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New Year Shooting at the Medieval Butts

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mullet:
 Thanks, Rod, that clears up a lot. Now I have to ask, what is a popinjay and a clout shoot?

CraigMBeckett:
Mullet,

from Wikipedia

"The format and rules of popinjay given below are drawn from those defined for the United Kingdom by the Grand National Archery Society. The specific rules are given in the GNAS Rules of Shooting 2006, rules 1000 to 1006. (GNAS, 2006)

The object of popinjay is to knock artificial birds off their perches. The perches are cross-pieces on top of a 90-foot (27 m) mast. The "cock" (the largest bird) is set on the top cross piece. Four smaller "hens" are set on the next crosspiece down. Two dozen or so "chicks" (the smallest birds) are set on the lower cross pieces. (GNAS, 2006 - rule 1000)

The archer stands near the base of the mast and shoots arrows upwards at the birds. (GNAS, 2006 - rule 1000) The arrows are tipped with rubber blunts rather than sharp points. The blunts are between 0.75 inches (19 mm) and 1-inch (25 mm) in diameter. (GNAS, 2006 - rule 1001)

Points are scored for each bird knocked off. Typically, the archer scores 5 points for the cock, 3 points for a hen and 1 point for a chick. (GNAS, 2006 - rule 1004)"

The original form used live birds.

As for clout shooting: again from Wikipedia

Clout is a form of archery in which archers shoot arrows at a flag (known as "the Clout") from a relatively long distance and score points depending on how close each arrow lands to the flag.

Scoring zones are defined by maximum radii from the flag pole. Each arrow scores points depending on which scoring zone it enters the ground in. An arrow embedded in the flag pole is counted as being in the highest scoring zone. If an arrow is laying on the ground, it is considered to be in the scoring zone in which its point lies.

The scoring zones may be marked on the ground. Where this is not practical, a non-stretch rope or chain marked with the radii of the scoring zones is attached to the flag pole and swept around it to determine which arrows are in which zones.

A designated person collects the arrows in each zone, sorts them into sets, and lays them on the ground. Each archer in turn points to his or her arrows and calls out the scores in descending order.

A single clout round consists of three dozen arrows, shot in ends of 6 arrows. Tournaments typically consist of a double clout round, in which a total of six dozen arrows is shot.

There are variations to the rules for different archery  bodies, (GNAS, BL-BS, FITA, and Archery Australia).

Craig.

mullet:
 Thanks, Craig. The popinjay sounds like fun. I might have to talk to the guy's in the club over here.

Loki:


http://freespace.virgin.net/neil.morris1/popinjay.html

Rod:
Eddie,

Popinjay is still quite popular in Belgium and not only do they have masts and a shelter from the falling shafts, but sometimes even have a bar attached for refreshment.

Here the popinjay is traditionally shot each year at a location where a "bird" is mounted on the church tower and they shoot to "Ding the doo."

There was an improvised popinjay at the BLBS Stoke D'Abernon Clout a few years ago, which was a military mobile mast on a small trailer with the rack for two popinjays (plastic crow decoys) fixed to the top.
It took what seemed like forever to winding it up and down (90 feet) and it was heavy work.

This did not deter FRF from showing off by shooting the bird and then turning to take a bow, at which moment the bird bounced off his head.
But no one had a camera ready. That would have been one popular image, I imagine Ted at The Glade might even have devoted a full page to it.

Clout is essentially derived from practice for holding a group with a long high trajectory shot, not a low trajectory as is currently the rule for Olympic Recurves and Compounds in GNAS competition, which specifies a low trajectory for these bows for reasons of safety.
It would be less simple, but more in keeping with the spirit of clout shooting perhaps, to place an upper limit on their draw weight and /or arrowspeed, a lower limit on their arrow weight and/or specify a very forward of centre point of balance for the shafts.
Then and only then would they also be truly clout shooting.

Or let them have their own competition with a small (36") boss as is employed at the Meriden Clout in BLBS shooting and call it "Longer Target Shooting".

Rod.

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