Stickbow Target Archery Forums

As I've said earlier, these dayze the bowhunters far outnumber the targeteers, and that's why 3D is most popular over circle paper punching.

To reiterate, the IFAA just needs to do the right thing for trad archery - that's all, plain and simple.

3D is popular because it is easy to shoot. Most targets are at distances less than 25 yards. Therefore one can "compete" and with luck rather than hard earned skill at least hit the target. Field archery ranges are alot of work in upkeep. Try to get a large group of "members" together to unload new bales, ha, Yes I miss field archery, but most here in the US don't know what it was like. Not sure what the IFAA rules are trying to do. I have two "longbows" a Tsunami and a old Martin Mountaineer. They are like night and day to shoot. So if the IFAA wants to define a longbow easy, "Must have a straight grip," shelf no wide than 3/4 inch. They should get a template made of a longbow and all bows must conform to the template. But the best way is let people shoot what they brung. Just my two cents.

IMO, 3D is popular not because it's easier to shoot, but because there are far more bowhunters than target archers and the more realist 3D hunting targets and distances fit the mode mo' bettah than punching paper.

The few Trad archers I've run into are content to simply hit the 3-d target somewhere in the body if they're taking shots past say 40 yards.
For field targets they have to keep score and that can be humbling.

I was shooting with a shooting buddy that uses a 64 lb HH longbow last weekend. He was raving about hitting a ram target in the "kill" zone from 70 yards. He missed the ram completely on his first 3 attempts.
I told him to try the 35 foot walkup field target. I said the 4 20 cm targets at 35-30-35 and 20 feet was really good practice and a lot tougher than you would think. He tried and hit the outer ring at 25 feet, missed the other 3. Then he asked what good was it to shoot at such sort range anyway. YEESH!