All about 3D archery

Since the discipline is governed by the Archery Federations. But what is this discipline about? What are the different shooting conditions? How are the 3D targets? At what distance are they placed? To answer all these questions, in this article we will talk about everything you need to know about 3D archery.

What are 3D archery targets like?

3D targets represent animals of different sizes and are varied in 3 dimensions. They are made from high-density foam injected into a mold that will allow the arrows to stick without going through it. Then, a paint will be applied on the target to give it the best effect. There are several 3D targets depending on the different molds offered by the different brands. This type of target is ideal for hunting practice.

Since they are meant for hunting, the vital parts of these 3D targets are marked. This will allow archers to get closer to the points based on the impact of the arrows. These targets are lightweight and weather resistant. This is why they can be set up in a natural outdoor environment.

The main manufacturers of 3D targets are German, American, Italian and French.

The discipline of 3D archery

5 types of bows are allowed for 3D archery. These are the naked bow, the compound bow, the hunting bow, the recurve bow and the free bow.

3D archery is practiced on targets that represent animals of different sizes. A normal course consists of 24 different targets including :

• 4 very large game animals.
• 6 big game animals
• 8 medium game animals
• 6 small game

In 3D shooting, the shooting distance is between 10 and 45m for bows with sights. For cadets, the distance is between 5 and 30m, while it is between 5 and 25m for the category benjamine, minime and discovery. It should be noted that they are still unknown to the archers.

How does 3D archery work?

3D archery is practiced in groups of 4 to 6 competitors. It can also be done in teams with specific national events.

The squads move from target to target on a pre-drawn course. Once the target has been cleared by the previous squad, archers will then move behind a waiting post.

Archers will go in pairs. They will make 2 shots, each depending on their category. The locations will be marked with red, blue or white stakes.

For 3D archery, the shooting time is always limited to 90 seconds. The time will be counted as soon as the archer arrives on the shooting stake when the second arrow is released. A time overrun per course is sometimes tolerated.

When all archers in the squad have finished shooting, they will collect their arrows and count their points. Then they can move on to the next target.

How is scoring done in 3D archery?

In 3D archery, on each animal, each area has a value including :

• 11 points for the small killed area.
• 10 points on the killed area, that is the circular area corresponding to the vital organs of the animal.
• 8 points on the vital zone or the wounded zone.
• 5 points on the rest of the animal's body excluding horns, hooves and other parts dezoned by the organizer such as tail, feather for example.

 It should be noted that only the arrows that remain fixed on the target count.

In short, 3D archery is one of the most interesting disciplines to get closer to nature. Moreover, it is a sport that is both good for the head and good for the body.