someone who would actually use it and appreciate/ understand the work that was already in it. A big cardboard box arrived with the bow, two full Waterbuffalo horns, some horn tips, sinew (some whole dried deer leg sinew and some prepared), hide glue granules, dried fish bladders, thin leather for covering the bow a tool for grooving the horn and wooden core, and - importantly - Adam Karpowicz’s book: “Ottoman Turkish Bows manufacture and design”. Now, that book is very hard to find in printed form and is worth more than I paid for the whole lot. Having tentatively flexed it, I spent a lot of time mulling over the project, reading the book and procrastinating. Eventually I got round to trying to string it, now bear in 51
mind, the bow is like a letter C and the tips have to be pulled all the way back round to turn the C into a D! I made some curved wooden formers to strap to the limbs for the early stages and made a board with a series of pegs and holes to allow it to be slowly pulled back. It was very hard to get it back and braced, and at first I could barely draw it, once it relaxed a bit I could just about feel the sting lifting off the levers as I drew it a bit more. Next step was making a string and some tentative shots at a rove (I had to string the bow before I went and unstring it when I got home, using the peg board). I used a Mediterranean loose mostly, but also tried a few with a thumb ring which I’d taken 3 attempts to make before I got it right. It shot a fair distance, comparable with my 80# roving bow, but the limiting factor was me rather than the bow. I was at least 3” short of even a 28” draw, and these bows can be taken to a long draw. 52
When I got home, I could see the bow was showing as weak in one limb and also tending to push the string off one side. Tillering these bows is somewhat different to tillering a wooden bow, so I approached it with care and trepidation. A little scraping of horn and rasping of sinew and building up some more sinew over the area that seemed weak, and mostly to the side which seemed weak (the side to which the string was slipping). The bow was left strapped up back into its full C shape for a week. I tried it again and could see a distinct improvement, so I added a bit more sinew and left it strapped up for another week or two. That’s where I’ve got to now, I’m leaving it a bit longer this time, but hopefully I’ll eventually get it back to a decent full draw, I can then make some matched arrows and see how far it will shoot. Update:- I’ve strung it again and the limbs are now bending more evenly, however the sideways bend still needs some more work to cure it. I’ve rasped off some sinew, but it’s gone through to the wood (at a place where there isn’t so much stress fortunately)! So that will need some more work, it also shows that the sinew is probably a bit thin anyway. Plenty to learn! I don’t know if I’ll ever get round to covering it with leather and decorating it, as that’s not so much my thing… but then it’s a long term project, so who knows???! 53
Photographer: ADAM BROWNING Location: South West Challenge, 2017
Did you know that if you would like to show your appreciation and support for FAN UK and what Hels is doing (and to enable her to keep the magazine free for everyone) you can DONATE? You may or may not know that \"Field Archery News UK\" online magazine is researched, edited and produced by just one person whose aim has always been and still is to bring field archery in all its forms (alongside other forms of archery) and all associations & societies together in one place to celebrate, promote and share our wonderful sport with archers, clubs and enthusiasts across the UK and worldwide. Any sum to keep the magazine going would be greatly appreciated - thank you :-) To Donate via PayPal just visit https://www.paypal.me/FANUKHels OR select the \"Donate with a card\" option (which does NOT go via PayPal once the Donate with a card option is selected) at https://www.paypal.com/donate/… 57
Congratulations to * Limeri Ger Blaney, Archery the club’s newest trainer! Reasons to Congratulations Congratulations to Vito to William on Daragh Lowe on completi completing his on 16th Au training course on 6th September 2020! 58
ick Field y Club * Celebrate!! Congratulations to Deane Crowe, Michelle Higgins and Leah Crowe on completing the training course! Congratulations to Eric and Lisa on finishing their training course! Sampaolo, Chris Kilroe, ing LAFCs training course ugust 2020! 59
Shoot Report ~ 23rd August 2020 ~ Info & pics provided by Ken Davies On August 23rd we ran our first Covid-safe NFAS open shoot. We used the guidelines set out by NFAS and had a rolling start and pre-book, pre-pay. We had decent weather for most of the day, with some rain for about 30 minutes mid-morning. We limited it to 48 to keep it manageable and we were full, except for a couple of people who dropped out, which was fine as they let us know. We have always preferred pre-book, pre-pay, even before to was mandatory by NFAS and we think this should continue after the crisis is over. The rolling start went pretty much flawlessly even when we had a couple of people turn up late. We had two start pegs, but on reflection, we could have had three. Start times were 20 minutes apart with 8 archers out every 20 minutes between 8.30am and 10.30am. 62
Social distancing was adhered to as much as is possible, both in the car park and at the centre point of the course where we had drinks, snacks and the toilets. As per the NFAS guidelines, we only sold drinks and pre-packed snacks, and this worked well but, of course, revenue was down on a normal shoot. Archers passed our catering three times so plenty of opportunities to have a sit-down, chat and grab a drink. The most important part of any shoot is the course and how it is laid. We agonized for a long time on how to set up the course. Whether we should make it easy, so people all get high scores and want to come back, or set it up as we’d like to see a course, everything hittable, but also challenge, with well-laid targets set out at a mix of distances. We went with the second option and I think it was the right one. We also spent a long time hiding backstop bosses behind camouflage and re-painting and repairing targets so everyone had the best possible experience. We wanted people to see where their entrance money was being spent. In general, the scores where what we had expected from this 37 target course; perhaps down by 5-10% due to people's rustiness. Top scores were - AFB 500, HT 530, BB 552, TBH 544 and UL 774. Marc and I, who set the course both shoot TBH and we thought it was a 550-600 course for TBH, and we seemed to be right. Since the competition one of our members (who obviously knows the course) has shot 592 (TBH) so I think we got it just right. One of the things we wanted to do was create shots that not only 63
tested the archers but gave them the kind of shots they might not see elsewhere in NFAS; shots that made the archers want to come back. We even had a moving target, which everyone seemed to love. Did we please everyone? We had lots of very posi- tive comments on the day about how we’d set out the course and the location (to be fair we do have an amazing location) which is great to hear. Appar- ently, there was one negative comment from someone who thought it was too tough, but you are never going to please everyone. Here are a few comments that people left us on Facebook: “I think you did as well as anyone could. A well-balanced shoot and your organization flawless. Scores were lowish, showing the skill of your course laying and rusty is a good word for my shooting. I had a cracking time. Loved it. Thank you.” “With regards to the toughness of the shots. They weren’t tough because they were stretched, they were tough because yardages were varied shot to shot and the use of dead ground was so well implemented. For every arrow that missed, all you could do was tip your hat to the course layer and say to yourself ‘You got me again there!!!’ and that’s a credit to you guys, not a negative!!! For the next shoot, I personally wouldn’t want you to change a thing.” “Jeff and I really enjoyed the shoot, yes it was challenging but that’s what it’s about. The course itself was tough on my knees but I made it - plus the views were well worth the effort. Yes I broke 5 arrows but most of the targets were phenomenal and I’d not shot the likes before - so again well worth it. The rolling start was smooth and the young man who came to target 1 and started us off was polite and engaging, I learnt something new about nettle stings I'd not known. All in all, an excellent shoot, thanks.” “That gorilla... I want more goes! One of the most spectacular shots I’ve ever done!” “I couldn’t fault the course, it was challenging, make good use of the terrain and more importantly it was really enjoyable to shoot, (especially as I scored a 24 on the Gorilla). The marshals, Admin and the catering staff were all brilliant. Everybody was friendly and helpful, and they made the whole experience really enjoyable. For me, it summed up what the NFAS is all about. It was friendly, it was relaxed and more importantly it was great fun.” 64
In summary, we put an awful lot of effort into the shoot and everyone's feedback was heartening. We, like everyone else, run shoots to bring in funds to help run the club, but for us, it’s also about sharing our wonderful course and location with other archers. We can take our course and fantastic wood for granted, because we get to use it all of the time, so it’s always great to hear people say what a fantastic site we have. Notwithstanding all of the nice comments we had during and after the shoot from the archers who were shooting, my favourite comment of the day was from one of our own and relatively new members, who was there to help marshal the event. He said that hearing all of the positive things that archers were saying, made him feel proud to be a member of Blaidd. We have our next shoot on April 18th 2021. We don't know as yet if this will be another rolling start or the traditional group start, it really will depend on NFAS guidelines. Details and entry info can be found on our website @ www.blaidd.info . 65
Results and scores:- Gents AFB Score & Spots Ladies AFB Score & Spots Trish Gramauskas Independent 474 - Gus Gramauskas Independent 500 1 Christine Marshall Butsfield 436 - Marie Blackhall Delamere FAs 266 - Jeff Tullin Forest Bowmen 460 1 Dave Pedley Umberleigh FAs 404 1 Stuart Bowdler Muttley Crew 390 1 Steve Harald Cheshire Oak BM 378 1 Gents Under 9 Barebow Score & Spots Howard Roberts Redoubtables 344 - Gents Barebow Score & Spots Gents CL Redoubtables Score & Spots Robert Pierce 680 3 Doug Laird Audley Bowmen 540 2 Paul Farrimond Audley Bowmen 552 2 Gents Freestyle Score & Spots Antony King Independent 592 - Rob Beal Lyme Valley Archers 400 - Paul Roberts Muttley Crew 380 1 Ladies HT Score & Spots Deb Tullin Gents HT Score & Spots Forest Bowmen 324 - Peter N Plunkett Derwynd FAC 530 1 David Lyons Independent 516 2 Gents LB Score & Spots Graham Akeroyd Muttley Crew 486 2 Stephen Blackhall Delamere 472 3 Mark Peet Centaura Field BM 446 1 Mike Strong Harlequin B’hunters 462 1 Dennis Lownds Audley Parish BM 446 - Colin Hanson-New Harlequin B’hunters 412 1 Lez Barrell Wyre Hall FAs 440 - Richard Beal Cheshire Oak BM 370 - Paul Delves Redoubtables 414 1 Mike Williams Cheshire Oak BM 266 - Dave Peters Delamere FAs 406 1 Gents U16 LB Score & Spots 200 - Gents TBH Score & Spots Max Smith Independent 514 1 Derek Lawson Delamere FAs 498 2 462 1 Mark Mawson Wyre Hall FAs 444 - Ladies TBH Score & Spots Simon Cowans Derwynd Lynne Harrison Centaura Field BM 544 - Brian Ford Wyre Hall FAs Viv Guthrie Delamere FAs 420 1 Clare Akeroyd Muttley Crew 390 - Gents UL Score & Spots Carole Roberts Muttley Crew 366 - Spencer Martin Redoubtables 774 14 Rhys Harper Redoubtables 770 19 Abigail Mawson Wyre Hall FAs 238 - Mathew Clarke Delamere FAs 670 4 Nathan Smith Independent 642 5 66
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Photographer: JASON QUINN Location: Dunkery Field Bowmen 1780
The 333 bow – a modern classic or the birth of a legend... By Phil, Bogenbau Rockhauser. Those of you who have already read one of my previous articles might now have realized that I am a passionate bowyer... I might even be a kind of a bow addict, but who cares as long as it is fun and makes you feel good? I love to make wooden bows either from one single stave or spliced from two billets, so it is more or less the traditional way of making bows. However, I do not want to limit myself just to this special art of craftmanship. My goal is to become the best bowyer I can possibly be. I mean, this is not a competion and I do not want to become better than this or that bowyer - this is not what I am talking about. I am talking about the desire to learn and the will to try out new stuff. It is about my personal development, while doing something I love. A good way to look back and analyze my work and development is by writing about it, which is what I am doing right here again. Thanks to Field Archery News UK for giving me the chance to do so. 72
On my journey to become a better bowyer, I want to try out new things and realize my dreams. Besides the traditional wooden bows, I have already made composite bows with all natural materials like wood, sinew and horn. The logical next step for me was making a selfbow with modern materials because it has quite a lot in common with a composite bow. My new design should have the look and feel of a classic selfbow but it should be made from state of the art materials like fibreglass and epoxy glue. So, there is no arrow shelf, no pistol grip handle or any other feature we know from today’s bows - that was my dream... Yes! I say it was, because I was able to realize it in spring 2020. We all know this year was pretty tough for all of us, but also in years like this something great could happen... the 333 bow was born! You might say, that there are much more important things in life, but for me it is quite an important event and in times like this we have to enjoy every single positive moment. The standard version of the 333 bow is 66“ long (ntn) and got some reflex for a bit more speed. The handle section is made from cherry wood and the limbs are made from maple covered with fibre glass, so it really has a very classic look and feel, combined with a lot of power. I want to give you a little insight on how the bow was made because it is part of the story and might be of interest for some of you. For the realization I needed new tools, like a bow form and a heat box (stuff that was not available back then so I had to build or design it on my own). The most important thing is the bow form, because it gives your bow its final shape and this is where your all of your know how and experience goes in. I made drawings and sketches and checked my wooden selfbows as reference. It took quite some time to come up with a shape that was according to my imagination. I made the final design on the computer and due to the lack of the right tools, a 73
nearby carpenter realized the form then with a CNC machine. To make decent laminated bows glued together with epoxy you also need a heat box... that was a much harder undertaking than expected. First of all, my workshop is pretty small and there is not really enough space for another box or anything else that could hold a 180 cm long bow form so I had to find a proper solution to heat up my bows. Necessity is the mother of invention, right? I found a solution and could integrate it under one of my workshop tables which helped to save a lot of space. After that I had to experiment a bit with light bulbs and thermostats to get the temperature I was aiming for. I found out that the most important factor is the insulation. The perfect insulation was not easy to achieve for my “under my desk improvised heat box”, but finally I could manage that as well. My advice is:“Build your own tools!” You can learn a lot from it because it is part of the process of making a bow. As everything was prepared, I set up the laminates, carefully applied the glue and assembled the different parts together in the form. When you glue the components together you of course need pressure to fix them. I do not use clamps, I use a sealed fire hose pumped up with air. When glueing up a new bow for the first time it is a bit stressful and exciting at the same time; so it is always a big relief to see it sitting in the heat box safely. 74
A few hours later the bow was ready to be taken out of it. My recommendation is to let it cool down completely in the form, before the pressure is released from the hose. Next thing is to cut out the final shape. I was using a band saw for this purpose. Before the bow can then be strung up and bent for the first time, I glued on the tip overalys and I rounded the sharp edges and corners. After the tillering process was finished, I was able to fire the first test arrows. Shooting the first arrows with a new bow is super exciting, but shooting the first arrows with a new design that has been spooking around in your mind for quite a long time feels awesome. It is a very special moment in a bowyer’s life. 75
Making a new bow design is, in the beginning, a kind of trial and error method when it comes to it’s final draw weight. When you got the first values you have a good reference to realize other draw weights as well. This one ended up at 34# @ 28“. What else can you ask for? You are right, a final test was missing. For this purpose I made a second bow which I sent to my Danish friend Martin who is a great archer (and, by the way, a cool guy too. He gave my design one hell of a durability test! We wanted to find out about the limits of the 333 bow. My Danish friend was really giving the bow a hard time and tried out nearly everything you should not do with a bow... he kept it in a too hot car in summer and shot it afterwards; he used too light and too heavy arrows; he kept it strung up for far too long and he was even dry firing it! Can you imagine the result? The 333 bow with the serial number 2 is still alive! It has not lost draw weight or experienced any changes in shape, so this is what I call a hardcore test! Martin called the 333 bow “A Modern Classic”. So, I keep on fighting for my dreams and consequently I am already planning for a new version of the 333 bow and the release of my first book about bow making. So let’s dream on together... do check out Martin’s Instagram account too: https://www.instagram.com/scandinavian_archer/ https://www.facebook.com/BogenbauRockhauser https://www.instagram.com/bogenbaurockhauser_archery 76
Overton Black Arrows UK Record Status Field Tournament ~ 05.09.2020 ~ On the 5th September, Overton Black Arrows held the first UK record status field archery event since Archery restarted in June, after the easing of lockdown measures. Following the success of their July competition, the Black Arrows decided to hold a further event as many other clubs were unable to hold competitions during the summer. Once again, competitors were grateful to be back out shooting, and the 60 archers that attended included many members of the British Field Archery teams and some of our Olympic archers. The course differed from the competition in July and all archers would agree that it was harder; the woods could not be used due to young pheasants, and a new slope was brought into use which made the course both challenging to shoot and hard work on the feet. 78
This did not stop the smiles at the end of the event! ~ Winners in each category were as follows: ~ Recurve Ladies: 335 – Bryony Pitman (Worthing AC) Recurve Gents: 340 - Patrick Huston (East Belfast AC) Recurve Junior Gents (U12): 137 – Tom Hawley (Fort Purbrook co of Bowmen) Recurve Junior Ladies (U15): 208 – Freya McCallum (Fort Purbrook co of Bowmen) Compound Unlimited Ladies: 392 – Ella Gibson (Deer Park Archers) Compound Unlimited Gents: 404 – Chris White (Meriden) Compound Barebow Gents: 302 – Simon Price (RSM Archers) Barebow Ladies: 279 – Victoria Williams (RSM Archers) Barebow Gents: 321 – James Annall (Bath Archers) Barebow Junior Ladies (U18): 205 – Phoebe Rose (Mere Archers) Instinctive Junior Ladies (U12): 115 – Katy Hawley (Fort Purbrook Company of Bowmen) Flatbow Gents: 174 – Phil White (Fort Purbrook co of Bowmen) Flatbow Ladies: 72 – Sophie Twigg (Exmouth Archers) Longbow Gents: 149 – Dan Hawley (Fort Purbrook Company of Bowmen) 79
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Pic provided by: HBS Photography
Overton Black Arrows Hampshire WA 3D Championships ~ 06.09.2020 ~ On the 6th September, Hampshire Archery Association (HAA) held the county’s first 3D field archery championships; hosted by Overton Black Arrows at their field archery range in Kingsclere, north Hampshire. For this competition, the style of 3D field archery involved shooting a course of 24 animal targets at unmarked (unknown) distances between 5m and 30/45m, dependent upon bow style. Archers moved around the course in groups of 4, rather like golf, shooting 2 arrows at each target and then moving on to the next one. Planning for this event started in November 2019 but was put on hold during the Covid pandemic, not least because an order was placed for new targets from a company in Italy just before the start of the pandemic. HAA received the targets at the end of July and the event was scheduled for September! 31 Hampshire archers and 28 from other counties entered, shooting under the current Archery GB social distancing rules. The weather was fantastic – a bit of cloud, but plenty of sunshine making it hard work on what is a very steep and hilly course. Hampshire Archers took first place overall in 12 of the 20 categories, with some good scores. More than 10 county records will be claimed as a result. Full results can be found here: https://drive.google.com/open? id=1OCkr0unhU7AEKqAJeXhVVWjqeZitFfkG 84
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~ Winners in the Hampshire Championships were as follows: ~ American Flatbow Gents: 296 - James Catchside (Fort Purbrook Company of Bowmen) Barebow Gents: 423 – Richard Heathcote (Talisman Archers) Junior Gents (U12): 143 – Noah Littlechild (Fort Purbrook Company of Bowmen) Junior Ladies (U15): 216 – Faith Littlechild (Fort Purbrook Company of Bowmen) Compound Unlimited Gents: 502 - Owen Blackmore (Southampton AC) Ladies: 438 – Elizabeth Blackmore (Southampton AC) Instinctive Junior Ladies (U12): 111 – Katy Hawley (Fort Purbrook Company of Bowmen) Longbow Gents: 263 – Dan Hawley (Fort Purbrook Company of Bowmen) Junior Gents (U18): 86 – James Baker (Overton Black Arrows) Recurve Gents: 378 – Richard Buckner (Overton Black Arrows) Junior Gents (U12): 147 – Tom Hawley (Fort Purbrook Company of Bowmen) Junior Gents (U15): 298 – Henry Maule (Fort Purbrook Company of Bowmen) Ladies: 314 – Ffion Edgeley (Forest of Bere) Junior Ladies (U15): 357 – Freya McCallum (Fort Purbrook Company of Bowmen) Junior Ladies (U18): 296 – Jodie Buckner (Overton Black Arrows) Traditional Gents: 228 – Paul Creamer (Fort Purbrook Company of Bowmen) 86
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Field Archery News UK online magazine Clubs Dogs & Crossbows List (Updated 1st October 2020) CLUB Dogs Crossbows Pines Park Archers YES - on leads & with owners No - sorry, due to landowner Rednex at all times please restrict ions Stonebow Field Archers NO YES Kings Lynn FA Ye Olde Delph Bowmen NO - sorry NO - sorry Delamere Field Archers YES YES Paget de Vesey Black Arrow FAC YES YES Ashcombe Valley Archers YES, with well-behaved owners! NO Spirit of Sherwood YES YES Cheshire Oak Bowmen Westcombe Archers YES YES YES YES Archers of Dolphinholme Longbow Heritage YES YES Pennington Archers NO YES Redgauntlet Archers YES - with advance notificat ion, YES on leads & with owners at all times please YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES 89
CLUB Dogs Crossbows Forest Spirit Archers (near YES NO Cluny in Fife) Auld Kirk Bowmen YES YES Redoubtables Archery Toad Hollow Archers NO YES Oakwood Bowmen YES - on leads at all t imes please YES Butsfield Bowmen NO - sorry NO - sorry Druids Field Archers Lakeland Field Archers YES YES Brixham Archers YES - on leads please YES Aurora FAC Black Sheep Archers YES YES Artemis Archers NO NO Centaura Bowmen Hanson Bowmen YES YES Long Eaton Field Archers YES YES South Hams Field Archers YES YES Pentref Bowmen YES YES Birkhill FAC (near Wormit, YES YES Fife, Scotland) Riggwelter Field Archers YES YES YES YES We have a no dogs on the NO course policy however, archers are welcome to bring their pets but they must be left in their vehicles while the shoot is in progress YES - well behaved dogs on Sorry, it’s a NO leads at all t imes please YES - but on a lead NO Thank you to all clubs that have let me know so far! Hels :-) If you would like to be included in the list then just let me know. Please include your Club Name and a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ regarding Dogs and a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ regarding Crossbows at your shoots. You can contact me in the following ways:- 1. Email me at [email protected] 2. Contact me via the FAN UK website as a site member via Wix Engage message at http://fieldarcherynewsuk.wixsite.com/fanuk 3. Send me a Private Message via the FAN UK Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/FieldArcheryNewsUK/ 90
* Limeri Archery Woodlan 13th Sep 92
ick Field y Club * nd Shoot pt. 2020 93
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~ FOR THE LOVE OF FIELD ARCHERY ~
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