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in reply to: Do Trad Shooters Need a Class card? #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

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