Pennsylvania Game News - March 2021 - 60

built around scoring rings on 3-D targets
in the area of vital organs. The highest
number of points is awarded to shots that
hit the heart area, which might or might
not be ideal placement in a hunting situation.
At shoots that follow IBO rules, scoring is 0 points for a miss; 5 points for a
hit outside all scoring rings; 8 points for
a hit inside the largest scoring ring, but
outside the smaller ones; 10 points for a
hit inside the large circle around the heart
and lungs; and 11 points for a hit inside
the smallest scoring circle, which is in the
middle of the 10 ring.
Scoring is the same at shoots that
follow ASA rules - until you get inside
the 10 ring. There you will find three
small circles - one high, one low and the
IBO 11 in the middle. That IBO 11 only
scores 10 points under ASA rules. But
the other two small rings score 12 points.
However, only the lower ring is in play,
unless the archer specifically states he or
she is aiming at the upper ring, which then
becomes the lone 12 ring.
Shooting distance is another difference
between IBO and ASA competitions.
In IBO, all shooting is at unknown
distances; archers stand at the shooting stake and judge the distance to the
target without the aid of a rangefinder.
Distance-judging skill often separates the
top competitors, because the best archer
in the world can't hit a silver-dollar-sized
ring at 40 yards when aiming as if it's 45
yards away.
At ASA competitions, there are classes
for archers who have to judge target
distances, and classes for those allowed

60

to use electronic rangefinders. These are
" known-distance " classes.

REAL PRACTICE
Competition in 3-D archery likely
was inevitable. I mean, you get a bunch
of bowhunters together to shoot targets,
and they're going to turn it into a competition. But providing meaningful practice
remains at its roots.
Three-dimensional targets were created to add realism to practice, and they
do so in a way paper deer targets can't.
On a 3-D deer, muscles and bones are
carved into the targets, creating shadows
and different looks in different lighting,
much like you'll encounter in hunting
situations. You'll learn to find the vitals
by moving up the back side of the front
leg, finding the shoulder curvature and
centering your pin just behind it, about
midway between the belly and the back.
If the target is placed angling away,
you'll learn how to aim so your arrow
will cut up into the vital area. You can't
replicate that with a paper target.
Equally important is training your
brain to understand what it's like to aim
at a deer-shaped target. A piece of paper
pinned to a square or round backstop
doesn't do that. Aiming at a real deer is
nothing like that. But it's almost exactly
the same as aiming at a 3-D target.
Practice and competition aside, it's
just fun to get out in the woods and shoot
your bow and arrow at 3-D targets. You'll
never get as many chances as you will on
the course. And unlike with bowhunting,
you're guaranteed to shoot every time
you go.

Practice with a 3-D target provides added
realism. The contour of etched-in bones and
hair collect light and cast shadows, and vital
organs are marked in their proper places.
Pennsylvania Game News - March 2021

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