Return to Home Page All of the etiquette of indoor shooting applies outdoors too; although sometimes when we are squashed in behind a twenty-yard shooting line indoors some rules may take a back seat to practicality!
So what are the main differences when outdoors instead of indoors? Obviously there is much more space behind the shooting line, so people tend to have clumps of bags, boxes, a chair and coats, and at tournaments even a tent. Outdoors it is easier for people to get together into small groups to talk after shooting their own arrows, partly because of the greater space but also because background noise is less disturbing to those shooting than indoors. Outdoor shooting on practice days tends to mean that there are people shooting at a variety of different distances.
There will always be a clear shooting line laid out, either as part of the field marking or as a separate rope line. Five yards behind that there is a real, or imaginary, waiting line. Between the waiting line and the shooting line there should be no equipment or people except those moving to and from the shooting line. This clear five-yard zone serves several functions. It gives the field captain space to see that all is well and when people have finished shooting. It is also a safety zone, reducing the danger if there is catastrophic equipment failure (a bow or string breaks), and it allows archers space in which to focus on their own shooting. The Club Coaches may be seen standing in this area, it goes with the job, but nobody else should be. Please respect this rule and encourage others to do so.
If shooting is already under way then you just need somewhere to put your equipment, set it up and get yourself ready to shoot. You should have noticed that people are shooting six arrows before collecting so have at least that number in your quiver. Remember that when scoring you can shoot another arrow if one rebounds off of the target as it is shot; these bouncers are more likely than indoors because of the greater distances shot, so may mean that you wish to have seven or more arrows in your quiver.
At this point you need to start asking questions of the people already shooting. Be aware that some people may be concentrating on some aspect of their shooting and will not be willing to stop to talk, although most will be happy to help. First you need to know whether the targets are at imperial (measured in yards) or metric (in metres) distances. This not only affects the distance, and therefore your sight marks, but also your scoring as generally metric rounds are scored ten-zone (10, 9, 8, 7, 6, …) and imperial rounds five-zone (9, 7, 5, 3, 1). Next you should be asking what the actual distances of the targets are. These are normally set up by the members who arrive at the beginning of the evening according to how they think people arriving later may like them. Their choices will be coloured by such things as whether we have lots of members who finished a beginners course last week, or we have a league match or big local tournament on the next weekend; if you want to help make the decision then come early.
Having established what distances are available you have to decide which of them you wish to shoot on. However tempting it may be it is pointless going out to shoot eighty yards when you know that at fifty yards only one arrow out of six lands on the boss. In general wait until you can group six in the blue (or better) most ends before moving up another ten yards/metres.
Now take a moment to watch to see whether your chosen distance is available. Outdoors we have a maximum of six people shooting on a boss, in two waves of three. OK, so you want to shoot at thirty yards, there are only four people on that boss so the next time they are off the shooting line ask them if you may join their target at the next end.
If your chosen distance is not available (either not there or already full) then you need to put up a boss at that distance. If there is a boss not being used then you can ask (in a loud voice so that everybody present hears) whether anyone still needs it at that distance. If there is no spare boss or somebody is going to use it later then your only alternative is to go and get another boss, stand, pegs and ties from the container. That is not a problem as we have about eighteen bosses and stands. Take the trolley to bring the gear on, and don’t forget to take the container keys. A boss is too heavy for a single person to lift and should always be done by two adults so ask around for help. When you set up the new boss make sure that it is pegged and tied correctly - there will always be somebody to advise. It is one of the duties of the Field Captain to check that it is fixed safely before shooting restarts.
Having been accepted on an existing target it is polite to stand back and let those archers who are already shooting take their position on the line, you can then fit in the space left. Except when we are running a tournament you will not usually find the centre line to your target marked, so try to judge where that centre line is and stand close to it but allowing about a yard between archers.
Remember that when shooting outside there are likely to be more possible hazards; particularly people wandering on to the field, playing on the other side of the field or coming down the bank. It may look a long distance, but may still be within range. Safety is the concern of everybody present. If in doubt – Shout.
You are now ready to shoot your first arrows. If you do not have a sight mark for the distance you are shooting then ask somebody not shooting in your wave if they would mind watching your first arrow, or two, to check where they are going. If arrows are not hitting the boss then it is notoriously difficult to see, from the archer’s position, whether they are going high or low. You may be deceived by seeing the arrow fly higher than the boss and believe it to have gone over when in reality it dropped down between the stand legs; for somebody watching from the side it is much more obvious.
Because of the greater distances you will be aiming higher and the arrows will curve back down onto the target. Try to bend at the waist rather than just lifting your bow arm. The relationship of the bow arm, shoulder girdle and drawing arm should be the same as when shooting indoors.
Although we shoot six arrow ends outdoors we break them into two groups of three. So, shoot three arrows, come off the shooting line and return to the waiting line. If there is more than a single wave of archers on your boss then the second wave will go up and shoot three arrows each. When they have done, or after a similar time if there is only one wave, then you return to the shooting line and shoot your second three. Often you will alternate, you shooting in the first wave on one end and in the second wave the next. At tournaments this will be expected and the order determined by the target list, on practice nights you arrange it amongst your fellow archers on that boss.
Remember to look at the ground when walking up to the targets to check for arrows that have dropped short. If you find one then pick it up, whether it is yours or not, and gently stick it vertically in the ground for the owner to collect. If the ground is hard don’t force it - do not bend the arrow! At the target check your group size and its position so that you can make any adjustments for next time. Work out your scores ready to call them out when asked by the person scoring. Remember not to touch arrows, the target face or boss, even if you are not scoring yourself. Wait in front of the boss until scoring is completed. If one person is scoring for the group it is customary for others to pull their arrows. Some people will always prefer to pull their own arrows and will tell you so.
When pulling arrows it is normal for two people to do it for the group. One person starts from each side of the boss taking those nearest to them until they meet in the centre. With a full boss they may pass bundles of arrows back for others to start to sort out while they continue pulling. When the arrows are sorted it becomes obvious if any are missing and are therefore in the grass. Then is the time to go behind the boss to retrieve them. If your arrows were all in the boss then wait to see if anyone else on your boss needs help finding arrows, if all those on your boss have their arrows then check to see if people are searching behind other bosses and go and help. We all need that help sometime and the more people searching then the sooner everyone can start shooting again. If you find an arrow then announce the fact to the searchers and retrieve it from the ground in the same way as you would from the boss i.e. pull it out in the direction it entered the grass. If you just pull it up then you will bend it. If several arrows belonging to the same archer are lost then stick the arrow vertically in the ground and leave it, this may give a clue as to where the others may be as they are likely to be still in a group. For arrows that are particularly well hidden we have a metal detector, if you do not know how it works then ask someone, it needs to be tuned each time it is turned on. Sometimes arrows may be found by forming a line with shoulders almost touching and working across the path of the arrow, starting well to one side and finishing well to the other side. The person furthest from the boss then stays still while the line reforms the other side of him so that he is now nearest the boss and the line works its way back. In this way each searcher is only looking at a narrow band of grass over which they are walking while the whole line covers a considerable area. Take it slowly and keep the line reasonably straight. Don’t forget to check under the stand. As we shoot on a school playing field we must not leave any arrows behind, however well buried.
If you damage someone else’s arrow through your carelessness in pulling it from the boss or ground then it is expected that you offer to pay for it. It used to be that payment was expected on the spot but now with arrows costing up to £25 each it would be more normal to pay later - but still at the earliest possible opportunity.
You are perfectly at liberty to change to a different boss as many times as you like during an evening, as long as you consider the above points about your capability; it becomes tedious for everyone to be looking for the same five arrows after each end. Try to be aware of what you are practicing, however, you can just as easily concentrate on practicing your release at thirty yards as at sixty, unless your groups are so tight that you are damaging your arrows.
If you finish shooting and have to leave early while others wish to carry on then ask if anyone still wants the boss you were using. If not then you should dismantle it and if possible return it to the container. You should at the very least place it on the trolley. At the end of the evening pack up your personal gear, after which there are plenty of jobs for all. Junior archers should not lift bosses but they and the less muscular seniors can roll up the shooting line, collect the flags etc. while others stack the trolley ready to return it to the container. We bought a trolley with a wide handle so that two people could pull it; it normally needs another two pushing as well. Once at the container a chain of people can unload the trolley and pass equipment to those stacking it inside. Please help to keep the container tidy by learning where equipment goes and return it to its designated place.
On Sunday things are a little different in that everyone starts at the same time, arriving at 1.30 to start shooting at 2.00, shoots the same round, or a variant of it, and we all pack up together. You are welcome to shoot shorter distance rounds until you feel confident at the longer distances, although you should be aware that these would not count towards a handicap. At the end of shooting you should thank the other archers on your boss for their company. Make sure that you check your score sheet, it is not valid unless it includes the name of the round and the date, and sign it to confirm the score. It is customary to thank the scorer for undertaking the job. You may be asked to sign the scorers own score sheet as the “target captain”, by doing so you are confirming that he has correctly filled in his sheet.
Learning and following these few simple rules will enhance everybody’s enjoyment of outdoor archery; getting in the habit of following them will mean that you will not feel out of place when you shoot in league matches or tournaments. We wish you many years of enjoyment shooting in the bow.