# I survived my first ever Field Archery match



## Archer Dude (Mar 16, 2008)

2 1/2 weeks ago I asked here on Archery Talk how to prepare for my first Field Archery match and some of you guys were a great help. I shot those 112 arrows today without all that much fatigue much to my surprise.

*The facility:*
Several of the guys were claiming that this match was harder than most. This one had most of the shots up hill or down hill or even shooting across deep ravines in the woods. Evidently most Field Archery matches are on flat land but I wouldn't know because this was my first. The distances were what I expected from the NFAA web site including the 80 yard to 50 yard walk up, the 35 foot to 20 foot walk up, the 35 yard fan and everything in between with 14 stations all shot 2 times through.

*My rig:*

2007 BowTech Commander converted to shoot through system (man I love that bow)[*]44# draw weight
[*]29" draw length.​
12" B-Stinger stabilizer with 11 ounce head
HHA slider sight with non-magnifying crosshair aperture
Cobra Diamondback drop rest
255 grain Victory V-Force HV arrows
Any way, I told the guys running the match that I wanted to shoot all the way out the the maximum 80 yard targets and do the complete field archery round. They asked if my sight had a movable pin and if I was using a release aid to which I answered yes to both. The Local folks put me in a class I think they called "Adult Male Open". From the NFAA website I think they call it "Freestyle" class but I am not sure. I did shoot the entire corse at the maximum distances. 

*My score:*
I shot 507 and good enough for second place behind the top score of 515 and ahead of 3rd at 500. I was quite pleased and surprised. I never thought I could possibly hit anything like this at those distances. Now I actually think I shoot better at distance than up close.

*The bad news:*
I forgot to change my sight pin to the proper yardage 3 times and as a result I scored one zero and two 3s. Other than those it was all 4s and 5s. I was a bit disappointed that out of 112 shots I only hit 20 Xs.

Thanks for the help guys. I may just have to try this again some time.

Best wishes.


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## VA Vince (Aug 30, 2005)

Thats awesome man! Just think, without the 3 misset sight you could of shot a 516. Thats great shooting for your first go-around. Fun isnt it? You can only improve now, great shooting!


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## tabarch (Sep 20, 2006)

absolutly FantasticTo shot a 500 on your first time out, it took me a year to get over the 500 mark and you did it one try:thumbs_up


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## south-paaw (Jul 3, 2006)

nice job indeed !.. your ahead of the "curve" so to speak. mental mistakes are part of the game ( happens to all of us ..:wink: ).. pick up those few points everytime you can !! :thumbs_up:thumbs_up


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## Unclegus (May 27, 2003)

Me thinks I see another convert....:cocktail:


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## Archer Dude (Mar 16, 2008)

Wow, I was just looking at another thread where guys were posting their scores in Field Archery. 

Those guys are listing scores from 530 and up with a couple shoting 555 out of 560.

I guess I still have some work to do.

I had a good time and a good start today anyway.

From my point of view, it was good just to be able to shoot 112 shots without totally falling apart in pain.

55 years old and 3 years into archery and I am having a blast. Wish I picked up the sport when I was younger.

Best wishes.


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## ROSKO P (Mar 2, 2009)

That is some good shooting. Were did you shoot at?

Just a couple of thoughts. Your set up is kinda between two classes.

Freestyle, which allows moveable sights (scopes), any length and type of stabilizer set up, and release. 

Bowhunter Freestyle, which allows, I believe, up to 5 fixed pins, 12 inch stabilizer and back bars, and release. You can not move your pins once you start.

You are at a disadvantage shooting your set against scopes and long stabilizers. Most scores in the 540 and above are done with a true Freestyle set up, but can be done with the fixed pin set up, after learning to gap the pins. Take a look at the outdoor national scores in the two classes and you can see the comparision.

It sounds like you are a good shot, and would benifit in maximizing your set up to one or the other.

By the way, you are eligible to shoot senior class at the age of 55yrs.


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## Archer Dude (Mar 16, 2008)

I shot at White River Bowhunters Club in Bedford, Indiana.

Probably my next field archery attempt will be in Danville, Indiana at Pine Hill Archery Club.

I think I will stick with the set up I have.

I don't think I would do well at all those distances out to 80 yards with only 5 pins on a hunting sight and I really don't want to shoot a shorter course either.

Going the other way, I really don't want to use a scope or a 3 foot stabilizer and V-bars.

I don't expect to ever win anything anyway and too old to care about that. I shoot well enough to have fun as it is.

Best wishes.


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## IGluIt4U (Sep 22, 2004)

You did great the first time out. We all make mental mistakes (not setting sight, or setting it incorrectly, shooting the wrong target) once in a while and for a first field shoot, to score better than 500 is great!! :thumb: :cheers:

My advice.. don't change a thing. You like your setup, shoot it well, just keep doin what yer doin.. it'll improve as you get some time and experience in on the different target presentations.

Our courses vary from flat (really flat on a couple) to pretty darned hilly... it all depends on the terrain where each club is located and how they set the course.


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## IGluIt4U (Sep 22, 2004)

On another note.. all classes (except youths and cubs) shoot the same targets from the same pins at the same distances.. so you'd shoot the full round, at full distances, regardless of your class.. therein lies the challenge for some of the classes.. :nod:

I love shooting freestyle because you are generally shooting amongst some of the best shooters. I shot yesterday with three Pros, as I dragged my butt in kinda late to get started. (Thanks to Ron, Tom and JC for lettin me tag along)


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## Field_Flight (May 9, 2009)

*...*



Archer Dude said:


> 2 1/2 weeks ago I asked here on Archery Talk how to prepare for my first Field Archery match and some of you guys were a great help. I shot those 112 arrows today without all that much fatigue much to my surprise.
> 
> .


Hey, I remember your post. I was wondering about the fatigue issue as well at over one hundred shots in a day. 

I love the long shots. The eighty yard stuff sounds phenomenal though straight up, Im not sure i could anything near close to what they want that far out. I still enjoy long shots on my own terms though. Seriously, Id be shooting clout if I had the room asnd a club to go with it.

What kind of groups were folks getting at the eighty yard mark anyway?

Glad it worked out for you. Thats encouraging stuff.

Pete


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## IGluIt4U (Sep 22, 2004)

Fatigue is not really an issue if you aren't 'overgunned'.. :lol: Most of us don't shoot nearly what we 'can shoot' weight wise, as that's a lot of shooting.

I shoot 70# on my hunting rigs, but.. not over 60 on a field bow.. most are in the 57-58# range for me and I can shoot that all day long.


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## Field_Flight (May 9, 2009)

Archer Dude said:


> 55 years old and 3 years into archery and I am having a blast. Wish I picked up the sport when I was younger.
> 
> Best wishes.


OK, 48 years old, and I started when I was 18. LOL, forget it, my shooting back then was atrocious and for reasons I never understood. The internet has been the teacher I never had. First if the jerk who sold me the bow never happened to mention that i needed a cable bar to deflect the cable buses out of the way of the fletching. You can imagine what my groups look liked based on just that. The, torquing? Never knew it existed, and even if i didnt torque the bow the cable buses were still there doing it for me. I was always in love with my bow but i couldnt bring it together, and man I tried.
Fast forward to a few years ago and I buy a used BEAR wheelie similar to the one I had owned before the limbs shattered. Of course this one had the damned cable bar so my groups instantly were better. Then I learned about torquing. When my arrows flew too high or low I understood why as well.

Bottomline here is while you might regret not having started years ago, there were no online buddies to help you out. That said, if there were no internet I now would have caved in and payed for lessons, but its still inescapable that the influence of online archery forums goes a quantum leap in shrinking your groups!!!

I went from 15" groups at 15 yards with my first bow with out the damned bar to a hair over 2" at 20 yards now. I never would have put the bow down had I been able to even get a 5" group at 20 yards. Such is life.

Pete


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## Rattleman (Jul 6, 2004)

Remember that ALL field courses have the same yardages no matter where you shoot. So you have now seen the beast...No so hard afterall.Great shooting and we hope to see you at other shoots. It is now your turn to be a mouthpiece for field and to step up and help out at your club. If you don't belong to a club then now is the time to think about joining and help spread the fun.


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## kidnutso (Aug 29, 2004)

tabarch said:


> absolutly FantasticTo shot a 500 on your first time out, it took me a year to get over the 500 mark and you did it one try:thumbs_up


Good shooting man. Heck, I used to shoot field years ago and got out of the scene for over 20 years. I've been back into field shooting for about 3 years. The highest I've managed is a 508. But I still struggle to hit 500. But I am shooting pins. And I'm not getting younger. I'm 58 now. I've found the older you get, the harder it is to even maintain a level of performance. Let alone improve.


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## Archer Dude (Mar 16, 2008)

Ok, if I can shoot the full distances in freestyle bowhunter class, I may give the 5-pin sight a try.

Someone tell me where to set the pins. I am thinking 30 40 50 60 70 and hold high for 80 and hold low for the 20 and shorter. Does that make sense?

Also, is there a speed limit for field archery or can I fling arrows at 320 fps?

Best wishes.


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## kidnutso (Aug 29, 2004)

Archer Dude said:


> Ok, if I can shoot the full distances in freestyle bowhunter class, I may give the 5-pin sight a try.
> 
> Someone tell me where to set the pins. I am thinking 30 40 50 60 70 and hold high for 80 and hold low for the 20 and shorter. Does that make sense?
> 
> ...



Archer Dude, If you shoot NFAA Rules, you will shoot all the same distances as the Freestyle Shooters. All the way out to 80 yards. If you are shooting in a state where the State Organization is an affiliate of the NFAA, they should be using the same rules.

Personal opinion, I'd either go with a 5 pin setup of 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 or 25, 35, 45, 55 and 65. You don't have enough 70 yard shots to worry about to set a pin for it. You'll lose too much on your other ranges where you have many shots if you do that. I use the 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60. To shoot 70 yards, I just sight on the target with my 60 yard pin. I note where the 50 yard pin is pointing, and then I elevate my bow until the 60 yard pin is at that point. I do the same at 80 yards using the 60 and 40 yard pin. This seems to work pretty well for me. 

If you're shooting NFAA rules, there is a speed limit. It's 300 fps. I'm not a really big advocate on speed at known distances, but I do believe that some speed helps a Bowhunter FS. It makes the pin gap a little smaller, which I find an advantage. I shot around 265 last year when I shot my 508. This year, I'm using a Bow Madness XL at about 295 fps. I've only shot one field shoot so far this year, so I can't really evaluate how the extra speed is going to help. I will tell you, my one shot at 80 yards was a 4, just about an inch out of the 5 ring. But the elevation was perfect.

But I will emphasize...the key to BH FS shooting, as well as FS as far as that goes, is to shoot your bow to the point you know exactly how you have to hold your pins to hit the different yardages. And those bunny shots (35, 30, 25 and 20 feet) and the 11 yarder on the Hunter targets, have been the downfall of a lot of shooters. Believe it or not, you don't necessarily hold low to shoot them. To shoot the 20 foot target, I have to put the dot between my 20 and 30 yard sight pins. I just stress, know you bow.


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## Archer Dude (Mar 16, 2008)

Good points. 

Only one shot at each bunny and only one shot at 80, & 70. 

50 also has only one shot but it is surrounded by 9 shots at 45 and 55 so being able to split a 50 pin with 40 and 60 pins should work for those.

Looks to me like 20 - 60 should do it.

Elevating for 80 is going to be a hold way over the target though. On my rig yesterday, the slider would only go to 75 and 80 was a 10" hold above that. 80 is probably 2 1/2 feet above 60 I would guess.

Oh well, I will set it up on my hunting bow to see if it seems doable. I am going to leave my Commander set as it is.

Best wishes.


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## kidnutso (Aug 29, 2004)

Archer Dude said:


> Good points.
> 
> Only one shot at each bunny and only one shot at 80, & 70.
> 
> ...


Not wanting to get too detailed here. You'll learn all this. If you shoot a 28 target field round there will be two 80 yard shots and two 70 yard shots. If you shoot a combined round of 14 field and 14 hunter (Hunter targets being the all black with a white 5 ring) you shoot one 80 yarder and two 70 yards.

And there is a 50 yard target on the field target round where you shoot 4 arrows. Then you shoot a 50 yarder on the 80 yard walk up. So there are five 50 yard shots on a 14 target field/14 target hunter round. 

20 thru 60 in 10 yard increments will probably work pretty good for you.

Good luck.


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## IGluIt4U (Sep 22, 2004)

kidnutso said:


> Not wanting to get too detailed here. You'll learn all this. If you shoot a 28 target field round there will be two 80 yard shots and two 70 yard shots. If you shoot a combined round of 14 field and 14 hunter (Hunter targets being the all black with a white 5 ring) you shoot one 80 yarder and two 70 yards.
> 
> And there is a 50 yard target on the field target round where you shoot 4 arrows. Then you shoot a 50 yarder on the 80 yard walk up. So there are five 50 yard shots on a 14 target field/14 target hunter round.
> 
> ...


I agree.. it's a struggle with only a 50 pin.. set 5 up, 20-60 and you'll be good to go. 

Pinwalking from 60 to 80 ain't too bad, but it's even tougher from 50 to 80 due to the decaying arrow speed...


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## Archer Dude (Mar 16, 2008)

Yep, I missed that 4-shot 50 on the chart. I see it there now.

Well, 20 - 60 is it.

I just put the 5-pin sight on the hunting bow and some time this week I will get her set up.

I will decide whether I will use it for field archery once I see how it shoots on set up. If I am not confident I may just continue with the Commander.

Best wishes.


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