Field Archery vs Target Archery
At first glance, #targetarchery and #fieldarchery might look the same. Archers in both disciplines draw a bow, take aim, and shoot arrows at a round target marked with circles. What’s the difference? Target and field archery have different rules, scoring systems and settings. If you’re just learning archery, these are two FUN games you can try, and both will offer you different challenges.
For indoor shooting during autumn and winter, archers can try National Field Archery Association (NFAA) rounds at 20 yards. There are two primary “rounds” – or games – shot at NFAA events indoors: the “three spot” target, a multicolored target face with three individual targets; and a “five spot” target, a blue and white target face with five individual targets. If you’re brand new to archery, don’t stress: there are “single spot” versions of both targets available. Archers enjoy indoor archery competitions hosted by the NFAA using several different kinds of bows, including compounds and recurves. The NFAA hosts one of the world’s most famous indoor archery tournaments: “The Vegas Shoot,” which attracts over 2,000 youth and adult archers to Las Vegas each February.
Outdoor field archers shoot on a walking course – sometimes called a “roving course” – that’s usually wooded. Target distances vary from less than 10 yards to 80 yards, and target faces differ based on the round being shot. Archers may shoot field, hunter or animal rounds. In the field round, targets are black and white with a black center; in the hunter division, targets are all black with thin white rings and a white center; and in the animal division, paper targets feature colorful images of animals. If the animal division sounds fun, and you want to take it a step further, try 3-D archery!
