Programs
How To Shoot a 300 Round
Description of how to shoot a 300 Round
The 300 Round is a short-distance short-duration competition that can be done quickly, in about one hour. It is usually shot at 20 yards or 18 meters. It consists of thirty arrows, each worth a maximum of ten points. The maximum score is 10x30=300 points, which is where the name of the round comes from.
Format
The 300 Round is a target round (i.e. not a field archery round), so one shoots at only one target for the entire round, and shoots from level ground. Each archer uses their own target.
The 300 Round is shot in 3 arrows "ends", after which all shooters walk forward to retrieve their 3 arrows. There are 10 ends in a 300 round. There is a 2 minute time limit for each end -- which is plenty of time to shoot very slowly, there's no need to rush.
Standard archery whistle commands are used to signal the start and end of the shooting time. Disobeying the whistle commands can result in disqualification, and a zero for your score, so stay safe.
300 Round Target
The target face for the 300 Round is a 5 color FITA target face. At the 20 yard distance, this target should be 40cm in diameter.
Scoring
For scoring, each ring from the outside is worth one additional point, except the innermost gold ring. This means that the rings are worth:
- White 1 & 2 Points
- Black 3 & 4 Points
- Blue 5 & 6 Points
- Red 7 & 8 Points
- Gold 9 & 10 Points
There are some peculiarities with the innermost gold ring (called the "X" ring). Sometimes it is used for tie-breaking. Sometimes it is used to make 20 yard shooting more challenging for archers using compound bows. It is written on the scorecard as "X", and is counted as 10 points.
Alternate Target Styles
For very accurate shooters, there are some alternate target styles. When using these, you shoot one arrow at each mini-target. The rings are the same size as the middle five rings on the 10-ring target, and they score the same (So a gold is still worth 9 or 10 points).
Very accurate shooters will shoot most of their arrows into the 10 point ring. This wears out the paper very fast, making accurate scoring difficult. It also increases the danger of hitting your own arrows with your next shot. That can get expensive. These targets alleviate both problems -- the paper in the center wears out 1/3 as fast, and you will almost never hit your own arrows, except on very unlucky shots.
The trade-off is that any shot outside of the blue 6-point ring is worth ZERO points!
Vegas Style 3-spot target face
Vertical 3-spot target face
Scoring Etiquette
See the main Scoring Etiquette section.
Shooting Layout
This is the typical layout for a 300 Round. The ground is flat, no trees or landscaping are in the way. The distance to the target is 20 yards (or 18 meters, which is 5.4 inches shorter).
Example Scorecard
Example 300 Round Scorecard
A note about Divisions: "Senior" in archery means adult (18-49), not "senior citizen". The Division for archers 50 or older is called the "Masters" division.
300 Rounds at the PRA
The 300 Round is a great introduction to tournament shooting. If you are new to tournament shooting, you are highly encouraged to come shoot a 300 round with us on some Sunday mornings at 9AM. (The 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month)
Our 300 Round is pretty casual. There is no dual-scorekeeping or marking each hole on the target. Most of the time, you compete against yourself -- try to outdo your previous score. Some folks shooting will be very new, and some will be very experienced. But everyone has fun.
When you arrive, make sure to sign in, pay the fee, and pick up a score-card. At the end of shooting, sign your scorecard and hand it in.
PRA Awards
The PRA has an award for the highest 300 Round score of the year for each division (There are many divisions by age, gender, and shooting style). In order to qualify, you must shoot the 300 Round 5 times during the competition year, which resets on November 1st.
