3D Tournaments

[Porkchop1]

I've been out of shooting for quite a while and last year I shot (well tried to shoot) a tournament that was labeled a an "IBO Rules" tourney.  But when I got there, there was no distinction between traditional equipment and modern compounds.  Making the average shot of the tournament 48 yards with 3 shots over 70 yards.  I thought the IBO set maximum distances based on class? For instance the copy I have states that a Longbow class will have a maximum shot of 25 yards.  Needless to say is was not a fun day with the majority of stations not even shot.  Can I expect to regularly see tournaments with ridiculous shot distances for traditional equipment or was this just a one off tournament?

[Possum Head]

Most I’ve been to in our state and south Alabama make provision for Trad with a stake of reasonable distance. Certainly understand your frustration.


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[M60gunner]

 I can understand your frustration. Whoever made the flyer should have included the class the “IBO Rules” were for. At least listed the classes so you would see if Trad was included.

[Friend]

Am fortunate to reside in an area with a multitude of monthly 3D events.

Years back, the targets were set much further than any target that I have shot at the worlds.
I would introduce new archers to 3D’s and often times they ended up losing several arrows. So I started meeting with all the different clubs. At first, I was able to convince them to stick to ASA max of 25 yards and IBO max of 30 yards. Issues for many trad archers still arose, since placing the smallest targets at the max ranges was too great a challenge for many. Over a few years of patience and showing sincere appreciation, all the multiple clubs within a 50 mile radius have made vast improvements.

Bringing an entourage of trad archers to an event has helped getting proper attention and routinely they have asked my perspective of the range setup for the trad folk. Have on a few occasions pointed out that the range was setup with too little challenge. Every club that I have worked with has come around to support the traditional group. One club, each year,offers to setup a special 3D event for trad guys only.

Developing a genuine relationship goes far for the benefit of all.

[McDave]

I shoot in many 3D tournaments in No. Cal, and all have maximum shots of 50 yards for trad in the tournaments where both trad and compounds participate.  There are also some trad only tournaments which also all have 50 yard max shots.  Same distances for longbow and recurve.  I realize IBO has shorter distances, but I haven’t found any tournaments around the west that adhere to the IBO distances, other than the actual IBO qualifiers that have been held here from time to time.

[Wudstix]

I've shoot a couple mixed class courses that have been set-up by non-archery folks.  They had no clue what the distances should have been.  We had a few 40 yard traditional shots.  We got it fixed, after the second time. 

[BAK]

 
It gets frustrating if you are hoping to go to an event for the competition, but when that happens you can just move forward and shoot from a reasonable distance since you are only shooting for yourself anyway. 
 

[ron w]

I really used to hate the long ranges........made for some tough shooting. Over the years it has gotten better. I will admit now I like a long one now and then, but some thought has to be put into the set up. 40 yard shot, ok but it better be shooting aa ELK or Caribou, maybe a life size Grizzly. Don't put a turkey or a rock rascal at that distance. Deer out to 25, turkeys at 18, frog at 7-10.......great fun. If all goes well I will attend my 1st 3/D in Georgia this weekend.......looking forward to it. I will add, getting good at the long ones make you better at the close ones.

[Porkchop1]

I guess I have to realize that there's a difference between a hunter who shoots tournaments and a tournament shooter shooting tournaments.  One practices for ethical shots the other practices for scores.  Nothing wrong with either, but since I started years ago with the intent on hunting, that's how I learned to shoot.  Shorter distances with consistently tight groups with little or no practice with distances over 25 yards.  I no longer desire to hunt but want to enjoy the company of other traditional shooters.  Maybe it's time to learn to gap shoot???

[Cool Springer]

I always think about it this way, no matter how the course is set up, it's the same for all parties.  Why sweat it?

[Porkchop1]

I always think about it this way, no matter how the course is set up, it's the same for all parties.  Why sweat it?

An 85 yard shot with a compound is not the same as one for a longbow or recurve.  I've also shot compound for several years and it was by far the easier bow to shoot accurately at longer distances.  That's been my experience anyhow.  Could I learn to shoot those distances... I guess, I've shot York tournaments before but there was no real accuracy to my shots.  More like lob and pray LOL

[Stunchy]

Porkchop, I just discovered 3D a couple years ago.  I’m not a member of any club but I have found that every member of every club hosting a 3D shoot that I have ever attended has wanted to make their shoot enjoyable to as many people as possible and they are happy to take feedback (delivered in a pleasant way).  They are generally willing to accommodate reasonable requests.  If you are the only trad shooter who attends, you may be out of luck since it would take quite a bit of effort to set up additional stakes at every target.  But who knows, maybe you could convince them that trad shooters are scared away by shots that are way too long and they might get a higher turnout if they included trad stakes.

And if that doesn’t work out, who cares where the stake is? Decide for yourself where a reasonable trad shot should be taken from and shoot from there.  If you are shooting with others, just announce what you are doing and let them know it’s the only reasonable way for you to take part in the shoot.  After they shoot from the stake, you walk up to the spot you are comfortable/happy with, and shoot from there. There’s no reason it should bother them or slow them down.

[M60gunner]

What Ron W says times two and a half. I like long shots when “shooting arrows”, not hunting.

[McDave]

It has been my experience also that 3D archery tournaments are much more accommodating than Olympic style archery tournaments or golf tournaments, where you had better follow the rules or you'll get kicked out.  Since we're shooting at a foam animal, there must be some connection to hunting, which requires individual judgement from each hunter.  I've learned to shoot 3D according to the rules, because I enjoy the competition, but on the few occasions I’ve shot in tournaments that don't have separate trad stakes, I just make my own and don't turn in a score card.  And BTW, put that one on a list of tournaments I don't plan to attend next time.

What would be fun would be if there were a trad only tournament with different stakes at different trad distances, where you got to choose the stake you wanted to shoot from.  You would get more points if you chose a stake that was a longer distance away from the target, but only if you hit in the kill zone.  If you hit outside the kill zone, you would get points taken away.  You could pass on the target and get maybe 1 point for not shooting a shot you didn't think you could make.  We're limited only by our own imaginations, and don't always have to do things the same ol’ way, if there is enough interest in doing something differently.

[Stunchy]

The Tri County League in SE Mass now has a “Trad Top Gun” class where you shoot from the compound “bow hunter” stakes. So trad shooters can sign up to either shoot from the normal trad stakes or the “top gun” compound stakes. I see it as the best of both worlds.  And since the stakes are already set up, it costs the host club nothing more than an extra sign in sheet to accommodate it.