Archery

Have you ever tried archery?
This sport is very popular, whether young or old, big or small, archery is for everyone.
You spend time in nature and do something good for your body and mind.
You strengthen your posture, endurance and coordination.
Of course, the fun for the whole family is not too short!

In Austria there are approx. 220x 3D courses. Usually at least 28 stations are set up on a course. You roam with the bow in a predetermined round through forest & meadow and try to hit targets at different distances. The majority of these archery facilities are run by clubs and some of them offer everything the archer's heart desires from fantasy to safari and children's courses. If you do not have your own equipment, many offer a rental service. It is best to check in advance on the club website or give them a call.
At Bogensportinfo you will find the nearest archery course in your area. Many courses are also open during the winter months, depending on their location.

There are different types of archery:
3D archery: Shooting at animal figures made of foam (three-dimensional), usually on an open-air archery course, but can also be done in a hall
Field archery: targets with 2D-Archery faces are set up in the terrain along a round course
FITA shooting: at defined distances and target ranges, is practiced outdoors and indoors

A small excerpt of the different arcs:
Recurve
- traditional bow, most commonly used in Europe
- available in different materials, sizes and draw weights
Longbow
- traditional bow, made of one piece (wood)
- up to two meters long
Compound
- technical arc with extreme power, more precise with a sight
- is also used for hunting (especially in the USA)

There are also Horsebows, Primitivebows, Hybridbows and much more.

It is important to say that the bow and the arrows should be fitting for you and your height and thus your traction power. Otherwise, you won't have much fun/success shooting ;-)

The following archery dealers will be happy to advise you and tailor the equipment to you and your skills: Partner

There are also several archery fairs throughout Europe, where you can find everything about archery equipment and get advice from the various dealers.

For all those who want to practice archery not only as a hobby or to relax, there are many tournaments and championships in your country and abroad. Archery has also been Olympic since 1972.

German magazines about archery:
- 3D-Bogensport (traditionell und Compound) https://www.bogensport.cc/
- Zeitschrift für traditionellen Bogensport https://traditionelles-bogenschiessen.at/

Further information can be found on the following pages:
- Austrian Archery Association: https://www.archeryaustria.net/
- IFAA - INTERNATIONAL FIELD ARCHERY ASSOCIATION
- WA - World Archery Europe
- Archery Wikipedia-entry