When do arrows have to be named and numbered?

jonUK76

Member
Quick one. Is there any class of target competition when arrows must be numbered and have the archers name on, or is it generally advisable to do it anyway? I.e. is it only record status etc.

Cheers
 

Rik

Supporter
Supporter
Target archery:
WA rules say something like "shall be marked with the athlete's name or initials on the shaft". Nothing about numbering.
So that covers competitions to WA rules.

AGB rules say about the same thing...

So the question really comes down to "when do these apply?"

Record status competition, obviously. Club practice, obviously not.
Between that, it's harder to say, because it depends on how the organiser of a shoot chooses to apply the rules. Generally speaking it's better for the organizer/judges to have shafts marked, for ease of identification. If they say "according to AGB rules" then you can understand that they want the shafts marked.
 

jonUK76

Member
Thanks Rik :) All I've really done so far is friendly inter club competitions (pretty informal, no requirement for any labelling), but considering trying something a bit higher this year. It's academic really as I've got labels made up with name AND shaft numbering, but just wondering what the actual requirements were.
 

Rik

Supporter
Supporter
Numbering is one of those marmite things. Some people like it, some say you shouldn't do it.
I would say; do it if you like, but set the shafts up so you cannot see the numbers when the shaft is on the bow...
 
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Deleted member 7654

Guest
Must be numbered or marked / // /// etc for NFAS
Del
 

jonUK76

Member
That makes sense. TBH I don't think I'll look at the numbers before shooting the arrows anyway. I suppose it can come in handy to check for any consistently wayward arrow in the batch.
 
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Deleted member 7654

Guest
That makes sense. TBH I don't think I'll look at the numbers before shooting the arrows anyway. I suppose it can come in handy to check for any consistently wayward arrow in the batch.
Just to clarify:- (apologies if it's obvious)
With 3Ds it's possible to have hit with the first arrow but not be aware of it (say a lucky leg that is hidden from view... so a wound). You take a second shot which may be an obvious hit (say a kill).
When you approach the target you can then see that the first arrow had hit and which one it was. First arrow wound in this case which scores 16 as opposed to the second arrow kill which is 14.
Del
 

Andy!

Active member
Numbering rocks when you have something like Artemis Lite (android ONLY) which will absolutely let you know if your arrow is statistically performing below par.

While World Archery rules say that the arrows need to be identical and marked with the archers initials or name, if you had a number there as well and some judge complained about it, you'd submit your complaint with your cash after the competition and insist that your querying of the rules be sent all the way up to the WA judges committee.
Then it would be discussed and the committee would agree that it provides no advantage, and then would be promulgated in the interpretations and rulings of the committee as such.
Then you'd print it out and take it to competitions, ready for some judge to say it again..

And you'd get your protest money back.
 

ben tarrow

Well-known member
Numbering is handy if you get a bouncer under GNAS rules as the judge is supposed to mark your spare arrow so that it can be determined, at the target, whether you had a bouncer, and if so, the spare arrow can be discounted.
If you arrows are suitably numbered, it save the judge defiling your fletchings with their red pen
 

bimble

Well-known member
Supporter
Fonz Awardee
Ironman
AIUK Saviour
under GNAS rules arrows only have to be numbered for the Vegas round, because the spots have to be shot in order, and the arrows in numerical order*. Otherwise arrows merely have to be identifiable, such as initials. I was once told by a judge that arrows had to be numbered... if I had been shooting I might have been tempted to ask to see that in the rules... but I wasn't so I let it slide...

Otherwise it is handy if you're tuning and want to know if it's the same arrow that isn't grouping with the others, or you want to work out which are your best grouping arrows in a set.

* - it is the only round where you can put two arrows on the same spot and score the higher one, IF it is the correct arrow for that spot.
 

jonUK76

Member
Just to clarify:- (apologies if it's obvious)
With 3Ds it's possible to have hit with the first arrow but not be aware of it (say a lucky leg that is hidden from view... so a wound). You take a second shot which may be an obvious hit (say a kill).
When you approach the target you can then see that the first arrow had hit and which one it was. First arrow wound in this case which scores 16 as opposed to the second arrow kill which is 14.
Del
Interesting, thanks for that. I haven't done any 3D or field shooting yet so that is new to me!
 

Corax67

Well-known member
All my arrows; carbon, wooden and aly are named and numbered since I went to a Kent County training day a couple of years ago (not a match) and got my ear bent by a tutor I later found out was a judge.

Since then I find the numbering useful for selecting matched sets of wooden arrows - I make 15 at a time and look to get 2 really close 6's with spares - as well as shooting my carbons in rotation to try to get even wear from them.

As has been previously said it also makes shooting a spare following a bouncer easier.


Karl
 

piscafile

Member
I name my arrows all the time. Usually something unrepeatable when they don't go where I want them to.

Sent from my EVA-L09 using Tapatalk
 
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Deleted member 7654

Guest
Presumably the marked option allows for having your nock the same/similar colour as the peg? I.e red/1, white/2, blue/3
Yes, some people use coloured rings.
I favour dashes as you can convert a / into // or a ///
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