As to the question of gloves or tips, I always recommend a kid glove, a
size larger than the ordinary wear, with pieces of smooth leather--not
soft or spongy--neatly sewn on to the three first fingers, care being
taken not to put the leather below the first joint of the finger. Many
people, however, shoot with either knuckle or screw tips, which are
bought ready made of the bow maker. If tips are used they should fit the
fingers accurately, all three being of the same thickness. It is
important to have two gloves or sets of tips for shooting in case of
accident, and they should be exactly alike. Other necessaries are a
waterproof bag for bow, and a wooden box with spaces for arrows.
The usual distances shot by women are sixty and fifty yards, four dozen
arrows at sixty yards and two dozen at fifty yards, being what is called
the National Round. Of late, shooting at seventy yards has been
re-introduced, six dozen arrows at that distance followed by four dozen
at sixty yards and two dozen at fifty yards, being named the Hereford
Round.
The targets are four feet in diameter and are made of twisted bands of
wheat straw fastened together with tar cord, then covered with painted
canvas. There are five concentric rings painted on them, the centre
gold, which scores nine, the red seven, blue five, black three, and
white one, and in scoring, the arrow counts as being in the highest
colour which it touches. The targets are supported by iron or wooden
stands, the centre of the target being four feet from the ground, and
slightly tilted back. They should not be placed at the exact distance it
is intended to shoot at, but from two to four yards further back, a mark
being placed in the ground at the correct distance for the archer to
stand on, and no one should be allowed to stand in front of the targets
except the archer who is actually shooting. It is important that quiet
should be maintained behind the target, and archers, especially at
public meetings, should assist the captain, whose duty it is to see that
order is kept.
The ground should be as level and smooth as possible, and the targets
should be placed exactly opposite each other; if more than one pair are
in use, the ground will require squaring, in order that the pairs may be
exactly opposite each other.
The directions given for the position for shooting hold good at all
distances, and no alteration ought to be made with the exception that
the left hand must be raised higher at the longer distance, greater
elevation being required in order to obtain a sufficiently high flight.
It is a great mistake to draw to a different place on the face, or not
to draw the arrow fully up, at the shorter distance. _Always_ draw the
arrow till the pile reaches the bow and your hand the right place, viz.,
under your right jaw below the axis of vision of the right eye.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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