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Archers on target at outdoor show

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archery

The whir of flying arrows and the thump as they hit their targets permeated the Agripavilion in the city on the weekend, as more than 100 archers a day took part in the Broken Arrow Archery Club 3D shoot.

The annual shoot was one of the activities at the Parkland Outdoor Show & Expo as an activity for archers to have some fun, explained club president Clinton Leis.

Leis said the club has long been supportive of both sport shooting and hunting with a bow having been formed in the 1960s. He said today the club has about 50 people involved, most active shooters, most active hunters.

In terms of shooting outside of hunting season Leis said the club is active.

“We have our own indoor range,” he said, noting they shoot 3D and target in what was the gymnasium of the old Sacred Heart High School which allows shots up to 40-yards.

The shoot at the Agripavilion is a tighter course, with the longest shot offered about 35 yards, said Leis.

The shooters at the 3D event go through a series of ‘stations’ where they must shoot at a specific target laid out to mimic some of the conditions an archer might find when out hunting. Leis said in that respect outdoor 3D shoots are typically held in natural settings where shooters must deal with trees, and the shadows of being in the bush.

The weekend show saw archers with both compound bows, the most popular style, as well as traditional recurve bows. Leis said there seems to be a recent resurgence in terms of interest in bow shooting in general and in particular in the traditional recurve.

“It’s just one of those things. It goes through cycles,” he said.

While most participants at the shoot were there for fun, using such shoots as a way to stay in practice until hunting season, Leis said there are a few archers, like himself, that travel to major shoots including a few in the United States. He said for the serious competitive shooter who does well there are even opportunities to be on a ‘team’ sponsored by companies who will provide bows, arrows and other gear.

For anyone interested in learning more about any facet of archery they can contact Broken Arrow Archery Club via Facebook.