Target archers, why don't you do GNAS field archery?

Why don't you do (GNAS) field archery?

  • Tried it, don't like it

    Votes: 3 4.7%
  • I'm scared of losing/breaking my arrows

    Votes: 9 14.1%
  • I don't like the idea

    Votes: 2 3.1%
  • There's no field club near me to try it

    Votes: 26 40.6%
  • I'm not fit enough to go walking over rough terrain

    Votes: 5 7.8%
  • I didn't know that GNAS did field archery

    Votes: 9 14.1%
  • I prefer NFAS style field archery.

    Votes: 7 10.9%
  • Other (please explain)

    Votes: 17 26.6%

  • Total voters
    64
T

the-poet

Guest
I've done a little but not a lot, there is a lack of facilities in most of the country which is a real shame.
Maybe if field clubs were listed alongside and promoted at regional and county level there might be a little more interest.
 

fanio

Active member
Why does the poll assume people don't?
Agree. I voted "other" because I tried and I love it. What I'd like even more than a AGB Field archery hill near me though, would be an EFAA/IFAA style course. I like Panther in Essex, but it's a bit far and a bit flat.
 

fanio

Active member
I've done both formats and find FITA is easier. You shoot 3 arrows per end whereas in GNAS there are 4 arrows shot, 2 from the back peg then 2 from the front peg.
I think you mean NFAS. GNAS Field and WA (FITA) field is the same.
 

Rabid Hamster

Well-known member
Ironman
to be honest cant be arrsed dragging my recurve through a forest and its long way to the field course I liked.

I shot field with my horsebow but as I got better at recurve, I became less interested in shooting the horsebow at all ... bizarre as I started archery with the intention to shoot horsebow and field. I have recently acquired a thumbring so there may be a resurgence of horsebowing ... but if my PB's go up again on the recurve I suspect all bets will be off
 

BillM

Member
I think you mean NFAS. GNAS Field and WA (FITA) field is the same.
When I did it, it was listed as a 'GNAS' round - i.e. 4 arrow ends. One thing I forgot to mention is that when shooting the 2 arrows from the back peg you have to nominate the 'bunny' you are attempting. 2 from the top, middle or bottom and in the order the arrows are shot. If you nominate middle for your first arrow and hit one of the other ones it is recorded as a MISS. In FITA there is no need to state what target you are aiming at so if you aim at the middle and - oops, hit another one, you get the points from that arrow. Just don't put another arrow into that target as only the lower score is given and the second one is a MISS. As I said, I find FITA easier, but field in whatever form is fun.

BillM
 

English Bowman

Well-known member
When I did it, it was listed as a 'GNAS' round - i.e. 4 arrow ends. One thing I forgot to mention is that when shooting the 2 arrows from the back peg you have to nominate the 'bunny' you are attempting. 2 from the top, middle or bottom and in the order the arrows are shot. If you nominate middle for your first arrow and hit one of the other ones it is recorded as a MISS. In FITA there is no need to state what target you are aiming at so if you aim at the middle and - oops, hit another one, you get the points from that arrow. Just don't put another arrow into that target as only the lower score is given and the second one is a MISS. As I said, I find FITA easier, but field in whatever form is fun.

BillM
This is the old GNAS round, it's not shot very often these days. I've not seen one advertised in the last 10 years or so
 

grimsby archer

New member
At our club we have a growing band of field enthusiasts, but, as with a lot of field archers in our part of the world, there is this belief that "gnas" field isnt proper field, only "nfas" is, so there is a strong leaning towards nfas with our gnas field archers joining nfas.
I think "heres another organisation you've got to join if you want to shoot at the animals" could be off putting.

Sorry if this upsets any of our field archers, but its my opinion and not the official opinion of the club.
 

Phil Reay

New member
I'm lucky as my club does both on a fairly regular basis. I shoot barebow anyway so it doesn't really worry me swapping from one to the other. enjoy both.
 

BillM

Member
This is the old GNAS round, it's not shot very often these days. I've not seen one advertised in the last 10 years or so
Hmm! It would be about 7/8 years since I shot the 'GNAS' round. I've only done the FITA field round since and the Inverawe course is marked that way.

BillM
 

Big.Dave

New member
I voted other I'm a target archer and for me to comment any further would probably get me kicked off the forum :)
 

English Bowman

Well-known member
At our club we have a growing band of field enthusiasts, but, as with a lot of field archers in our part of the world, there is this belief that "gnas" field isnt proper field, only "nfas" is, so there is a strong leaning towards nfas with our gnas field archers joining nfas.
I think "heres another organisation you've got to join if you want to shoot at the animals" could be off putting.

Sorry if this upsets any of our field archers, but its my opinion and not the official opinion of the club.
This is the sort of thing that I want to understand. There is nothing in the rules to prevent a GNAS club putting on an animal round, although roundels are much more popular in GNAS field, but if there was a demand for it I'm sure that more GNAS animal rounds would be put on. I know that Friar's gate do a 3D / animal round and the Surrey champs are a Foresters round, so the animal courses are out there.

I voted other I'm a target archer and for me to comment any further would probably get me kicked off the forum :)
Being serious what don't you like about field, you can say without being offensive.
To put my money where my mouth is, here are my views. I hope that I don't offend anyone with them.

I prefer field to target because I find it a friendlier day with no tents to hide in, and I prefer the added challenge of unmarked distances and hills. I prefer roundels to animal faces because the animal faces seem to add an amount of luck into the equation that I'm not as keen on, although I still enjoy an animal face or 3D target. I don't shoot NFAS because I don't have the money or time to join more than one society and the experiences I've had with NFAS archers I found irritating because they were less concerned with adhering to the rules and less safety conscious than I was happy with. (I'm not saying the NFAS archers were dangerous, they just took more risks than I was happy with)
 

bimble

Well-known member
Supporter
Fonz Awardee
Ironman
AIUK Saviour
FIFY :D

This is the sort of thing that I want to understand. There is nothing in the rules to prevent a GNAS club putting on an animal round, although roundels are much more popular in GNAS field, but if there was a demand for it I'm sure that more GNAS animal rounds would be put on. I know that Friar's gate do a 3D / animal round and the Surrey champs are a National Animal round, so the animal courses are out there.
I've only shot a couple of rounds to NFAS rules and will admit, after 10 targets and only having shot 11 arrows (hit and stop) I was getting annoyed as I wanted to shoot. Not wait as those that missed got to shoot...
 

Riceburner

Active member
FIFY :D



I've only shot a couple of rounds to NFAS rules and will admit, after 10 targets and only having shot 11 arrows (hit and stop) I was getting annoyed as I wanted to shoot. Not wait as those that missed got to shoot...
As far as I know - there's nothing to stop you shooting all 3 arrows, you don't lose any score, the day just takes longer. You could always use dark coloured nocks that aren't visible in the target and so claim that you've no idea where you hit.... ;)
 

HJW

New member
Our club has a field course and a target range. In my opinion, if you want to improve or even become good in one discipline you have to focus on it. In the target rounds the main aim is consistency. One shot after the other - always the same. In the field, there are more things to consider - distance, lay of the land etc... When I started I decided I want to do target and as long as there is any hope of improvement for me I would consider field a distraction. A colleague at work is the opposite. He's shooting barebow 3D. He always talks about trying target but so far I have not been able to talk him into it. At the end it comes down to personal preferences.
 
The question is a good one.
Both my son and I shoot both NFAS and GNAS field and thoroughly enjoy both.

I think the problems with GNAS field are these:

1) There are not that many clubs in the country. We live in Yorkshire and there is only one ? the next nearest is Kendal or Cheshire. Therefore unless you live in the Wakefield area and are willing to join Dearne Valley then you are severely limited. The density of clubs very much depends upon where you live.
2) There is a common misconception that you will lose a lot of arrows. If you are new to GNAS field and are happy to begin with just the marked distances, then as long as you have reliable sight marks, the chances of losing an arrow should be pretty slim.
With regards to unmarked distances ? these are set within certain parameters depending upon the size of face, so with some experience you can guage the distances with some reasonable degree of accuracy

3) Field archery is not well funded (pathetically actually particularly when you see how successful our GB team is) by Archery GB ? it is rarely promoted (unless we win something internationally) and seems to Archery GB to be a minor inconvenience to the Olympic mission. This is interesting as a higher proportion of GNAS field archers shoot competitively than those in target archery.
4) Field archery generally can be somewhat confusing not only to those who have never tried it, but also within the separate governing bodies. Some in the NFAS are very quick to denounce GNAS (or World Archery) field archery as just target archery in a wood, without actually giving it a go. Many don?t even realise that there are unmarked rounds or 3D rounds.
Some GNAS archers see NFAS archers as some kind of ill disciplined bunch who roam about the woods shooting at anything with no regard to safety ? again very unfair. All this and we havn?t even mentioned EFAA. No wonder there is confusion amongst those who?ve never tried it!

5) The fact that a GNAS archer cant shoot an NFAS course and vice versa (due to insurance issues) does little to progress the discipline in either society ? it?s a shame something cant be done about it.

In summary, both GNAS & NFAS have plenty to offer and ultimately the only real difference when it comes down to the real basics is the type of target you shoot. Sure the number of arrows shot and the distances etc vary but fundamentally they involve shooting at targets in woodland and over rough terrain. Both are extremely good fun and really challenging. I havnt done EFAA but there is no reason to suspect that is any different.
Many of our top archers do field archery (both seniors and juniors) and if pushed many of them would say that they prefer field archery I?m sure.

If you are lucky enough to live near a field archery club (NFAS, GNAS or EFAA) then I would urge you to have a go at field archery ? it?s a Grand Day Out ? but be warned ? it is highly addictive!
 
I voted 'didn't know that GNAS did field archery' after reading the comment with regards to shooting four arrows etc but after reading further that's old hat.

I am in my second year as field officer for my club but I rarely get the time to actually shoot any field. We put on a record status FITA round in September / October (8th September this year, see Chippenham Archers website for details) which I obviously can't shoot as it's 12 unmarked and 12 marked.
We also put on a couple of winter league shoots in Feb & March which is a great way to have a go at field if you have not tried it before.

Outside of the club I have only shot field once and I thoroughly enjoyed it and would love to do more but I also love doing clout, BL-BS comps and also GNAS target. I do some FITA target as well but don't really enjoy it and only really participate as some of our County qualifying shoots are FITA'S, that and I try to put in the required scores for the National rankings.

We do have a couple of members who shoot NFAS so there is always a mixture of targets in the woods, both 3D and paper animal / target type.
 

Jon Lewis

New member
I wasn't aware the NFAS hosted field shoots, it was always 3D when I lived there or are you referring to anything that is not target as field and not field rounds as such?
EFAA and GNAS always seemed a bit clicky to me when I looked at them whereas the NFAS is a lot more relaxed yet equally competitive.
 

steve Morley

New member
Since moving to Estonia Archery is like a breath of fresh air, both Target and Field Orgs have an open policy in allowing their members to shoot both Field and target without having to join both Orgs.

I was invited to a target shoot last week but on trying 100y decided not to, my 3 under Field style is set for 40y point on, adjusting my anchor to under the chin target style did give me a 100y gap but it meant I would have had to re-tune my setup slightly, which I was not willing to do when Ive got it just the way I like.

I enjoyed the challenge of trying 100y and have a new bow on order and when I get it I will have a spare bow to tinker with and think I will get sight etc and give that 100y another go.
 

potnoodle

New member
I would love to try field archery, but as a Surrey/Middlesex area archer there seems to be little in the way of a course that I could pop down to one Sunday morning to have a go. From what I can tell, those already field archers are at a field archery club and get plenty of practice before they head out to a competition. Now, I'm already a member of 2 target archery clubs, and joining a field archery club just to try it out seems a little extreme.

I really do want to give field a go, but I most certainly don't want to turn up at a competition with no experience whatsoever and spend the rest of the day looking for arrows that I've ploughed into the ground somewhere. If there were a transition between target and field where you could go and pay ?5 or so on a Saturday/Sunday for the pleasure of tramping round the nearest club's field course for the morning then I'd happily give it a go and see where things went, but as things are now I can't see this happening.
 
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