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Target Archery and Thrown Weapons
Archery
Through most of the time that the SCA recreates, archery was used
in one form or another. Whether it be for hunting, for war or just
for sport, the medieval period was full of innovative and skilled
archers. Archery played a distinct role in many battles (such as
at Agincourt during the Hundred Years War), and many cultures relied
heavily on their skill as archers as a means of conquest (such as
the nomadic warriors of the Asian steppes).
In our game we have two distinctly different types of sport archery:
Target and Combat.
Target - To recreate the historical archery experience we try to
use the materials that were used historically.
Wooden shafts for arrows and crossbow bolts Feather fletching for arrows
Long bows, Self bows, Recurves and Cross bows made to represent
their medieval equivalents (No Compound bows).
As the name implies in target archery we only shoot at non-living
targets. Practices are held regularly outside while the weather is nice,
and sometimes inside if the space is available. Many events will
have Archery tournaments as well as open shooting for fun and practice.
Tournaments give folks a chance to measure their skill against others
and compete for prizes and fame. Often there are tournaments held
with various themes. Some tourneys are held to pick Champions and
others are to find the most promising novice archers.
Some themes include taking shoots at different types of targets
that represent various combat conditions, such as shooting at a
castle window, an advancing warrior, or long distances.
Combat - Combat archery is more akin to armored combat than to target
archery and is considered one of the many weapon forms used for
that activity. This is where archers dressed in the protective armor
of our heavy fighters can get onto the battlefield and shoot at
live combatants. Special equipment is used to prevent actual injury
during combat. Large blunt heads for the arrows prevent them from penetrating helmets and
low powered bows keep people safe on the field. (see combat)
- Society Marshal's Archery Page
 Thrown
Weapons
The target is a thick stump. The weapons are tomahawks, knives, spears,
spikes, darts, and plenty of other items. The unique aspect of thrown
weapons is that every weapon is unique; there are no set standards for size,
shape, weight, etc. Weapons like slings, bolas, etc, are not used because of the
space required for safe use.
- Society Marshal's Thrown Weapon Page
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