Frequently Asked Questions
Don’t see your question here? Please contact the club.
I DON’T HAVE A KEY FOR THE RANGE YET, SO WHEN CAN I SHOOT ?
There is always a designated time on Saturday from 1 to 3 pm that the range will be open. It is called the “club shoot” but doesn’t mean that there is a competition going on. You can drag out a target and shoot to your heart’s content. Please take the opportunity to share a target with another member and meet someone new.
Outside of this particular time you can generally shoot whenever there are other people shooting, such as when a programme is on at the range. On Saturday mornings and Sundays there are very often people at the range. Our WhatsApp Community includes a group for sharing when the outdoor range is open. Details about the WhatsApp Community are in your new member email when your membership is confirmed.
HOW DO I KNOW WHAT EQUIPMENT IS SUITABLE FOR ME TO BUY ?
When you buy new gear, the shop assistant will be very likely to help you with bow size, bow strength, arrow dimensions etc. But off course everybody will start looking on Trade Me to save money. This can be a bit risky for the inexperienced archer. There are various websites around that tell you how to determine what length arrow you need.
This is one of them : http://www.learn-archery.com/proper-draw-length.html
Talking to a coach, or experienced archer always will trump the internet!
I WOULD LIKE TO TRY COMPETING ....WHERE DO I START ?
When you have just started archery, you can be easily intimidated by the distances that are shot in competitions. After all, you have been learning and practicing initially at 10 or 15 meters.
Don’t worry! There are many different formats or “shoots“ as they call them, and some make provisions for novices. Nobody expects you to shoot at 70 m straightaway!
A great way to ease yourself into competition is the World Archery Beginner programme (BAP) (10-30 meters) and our club Achievement Programme (40-90 meters). These are great ways to have some fun and push yourself out of your comfort zone. You will be surprised how much you will learn, how rapidly your shooting improves and how quickly you gain confidence.
720, PORTSMOUTH, 5-ZONE, 10-ZONE, ADAA 600......WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN ??
There is a whole plethora of shooting rounds, all with different names, different target size and different distances for different disciplines. Most of them can be found in the Shooting Rules on the website of Archery New Zealand, our national sporting organisation.
Most competitions will be shot in “ends” of six arrows, with a number of ends making up the shooting round/total. The rounds are often also indicated by the maximum amount of points available. For instance, the “Canadian 900” means that the maximum amount that can be achieved is 900. That means that the total amount of arrows to be shot is 90, and that it will have a total of 15 ends (15 * 6 = 90).
Scoring:
There are two methods of scoring: 10-zone and 5-zone.
10-zone scoring is the most common. Each ring is numbered from 1 to 10, and that is how each arrow will be scored. Each colour contains two rings.
In 5-zone scoring, each band of colour has its appropriate number, and is scored as such. Gold scores 9, Red scores 7, Blue scores 5, Black scores 3, and White scores 1 point.
The Canadian 900 (Interclub Challenge)
This round is shot as part of the summer Interclub Challenge competition. It is a little more complicated, having multiple distances. The farthest of these is:
30 (5 ends of 6 arrows) at 55 meters 30 arrows at 45 meters 30 arrows at 35 meters on 122 cm target throughout and 10-zone scoring. Sighting ends only at the 55 meter distance during the round.
For the Interclub Challenge competition only: There are variations of these distances for younger archers and those in the Novice or Development classes, and for archers shooting Barebow, Longbow, or Traditional bow types. Find out more about the Archery NZ Interclub Challenge rules.
The Interclub Challenge used to be called a “postal” event, meaning that a group from one club gets together each month, shoots the IC round together and the results get posted (e-mailed these days) and processed. The result is a nation-wide club competition without having to travel the length and width of the country.
The ADAA 600 Round
This is a real fun competition – 90 arrows are shot at a distance of 30 meters, with 10-zone scoring. The total possible is 900 points.
The first time you shoot this round you start with a target of 122 cm diameter, and if you manage to get 600 points or more, you can move to the next (smaller) size target for the next event (which is probably the next month). And there are RIBBONS to be won!!
http://www.adaa.org.nz/600-round/
The 720 or 72-arrow round
This is a World Archery format that is often used in registered major and minor tournament events. This is shot at different distances for different ages and bow styles.
72 arrows are shot (in 12 ends of 6 arrows, with a break halfway after 6 ends) using 10-Zone scoring. So the maximum score possible is 720…hence the name.
Adult recurve archers shoot this round at 70 m on a 122 cm target face. Adult compound archers shoot this round at 50 m on an 80 cm “spot” target face (rings 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, X only). Adult barebow archers shoot this round at 50 m on a 122 cm target face. Different age classes and bow divisions shoot variations on these distances; see the Archery New Zealand Shooting Rules.
More details can also be founds on the World Archery website: https://worldarchery.sport/sport/disciplines/target-archery
OK, BUT THOSE DISTANCES STILL SEEM QUITE LONG...ANYTHING SHORTER ?
Well, the World Archery Beginner Archery Programme (also called the “BAP”) might be for you!
Here you shoot 15 arrows on an 80 cm target face starting from 10 meters with 10-zone scoring.
If you reach 115 points or more, you move to the next distance. As part of this program you also learn technique and bow maintenance components. While you can practice this shoot anytime, we run a monthly session to help you and provide an opportunity to achieve your BAP badge levels! Keep an eye on the club calendar for dates; this is normally run on the first Saturday of the month at 11:00 am.
I'M VISITING FROM ANOTHER CLUB/OVERSEAS. CAN I SHOOT AT YOUR RANGE?
Yes! We welcome visitors who are members of other clubs or are experienced archers, which shows that you have had training in how to shoot safely.
There is a range use fee of $10 per day payable in the clubhouse or by bank transfer to 02-0110-0091898-00.
