Join us on the archery range for a variety of competitions, fun shoots, classes, workshops — and lots of siege weapons!
Our archery activities are available to newcomers and experienced members alike, age 5 and up.
Archery Range Safety Rules
1. Youths 5-17: a parent or authorized adult (with paperwork complete) must be present when shooting on the range (Kingdom Law).
2. Only bows and arrows which have passed the safety inspection may be used on the range. Bring bows unstrung to be inspected. Approved bows will receive a marker for the weekend.
3. The marshal’s job is to maintain safety. Archers and spectators must follow their directions.
4. Marshals running the line and scorekeepers will be identified by colored baldrics.
5. Spectators are very welcome!
6. For safety, stay 10 feet behind shooting line while not shooting.
Range Setup – Help is WELCOME just before each shoot and after it ends, to bring in the targets. Come a bit early, stay a bit late, lend a hand.
During Monday Teardown please come VOLUNTEER time to pack up the range. Thanks!
Competitions
Candle Light Shoot: Set up Friday at 8:30 pm, shoot at 9 pm. Archery fun after dark. Prize: lantern donated by Alan Bowyer.
Grand Archery Tournament, Saturday 9:30 am – Compete to become the GAT Champion! Your score will be entered and held up against other GAT scores throughout the Known World. Targets will include traditional wand targets, animal targets, and new barrel of monkey targets. Prize is an arrow holder donated by Master Quinn Phelan.
Robin Hood Hat Novelty Shoot – Saturday 2 – 3 pm. This is a Grey Goose Invitational Shoot for everyone with prior archery experience. The Grey Geese and their Arcarii compete against each other.
Not an Arcarius? Just ask to be adopted as one for the shoot. Bonus points for the Geese who bring Arcarii and even more bonus if you take on new ones “for the day”.
Team Targets: Red Bracer targets with Grey Geese Arms attached – try to take out the other Grey Geese for your own Goose’s Prowess. Hat Shoot – shoot combat arrows at a hat on a pole. This was a crowd favorite last year!
Prize: Robin Hood Hat by Lady Helen Gaskin
Goose Prize: Heraldic Silk ‘Grey Goose’ Badge (22x22in) by Dame Johanna
The Egil’s 8th Annual Introduction to Period Archery Challenge, Sunday 10am – This year we have a period royal round, with a modified and handicapped score. Details will be in the site booklet. Prize is a re-curved horse bow donated by John Wayland.
Archery Fun Shoots, starting Sunday, 1 pm – Join us for shots at fun targets. Highest score wins a glass stein. It may just include a drawing for a bunny rabbit (with enormous teeth).
Classes & Demonstrations
Seige Weapons, Quinn Phelan, noon Saturday & Sunday – Live fire demonstration of both an arbalest and a ballista, with demonstrations of table top catapult and trebuchet.
Archery Workshops by the Grey Geese, Saturday 1-2 pm – Each workshop is approximately 10 minutes of information or demonstration and then 2-5 minutes of questions or practice at each station. Visit several stations to meet various Grey Geese and learn from their expertise, or stay in the same place hearing it several times to hone that particular skill. Workshops may cover these topics: Stance, Aiming, Release Techniques, Time & Speed Skills (by William Cristofore of Devonshire), Arrow Straightening/Inspecting, Bow Care/Inspecting, Period Gear, Crossbow (by John Wayland), Novelty Shoots, Event Prep, How to prepare and run a Grand Archery Tournament (by Dame Johanna), etc.
Twist your own bowstring, Tryggr Tyresson. I will bring thread/string enough to demonstrate the skill necessary to make a bow string that will fit any bow. I will be using modern Dacron B-50 for my demo material. No cost for participants. No age limit, but it will take some patience and manual dexterity. 1 hour. At the archery range.
“Bring Out your Dead”: Simple Arrow Repairs,Don the Archer – We’ll cover a variety of repairs, especially common field repairs needed for safety, then how to fix feathers, recover & replace tips, nock repairs, wet arrow recovery, etc. The remaining time is a hands-on repair session:. Each class member will receive a small arrow repair kit to use and keep. If time permits, we will do some advanced repairs and discuss the best ways to store and handle arrows. Bring any broken arrows to fix, a tube of Duco Cement. and any repair parts that you already have: tips, nocks, feathers. I provide an Arrow Repair Kit ($5 donation requested), misc. nocks, points, and feathers. Class limit 4. More can watch. Under 13 need parental supervision. 1 hour. At the archery range.