Stickbow Target Archery Forums

I posted this description on another board and someone suggested I should put it up here. Since this is the stickbow "target archery" forum I thought I would give it a try.

Another game a lot of you probably aren't familiar with is FITA's version of field archery. This is quite popular in Europe but there are only 3 or 4 FITA field shoots each year in the US. I'm fortunate that one of them is in Arizona and I am helping a target club I belong to in putting on another one in this area. Arizona could become the FITA Field capital of the US (LOL).
This game differs from NFAA Field in a couple significant ways. First the classes are much simpler than the tangled mess NFAA has made of classes (they call it styles). FITA has only three: Compound, Olympic Recurve and Barebow Recurve. The first is freestyle compound - anything goes. The second is recurves with sights, stabilizers and clickers, shot with fingers. The third is my class and has some interesting restrictions. Barebow under FITA rules can be any recurve that has no sighting devices or draw aids (clickers) and no stabilizers. The unstrung bow must pass through a 4.8" (12.2cm) rigid circle. Plungers, elevated rests and auxilary weights are common, as long as the whole works pass through the circle.
NFAA field is based on a 28 target round. FITA field is based on 24 target rounds. Also, FITA has no walk-ups or fans. Each target is shot from one position, although there are always two shooting stakes. One is red and marks the shooting position for compounds and O-recurves. The second stake is blue and marks the shooting position for barebow recurves.
Each target is black with a gold (yellow?) 5 ring. Subsequent rings are scored 4, 3, 2 & 1. Another difference from NFAA is FITA only shoots 3 arrows per target so possible is 15, with the total possible for a 24 target round being 360. FITA is very fond of "unique" target placement. In Europe they like very steep up and down angles and it adds another dimension to the challange.
Possibly the biggest difference is the marked and un-marked rounds. Most FITA field shoots are two day events. The first day is unmarked and the second day is marked distance. FITA field shooters have made a science of distance estimation...and that is in meters too, reflecting the European origin of this archery sport. Maximum distance for compounds and O-recurves on the un-marked course is 55 meters while it's 45 meters for BB. Max for the sight shooters on the marked course is 60 and BB is 50. This is a bit shorter than the NFAA's occasional 70 and 80 yard shots.
Like the NFAA, FITA adjusts target size to correspond to distance. They have four sizes of targets: 20, 40, 60 & 80 cm.
As much as I love NFAA Field and consider it my home, I love FITA Field as well. It is just enough different to be a whole new challange. It's great!
Dave

Dave, I wish somehow FITA Field and NFAA Field could be merged. If FITA recognized all the shooting styles in NFAA combined with the shorter distances and larger targets of FITA, we might have a game that would attract more U.S. archers to field archery. Plus more clubs would have room for a 12 target course, instead of 14, which could then be shot twice for a 24 target round. Just a thought. What do you think?

The idea of the two orginizations being "merged" is so unlikely I don't think it matters much. The truth is, field archery is in it's last death throws. Some old geezers like me want to hang on and as long as there are a few ranges around we can probably keep re-living the old days but I don't see anything improving. I spent over a year trying to get field going again in my area. after 14 months of the same 4-6 compounders showing up to shoot with me I gave up. We still get together on the third Sunday but it isn't a shoot, it's just a coupld people shooting the field course together instead of alone.

I'm talking about NFAA here. I have some hope left that FITA field may gain a small following.

Dave

I live 8 miles from the present club that holds all the field archery state championship events on their 4 approved 28 target courses. One is set up for the PSAA animal round (paper targets), one set up for Hunter, and one for field, all summer, starting in the spring as soon as it warms up. This host club does not believe in or hold any 3-D shoots what so ever. They hold three state championships each year, animal, hunter, and field. The PSAA state 3-D championship is held on at a club 60 miles away, and the PSAA state target championships are held about 85 miles away. It is a field club only. On the other hand, I live 3 miles from a 300 member club that couldn't get over 11 field shooters to a shoot 10 years ago, so dropped it. Through out the year, they hold many 3-D shoots bringing 150 shooters in for a one day shoot, and over 600 shooters on a 2 day Labor day shoot. With over $10,000 invested in 3-D animals, they count on big turn outs to pay the club expenses, along with indoor 3-spot league shoots every week. I belong to both disiplines, and enjoy both. Bill

More power to ya, Bill. Wish there was that kind of interest in field some where within driving distance. I'd be buying new tires for the truck a lot more often.

Dave

It's still here for the taking Dave, but I must add that it has diminished somewhat over the last 10-12 years. Less clubs hold field shoots now than used to, and it's mostly because of the 3-D craze. Clubs have to go with what pays the bills, and be that as it may, they drop field shooting in favor of 3-D shoots. Other than IBO & ASA, most 3-D shoots are just "shoot for fun" shoots, and bring out masses of shooters, all styles. I still wish you guys lived closer, we don't have enough "stick" shooters in field. Many, many of them in 3-D though.

We (Arizona) don't have enought "stick" shooters, period. With PSE down the road in Tucson this is compound central. Most archery shops in this state have walls full of compounds and over in one corner you might find a Martin recurve or a Montana longbow, along with some beginner kid's stuff. No one on staff will know anyting about recurves or longbows and if you try to get them to recommend arrows...well, save your money.

Oh well, the glory days of field are gone. I'm just having a hard time admitting it.

Dave