My Big project handed over last week (on time and on budget), so now I am looking forward to getting my bows back out and practing. I started daily practice again over the bank holiday weekend and even when up the Club last week to the amazement of many members who didn't even know that I was a member.
Anyway, the targets were out at 70m so I shot my AlphaBurner and opened up with 120 dozen, thinking things could get much better, my next end was a "real" six gold end with all six in the "X ring", after that it went down hill with 59. I ended up with 702, but a surprising start, only 4 days after picking up my bow.
I have entered the following shoots before Xmas, so looking forward to getting back to normal life (which includes archery):-

Crawley FITA Field Shoot
Whelsh FITA Field Shoot
Cheshire FITA Field Shoot
F2F Amsterdam
Back2back
National Indoor Champs

I shot the IFAA UK Champs at Fonmon this weekend (mainly for a break from work, so I wasn't expecting too much).
I shot the AlphaBurner which I have shortened the DL on and increased the holding weight. I shot 544 on the Field Round and 549 on the Hunter, both of which I was pleased with given the lack of practice and steepness of the slopes. (Only good enough for 2nd though as Geraint beat me by one point with a great weekend of shooting and a new Welsh recornd on Saturday).
I was pleased with my shooting and the AlphaBurner which is chucking the arrows out at 300fps. Only problem is stopping the arrows. One boss all four arrows when clean though and hit the dirt behind!!........ still like the speed though, and now starting to like the extra holding weight although it's a bit early to tell since I only increased it from 17.5# to 22.5# last week.
I am looking forward to being less busy at work (hopefully October) and starting to practice again.

I shot and won the EFAA National Indoor Champs at the weekend shooting 2 x 5 spot PAA round. I finished with a maximum of 600 and dropped just 4 X's which I was pleased with. 300(57X's)+300(59X's).
My Red U/E XT3000 is still shooting well even when I haven't managed to practice much.

I have just ordered my new Hoyt 2010 bow. I have gone for the AlphaBurner (340fps) and looking forward to being a speed freak again.
I love my 2007 Vulcan Hoyt rated IBO of 330fps so I am really looking forward to another 10fps.
Last month a I comapred my Hoyt Vulcan(330fps) vs the Mathews Monster (350fps) both set at 29.5" and 59.5# and shot the same physical arrow for a direct speed comparison. Monster shot 292fps, my Vulcan shot the same arrow at 295fps, so another 10fps will be amazing..................whoops!...... the speed freak in me is coming out again..........(At least I am excited about archery again).

I have not blogged for a while, mainly because it's the quiet season and a bit of experimenting with equipment but here are the assortment of shoots that I have done since Tainwan:-

21 Sept 09 Panther EFAA Marked 3D Maxed it with 560 (1st)

5 Oct 09 Essex FITA Field Champs 24 Marked Arrowhead 401(360) 1st (shot slow set up of Black UltraElite, 450 X10's 120g as experiment)

12/13 Oct 09 Cheshire FITA Field (Hard Qualifying Course) 793 (3rd) with slow set up again.
(Sat Unmarked CW417,LG408,NW403, Sunday CW403,NW390,LG389 on a pig windy course!)

9 Nov 09 Green Dragon 500 Portmouth 595 (1st). This is the first GNAS timed round that I have done since 1996!. ....... very relaxed affair... might do some more.

I have been back from the World Games, Taiwan for a few weeks now, just haven't got around to blogging until now.
I finished 8th, which overall I was pleased with my position, but felt that I could have scored a few points more. Too late now, and I guess everyone probably thinks like that, so if we all shot a few points more then we would all probably end up in same positions, ... just with more points.
The humidity was a challenge. One morning Chris and I felt that the room was damp, so we left the hotel window open while we went down to breakfast. ....... big mistake. When we got back to the room half an hour later everything, ...walls, TV, laptop, bows, digital cameras etc were cover in droplets of condensation. You could write your name in the water on my laptop screen.
The closing ceremony was excellent. It was in a purpose built 40,000 seater stadium (full). See Photo.

Unfortunately I am too busy with work now and had to turn my place down for the European Field Champs in France which starts next week. So good luck to the rest of the GBR Team. I will be watching.

After struggling most of the field season to group at less than 25m, I shot my UltraElite with Blade rest at Northampton field shoot last Saturday for the last time this field season. I shot 404 (356/360 old scoring) and not happy again. So went home on Saturday night an got my Vulcan out of the cupboard (not shot since World Field Champs last year). Shot Sunday with Vulcan and drop away. Arrows hit where I was aiming at short and long distances and same ProTours go at 297fps rather than 281fps fron UE. I shot 411(360/360)... so I will be taking Vulcan to World Games. I just need to sort out my guaging which was 4m out on Sunday.
..... I still love my Vulcan!!!

So I haven't unpacked all the boxes yet! A job for winter I think!!

The builders have finished, my range is done and I am back on broadband. No excuse not to get my work done now!.
This weekend is Northampton Field Shoot and then only 4 weekk to World Games in Taiwan.

Here are some pictures of my new range. I have only been drawing designs for the last 22 years, so it's nice to final see Version K? built!

Photo of the shooting end.