Do Trad Shooters Need a Class card?

[JimyG]

#4444

Hi,
From time to time I see some shoots saying that a handicap or class card must be shown or you must shoot as guest.
I shoot a Barebow Recurve with Aluminum arrows and feather fletchings. Nothing on my bow but some felt on the shelf. I’m guessing this puts me in the Trad.
I’ve been told that Trad shooters do not need a handicap or class card. In fact at my club shoots they don’t even track Trad shooters.
But I’ve never seen anything from the NFAA or anywhere else that states this non need as a fact.
If I go to a shoot am I going to need to shoot as a guest even though I have my NFAA member card?
Please advise.
Thanks!

[Robin Conrads]

#31796

Hey JimyG. Thanks for posting your question and welcome to the forum. I know we have a few target archers on here. I’ll see if I can round up someone to answer your question. Whereabouts do you shoot?

[P.J. Petiniot]

#31808

JimyG-

I am unsure of the exact answer to your question but I know the man that can answer it–

Larry Yien is the man for this question–Larry has a World Championship and some top three finishes under his belt–

I will send him a link to this thread and see if he will pop in and help out–

P.J.

[JimyG]

#31818

TBMADMIN wrote: Hey JimyG. Thanks for posting your question and welcome to the forum. I know we have a few target archers on here. I’ll see if I can round up someone to answer your question. Whereabouts do you shoot?

Thank you!
I shoot in California.
Appreciate the help!

[JimyG]

#31820

P.J. Petiniot wrote: JimyG-

I am unsure of the exact answer to your question but I know the man that can answer it–

Larry Yien is the man for this question–Larry has a World Championship and some top three finishes under his belt–

I will send him a link to this thread and see if he will pop in and help out–

P.J.

Thank you for your help! I appreciate it.
Take care.

[P.J. Petiniot]

#31868

JimyG

Larry Yien also lives in California–Hopefully he will find his way to this thread–

[Hiram]

#31873

Most major Archery Orgs. will have you shoot a qualifier to class you. Small proprietary functions may establish their own rules.

[yien2]

#33470

JimyG wrote: Hi,
I’m guessing this puts me in the Trad.
I’ve been told that Trad shooters do not need a handicap or class card. In fact at my club shoots they don’t even track Trad shooters.
If I go to a shoot am I going to need to shoot as a guest even though I have my NFAA member card?
Please advise.
Thanks!

Hey JimyG, here it is in a “large” nutshell. NFAA has a regular membership that allows you to compete at NFAA sanctioned shoots, they send you out a handicap card with your membership. Regular membership dues are $35 for NFAA plus your State dues which is another $35 for California. There is also a NFAA bowhunter membership which is a non-competitive membership and is just the $35 and no handicap card. No handicap card means you shoot as a guest.
The folks at your club are half right, you don’t need a handicap but you do need the card. Some folks like to say that “trad” shooters have no class:D but that’s not true. We have one class which is “A”.

In general to get a handicap or determine an archer’s class you need to shoot a few “field” and “hunter” rounds which are 28 target rounds outdoors on an official range at an official shoot. Again, the neat thing about “Trad” is there is only one class, “A” so you don’t need to determine your handicap because there is only “A” class. As a sidenote if a shooter shows up with less than the needed shoots to determine a class they shoot “A” class. If you were to go to an international sanctioned shoot, IFAA, trad is called “bowhunter recurve” and classes are A,B, and C so it is helpful to have current outdoor scores.

Bottomline is you bring your handicap card to the shoot they register you as a NFAA member and you shoot for an award most places give you a discount if you are a NFAA or state member.

If you are shooting barebow recurve and have one anchor point to your face and one set hand position on the string and your index finger touches the nock you are shooting “trad”. Whew, don’t ask me how I know all this:D. Hope to see you at some shoots this year.

Larry

[Chad Sivertsen]

#33872

Larry knows his stuff.

Good to see you here Larry. We are overdue to breath smoke from the same campfire.

[JimyG]

#9949

Thanks, Larry!
I appreciate the knowledge and time taken to give it.

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