Shooting to the Mark

The Clifton Hampden Longbow Society shoots involve 5 targets per circuit, with the last circuit (of three) being shot in the reverse direction (just when you thought you'd got the measure of the wind). The target is a small flag (occasionally hit!) and scoring is based on distance from the flag stick to the nearest point of the arrow. An arrow coming to rest within two inches of the flag stick qualifies for six points. The distance between the flag stick to the arrow is measured with a graduated tape attached to a ring which slips over the flag stick. An arrow within twelve feet of the flagstick will qualify for one point. Each archer shoots six arrows at each target. This means that each archer will shoot ninety arrows during the competition - giving a theoretical possible score of 540 - although the highest score yet achieved in a club shoot is 148 - set by Ed Glasby during August 2009.

The current 'average score' across all members sits just under 50 - the highest individual average for 2006 was 65.25 and 5 members were within a couple of points or ahead of the 2005 winning average of 55.75.

The scoring distances/points:

Within 2 inches      6 points

Within 1 ft 6 ins      5 points

Within 3 ft              4 points

Within 6 ft              3 points

Within 9 ft              2 points

Within 12 ft            1 point

5-point flag more than 2" from the post

7 or 8 arrows in the high score zones

Other Traditional Archer Disciplines:

(click on the title in red to be re-directed to an information page)

Field Archery - usually shot in woodland, utilsing targets depicting or shaped like animals

Target Archery - longbow-specific rules detailed by the Fraternity of St George

Flight Shooting - distance orientated competition detailed by Fraternity of St George

Clout (rather than Roving Clout) - a full description from the Fraternity of St George

Popinjay (Papingo) - a form of archery practice for shipborne  longbowmen.

Beursault - a French/Belgian discipline deliberately creating poor light conditions.

Foreign - there is hardly a country without its own form of the bow and we are trying to find a central reference point for this.