Archery

Archery is the art of shooting with a bow and arrow. It's typically played by grown-ups, but boys and girls can practice archery. Through practice they can become skilled with bows and arrows. They can use them just like the Native Americans or boys who lived during the days of Robin Hood.

Of course, the invention of gunpowder has practically done away with the bow and arrow as a means of warfare or as a weapon to be used in the chase, but it is still used by savages.

The Bow
The modern bow used in archery is made of lancewood or yew. For use by men, it is usually 6 feet long. For women and children, it is 6 inches shorter. The arrows for men should be 28 inches long. For women, they should be 24 to 25 inches.

The Target
The target is a straw-filled canvas disk painted in bright colors. There are usually five circles. The object of the game is to hit either the center ring ("bull's-eye") or as close to it as possible.

When it comes to scoring, the following numbers apply:

Archery Scores
Inner Gold Center	Red Ring	Inner White Ring	Black Ring	Outer White Ring
9	7	5	3	1

Targets are of various sizes from 18 inches in diameter to 4 feet. The size depends on the distance of the range. A common distance will be from 50 to 100 yards.

The Arrows
Each archer should have some distinguishing mark or color on his arrows. That way you can tell whose arrows have hit each spot on the target. In some versions of the game, archers can also use their arrows to knock others away from the "bulls-eye".