Archery range safety rules: the shooting line, whistle signals and never dry-firing

TUREFF• •0

Archery has an excellent safety record, and that is not luck. It comes from a small set of rules that every club follows, every session, without exception. If you learn these before your first course you will feel at home on the range much sooner. Your own club's rules come first: local ranges vary, so read the posted rules and listen to the field captain or range officer.

The shooting line and the waiting line

Most target ranges are marked with two lines:

The shooting line, which archers stand astride (or behind, depending on the range) when they shoot.
The waiting line, a few metres behind it, where archers and their kit wait when they are not shooting.

Only archers who are shooting step up to the shooting line. Nobody stands in front of it while shooting is under way. Spectators, friends and children stay well behind the waiting line.

Whistle signals

Many clubs control shooting with a whistle. A widely used pattern is:

Two blasts: archers go to the shooting line. Pick up your bow and step up, but do not nock an arrow yet.
One blast: start shooting.
Three blasts: shooting is over; walk forward to score and collect arrows.
A rapid series of blasts: emergency, stop shooting immediately.

The number used for an emergency differs. Some ranges and organisations use five or more blasts, others four or more. Treat any rapid series as a cease-fire, and check your own range's rules on day one. When you hear it, stop at once. If you are at full draw, let down slowly with the arrow pointing at the target, remove the arrow from the string, and wait. Anyone, including a beginner, can and should shout "Fast!" (the traditional call in many countries) or "stop" if they see a danger, such as a person or animal heading towards the targets. Everyone on the line stops immediately.

Core rules on the line

Only nock an arrow on the shooting line, and only after shooting has been called.
Point the arrow only at the target. When drawing, the arrow stays pointed down-range; never raise the bow above the target such that an arrow could fly over the backstop.
Never draw with anyone forward of the line.
When you have shot your arrows, step back to the waiting line and put your bow down or on its stand.
Do not walk forward to collect until the signal is given and everyone has stepped back.

Collecting arrows

Walk, never run, to the targets.
Approach from the side, not straight on. Arrows sticking out of a boss are at face height for some people.
When pulling, check nobody is standing behind you, place one hand on the boss beside the arrow, and pull straight back.
Look for misses on the ground behind and around the target. Lift an arrow buried in grass by drawing it forward along its own line, so you do not snap it.

Never dry-fire

Dry-firing means drawing and releasing a bow without an arrow. All the energy that would have gone into the arrow goes back into the bow instead. It can crack the limbs, break the string or explode the bow, and the pieces can hit you or your neighbour. If someone does dry-fire a bow, it must be checked by an experienced person before anyone shoots it again.

Checking your kit

Inspect arrows before every end. Discard any that are cracked, split or bent; a cracked carbon arrow can break on release and injure the hand.
Check the string and serving for fraying and the limbs for cracks or twisting.
Use an arm guard to protect the inside of the forearm, and a finger tab or glove for the string hand.

Clothing and conduct

Fitted clothing with nothing that can snag the string.
Closed-toe shoes.
No phones or conversations distracting archers who are at full draw.
Children are supervised at all times.

What are the rules at your range, and do they use a different whistle pattern? Share your questions and experiences in the comments below.