Archery:Equipment standards

General standards

SCA archery is about using, making, and knowing about pre-17th century archery equipment.

You may be allowed to use modern-style equipment, if it meets these standards, but not all competitions have to allow modern-style equipment. The Target Archery Marshal-in-charge can set requirements for the type or authenticity of equipment, including costume, used in their competitions.

Equipment safety

You have the ultimate responsibility for the proper care, inspection and safe use of your equipment, and for following these rules.

You must not use any equipment that you know is unsafe, or against the rules of the competition.

The Target Archery Marshal-in-charge, or any assisting Target Archery Marshals can inspect your equipment to make sure that it is safe and follows the Kingdom rules. If they find that your equipment is unsafe or doesn’t meet the rules, you can’t use it.

If you aren’t sure about the safety of your equipment, don’t use it. You can ask a Target Archery Marshal to inspect your equipment for you. They will try to find any safety issues, and let you know what to do about them. They’ll also let you know if the equipment doesn’t meet the rules.

The Target Archery Marshal might not find all of the problems with your equipment, so their help doesn’t take away your responsibility for your own equipment.

Bows

Your bow can be made from any material, as long as it is safe to shoot. The competition rules can restrict what materials your bow can be made out of.

You can use any kind of bow, except a compound bow. Competition rules may restrict what kind of bow you can use.

The competition rules can let you have ranging or sight marks on the limbs or riser, but your bow can’t have adjustable or fixed sights. If it does have them, they need to be removed, or made so that you can’t use them.

Your bow can be of any draw weight that you can safely use. If a Target Archery Marshal sees that you can’t draw the bow safely, they can ask you to stop using the bow.

Your bow can’t have a modern spring or flipper rest, or plunger button. The competition may allow you to use simple rests, such as:

• one-piece plastic rests
• non-adjustable wire rests
• feather, bristle, or leather rests
• built-out shelves or rests
• the shelf in a cut-out window.

You can use period string release devices, such as a thumb ring. You can’t use modern string release aids, unless you have a disability that would stop you from participating without them.

You can’t use stabilisers or clickers, unless you have a disability that would stop you from participating without them.

If your bow has a cut-out riser (one that you can look through from the side, often found in take-down bows with metal risers), the openings need to be covered so that it looks more like medieval archery equipment.

Crossbows

There are mundane laws that apply to the possession and use of crossbows for target archery activities (practices and competitions). You may not be able to use your crossbow at all events, even if you have the appropriate permits and licenses.

If the event allows you to use crossbows, you must carry the applicable permits or licenses at all times while in possession of a crossbow, and show them if you are asked to.

A summary of the laws and conditions of crossbow ownership and use in the SCA in Australian states and New Zealand is an Appendix to these rules.

In Australia, our insurance company only covers us for the use of crossbows on stationary targets, so even where groups and individuals hold all the proper mundane licenses and permits, we can’t use crossbows in target shoots involving moving targets.

In New Zealand, you don’t need a permit to have a crossbow, and you can use your crossbow with moving and stationary targets.

For events where you are allowed to use crossbows:

You can’t use a non-period center-shot trackless crossbow.

You can’t use compound prods or break-cocking crossbows.

You can use a crossbow of any draw weight that is safe for you to use. If a Target Archery Marshal sees that you can’t draw the crossbow safely, or it is too powerful for the range or target, they can ask you to stop using it.

The prod of your crossbow can be made of any material, as long as it is safe to shoot. The competition rules can restrict what materials your bow can be made out of.

If your crossbow is made after October 2016 and the prod is made out of wood or metal, it should have some form of safety strap, sleeve, or other method to reduce the chance of someone being injured by a broken limb.

Your crossbow can have simple rear sights, but it can’t have front sights.

The stock of your crossbow can be of any material. The competition rules can restrict what materials your crossbow can be made out of.

If you have a modern stock with openings that can be seen through from the side, you need to cover or fill the openings, so that it looks more medieval. Openings that are used for gripping the stock don’t need to be covered.

Strings

Strings should be of the right length and strength for your bow type and weight. Your bowstring can be made of linen, silk, artificial sinew, or modern bowstring materials, as long as it is properly constructed.

You can’t use a string that has become knotted, or been repaired by knotting strands together. This doesn’t include strings that are designed to use knots, such as a bowyer’s knot.

You can attach a single nocking point using one or two locators to the string. It can be made of metal or tied on.

Your locators can’t be set in such a way that you can use them for sighting.

You can’t use peep sights or kisser buttons on the string.

Arrows and Bolts

The shafts of your arrows must be made of wood or bamboo-like materials.

You can have shafts made of a single wood or footed shafts.

The Target Archery Marshal-in-charge can choose whether to allow broadheads or other tips that could cause excessive damage to the targets.

The fletches of your arrows or bolts must be made from feathers or other pre-17th century fletching material. You can’t use plastic vanes, but you can use plasticised feathers.

The Target Archery Marshal-in-charge of the competition can allow arrow nocks, and caps, rings, or nocks for bolts made of any material, as long as they are securely attached.

Exemption: Children can use non-wood arrows with plastic vanes in practice and competition. If you are a new adult archer, until you can get your own wooden arrows, you can use non-wood arrows with plastic vanes in practices, but not in competitions.

Quivers

You can use any type of quiver, except one that attaches to the bow.