The Flight Of The Raven Isn't Always Straight

As February draws to a close I thought it was time for another update. This month has been a busy one to start with a new session of beginners has started so Tuesday's shooting has become more relaxed as the beginners shoot in three details with advice and coaching throughout. So to cut down on waiting time its normally filly up the quiver and loose at the target. Though being an instinctive longbow archer I can normally shoot 5/6 arrows in the same time some recurves shoot 3/4 so still have to wait for a while. The main problem I'm having now is that the 10 of my original ravens (arrows) I have left, one is currently awaiting to have its head re-glued, and the other 9 all have some curvature to them. So shooting is less concentrated than it was, though as these are the only ones I have at present they are the ones I have to use. I do plan on making more, but having to wait till I can get to the archery shop, so if anyone is going and doesn't mind giving me a lift then feel free to mention.

17th February saw the shoot for the Valentine's cup. This is a Portsmouth normally shot as close to Valentine's day as possible, hence the name. Despite some shooting that all I can say was erratic at best I managed to get the top score for the gents longbow with 357 56/5 (yes 4 misses on a Portsmouth I'm ashamed too), though overall longbow was won by Elsie who was shooting very well that day. One complaint about it though is that all of a sudden we've started having breaks halfway through shoots, which for me is rather tough as unlike other archers I have no sight or PoA to go back to. I don't mind breaks outside when the targets get moved and such but for a shoot of 5 dozen indoors its just annoying, esp on a Thursday evening after work. But I suppose I should get used to them incase I do anymore external competitions, though still don't see much point in them. Despite the misses though the score was better than previous so I'm am coming out of the rut I went into.

The 20th brought in this months Frostbite, and this was well named. Due to erm booking problems shall we say (politely) the frostbite took place at Knutsford Sports club. The temperature was not the best to shoot in, but it was the icy wind that really put a shiver down the spine. So next month if its like that the cloak and possibly furs (yes real fur, and seeing as its probably 50+years old I see no problem with wearing it) will be coming out. Shaun came top of the longbows, but seeing as his is a master bowman that's hardly surprising. But despite the wind and the curved arrows I managed to beat my PB for it, and only got 4 misses, which isn't bad seeing as its 30m (12m longer than inside).

Now comes to yesterday 24th, was the clubs monthly medal. This month it was a Vegas which I've never shot before, and all I can say is, its not the best round to shoot after a frustrating day at work, and longbow and with curved arrows isn't the best to shoot it with. For those unfamiliar this is a Vegas target, the 3 mini targets are the five inner rings of a Bray target and scored the same 6-10, so at a guess I'd say they are 20cm across. What you have to do is shoot 60 arrows in ends of 3 arrows into each one of the targets, but to make is slightly more difficult you have to nominate which arrow will go into which target before you shoot it and if it doesn't go in that target then its a miss. So not only do you have to say where each arrow is going you have to move where your aiming.

It was a good turn out with roughly 19 archers five of which were longbows. I managed a score of 184 24/3. Again curved arrows weren't helpful in this, esp my no.3 arrow who insisted that it didn't like its target and preferred the other two. This month it was Robert who won the scratch, and to his surprise we actually had the medal (he'd won it a few times and it had not turned up), Compound was by John Stubbs (no surprise there seeing he is a grand master bowman and a paralympic gold medalist), Shaun won the longbow medal (again no real surprise), but big congratulations to Doug for winning the handicap medal with his longbow, seems rubber ducks are he way forward in the sighting stands.

Wednesday saw the delivery of my new longbow (the right one this time), though I have to ease it in and allow the strong to stretch before I can really shoot with it, which is alright with me seeing as I got it to shoot outdoors with. Though its another reason why I have to go to the archery shop for supplies. This one is by Adrian Hayes, and is bamboo, ipe, and ipe, with a horn arrow pass, and 55lbs @26".

That's about it for now. Good shooting everyone.

On The Wings Of Victory

Hail and well met archery fans, its been an interesting few weeks, and if it all goes well I should have a treat for you all. Yes that's right I have finally managed to take some pictures. Took me long enough I know., problem is though I haven't been on here for 2-3 weeks so I might just spam photos.

Firstly the bad news, seemingly accord to the scores I've been putting in, my averages or at least in the Portsmouth has been going down, which was a rather large concern with the Chester County Shoot coming up and which is a Portsmouth.

But first was the club's annual dinner and award ceremony, which luckily for me was at Altrincham town hall. It was a pleasant evening nice food and ceremony, and to top it off a nice and unexpected pub quiz.

Angus cutting the clubs 61st anniversary cake. 

The award ceremony also brought my first (and hopefully not last) trophy and medal, or at least medal that I get to keep. It was for getting the best handicap score at the club handicap shoot in September. The trophy I get to hold for a year (or until I move which may happen due to out of club circumstances, personally I'd like to stay but we'll see).

  As February came, in preparations I've only really been shooting on a Portsmouth face and seemingly from the score I've put in, I got worse. But with the knowledge I can do better the Chester shoot came round and we set off.

The shoot was going well, the final 3 bosses were mostly longbow archers with the odd sprinkling of recurve and in my case compound archers. Not the best combination I might say. All in all I was not at my best performance at the shoot, and the mid break did seem to put me off. As it took me a while to get back to form, e.g last half dozen before the break 46, first half dozen after then break 25.........not good, but despite not shooting my best, I was keeping an Alsager longbow archer on his toes (which was good seeing as he had been shooting for 20 years) and I was beating a New Century longbow archer. Even despite my arrows staying away from the 10s and only on occasionally hitting 9s. I don't think they wanted to go near the compound archer's arrows/area.

At the end of the competition we were waiting for the results at the awards, congratulating other's shooting till at last the longbow scores were called. After 4 dozen we were 15pts down to Alsager, not bad seeing as they were the clubs main rivals so were were expecting to be in a close but solid second. But to the shock of at least 3 of our 4 longbow shooters NCB was called to be the winners. It had turned out that in the last dozen NCB longbows had made up 25 points and overtaken Alsager. I didn't get a real look at the results of the other teams, but congratulations to Shaun, and Elise for placing in the top 3, I was 8th out of 15 in the longbows which isn't bad seeing as this was my first competitive shoot outside of the club, and I've only been shooting for just over a year. Also congratulations to the other longbowers of the team Shaun, Elise & Steve. Also well done to all NCB archers and all other archers who took part, pleasure shooting with you all. Big thanks to all the judges, and personal thank you to Angus for taking me there and back and for supporting the team.

My medals........btw yes I know its a recurve bow on the longbow winners medal, but its a standard medal or so I'm told so its ok.

That's all for now, stay tuned for more soon.