NCFAA Shoot at Durham County Wildlife Club

NCFAA Shoot at Durham County Wildlife Club was great but poorly attended. I really need to do what I can to support the NCFAA I really like shooting Field and want it to continue. The weather was almost perfect and very good for August. Sasha was suppose to shoot and we waited for her but when she had not showed up by 10 after we decided to go ahead and shoot. I was going to shoot with Chris and tow other archers who were there. Right when we were about to leave Eli showed up and because there was no one else there to shoot I told Chris and them to go ahead and I would shoot with eli so he would be able to shoot. Eli shot the practice bails, he was not sure of his tape at long ranges. It was a good time shooting with him. He is almost inhuman at 20 yards shooting almost all 10 but in field he is a bit more human. He still shot better than I did and we had a real good time. I would shoot with him again any time. I shot fair until I hit a tree on the tower shot on my first arrow, I switch to my thumb release and landed the other three arrows. I was using my resistance release mostly for the experience but when to the thumb when I felt uncomfortable. I did shoot the resistance release on 85% of the targets. I again only shot half the course feeling a bit worn after 14. Also I was shooting 3D on Sunday.

First Flight Archery indoor 3D shoot

First Flight Archery indoor 3D shoot. I did not enjoy this shoot very much John had changed the limbs on my Podium. The Podium was purchased with 40 -50 pound limbs but when Hoyt replaced them due to a bit of delamination on the original limbs. The new limbs would only go up to 48.6 pounds when the limb bolts were fully down. So I purchased a new set of custom Red 50 - 60 pound limbs from John and he installed them. I had ask that he set the bow to about 52 pounds but he did not do this so when I asked again he did so acting like it was a huge favor he was doing for me. He also commented about me only pulling only 52 pounds but he did not make this comment to me I just over heard it. When I went to shoot my bow it made a very strange thunking sound when I went to full draw. I asked him about it and if he would come and tell me what it was. Again he acted like this was the biggest favor I could ask but he came. He had me pull back the bow and then told me not to shoot but to let down. He took my bow and when to his work bench mumbling about the cables. When I got the bow back I asked what was wrong and he told me the yoke cable were on backwards. He obviously never pulled the bow to full draw after changed the limbs so I am now wondering if the timing is correct.

I had brought my Double XL with me because I wanted to try shooing it at the 3D league shoot but I was having trouble with the sight so I decided to shoot the Podium. I was worried that the sight tape would be so far off that I would be guessing all night but the tape appeared to be very accurate after I reset the indicator to 20 yards after verifying that distance on the bales.  I shoot a 199 which is OK I missed 4 of the 6 fourteens which accounted for my 5 and three of my 8s. Leslie won with a 206 so I was not far off. The bow felt good and shoot well and it is real pretty with those red limbs. I shot with Travis and John both nice guys and a pleasure to shoot with.

Nuse River 3D shoot - last for this season

I got home at about 1 AM Saturday night Sunday morning. It was not a bad drive but it was long. I unpacked my car, cleaned up and to bed as quickly as I could. I got a good night sleep and was happy I had do this. I did not shoot real well but I had a good time and worked on shooting well. I really enjoyed the new target setup and was glad I got to shoot it.

USA Archery 133 Outdoor National Championship Saturday Aug 5th 2017 - The Eliminations

Myself and Scott

I go into the eliminations which was cool but not as big a deal as one would think. There were so few of us almost everyone was in the eliminations. But it was still cool and something new for me. My first opponent did not show up, I had to shoot but was the automatic winner. My second opponent was there. It was Scot the archer I shot with on Thursday, the one who broke the national record shooting 706 for archers 50 plus. He defeated me easily but I gave it my best effort and had fun. The wind was gone and it was not as cold but shooting it that wind the day before really messed with my shooting for a few ends. Eliminations are different than the qualifying rounds. Eliminations are 3 arrows per end and five ends, so it happens pretty fast. I stayed and watched Scott defeat his next opponent then decided to leave, check out of my hotel a day early and drive home so I could shoot the 3D shoot at Nuse River.

USA Archery 133 Outdoor National Championship Friday afternoon Aug 4th 2017

Today I shot at 1 PM - it was strange, not the shooting at 1 PM but the temperature. it is August the 4th and it was 63° all of my preparations were designed around staying cool so this was quite a surprise. I luckily had a sweatshirt in my car, I was cold wearing it and would have frozen with out it.
I was move to target 114C and shot with two nice guys Dan and Don.
The wind was brutal. There was no way to hold ones bow stead on the target. One had to just hold as well as one could and release the arrow when one felt one had the best chance to hit the target. It was so different than everything I have learned and have been working so long to master. It was almost not like archery but from listening to the other archers that is what they were doing. Just a lot of them seemed to do it better than other and me. I missed the target 7 times, of those twice I missed the bail. Once I found the arrow, the second one hit the frame of the target and the arrow broke, I have the biggest piece. I enjoyed the event but shooting in this kind of wind if not much fun and frustrating.

Dan and Don

I saw several archers I am a fan of including Lexi Keller and
Dahlia Crook

USA Archery 133 Outdoor National Championship Thursday morning Aug 3th 2017

Today I shot my first round of 72 arrows at the USA Archery 133 Outdoor National Championship in Westfield IN. I was a good day but I am pretty tired - I guess the 1500 meter we walk during the event wares me out. I shot target 111C with three nice gentlemen Scott, Jim and Randy. All better archers that myself. Scot broke the Seniors record of 687 with a 702 - pretty cool. I shot fair not as well as I had planned but better than I have before at 50 meters. I had set a goal to break 600 which is still a long way from the maximum score of 720, an other goal was to break 300 for a round. Well I missed my 600 by 6 points but I did shoot a 306 so I do that one. The D-loop is frayed to the point where it worries me - it may be a long way from breaking bit to get rid of the worry I will replace it. If I do not have d-loop cord with me I will go early enough tomorrow to get some and replace it. I do not shoot until 1:30 Friday.