How hard do you like it?

[Buff]

I made it to a local 3-D shoot today.
Beautiful place with nice targets.
I was the only Trad guy that made it.
Average shot was right at 30 yards with none under 20.

I enjoy a challenge and had a good time with it only missing 2 targets. Under a Javie at 36 steps and skipped one off a football turkey facing me at 32 steps

I was wondering about the average trad guy faced with a course like this, would you just laugh at yourself or would you be frustrated?

I know if it is too easy folks wouldn’t feel challenged and if it is too hard it makes it hard for them to go back.

What would most Trad guy consider a fun set up for 30 targets ?
I would guess something like
10 small targets at around 12 to 15 yards, 15 Deer hog size targets 18 to twenty and 5 bigger target 25 to 30.

What do y’all think ?
I have not had time to shoot 3-D for the last several years just wondering if everyone has improved to a 30 yard average while I was away

[jerp]

The only targets we put out at 30 or farther is an elk and a buffalo. We get some grumbling if there are too many beyond 20 or so. If they were all 30 plus I would be writing down a lot
of zeros and fives on my card

[KenWood]

I would go to the truck and get some older arrows.

[Randy Madden]

Marty, I’ve been to that shoot a couple of times. And they have always been long shots for us Trad guys.
One time I went there was a guy with a group of kids shooting Trad and they all ended up leaving. Not sure why they don’t have a designated stake for us.
But I still had fun when I did go.
If I had know you was going this morning I would have made it a point to be there.

[Randy Madden]

Also... I believe that’s why very few Trad guys go to this event.

[DRT]

Cowtown had a good course set up. Kinda like you did it the last trad hunt we had at your place. Shoot over blow downs, between trees, under blow downs. Some uphill and down hill. I don't want a gimme course. I want to know what I can and can't do. The scoring rings are great but only to a point. Some 8s were just lethal wounds you wouldn't recover the animal on. Great for the tournament score though. I figure if you shoot for fun you can get as close as you're comfortable with anyhow.

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[Bisch]

Here's my take on it:

I'll shoot just about anything they want to set up. Even on real hard courses, I'll hit nearly all of them, and just be a bit frustrated when it's over.

But................ I have been asked on numerous occasions for my opinion on how things should be set for a trad tournament, and this is my standard answer:

At most any shoot, the better shooters are always going to be at the top, hashing it out for the awards. If the shoot is real hard, those guys scores are a little lower, and most will grumble a bit because they don't think they shot it as good as they could have.

If it is set super easy, those same top shooters will still be at the top hashing it out for the awards, and they will be posting scores that most folks think are astronomical!

I always tell the folks that ask, that if they are going to err, they should err on the easy side. If a shoot is really difficult (which I believe big shoots like State and World Championships should be), guys who are not as skilled, or new shooters will go out, lose or break $50 worth of arrows, and not want to come back.

If a course is set a bit easier, those folks can have a good time and hit most of the targets, and want to come back for the next shoot.

Obviously, the perfect course would be a good mix of some really easy targets, a few really tough ones, and most in the middle somewhere.

At least that's how I see it.

Bisch

[Buff]

Here's my take on it:

I'll shoot just about anything they want to set up. Even on real hard courses, I'll hit nearly all of them, and just be a bit frustrated when it's over.

But................ I have been asked on numerous occasions for my opinion on how things should be set for a trad tournament, and this is my standard answer:

At most any shoot, the better shooters are always going to be at the top, hashing it out for the awards. If the shoot is real hard, those guys scores are a little lower, and most will grumble a bit because they don't think they shot it as good as they could have.

If it is set super easy, those same top shooters will still be at the top hashing it out for the awards, and they will be posting scores that most folks think are astronomical!

I always tell the folks that ask, that if they are going to err, they should err on the easy side. If a shoot is really difficult (which I believe big shoots like State and World Championships should be), guys who are not as skilled, or new shooters will go out, lose or break $50 worth of arrows, and not want to come back.

If a course is set a bit easier, those folks can have a good time and hit most of the targets, and want to come back for the next shoot.

Obviously, the perfect course would be a good mix of some really easy targets, a few really tough ones, and most in the middle somewhere.

At least that's how I see it.

Bisch

That was pretty much my thoughts.
Most of the Trad guys I know would have really struggled to complete the course and not wanted to go through that again.

[DRT]

What were the toughest shots one the course like?

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[Caddo]

I like the mixture of easy and hard. The easy ones reaffirm my capabilities in my 6-18 yd hunting range and the harder. longer shots give me the incentive to improve. To me, 3D is just a game, fun to play and mostly fun to meet and shoot with other Trad folks. I'll probably never, ever be good enough to buckle, but then again, I'm not sure that I care. Most times I never turn in a score card, good or bad. Just my 2 cents.

LD

[RickBarbee]

Back (around 1984/85) when I first got into outdoor (bowhunter style) archery competition, there were very few 3D matches across the country (maybe none. not sure), and for sure none anywhere near my area. There were a couple of clubs who had some homemade 3D targets, but they pretty much held them in reserve for special/novelty shots.

We shot a mix of paper animal, and paper circle face targets pinned to paper bales, and/or dirt banks.

We also had a full 28 target NFAA field target range. I spent a lot of time on that range, and learned a lot about my shooting in doing so.

For the primary club events/shoots it was 60 targets at unknown distances.

There were only four shooter stakes.
Men, Women, Youth, and Cub.
All shot from their designated stake regardless of equipment, and the shots ranged from short to all the way out to 60 yards (sometimes further), but you get the point.

Even when 3D became the rage, most of it was done the same as with the paper targets up until the time the IBO came on the scene. When IBO came to the area things changed. Things changed a lot.

Me, I have fun either/any way. Kinda miss the old days though.

Rick

[Buff]

Back (around 1984/85) when I first got into outdoor (bowhunter style) archery competition, there were very few 3D matches across the country (maybe none. not sure), and for sure none anywhere near my area. There were a couple of clubs who had some homemade 3D targets, but they pretty much held them in reserve for special/novelty shots.

We shot a mix of paper animal, and paper circle face targets pinned to paper bales, and/or dirt banks.

We also had a full 28 target NFAA field target range. I spent a lot of time on that range, and learned a lot about my shooting in doing so.

For the primary club events/shoots it was 60 targets at unknown distances.

There were only four shooter stakes.
Men, Women, Youth, and Cub.
All shot from their designated stake regardless of equipment, and the shots ranged from short to all the way out to 60 yards (sometimes further), but you get the point.

Even when 3D became the rage, most of it was done the same as with the paper targets up until the time the IBO came on the scene. When IBO came to the area things changed. Things changed a lot.

Me, I have fun either/any way. Kinda miss the old days though.

Rick

About 10 years ago I worked for a couple of months in Farmington NM.
They had a Tuesday afternoon 3-D shoot every week.
Max distance was 80 yards. Most shoots a 30 yard turkey was the closest target.

[RickBarbee]

About 10 years ago I worked for a couple of months in Farmington NM.
They had a Tuesday afternoon 3-D shoot every week.
Max distance was 80 yards. Most shoots a 30 yard turkey was the closest target.

The Permian Basin Bowhunters Assn used to set shoots like that.

I can remember going to a number of shoots there & elsewhere where I was thinking to myself - "Do I have enough arrows?"

Rick

[Hunter Todd]

Here's my take on it:

I'll shoot just about anything they want to set up. Even on real hard courses, I'll hit nearly all of them, and just be a bit frustrated when it's over.

But................ I have been asked on numerous occasions for my opinion on how things should be set for a trad tournament, and this is my standard answer:

At most any shoot, the better shooters are always going to be at the top, hashing it out for the awards. If the shoot is real hard, those guys scores are a little lower, and most will grumble a bit because they don't think they shot it as good as they could have.

If it is set super easy, those same top shooters will still be at the top hashing it out for the awards, and they will be posting scores that most folks think are astronomical!

I always tell the folks that ask, that if they are going to err, they should err on the easy side. If a shoot is really difficult (which I believe big shoots like State and World Championships should be), guys who are not as skilled, or new shooters will go out, lose or break $50 worth of arrows, and not want to come back.

If a course is set a bit easier, those folks can have a good time and hit most of the targets, and want to come back for the next shoot.

Obviously, the perfect course would be a good mix of some really easy targets, a few really tough ones, and most in the middle somewhere.

At least that's how I see it.

Bisch

This sums it up for me too. I like a few long shots, but want the majority between 12-20 yards.

[SwampRabbit]

I made it to a local 3-D shoot today.
Beautiful place with nice targets.
I was the only Trad guy that made it.
Average shot was right at 30 yards with none under 20.

I enjoy a challenge and had a good time with it only missing 2 targets. Under a Javie at 36 steps and skipped one off a football turkey facing me at 32 steps

I was wondering about the average trad guy faced with a course like this, would you just laugh at yourself or would you be frustrated?

Been in similar situations just a couple times. The first time I lost a few arrows at the first few and because I'm not that stubborn, I just shot from wherever I wanted to and didn't keep score. After I got better to where I wouldn't loose as many arrows, I'd just shoot at the thing for fun.

I don't take 3D overly seriously. It should just to have fun. Even so, I do get frustrated on some shots that I know I should be able to make.

I know if it is too easy folks wouldn’t feel challenged and if it is too hard it makes it hard for them to go back.

Definitely agree on the later statement. If you make it too hard for those who feel like they are being judged, even when nobody is watching (they think that they have to make 20+ yard shots on turkeys be ready to hunt because that is where the stake is!) then it is a disservice to some folks. At the end of the day, that is what multiple stakes are for. As far as making it too easy... I'd like to see that course

What would most Trad guy consider a fun set up for 30 targets ?
I would guess something like
10 small targets at around 12 to 15 yards, 15 Deer hog size targets 18 to twenty and 5 bigger target 25 to 30.

What do y’all think ?

I think that is pretty spot on. I'd mix it up a little more than that. The most fun courses I have shot have had some of the Deer sized targets close at 12 and 15 yards, but setup to where it is difficult to get a feel for depth because of trees in the way, etc. I feel you can make a course challenging with 15 yard maximum distance shots by changing up the angles, obstructions, etc. To me, those are more fun that hail Mary's to an T-rex 30 yards in a field.

I have not had time to shoot 3-D for the last several years just wondering if everyone has improved to a 30 yard average while I was away

I'd stop shooting 3D if the average was 30 yards. I hope that day never comes.