Archery Match Schedule for 2022: 3-D and Target Archery
Brian Miller 01.27.22
I love hunting with my crossbow, but I love shooting a 3-D archery match even more. My family and I enjoy spending quality time on the 3-D course. I have compiled a list of the major 3-D matches for the 2022 Archery Match schedule. Hopefully we’ll see you out on the competition courses and you can improve your skills as look to as well.
Archery Match – The Great American Outdoor Show
The Great American Outdoor Show is held at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex February 5th – 13th. If you have not been to this event, you owe it to yourself to go. The trade show and exhibits are stunning. The Great American Outdoor Show is like a mini SHOT and ATA show all rolled into one, as well as having countless guide services and taxidermy exhibits as well.
My favorite part of the Great American Outdoor Show is the 3-D Bowhunter Challenge. Shooters can qualify throughout the week, as well as Saturday morning if you are pressed for time. The 3-D Bowhunter Challenge shootdown is on Saturday afternoon. The crew that sets the match really go all out to make it a fun event. They bring in trees, logs, and rocks to make a challenging and life-like course. The 3-D event even has an elevated shooting platform for some targets as well.
An added benefit to making the final shootdown is that you and one guest get into the Great American Outdoor Show free of charge on Saturday for the shootdown. The Great American Outdoor Show Spot Challenge runs concurrently with the 3-D Bowhunter Challenge in the same arena, if Vegas style spots are your thing.
There is a secure area to stow your gear while you are not shooting and enjoying the show. If you are lucky enough to make the podium, both the 3-D Bowhunter Challenge and the Spot Challenge have excellent trophies!
Archery Match – The Delta McKenzie Pro/Am Tour
A friend once described the Delta McKenzie ASA Pro/Am Tour as a party in the woods with a thousand of your friends. I agree with him, except attendance is much larger.
The Delta McKenzie ASA Pro /Am tour offers both Known and Unknown yardage classes. There is a class for everyone offered by the ASA. The scoring rings on the Delta McKenzie targets place a premium on accuracy and offer a high risk /reward element to the game.
The Delta McKenzie ASA Pro/Am Tour kicks off in February at the Hoyt/Easton Pro/Am in Foley, AL and concludes at the Delta McKenzie ASA Classic in Cullman, AL. The ASA had a huge announcement this year moving the Easton/Hoyt Pro/Am to Camp Minden, LA from Paris, TX.
Competition Archery Media provides media coverage of Delta McKenzie ASA events. CAM’s coverage of the Pressure Point Shoot Down to determine the winner off each class on the Pro/Am tour is amazing. I always make it a point to tune into their Facebook page broadcast when the shoot down is happening.
The ASA also has State Level Championships to compete at. My family and I enjoy shooting State and Local ASA matches in PA, OH , and WV. The clubs that host these matches should be commended, they really put on great events. You will need to shoot a qualifier match to be eligible to compete at the State level. Here is the link to the State Championships and Qualifier dates.
Archery Match – The International Bowhunting Organization
The International Bowhunting Organization was started in 1984 to promote the sport of bowhunting and wildlife conservation. Soon after it started, the IBO Triple Crown was born. The IBO offers physically challenging courses on rugged terrain. The IBO does its best to simulate real world hunting situations.
Rinehart targets are used exclusively for IBO competition.
The IBO is unknown yardage for all animal targets. The recently introduced Field course is known yardage.
The IBO also offers a class for almost everyone’s choice of equipment, as well as age group. My favorite event of the tournament weekend is the Future Bowhunters class held on Saturday afternoon at 4:00pm. The Future bowhunter class is offered at all of the outdoor events. The class is a shoot for all kids 9 and younger. Ten targets are set up at approximately 10 yards or under. If the kid can pull back a bow and fire an arrow, they can compete in the Future bowhunter class. The class objective is a positive introduction to tournament archery for children.
The IBO kicks off the 2022 season in Mount Vernon, OH on February 11th – 13th with the Indoor World Championship. The season concludes August 11th – 14th at the IBO World Championship at Seven Springs Resort in Seven Springs, PA. The complete IBO schedule for all National matches and the Triple Crown are listed here:
The IBO will feature 3 State Field tournaments this summer. The West Virginia State field Championship will be held at Mid-State Archers in Flatwoods, WV April 30th – May 1st. The PA State Field Championship will be held at Two Mile Run Park outside of Franklin, PA June 4th – 5th, and the Ohio State Field Championship will be held at Golden Hawks Archery in Bethel, OH July 30th – 31st.
Archery Match – NFAA
The NFAA has an interesting spin on the 3-D game. NFAA utilizes stickers of various sizes consisting of a center orange dot (11 ring) and a yellow ring around the orange (10 ring). The rest of the animal is scored as an 8.
Yardage to the target is typically a little different at the NFAA 3-D shoots. Targets can be as close as 3 yards or as far away as 105 yards in the Adult divisions. The NFAA 3-D season starts April 9th – 10th in Friant, CA with the Break the Barriers and NFAA 3-D Open. On May 6th – 8th will be the Marked 3-D National Championship in Redding, California. The 5th Annual NFAA MidWest Classic Trail Shoot will be held June 11th – 12th at Bass and Bucks in Wabash, Indiana. My family and I absolutely love this match!
This is a general overview of matches that I have attended, as well as a few I aspire to attend. I hope you can get out this year and enjoy a fun day on at an archery match!
