Numbers and initials on arrows.

philhoney

New member
Hi,
Chatting to one of our beginners tonight the subject of names or initials and numbers on arrows came up.
The beginner started that he had heard that in competitions your arrows should be marked with your initials or name. Someone else chimed in saying that they need to be numbered as well.
Can someone give me an easy to understand interpretation of the rules and why they are needed?
Phil
 

Phil Reay

New member
As I understand it, in SOME competitions arrows should be numbered and initialed. I have got away with writing on the fletchings. If you do a Vagas, you HAVE to use numbered arrows because you need to put the correct arrow in the correct target.
Another reason for numbering the arrows is if you have an arrow doing strange things if it is numbered you can keep an eye on it.
I go in for a lot of competitions and have not been asked about numbering and initialising arrows.
 

Woodie

Member
Arrow shafts need to be marked so that they can be identified as belonging to a particular archer. It needs to be on the shaft as fletchings may fall off and also you may have 2 archers on the same target with identical shafts nocks and fletchings.
AFAIK there is no requirement in the rules ( except maybe shooting vegas round) to number arrows, although it is good practice to do so and enables the archer to identify a rogue arrow.
 

Harold's EyeIt wasn't me

Member
Fonz Awardee
Part 2 of Rules of Shooting - Bowstyles

Rule 202 g (ii)

The arrows of each competitor shall be marked on the shaft with the competitor's name or initials and all arrows used for the same end of 3 or 6 arrows shall carry the same pattern and colour(s) of fletching, nocks and cresting, if any.

409. Regulations for the Vegas Round
(a) The Rules of Target Archery ? Indoor shall apply except as enumerated in the following paragraphs.
.......
(v) Arrows shall be numbered and shall be shot in ascending numerical sequence, one arrow at each target centre in the order 1, 2 and 3.
 

Flying Whale

New member
The other good reason to have arrows numbered is when shooting tournaments under GNAS rules. If you have a bouncer the judge will come along and allow you to shoot another "identified" arrow. They will then come up to help scoring and if the orginal "bouncer" clearly was not, they must discount the score of the extra arrow. To identify it they can use the number you alreasy have on the arrow.... or perhasp they will make a big mark on the shaft or fletchings of your beautiful arrows. To save this, it is useful to have them numbered.

And as has been mentioned above it is usful sometimes to have them numbered so you can convince yourself one way or the other that "the 1 bad arrow an end is always the same arrow... it can't be me!"
 

philhoney

New member
Hi FW,
What do you mean by ONE bad arrow per end? I usually get 3 or more BAD arrows per end. It couldn't be me, could it?
Phil
 

Flying Whale

New member
Hi FW,
What do you mean by ONE bad arrow per end? I usually get 3 or more BAD arrows per end. It couldn't be me, could it?
Phil
Problem is when you get 3 bad arrows an end (yes it happens to me too), which are the 3 good and the 3 bad? 3 in the gold is great. Distressing though when you know those really were the bad shots!
 

philhoney

New member
Hi,
I went through a phase about 18 months ago when I just couldn't go wrong. Indoors, 40cm targets at about 16yds. Only 33 arrows (3 sighters) I would shoot out the gold in 2 evenings. It was great, draw, look at the gold, release and the arrow went where I was looking. The trouble was that I stopped concentrating and and went downhill fast and shot my lowest ever score and no matter what I tried I just couldn't get back in the zone.
My confidence had gone.
At the moment we are shooting outdoors and although I am usually near the top I do get the (too often) bad day I know that if I can get it togetherI can be at the top but it's convincing my 62yr old brain to play is my biggest problem.
Phil
.
 

Rip T

New member
Hi,
It's not an official round, It's just the size of the hall we use.
Phil
Phil - this is what we know as the Andy Harris round.

In Essex we have a postal league competition over the winter which shoots this round (36 arrows, 15 yards, 40cm faces) which has been very popular with nearly 40 teams in it.

It was started by Andy Harris as something for clubs (like ours) who only have smaller halls. I have a "derrived" set of handicap values for this and it is great fun.

If you go to the ECAA site (ECAA Target) there are details - you should ask about entering a team!

Rip
 
Part 2 of Rules of Shooting - Bowstyles

Rule 202 g (ii)

The arrows of each competitor shall be marked on the shaft with the competitor's name or initials and all arrows used for the same end of 3 or 6 arrows shall carry the same pattern and colour(s) of fletching, nocks and cresting, if any.

.
That's interesting, I have in the past shot 3 differant arrows, two of each, in clout. it was a very windy day and I wanted to know which ones would reach. Pretty sure I've done it at target as well in my early days of LB when I broke a few and didn't have enough of the same set. I can clearly see the reason why they should all be the same, just didn't realise it was a rule.

Guess I should really read the rules one day. Next you will be telling me I cannot have carbon running down the inside of my woodies................... :lookaroun
 

Flying Whale

New member
That's interesting, I have in the past shot 3 differant arrows, two of each, in clout. it was a very windy day and I wanted to know which ones would reach. Pretty sure I've done it at target as well in my early days of LB when I broke a few and didn't have enough of the same set. I can clearly see the reason why they should all be the same, just didn't realise it was a rule.

Guess I should really read the rules one day. Next you will be telling me I cannot have carbon running down the inside of my woodies................... :lookaroun
Don't remember who it was, but I did hear of someone a few years back shooting at an indoor tournament who was pulled up by an extremely eagle-eyed (and officious?) judge for the fact one of his arrows was fletched slightly differently. His score was disqualified. The unfortunate thing was that he had broken the National record. Don't remember the details and I was not there, but I believe it to be true.

So beware..
 
Top