Outdoor Shooting
There are numerous club shoots arranged throughout the year. Most are purely internal to the club whereas others afford us the opportunity to take part in Surrey or SCAS competitions.
Monthly Shoots (all year round)
Once a month we have a club shoot when club members gather on a Sunday morning and shoot the same round, at different distances, depending on ability. It’s a great way to work on your handicap and get practice in at the same time. It also helps introduce new members to the discipline of shooting in a tournament and scoring. If members don’t want to shoot a round, but just get some practice, they are still very welcome to join the monthly shoot. As an added incentive, we sometimes provide bacon and egg butties as an end of shoot snack.
Frostbite Shoots (November to March)
Each winter, Rivernook takes part in the Surrey Winter Postal League, shooting Frostbite rounds of 3 dozen arrows on an 80cm WA face at 30 meters with 10-zone scoring. We usually enter teams for recurve, compound, barebow and longbow disciplines The team entries are made up from the highest scores shot each month, so anyone who shoots well has a chance of making the team.
Every month from November to March, the club shoots an organised frostbite round on a Sunday morning, but individuals may also shoot at any time in the month. To qualify, all rounds must be shot at Rivernook and your scores must be witnessed. The longbows shoot a Warwick round as their Frostbite competition entry.
As well as the formal Surrey competition, all Frostbite rounds are entered into an internal club competition with a club trophy for the best handicap-adjusted score.
Worcester League (November to March)
We also enter teams in a Surrey postal league shooting Worcester rounds (30 arrows shot in ends of 5 on a unique 16-inch black-and-white target face at 20 yards). The Worcester round is usually shot indoors, but we shoot our entries outdoors in the winter mud.
Unlike the Frostbite league, this competition requires all archers of a particular bow style to shoot their monthly entry together. In 2025-26, we entered one recurve team, one barebow and one compound team.
Morecambe Bay Masters (all year round)
This is a postal competition is for archers over 65 years old. Participants shoot a different round each month, and submit their entries as individuals rather than as a team.
AGM Shoot (April)
This annual, competitive shoot is a handicap shoot, open to all club members. It is especially aimed at newer members who can shoot at shorter distances, including 20 yards and 10 yards. At the AGM shoot, trophies are awarded to the best novice archers – those who have been shooting for less than a year. We also hold our Annual General Meeting (hence the name), award classification badges to archers who have gained a new classification during the previous year, and award a trophy to the archer with the most improved handicap in the year. Food is served at the end of the AGM.
Midsummer Shoot (June)
This is a fun shoot and social occasion. We aim to shoot on, or very close to, Midsummer’s day, either on a weekend morning, or as an evening shoot. It is usually organized as a very informal team competition. Members shoot at weird and unusual targets, or at normal targets but with very unusual scoring patterns. All targets are at short distances, so everyone can join in. The shoot is usually followed by a barbecue.
Club Championships (September)
The annual Rivernook Bowmen Club Championships is a handicap shoot, open to all members. We usually shoot National rounds at all distances, so no matter the level of expertise, all members can join in. Trophies are awarded to the best performers, on a handicap-adjusted basis. It is a social occasion with food served at the end.