As a lifetime avid bowhunter, I am always looking for ways to challenge my skills in order to increase my chances of harvesting game during various seasons. Originally back in the late 80’s/early 90’s, when the sport of archery was in its infancy, it was common to practice target archery with your aluminum shafted arrows and shoot them at a marker into a bale of hay to practice your bowhunting skills. During this time very few, if any, outdoor sports programs were offered to view outside of public television. As time passed and outdoor television gained more exposure, the sport of archery and bowhunting also became more popular.

During this time technology became more advanced, which led to more options for training techniques to the everyday bowhunter. As this technology grew, target archery, which incorporates shooting at spot targets from specified distances, started to decline in popularity. Field archery began to gain traction because it not only incorporates the same concepts as target shooting in terms of shooting at a spot target, but also applies the natural environment of a hunting setting by placing targets in a traditional hunting setting. Shortly after field archery was introduced, 3D archery was formed as a subset of field archery. Competitors in 3D archery utilize the field setting concept with life like animal targets that have various scoring rings to shoot at.

Participants choose a class and competed against fellow shooters within that class for a variety of trophy and money prizes. Classes range from pro level to novice shooters. There are two major organizations: International Bowhunters Organization (IBO) and American Shooters Association (ASA) that offer a variety of competitions both indoor and outdoor throughout the year. At the culmination of their seasons, both offer a championship shoot that recognizes World Champions (IBO), National Champions (ASA), and shooters of the year for the various classes. 3D archery has surpassed other forms of archery in the last ten years and is considered by many as the fastest growing, most popular archery competition offered.

Critics of 3D competition shooting argue that due to the competitive nature of the sport, it lacks in some traditional hunting practices and indeed there are some variables that lead to these opinions, such as the set up of a target bow. Target bows often have stabilizers and sights that are extended out 10-12 inches from the bow, on average. This is typically not the case if a stabilizer is used on a hunting bow. Shooting in 3D competitions offers a variety of challenging shots at various distances and angles; however, the targets are stationary unlike the movements that so often occur in a hunting situation. These are both valid points, but there are also some definite advantages to shooting 3D competition archery that will assist hunters in preparing for their upcoming seasons.

Shooting into hay bales is a good way to gain an understanding and practice with repetition of the proper mechanics and techniques, but shooting at life like target helps the hunter to identify proper shot placement along with practicing the basic skills of shooting. The variation in the the targets on a 3D course helps to develop a better understanding and practice specific shooting situations that are so common in hunting situations. Shooting the same target at the same distance everyday helps develop technique and proper mechanics, but does very little to help hunters prepare for real life situations that we often encounter out in the field. This helps archers enhance their understanding and their focus on proper shot placement in real world application when attempting to harvest an animal.

Competition 3D shooting helps an archer develop good muscle memory and become a more consistent shooter. When you are in a hunting situation, you want to try and reduce as much thinking as possible and let your natural instincts take over. That is developed through muscle memory and consistent shooting. Consistency helps you maintain your shooting form and alleviate things like target panic when your opportunity is present. Consistency with the concept of “Aim small, miss small” truly applies in competition shooting because if you miss your targeted spot by as little as even a quarter of an inch, this could be the difference between you winning your class at a competition and being out of the top tier, which could be very costly to the competitor in terms of rewards and prize money. Comparing this to a hunting situation, if you are off by a quarter of an inch on a live animal during a hunting excursion, most often the results are still positive with a harvested animal. Consistency will also help you execute high pressure shots, which are often a staple in 3D competitions and bowhunting alike. Competitions provide opportunities for bowhunters to develop an understanding of how to make successful shots in high stress situations when their adrenaline is flowing.

In competition shooting, there are several classes that emphasize unknown distances, meaning you can’t use rangefinders to determine yardage and must enhance your ability to naturally range distances of animals from your position and determine the correct pin in order to make a successful shot. This is definitely helpful in the woods because there are times when game surprise us by sneaking up and putting us in a situation where we have to make quick decisions without a lot of time to use rangefinders. Understanding distances will help reduce a lot of extra movement and distractions involved in trying to get a rangefinder on an animal that appears suddenly. Competing in known distance classes where rangefinders are allowed, provides opportunities for the archer to gain a better understanding of how their equipment works. This is an essential task in both competition shooting and bowhunting because it allows you to make adjustments as needed in the field and is a very important aspect to developing consistency leading to greater success on the shooting range or in the field.

As a former collegiate athlete, competing against others has always been a characteristic of my personality. Combining my love for the outdoors with the competitiveness of 3D archery competitions has fueled my ambitions to become successful as an archer. The many lessons that I have learned through competing against fellow archers has helped me to become a more successful bowhunter.

-Todd Sellon, Fall Obsession Field Staff