What makes the ideal outdoor archery range?

chrisgas

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If you were to design and build a target range, what would you have with regards to:

Ideal length
Overshoot or berm
Type of field surface, grass or no grass.
Landscaped or not. Trees on sidelines etc.
Firing line design, rope, brick etc.
What shelter and where.
 

bimble

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Dense woodland with undergrowth, lots of hillsides, some open areas and a couple of small lakes.


(Field archer ;) )
hehehe, I was tempted to mention access to a wooded area next door, but figured Chris did ask about a target range!

I mean, my home club (Guildford) is very lucky. We have a dedicated field on which we have ~25 lanes of which there are usually* a dozen or so bosses out at all times. On wheels so they are easy to move, with distance markers running down all the lanes so it's easy for you to know where you are. We have a clubhouse with toilet facilities, and a small kitchen area. Covered seating area. We also have an auxiliary range at the far corner of our field which contains a shed that can be shot out of up to a distance of ~30m. The carpark is tarmac so there's no risk of getting stuck in mud on wet days.

* - under non-covid times; lanes have been widened so fewer targets are currently available
 

Riceburner

Active member
hehehe, I was tempted to mention access to a wooded area next door, but figured Chris did ask about a target range!

I mean, my home club (Guildford) is very lucky. We have a dedicated field on which we have ~25 lanes of which there are usually* a dozen or so bosses out at all times. On wheels so they are easy to move, with distance markers running down all the lanes so it's easy for you to know where you are. We have a clubhouse with toilet facilities, and a small kitchen area. Covered seating area. We also have an auxiliary range at the far corner of our field which contains a shed that can be shot out of up to a distance of ~30m. The carpark is tarmac so there's no risk of getting stuck in mud on wet days.

* - under non-covid times; lanes have been widened so fewer targets are currently available
Sounds like the same field from when I was a member (a few years ago), it was a good location.
 

little-else

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AIUK Saviour
In an ideal world your range would have all of this.
I knew a chap who owned a large patch of land that had a grass airstrip (flight, clout), woodland, open fields etc and the weekend after I spoke to him about using it he was killed in a plane crash so it never happened.
 

chrisgas

Supporter
Supporter
hehehe, I was tempted to mention access to a wooded area next door, but figured Chris did ask about a target range!

I mean, my home club (Guildford) is very lucky. We have a dedicated field on which we have ~25 lanes of which there are usually* a dozen or so bosses out at all times. On wheels so they are easy to move, with distance markers running down all the lanes so it's easy for you to know where you are. We have a clubhouse with toilet facilities, and a small kitchen area. Covered seating area. We also have an auxiliary range at the far corner of our field which contains a shed that can be shot out of up to a distance of ~30m. The carpark is tarmac so there's no risk of getting stuck in mud on wet days.

* - under non-covid times; lanes have been widened so fewer targets are currently available
Sounds like archers in Guildford have a great club. I have direct access to a dry ish riverbed with some wide embankments and a lot of reeds. There are also lemon and almond orchards adjoining but yes I was more concerned about a Target field as that is what I have control over and just sorting out. I have markers set at 10m intervals to 90m along the field. I was looking at what to do with the firing line, as in putting down paving with a brick line between two rows of paving. The paving will be two different colours for ease of use for archers. I´m hoping to have up to 15 lanes on this and 10 on the smaller range. I have to wait until May 15th before I can collect documentation to proceed with licences that are held in another province, "covid rules". I cannot believe the weather we have been having here, it has been more like the UK, six weeks of very changeable weather which is twice as long as we normally have and it hasn´t finished yet. So I will have to review my shelter arrangements for next year. I have a good hardcore and lime dust car parking area but not tarmac.
 

KidCurry

Well-known member
AIUK Saviour
If you were to design and build a target range, what would you have with regards to:
Ideal length - 200m preferable but anything over 150m
Overshoot or berm - Overshoot. We have a berm with fence on top at 93m and 90m targets are a bit scary for some reason.
Type of field surface, grass or no grass. - Grass. I love shooting on grass.
Landscaped or not. Trees on sidelines etc. - Yes, if space permits - Thuja plicata to protect the entire length of the field from prevailing winds. Far better than Laylandii. Native trees and shrubs on non prevailing side to increase diversity. Safety areas and dead ground meadow planting.
Firing line design, rope, brick etc. - weed killer line.
What shelter and where. - Equipment storage/toilets a must. Club house, never had one. Club house with indoor 20y range would be very nice.
 

chrisgas

Supporter
Supporter
Landscaped or not. Trees on sidelines etc. - Yes, if space permits - Thuja plicata to protect the entire length of the field from prevailing winds. Far better than Laylandii. Native trees and shrubs on non prevailing side to increase diversity. Safety areas and dead ground meadow planting.
Firing line design, rope, brick etc. - weed killer line.
Thank you for your response, I have shelter from the prevailing westerly summer wind (2m high wall plus 2m high lemon trees the whole length) but in the winter it is an easterly that hits us. I have a totally open easterly side, so I will give your suggestion of Thuja Plicata some thought. As for the dead ground, I totally agree. The firing line is for some a bit of an issue when not properly defined, so I am going for a paving and brick firing line, that will be 1m wide, which should be ok for most archers. Thanks again.
 

LAC Mark

Active member
hehehe, I was tempted to mention access to a wooded area next door, but figured Chris did ask about a target range!

I mean, my home club (Guildford) is very lucky. We have a dedicated field on which we have ~25 lanes of which there are usually* a dozen or so bosses out at all times. On wheels so they are easy to move, with distance markers running down all the lanes so it's easy for you to know where you are. We have a clubhouse with toilet facilities, and a small kitchen area. Covered seating area. We also have an auxiliary range at the far corner of our field which contains a shed that can be shot out of up to a distance of ~30m. The carpark is tarmac so there's no risk of getting stuck in mud on wet days.

* - under non-covid times; lanes have been widened so fewer targets are currently available
I've shot at Guildford a few times, it's a great range and facilities with friendly members.
The only down side is the cross winds at times, I shot a St George at your take a brake shoot and was aiming at the target to my left at 100 yards, still a great day.
See you at the Acorn soon.
 

Mark2

Active member
AIUK Saviour
150yds...from my front door would be nice! After that I'm not fussy.
Dover Castle Archers have a great ground on private estate. 50 yds wide,150 yd overshoot, tree and shrub lined, sheltered, park car behind shooting line. BUT no loo. Mac Donald's 1mile away. Other fast food outlets available!
 

chrisgas

Supporter
Supporter
150yds...from my front door would be nice! After that I'm not fussy.
Dover Castle Archers have a great ground on private estate. 50 yds wide,150 yd overshoot, tree and shrub lined, sheltered, park car behind shooting line. BUT no loo. Mac Donald's 1mile away. Other fast food outlets available!
Laughing at your last line.
 

chrisgas

Supporter
Supporter
I have been putting down hardcore for a landscaped area behind the large range firing line. After this month of everlasting rain in Spain I realised that we are not quite as immune as I had thought. I have realised that we would have lost at least two weeks shooting over the last month due to rain and the earth field with no grass. I am going to have to extend hardcore pathways and possibly some plastic grass to some bosses to ensure that there will always be some shooting available, this could over time be extended. This year has been so unusual for the length of time of cloudy unsettled weather in Spain.
 

dvd8n

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Isn't there a danger that arrows would burrow under plastic grass and be lost forever?
 
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