Changes to the Outdoor Progress Schemes

22 January 2025

A detailed assessment has been undertaken by the Club’s Records Officer, of the revised Archery GB Classification scheme to determine if it aligns with the current 252 Scheme.

It is clear from this assessment that the classification scheme reasonably aligns with both Men’s and Women’s Compound, Recurve and Barebow score levels. However there is some significant disparity for Longbow Men from 60 yards and Longbow Women from 50 yards onwards.

The committee has therefore agreed to amend the score requirements for Longbow Archers with immediate effect. All other bow types remain unchanged.

See the table below for the changes to Longbow score requirements:

Bow Style Distance (yards)
10 20 30 40 50 60 80 100
Compound 280 280 280 280 280 280 280 280
Recurve 252 252 252 252 252 252 252 252
Barebow 189 189 189 189 189 189 164 139
Longbow Men 164 164 164 164 164 126 101 72
Longbow Women 164 164 164 164 126 101 72 54

The committee has also agreed that with immediate effect the club will no longer support the Archery GB Outdoor Progress Scheme. Instead, it will use the 252 scheme only. This will save administration time for the Records Officer and confusion for the Club members.

The Archery GB Indoor Progress scheme will continue to be used.

Archers are reminded that when shooting outdoors they must only shoot rounds, or distances relative to their 252 qualification, i.e. you cannot shoot rounds at 50 yards until you have achieved your 40 yard 252 badge, and are then trying to obtain a 50 yard qualification.

Experienced archers who join the Club, but have no previous 252 qualification will be assessed to determine where they start in the scheme.

Adherence with these rules will ensure that we spend less time looking for lost arrows, and more time shooting.

These changes have been reflected on the Awards Schemes page of the Club Website.

King Charles III Coronation Competition

7 May 2023

To celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III Yelverton Bowmen will be hosting an internal completion to give all members the opportunity to win one of the following Bronze, Silver or Gold medals with an engraved reverse side.
The competition will run between Friday 5th May and Friday 25th August 2023, to give all club members the opportunity to take part.
There is some serious archery bling to be won!

Beginners course running in March 2023

21 January 2023

Next beginners course will run March 7th, 14th, 21st & 28th at the YMCA, Plymouth. Cost is £50 per person. Places are limited. Contact us via our Contact us page, or through our Facebook or Instagram pages

Records Officer Report – December

5 January 2020

Welcome to the December Report. The 2019 outdoor year has now finished and 2020 has begun. Well done to all those who maintained their classifications and handicaps in 2019 and congratulations to those who improved or have gained one for the first time. As most of you are aware, classifications need to be regained each season. Additionally, the top three handicaps entered by you this year are averaged and the resulting number forms the starting handicap for the New Year. If you only shoot Tuesday/Friday, then you’ll need to wait until April (date to be confirmed) before you can start your 2020 Outdoor campaign. Those who shoot on Sundays can start regaining from January 4th. 252s are a one-time thing, so no need to earn them again.

The postal leagues are ongoing, with 20 Portsmouth and 16 Frostbite scores for December. Please continue to do so for the next three months. Scores from additional members, regardless of perceived skill level, are welcome, as the teams are not fixed. The best scores form the team each month and in the event of illness or other absence, even the newest of members could contribute.

The Grand Prix continues to be popular, with two rounds done and three to go. January (7th and 10th) will be a Worcester (not a Vegas as originally stated in the November report). This uses a special five-zone black and white target and a five-arrow end (make sure you have enough fletched arrows ready to go). Targets must also be placed at the top and bottom of the boss, with half the round shot on each.

A separate report on the Grand Prix and Postal leagues was made on the website mid-December and another will be posted mid-January, once I have the postal results backs from DCAS.

If you are unsure about anything, feel free speak to me in person or via the club email/Facebook page.

Here’s what members achieved in December…

Indoor Classifications

  • Jinine Cox earned her F
  • Iain Lees earned his C
  • Nick Tripp earned his F
  • Ian Wardhaugh earned his F

Tables with the required scores for classifications can be found here.

252 Scheme

  • Callum Farmer earned his 20 yards
  • Nick Tripp earned his 30 yards
  • Charlotte Wardhaugh earned her 20 yards
  • Ian Wardhaugh earned his 30 yards

Details of the 252 scheme can be found here.

Club Records

  • Darren Bennion (Gentleman Recurve Master): WA25 – 530
  • Pasty Cain (Gentleman Barebow Master): WA25 – 452
  • Jonathan Ingram (Gentleman Recurve Senior): Frostbite – 326, WA18 (Three Spot) – 537, WA18 (Three Spot) (Double) – 1047
  • Alister Smith (Gentleman Longbow Senior): WA18 (Double) – 579, WA25 – 380
  • Jim Start (Gentleman Longbow Master): Frostbite – 182
  • Linda Wright (Ladies Barebow Senior + Master): WA25 – 382

The most recent tables of club records can be found here.

Competitions

James, Jonathan, Iain, Alister, Jim and Linda attended the Plymouth University charity shoot mid-month. This was a double WA18 plus a fun head-to-head.

  • James (Longbow Gents) was fourth in the single and double WA18 and then fourth again in the head-to-head
  • Jonathan (Recurve Gents) was fourth in the single and second in the double WA18. He then made it to the quarter-finals in the head-to head. He also set new club records for the single and double WA18 and earned his Black WA Target badge.
  • Iain (Compound Gents) was third in both the single WA18 and the head-to-head. He also earned his Black WA Target badge.
  • Alister (Longbow Gents) was second for both the single and double WA18. He then came third in the head-to-head. He also set a club record for the double WA18.
  • Jim shot both Barebow and Longbow on the day. With Longbow, he placed fifth for the single WA18. With Barebow, he placed second in the single WA18 and then second again in the combined-gender head-to-head.
  • Linda (Barebow Ladies) was second in the singe WA18.

Congratulations to all.

Take a look at the DCAS events calendar and see if there are any competitions you fancy trying. Indoor season is a great opportunity to try a competition, as the distances are obviously a lot shorter. If in doubt, speak to the hosting club’s tournament organiser.

The club will be hosting the DCAS Indoor Championships in late February, so this is a great option to look at. Please note that we will also be after volunteers to help run the day.

If you attend (or are planning to attend) a competition, please let me know (and add the round to your score card!). Also, let me know if you earn any badges (Roses, Stars, etc) or if you manage to attain the lofty ranks of Master Bowman and Grand Master Bowman.

Thus ends the Records Report for December. Please let me know if there are any errors, omissions, etc and I hope that you continue to provide me with material to put into these reports. If you don’t want to be mentioned in reports, please let me know.

League Update – November

15 December 2019

Welcome to the inaugural League Report. This focuses on the club’s progress in the County Postal Leagues as well as in-house competitions, such as the Tavistock Trophy and Grand Prix.

I hope to publish this report around the same time each month, although it will depend on when I receive the results from DCAS. Keep an eye out on the website and Facebook page for updates.

The majority of the material below focuses on results from November. However, because of the timing of the Grand Prix, I have also included the December progress from that.

DCAS Indoor Postals (Portsmouth) – November

Due to the increased number of participating archers, I entered an additional Recurve and Longbow team this year, resulting in three Recurve, one Compound and one Longbow team for the club.

For those unfamiliar with the format; Archers shoot a Portsmouth round under competition conditions and the top three scores for each bow type form a team (and the following archers form the ‘B team’, ‘C team’, etc if a club enters multiple teams). These scores are sent to DCAS and clubs compete against each other from November to March.

In this first month, we won three of our matches and lost two. Below are the results tables from DCAS and a table that I keep myself for progress within the club. Take a look and see how you/we did.

Please continue to provide scores, even if you don’t feel that you will make the teams.

DCAS Outdoor Postals (Frostbite) – November

The Frostbite teams are selected in the same way as the Portsmouth, with the top three scores forming each team. There is a restriction, however that a maximum of one compound archer may be in each team.

New to this year, DCAS is trialing a Longbow-only team. As a result, I entered a Longbow team, in addition to the existing two mixed teams.

As with the Indoor Postal, archers shoot a Frostbite round and the top three scores form a team. Unlike the Portsmouth, teams are not bow specific (with the exception of the new Longbow team). Archers from any bow style can contribute to the teams, although there is a maximum of one Compound allowed per team.

In November we won one match and unfortunately lost the other two. Below are the results tables from DCAS as well as the table that I keep myself. Take a look and see how you/we did.

Please continue to provide scores, even if you don’t feel that you will make the teams.

Yelverton Bowmen Grand Prix – November and December

The Grand Prix is new this year and has been well received. Each month, a different round is shot, with the scores being adjusted by the members’ handicaps. In the table below, the first column for each month is the actual score entered. The second column is the adjusted score. In theory, if a person shoots a score in keeping with their handicap, they will receive an adjusted score of 1440.

The nature of the competition means that nothing is set in stone. Somebody currently near the bottom of the rankings could leap towards the top if they score sufficiently better than their handicap in a future round.

Yelverton Bowmen Tavistock Trophy – November

The Tavistock Trophy is an internal competition run using the scores entered in the Indoor Postal. The highest cumulative score for each category over the five months wins. In the event of a category only having a single participant, they will be included in the most appropriate alternative (normally forming a unisex bow category).

At present the categories are Gents Barebow, Ladies Barebow, Compound (unisex), Longbow (unisex), Gents Recurve and Ladies Recurve. The current standings can be seen on the table below.

Great work everyone, keep it up and check back again in January for the next update.

Time to go indoors!

5 September 2019

Some will say “yay!” others will have a tear in their eye. Either way, the outdoor season is almost over and it’s time to go indoors. For those members new to indoor shooting (and those who need a reminder), here’s a few things you should know.

Dates and Times

Indoor evenings will start on Tuesday 10th September and last until April 7th, with a break for Christmas. We have a later start time of 19:30 for evening sessions due to hall availability. We generally finish around 21:15 but this can vary a little depending on what people are doing.

Please be on time, or preferably early, and help to set up targets. Nobody should be taking a bow out of a case until the hall is setup and ready for shooting. We are limited by hall availability, so we want to get as much shooting done as possible.

As always, Sunday shooting is outdoors year-round, starting at 09:30. We have the field all day on Sundays, although most people tend to pack up around lunch. As long as you and a key holder are present however, you may shoot for longer.

Location

Indoor shooting is across the road from the school, in the YMCA.  From the YMCA car park, walk down the side of the halls nearest to the road and go into the second entrance at the end of the ‘driveway’; This is the main reception. Turn left and then left again next to the changing rooms.

Scorecards, Classifications and 252s

If you’re only able to shoot at evening sessions, then the start of the indoor season marks the end of outdoor. In which case, please fill in and hand over your outdoor (blue) scorecards to the Records Officer, so that they can calculate your year-end handicap and classification. If you are going to continue shooting outdoors on Sundays, then the outdoor year is still ongoing and you have until the Christmas break to achieve any outdoor classifications. You can also continue to pursue your 252s year round.

As with outdoor shooting, there is an indoor classification scheme with a series of ‘ranks’ from ‘H’ to ‘A’.  Classifications must be renewed each year, so everybody who earned their indoor classification last year must do so again from next week. To obtain a classification you must submit 3 scores reaching the qualifying classification score. Details of which rounds you can shoot can be found on the Rounds & Classifications page.

Remember to switch to your yellow indoor scorecard, if you don’t have one ask Jonathan.

Postal Leagues and other stuff

Each year, Devon and Cornwall Archery Society run a Postal League. Archers shoot a Portsmouth round and the top three scores for each bow type form a team. These scores are sent to DCAS and clubs compete against each other from November to March. This is a great reason for club members to score, as everybody has the opportunity to contribute to the club’s success. Please let the Records Officer know well in advance if you are interested in entering scores, as he will have to officially enter teams in the near future.

In addition to the Postals, this year we will be trialling the Yelverton Bowmen Grand Prix. This is a handicap-based multi-round competition that will be run for club members. Please look out for an email in the next few days with full information on the Postals and Grand Prix.

As usual, the Social Secretary will be running fun shoots for Halloween, Christmas and Easter. These are always great fun and Iain’s costumes are something to behold. Speak to him for more details.

Indoor Competitions

Don’t assume that inexperience means you can’t enter competitions. Archery events are as much about the atmosphere as the shooting. It’s also an opportunity to look at all the different equipment that people have. Indoor competitions don’t go beyond 30m (most are 20yd or 18m), so this is the ideal season to try out competitions, as you don’t need long range accuracy to hit the target. Give a competition a go and see how what happens.

The club also hosts the Devon and Cornwall Archery Society Indoor Championship in February, so as well as members taking part, we’ll be after volunteers to help run the day. Be sure to check out the Devon and Cornwall Archery Society events calendar to see what’s going on in the two counties.

Regardless of the result, let the Records Officer know how you did and they’ll mention it in the monthly Records report on the website.

Easter Outing

8 May 2019

On Easter Saturday 11 Club members and family gathered at the car park between Sharpitor and Leeden Tor on Dartmoor for an informal social walk. We set off to the disused Yelverton to Princetown railway on a warm sunny morning. On reaching the railway we turned towards Princetown with the possibility of hearing a cuckoo. At Ingra Tor we entered the disused quarry to look at the quarry and remains of the workings.

Moving on along the old track bed we heard a cuckoo way off to our left and as we progressed we managed to locate the bird and see it in a tree to give us a good view of it through binoculars. We rounded a bend where the original tramway took a different course and took a short cut to Foggintor Quarry, an ideal place for our picnic.

After we had our picnic lunch in the peaceful quarry we returned the the railway track and made our way towards King’s Tor and Swelltor. On this stretch we stopped to inspect worked granite corpels that were made as spares when London Bridge was widened in 1903.

After marvelling at the size and amount of work to make these corbels only to be left on the moor we continued along the track to near Leeden Tor where we turned off the track and made our way up to Leeden Tor and down to the car park past a sizeable Bronze age settlement of hut circles. Back at the car park some of us took the opportunity to treat ourselves to an ice-cream.

We were lucky with the weather, the good company and with the interesting historical features on the route which made for a very enjoyable walk capped by the sighting of a cuckoo.

Following this enjoyable outing another walk is planned for the Spring Bank Holiday Saturday 25th May, start time 10:30. This will be on Dartmoor again and will take in the Bronze Age monuments at Merrivale. We will gather at the Four Winds car park on the B3357 Tavistock to Postbridge road, grid reference SX 5606 7489. From there we will explore the area around the stone rows and further afield as time weather and stamina allows. Appropriate clothing will be needed, walking boots and waterproofs and a packed lunch plus drinks, no dogs please as it is lambing and ground nesting bird time. The car park is the one with trees around it.For further information please ask Jim.

Outdoor 2019 is here!

19 April 2019

The outdoor season is just about to begin but before we get there have you handed in your Indoor score card yet?

Hopefully, everybody will have given their completed scorecards to the Records Officer before the AGM. If you haven’t been able to, don’t panic. Indoor shooting ends in April but the indoor year technically runs until June 31st. Please ensure that all scorecards are with the Records Officer (Jon) by then, so that they can make sure records, classifications, handicaps, etc are up to date and any awards are given.

With that out of the way it’s onto the outdoor season. For those members new to outdoor shooting (and those who need a reminder), here’s a few things you should know.

Dates and times

Outdoor evenings will start on Tuesday the 23rd of April and last until September (date to be confirmed). Sessions will commence at 18:30 and continue until light fails (we start earlier outdoors because of light restrictions). As always, Sunday shooting is outdoors year-round, starting at ~09:30. We have the field all day on Sundays, although most people tend to pack up around lunch. As long as you and a key holder are present however, you may shoot for longer. Please be on time (or early) if possible for evening sessions, as we are limited by light, so we want to get as much shooting done as possible.

Location:

We shoot across the road from the YMCA, on the school field. From the YMCA car park entrance, head up the road. On the left, just before the roundabout is the upper entrance into the school. From the car park, continue on foot beyond the basketball court (on the left) and the caretaker’s house (on the right). On the right is a double gate and a path leading down to the field (please close the gate behind you).

Be careful as you approach the shed, as there may be people shooting in the woods (they’ll be obvious). To reach the shooting line, you can either walk down to the shed and across the field, or continue along the path, taking you behind the shooting line. If entering the field from the shed, stick to the right of the flags if people are shooting (or wait until the whistle goes to indicate it’s safe to cross).

Badges and Classifications

Just like when shooting indoors the outdoor season also gives you the opportunity to earn classifications and handicaps.  We also take part in the widely popular 252 scheme, which is designed to help archers improve as they move up the distances.  Also for new members you must obtain a badge for a distance before you can progress to the next.  For example you must fist obtain your 20 yard badge before shooting at 30 yards.  More information will be added to the site in a future update or you can look back at this post from when we first took on the scheme.

Outdoor Competitions

Don’t assume that inexperience means you can’t enter competitions. Archery events are as much about the atmosphere as the shooting (the author has made several friends through competitions). It’s also an opportunity to look at all the different equipment that people have.

They often include the longest available distances but shorter rounds are normally on offer so, if in doubt, contact the tournament organiser.
Give a competition a go and see how what happens.

Be sure to check out the Devon and Cornwall Archery Society events calendar to see what’s going on in the two counties.
Regardless of the result, let me (Jonathan) know how you did and I’ll mention it in my monthly Records updates (first due at the end of April).

Halloween Shoot 2018

22 October 2018

On Tuesday 30th October we will be holding a SPOOKTACULAR fun shoot for Halloween.

Fancy dress is optional – as some don’t need it ;P We do remind you that if you want to shoot in fancy dress, please make sure you don’t have loose items that may catch in your bow!

This shoot will be open to all subscribed members and our lovely friends from the Plymouth Uni Archers.

Our recent beginners are of course also welcome as your course will have finished by then. We hope you can stomach whatever our Social Sec, Iain, has decided to dress in.

What would a fun night be without prizes! We will be awarding prizes for best fancy dress, moonlit shooting, some freaky tunes and some side games.
Start time – 1930 until 210(ish)

See you there!

January is nearly upon us

9 December 2017

Yes, I know there are one or two distractions to get out of the way first. But you really need no reminder that 2018 starts with January – and that means the January Challenge.

The format is exactly as it was last year. There are classes for each bowstyle (Barebow, Compound, Longbow, and Recurve), ladies and gentlemen, and for three levels of experience: those who took up archery since 31st January 2017; those who took up archery before 1993; and all the rest.

You may submit as many Portsmouth scores as you can shoot during the month and the Records Officer will remind you when to submit them.

Any questions then please contact the Records Officer in the first instance.