My first 1440 (FITA) with 720

My first 1440 was quite an experience, not really being able to see your own arrows at 90 meters makes it quite difficult to adjust your sight. Especially since we are 3 on the butt. The fact that one of the guys also shot Carbon Core Blackbirds was good to see more people on the line using these arrows for competition. Nic Weber really made it look easy at the range with his current setup although his arrows were also mostly dark carbon, also with black and white fletches.

A few rounds in I found out a cap touching your string can be quite catastrophic, as I was a full draw on 70m I was not aware my cap was pushing on my string. As I released the arrow went about 2 meters high over the target into the safety wall. I can at least say after retrieving my arrow the tip was fine, the shaft was fine and everything was still in perfect condition. Lesson learned. No more caps that can touch my string no matter what I do! When we finally approached 50 meters I was much more comfortable and at 30 after 108 arrows I was ready to abuse the gold! Thankfully that saved me quite a bit. My first 1440 went okay managing 1280/1440 with an arrow gone AWOL, fletch fleeing mid shot also ending right beside the target.

The next day was the 720 which saw quite a few more archers on the line. Things did not go too bad during the ranking round, unfortunately, the eliminations were a bit harsh with the tired arms of the previous day.

Markspark is one of those ranges that sporadically get the wild winds. As I finished my 720 I did find a pleasant surprise that I got Bronze for 1440.

Another event done and dusted.

Elgro IFAA Field

Addiction comes in many forms, but the one thing I do enjoy is the challenge field offers. You can know every distance you will shoot by heart but there are so many elements affecting it. You have to take your footing, the wind, the angle of the sun, the constantly changing angle of the sun and so many other factors into account.

I was quite eager to shoot here in Potchefstroom since in 2018 the world fields will be held in the same area.

Beautiful Elgo River Lodge

The Lodge is about 30km outside of Potchefstroom, the morning we arrived there was nerve wracking. There are mountains all around you, a strong wind and the temperature was quite low. Getting out to the practice range the freezing winds were strong and already I could feel the control in my hands were slipping away. Getting to the range from the lodge was done with a few game cruisers, everywhere I looked I could see so many terrifying possible spots for shots.

Arriving at the range was a strange sight, there was a large tent in the middle of an open, rather flat field. Standing from one spot you could pretty much see all 28 targets around you in a circular shape. It looked somewhat boring, but the wind had a role to play with no trees or hills really breaking the wind on this open field.

Luckily I started on the bunnies, so I had an opportunity to adjust my sight. Shooting with a few archers that knew the finer things of archery. My thumb release was difficult to let off, I considered moving over to my backtension, but the wind did not calm down. A few great rounds and a few rounds that left a bit to be desired.

2 great examples of archery

Even though the course looked easy, the wind was a factor no one expected to be that influential. The cold wind affected my knee more than what I hoped for, so moving was a tedious task.

After our 112 arrows I ended the day less than what I was aiming for, but acceptable.

The next day the cold was still the bit the wind much more under control. A enjoy the hunter round a tend to do quite a bit better when shooting it. My black dot tends to do better on the black targets.

Everything started off much better, my score was looking better and my arrows tended to hit their targets much better. 

A windy day, in the open

All went well that was until about halfway through, now the wind came back with a vengeance. Our long shots were all lined up and I saw the issues we were about to encounter.

This is what happens if your sight is right

On our 60 yards shot the wind came with a strong gust just as was about to release and it pushed me off the target just enough to score a 0... Just as my arrow hit the target I knew that things are about to get harder, and I was right. A few other guys in our group also hit a 0. 

Eventually, as we neared the end the wind died down again, but the damage was already done. Now it came to fighting hard enough to try and match the score of the previous day. Thankfully I managed to match the previous day's score.

The open spaces field in Potchefstroom offers

 Overall I did learn a few new things again, but as I shoot more and more in the wind I slowly learn the tricks of this fine art.

1 Point

I enjoy all forms of archery, I really enjoy eliminations in World Archery but for some reason I tend to miss the World Archery events. Thankfully this weekend I got to shoot a 720 at Tukkies after a very late registration.

So on Thursday I decided to try out a 10 degree offset on my bow. I saw a few guys with it, a few international archers and wanted to try it out. Off to Magnum to get it sorted.

Saturday morning was the first time I arrived almost early for the 720. That was until a fun run was taking place, and by the looks of it, it was more a gentle, casual stroll. It took quite some time to finally get to the range. Once I finally stopped there everything looked good, mother nature was kind enough not to have the winds interrupt early morning shooting.

Elimination done RIGHT!

Our ranking session went quite well, I kept it mostly in the gold with the occasional shot in the red due to either creeping, or jerking. When all was done 72 arrows behind us. I ended up tied with Sean Nel, a staff shooter for Archer's Edge.

First round I got a BYE. Second round I got Mr. Nel, he was ready for the day and started off very strong! In the end we both ended with a 139. This is where I got to shoot another shoot off, I got my shot off and hit the 10, Sean hit the 9! A good tough round.

Third round I ended up against Folkers Heroldt, an archer who has been shooting for quite a couple of years entrenched in archery. The previous time we ended up against each other I lost the round. So now we were ready to shoot again. Folkers showing that experience trumps almost everything else opened with a perfect round. It was a long hard round but I finished on a 141. Folkers did a great 142.

As I got ready to pack up, I heard I somehow ended up the Bronze medal match. Somewhat caught off guard I did what I do, I shot. The match was hard and my opponent was fierce! I just managed to get a 140 and he got a 141. A hard match, but a fun match. I lost with a single point.

So this is how you learn.

De Voetpadkloof IFAA Field

This was my first trip to Mpumalanga, the rumours about the course were partially true. I decided I want to shoot this course for a few reasons.

Isiyala Lodge

1. I want a challenging course to see if I can handle the angles. 
2. I wanted to explore a bit more of our country. 
3. I also wanted to get out of the city for a while.

Isiyala at a distance

Objectives achieved! We drove to Isiyala Lodge the Friday morning, about 200kms East of Johannesburg. As we arrived at the lodge it was really a tranquil site. The same day we decided to explore the surrounding area and ended up at the outdoor expo, they were not officially open but we could still get a few snacks and drinks.

Saturday morning we arrived at the range, there were quite a few people at the event and the course looked quite intimidating. So I headed to the practice range and after 3 shots I heard the awful sound of a nock being destroyed. As I approached the target I saw it was not one of my arrows, but that of a fellow archer who had his arrow destroyed. After this, I decided to get ready for the first day.

The unfortunate arrow that wanted to share the same spot as mine

The morning was not too chilly and the course had 14 targets. As I received my card I was quite happy seeing I was starting at target 15. After the announcements, a few groups were not complete so a slight reshuffle was in order and I got moved to target 9 at my dismay.

Target 9 was one of the last targets in the mountain, this was a long walk with short legs. After I eventually reached my target it was a bit of a shock since my first target was 55 yards away further up the mountain .having seen how difficult it could be when it came to angles I decided to replace my Nikon Prostaff 5 with an i3 with the angle calculations. Ranging the target was about 2 yards less. Starting the competition with my backtension was okay.

The bunny at a bit of an angle

Our second target was the short range bunny. I still don't know why it is referred to as the bunny. This target gets shot at 35, 30, 25 and 20 feet. The first two pegs were at a high angle while the second two was about eye level. Half shot okay we moved on.

The rock; the 1st time round

Now the 80-yard shot arrives, everything is perfect, on full draw dot hovering perfectly over the target's centre and as I released it hit me! My sight was at 24 yards! My first fatal mistake, also my first arrow that got destroyed due to a bad shot. My carbon arrow hit the first rock and shattered... Eventually, I decide to switch to my thumb release die a bit more control with the wind and difficult shooting positions. This helped.

We went around and started ascending the mountain again. Shooting a few targets as we head up the mountain. Once we finally got on the mountain the wind started a gentle tease. It progressively just blew harder and harder.

My last shot for the day was a 60 yard shot on a rock with the wind blowing like the lost Capetonian wind. At the end of the first day, I can honestly say I enjoyed the course even with the ups and downs, we had a strong group and it was a great group to get some pointers from.

So after 112 scoring arrows, we went our separate ways to come back the next day with the Hunter round.

The day started quite well since I ended up in the same group as a fellow PSE archer, another lefty and massive Jan. I adjusted a few sight settings the previous day and moved my pin ever so slightly. This seemed to have made a positive change to everything.

The course as you can see is quite rocky, so the recurve archers had a hard time when they missed, with the strong occasional winds and the angles of the targets it was really one group I felt sorry for.

A tight field grouping

This is why I trust my Carbon Core arrows, if my sight is correct they hit the centre, every time! I had quite a few perfect rounds as we went around on the Hunter day and felt quite positive.

After the second day and a few changes, I can honestly say things went much better due to 3 changes that I made the after the 1st day.

1. Sight adjustment
2. Only using my Fang4 thumb release
3. Using proper glue for fletching!

I used Gorilla glue which worked well for the first few days, but after that, it just did not stick anymore. I switched that out for Glue Meister which I found at the Rand Show in Johannesburg, but I cannot find much of it online. That seems to be keeping my fletches in place even after severe punishment. 

PSE Dominator 3D Max & Evolve 35

A 65Y shot

So with all those changes, I went up 15 points from the previous day. A good, yet difficult shoot.

Sedibeng IFAA - Bittersweet almost!

Well today I got to take my ID arrows for the first outing, after some practice over the last week I was hoping to finally get my 300. Having shot IFAA 5 spot four times before my highest 3 scores was 297/36; 295/34; 288/36.

Initially I had some issues with my indoor setup, for some reason after a few shots I tended to lose a fletch mid flight and my arrow tended to hit far to the one side missing the target completely. After a miss or two it tends to get you very, VERY negative.

After a few of these I made a few changes, went from my HHA optimizer to a Shibuya CPX520, my arrow rest was moved (the cause of the stripping fletches). Was playing around with different arrows (Gold Tip, Easton, Black Eagle) until I finally settled on the Carbon Core arrows. My blackbirds did not really have the diameter to cut a line when a shot was less than perfect, but the ID arrows did significantly better. Overall everything went quite well I had a 48x count, which is my personal best. All went well until my 3rd last round, where I shot 4X and then as I crept forward I slipped and plonked my last arrow into a solid 4. My mistake...

So after all was shot and done I got a 299/48.

Shoot casual.

Endless Wraps / African Arrow Wraps Review

It seems that after some time you want to give it a bit of a personal touch on your gear. I have been shooting PSE for about 2 years and fell in love with their skullworks camo. So after getting the dimensions, I decided to head off to GIMP for some image editing. Thankfully it did not take me too long to get it the way I wanted it. I sent the design off to Endless Wraps to get it printed who are located in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal.

The wraps

 After a bit of patience, it finally arrived! The DPI on the prints were good enough to get all the small detail in of the antlers and the PSE logo I put on it. After some time on youtube to see how you wrap arrows I had 3 blackbirds that I was ready to give a go. My first attempt was not entirely to my liking so I decided to redo it.

Step 1

I peeled the wrap off, placed it face down on a massive mouse pad, then with a hobby knife I held it in place while taking tissue dipped in acetone to wipe down the arrow shaft and the wrap. I placed the arrow next to the wrap making sure my logo would still be visible after the wrapping it. Slowly and forcefully rolling my arrow onto the wrap it stuck perfectly!

My arrows with those wraps

Step 2

So after my wrap was on, I just added my blackbird pin nock adapter and my Easton G Nock. I was worried that the wrap might be a bit thick causing issues on my blade rest but it did not seem to cause any issues.

My completed arrows, wraps and all!

Step 3

I am not saying that I hate fletching but fletching these arrows with such a small diameter tends to not be the easiest thing to fletch.

However, once the wraps were on, they actually fletched quite a bit easier, the fletches stuck easier and the little bit of body it gave the shaft also made the fletching quite a bit less frustrating.

Conclusion

Well after I weighed my arrows vs my non-wrapped arrows I had a difference of 410 vs 398, so not too much really for a wrap that is 200x25mm, that boils down to 1.77GPI, which puts it a bit on the heavier side. The price for what you get makes these wraps worth it, making your arrows that little bit more unique.

For more information contact Endless Wraps.

North Gauteng IFAA Field Championship

Well, it does seem that not all days are created equal, the North Gauteng field competition was something behold. The wind came in with something you would only see in the fair Cape. The winds were blowing in gusts of hard wind that Saturday that tended to be coming from the one side then the other of constant varying strength.

This made a back tension(TruBall BT Gold4) the wrong choice on the day, my first half I did okay, fighting and wrestling the wind, but it seems this is where the weight advantage did not really help much. On full draw wind from the one side would make getting the arrow to fly near impossible and the wind from the other side tended just to make the arrow fly. My second half I ended up doing 20 points less than my first.

The second day, I was convinced to rather switch to my thumb release (TruBall Fang4). The day went slightly better on my first half, but my second half on the thumb proved a bit better, giving me exactly the same score as my first half. Shooting 24 points better than the previous day.

This was our day's wind!

Overall after being quite despondent after my first day, the second day picked up and I am one step closer to my Gauteng colours. This is the one discipline that I am finding challenging but fun, watching some of the heavy weights shooting field really does get you quite eager to do it.

Ekurhuleni Field Championship

Our first field, our first time we have to shoot more than 100 scoring arrows per day and walk close to 10km per day!

This unlike other competitions we shoot was quite different, there are so many rules with field. The distances go up to 80 yards and you have no excuse for a bad shot, since everything is a perfect round target.

Our first day was quite an experience, thankfully I was on the range before but for some fun 3D shooting. So Archers Edge did not feel completely alien, but the field section that was setup felt brand new. 14 targets to done twice, 4 arrows per target. A chilly and cloudy morning, there were so many people we were two 4 man groups on most targets.

All distances marked, clearly.

The first day was quite an experience that I enjoyed way too much. I loved the technical aspect, the order to shoot in, the distances and the amount of arrows.

A beautiful morning with a massive amount of archers.

My wife getting ready for a near perfect shot.

This is what Carbon Core Blackbirds do outdoor!

So after my first time shooting field I know one thing for certain, I will be back for more!

North Gauteng Indoor Qualifier 10/06/17

Today was a freezing day in the heart of Winter, we got ready and headed to the venue.

Upon arrival I started doubting I had the date of the event right, the first session is usually so packed you have trouble finding parking, today this was not the case. Heading up the stairs I heard a few familiar voices and it seems that the weather and exams kept a few archers in the warm confines of home.

Starting our ranking arrows all went smoothly. Using my too shiny arrows for indoor I was satisfied with my end. A 280/300. A quick break and something wasn't quite right. I started hitting about 3cm to the left. 2 rounds and I adjusted my sight. Having shot 3 8s I knew my score was about to take a pounding. Finished it as expected, somewhat lower.

Heading next door to Dale who is a magician when it comes to bows, he adjusted timing on cams, arrow rest alignment and added a new D loop. Just in time for the eliminations.

Round #1

Always an ice breaker, everything felt much better but still adjusted a bit on my height and centering in, probably not the best time. As we finished up we were tied. This caused the dreaded one arrow shoot off. He shot and I saw the pressure took its toll. He hit a solid 8. Shocked I felt my backtension slip, and hit a line cutter 9...  Dumb luck prevailed!

Round #2

I thankfully got a bye, time to just clear my mind and hope the next round goes better.

Round #3

To my shock and surprise I saw I was in the final gold match. Against a fellow south paw and PSE archer. Having known he takes a podium position on occasion I was quite nervous to say the least. He takes the lead in the first round and keeps it. I get a few 10s, and miss a few, by a few millimeters. Eventually he knocks one arrow out giving me a 3 point lead. Fighting to keep my lead I just made it to take gold.

This is why I love this sport!

Hello world

Greetings everyone,

We (my wife and I) have been into archery for a while. We started shooting a few 3D competitions and in 2016 we started taking up target archery.

South Africa as beautiful as diverse offers a variety of locations for shooting, I decided to start blogging our travels and experiences.

Both of us shoot PSE as our main competition bows and shoot a variety of styles, 3D, IFAA, WA and ABO. We enjoy the social and competitive nature of the sport. Since we do it together as a passion and sport is a great way to build our relationship in this busy, bizarre life in the city.

Till the next post, shoot casual.