:green colour blind too.
LOL! :D

Got to agree about the camo, not the brightest (sic) choice of clothing!
 

Raedwald

New member
LineCutter said:
Surely, dressing in camouflage for a day in the woods with other people shooting arrows around close to you is quite close! Mind you, I'm not sure whether anyone's twigged that a decent proportion of the male population are somewhat red:green colour blind too.
Then go for the Purple Camo..... :D

Good point about the scores/classifications though Rob - have to agree (especially as our club chairman did so well in the Longbow classification at the Scottish Champs this year!).

Had a look at the GNAS rules yesterday (OK, so I was bored, I admit it!) - I'll stick to NFAS/EFAA I think!
 

whisky

Supporter
Supporter
Bald Eagle said:
All the longbow records were set years ago when the longbow was the only bow. Now interest has been renewed in this old mode of shooting,nobody has been able to match the scores set by the men of old. G.N.A.S. has already dropped the scores required for classifications, perhaps they will have to reduce them further to give the modern longbowman a chance.
I'm sure in the next 10 years they'll get around to sorting it out!! :)
 

whisky

Supporter
Supporter
robtattoo said:
Sack off the GNAS shoots & join in with the NFAS. Classification is worked out on a much more even scale. Membership's only a tenner for the year + you don't have to dress like a pillock to compete :D
Rob - I've just joined and love how laid back they are. You can read the rules quickly and don't need a JCB to carry them around.

And.. BTW no stupid half baked GNAS clothing rules to have to endure!!!
Camo is soooo last year, It's SAS black that's in this year.
 

Thunk

Well-known member
Ironman
whisky said:
Camo is soooo last year, It's SAS black that's in this year.

I'm just trying to wrap my brain around the idea of the SAS with longbows...no, no, it's not happening! :eye-poppi
 

English Bowman

Well-known member
Bald Eagle said:
All the longbow records were set years ago when the longbow was the only bow. Now interest has been renewed in this old mode of shooting,nobody has been able to match the scores set by the men of old. G.N.A.S. has already dropped the scores required for classifications, perhaps they will have to reduce them further to give the modern longbowman a chance.
Not the longbow field records, as these rounds weren't shot then. The longbowmen are lumped in with the trad recurve archers in field

Dan
 

English Bowman

Well-known member
rgsphoto said:
Looking at it the way you describe EB it does look near impossible:boggled: Not sure that you can do about it though. Respect for trying, IMHO Longbow is by far the most difficult aspect of the sport to master. I hope one day the GNAS will cut you some slack and make your goals more realistic. Out of interest, how many Longbow MB/GMB's are there in the UK? Any on here?
None that have got the MB status in a field shoot as to get MB they would have had to break the British record at a record status shoot. As for GMB no way, see above

Dan
 

English Bowman

Well-known member
robtattoo said:
Sack off the GNAS shoots & join in with the NFAS. Classification is worked out on a much more even scale. Membership's only a tenner for the year + you don't have to dress like a pillock to compete :D
GNAS Field dress regs are, wear something bright so that you can be seen, preferably not camo. I have no problem with those!

Dan
 

whisky

Supporter
Supporter
Thunk said:
I'm just trying to wrap my brain around the idea of the SAS with longbows...no, no, it's not happening! :eye-poppi
Yeah it's easy just think of little ninjas but with a feather in their cap
 

Murray

Well-known member
Ironman
American Shoot
AIUK Saviour
Why doesn't your longbow association set up its own (albeit unofficial) classification scheme and communicate it to all members for general use. Perhaps then GNAS would consider adopting it?
 

gwynn

New member
Camo is soooo last year, It's SAS black that's in this year.[/QUOTE]

I find my balaclava gets caught up in the string though:(
 
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