Ozbow

When you shoot at a 3D trad shoot, what sort of butts do you like to see in use?

I know they vary from big butts immediately behind each target to no butts at all.

I'm just curious to see what Ozbow members prefer.

I like 3D Coarse's Set so that natural features of the Terrain like Gully's, Hillocks and Dips Catch Errant Arrows. A good Coarse should have plenty of clear Ground behind the Targets to speed finding Arrows.

regards Jacko

i am afraid I prefer a decent size `butt or at least natural terrain to stop any wayward arrows careering off into the wide blue yonder.Some arrows are just too expensive to lose due to a poor shot especially carbons.It's bad enough missing without sacrificing any to the woodland gods.

Same as Jacko

bigbob wrote:i am afraid I prefer a decent size `butt or at least natural terrain to stop any wayward arrows careering off into the wide blue yonder.Some arrows are just too expensive to lose due to a poor shot especially carbons.It's bad enough missing without sacrificing any to the woodland gods.

You a bit of a sook Bob?

I guess you wouldn't have liked the courses we used to set up years ago at the Australian Longbow Musters.

Yes Jeffrey, bit of a sook and a poor one at that Saw those shots before, and the ones with rock remind me of the old Isa course . miss the target and crunch! I know the idea is to actually hit the target but some of us are a bit challenged with direction

bigbob wrote:I know the idea is to actually hit the target but some of us are a bit challenged with direction

I know that feeling well.

Jeff

Same as Jacko for me too and for the same reasons.

I've seen Jeff's photos before and although I like the sense of naturalness, I just know I'm not a good enough shot to hit the target every time. I believe there's a happy medium where you can have your cake and eat it too and that's where you use the natural contours of the land to ensure your arrows will stick up and be easy to find. You also get a more aesthetically pleasing course. It's not hard to find good places. You can make use of a creek bank, a steep hill side, natural dips in the landscape, small mounds of dirt, or an across the gully type shot.

I can remember attending a Victorian 2 day trad shoot some years back, where the 3D target were set up with little thought about the finding of any missed arrows. There were set up in front of blackberry patches and in amongst rocks. I went through nearly a dozen arrows that weekend.

Hey Mick,

I think I was at that particular shoot too - it was an absolute shocker.
I truly believe, if you are worried about what is behind the target you're focusing on the wrong thing, and undermining your own ability which is why I had such a shocker.
You would like to hope the targets are placed, for those who have only just begun the sport in mind, and for minimum "carnage" - however, sometimes this is not the case.

I did have a bit of a chuckle at the title of this thread before I opened it, as it was sitting directly below another "anatomical topic" - rotor cuff injury...

cheers
sue

Yes Sue, sometimes I think it can actually be a liberating experience to be shooting with really crappy old arrows. You then tend to concentrate on hitting the targets, rather than on where they might go if/when you miss.

It all depends on how far away they are too, as well as how big they are. I'm pretty sure I could put all of my arrows into a large pig sized target at 25 metres all day.

Here is an idea we use for our 3D shoot to catch the misses because our club grounds are very flat and allows for natural looking shots.

I have access to cardboard offcuts and we tape/cable tie them in about six layers and paint them
with cheap brown and green fence paint camo pattern and then put them in the bush behind the
3D, tied to saplings etc.
And after the shoot they go in the recycle bin.
Matt

It sounds like a good method Matt, apart from all the effort and expense. It's certainly one way around the problem.

If it was allowable and if there's access, maybe you could get some tip truck loads of clean fill dropped in various spots on your course. Or, maybe you could hire a bobcat and make some natural looking contours in the flat terrain. The mounds of dirt could be planted out with native plants, etc. It would be one way of making a flat course a little more interesting and it would negate the need for your cardboard backstops.

None,

Be creative and use the landscape nature provided, after all isn't the 3D game supposed to simulate hunting conditions.

If you are worried about the occasional wayward arrow shoot paper.

Daryl.

I believe the use of cleared shooting lanes and set courses, together with the liberal use of large butts is a very ABA thing. ABA clubs are very focussed on observing set minimum and maximum ranges for each shot. It makes a lot of sense to be able to use these same courses for both 3D and paper targets, hence the big butts at the end of each shooting lane.

I prefer the more add hoc approach myself. I've been involved in setting a few 3D courses with a smaller independent club and it was heaps of fun to just look at the available terrain and try to vision how best to use it for a challenging shot. The right sort of natural backstop was always a part of equation. It was important for 3 reasons, one, you wanted the shooters to feel at ease in the knowledge that their arrows would be easy to find and secondly, you didn't want the groups backing up while people looked for their lost arrows and finally, you certainly didn't want arrows skipping over the horizon and possibly into another section of the course.

I'm a member of an ABA club now, so I just accept that they do it a little differently. The disadvantages of the permanently set courses, apart from the ugly big butts, is that they can become a little boring after a while.

What Jacko and Daryl said. Can't see the point in sticking a 3d in front of a butt. We have access to a couple of farms where a few times a year we take our 3d targets and set them up. So much better than overlaying them on our normal AB courses.

Jo & Gary

and lets not forget you always meet the nicest people behind the target butts....

cheers
sue

Butts behind 3 d animals takes the edge of shooting 3d. If i wanted safety and to save arrows i'd shoot paper ABA or Fita field.

I, myself prefer small Butts, some can look quite exquisite. Cheers Roadie

Over 2,000 members and only 17 votes

Daryl.

yes I noticed that too - there are quite a few of us on here that do go to the Trad shoots, surely it is more than 17.... mmm

sue

It does seem to be abnormally quiet here on Ozbow lately.

Love the old pics.


Me, probably like the majority of longer targets with some good backstop or natural backstop. The shorter ones, not too fussed.

I think I'm a bit of a sook too. I like to be able to get my arrows back nice and straight, and in one piece if I miss the target. Although, it's a good feeling when you nail a 3d animal that's sitting in front of a dam. Maybe a mix of natural terrain backstops with some tough ones thrown in to keep it interesting.

Ranger

I Had a bit of a chuckle when I read the topic and the first line Mick
When it comes to butts and the missus I prefer mine sorta round and curvy.
Im probably with Perry on this one using natural terrain, and love the shots of Jeffs.
I think there should be at least one or two like that on a course , but the majority should allow safe recovery of any errant sticks sent downrange
Cheers,
Mike

Hey Mick,
I haven't voted because I would choose options 3 and 4. I prefer to not have a back drop but if I had it my way I would opt for natural hessian that is set not directly behind the target but a few meters away to catch flyers. And only where there is black berries and ivy etc.

A few years back I would have wanted a back drop on every target but I grew to appreciate the effort what it would have been like to have to hunt for your own existence. I don't take good arrows to trad shoots but do I understand the plight of cost and effort in making arrows only to watch the environment gobble them up.
So I think of an arrow as a social drinker might see a shot or expensive beer on a Saturday night......

Take the shot/swallow the shot and hope that it is of beneficial value and that it brings you satisfaction. Then kiss goodbye $10 to $15 with acceptance that your true intentions of this activity was to bring yourself pleasure despite knowing that it could go amazingly well or disastrously wrong.

Hope that is of help.

Cheers, Silverlady.

Ps. Amazing photos of the trad muster of old.