Welcome

Hardy Country Bowmen shoot from Spring to Autumn In secluded gardens in Milborne St Andrew, approximately 7 miles NE of Dorchester, Dorset. In the winter we tend to move indoors to the nearby Piddlehinton gym* (see Club Shooting Times below). However, shooting may continue outdoors when weather permits.

 

About us
We are a small, friendly target archery club with some thirty members covering a wide spectrum of age and occupations. The club was renamed in 2014 from "Crossways Archers" because there were no further links to Crossways village, where it was founded. As the club remains in Dorset, it was decided to change the name to one that represented a club within the "Hardy" county boundary.

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Bow styles vary from the English Longbow, American Flatbow, traditional recurve including Asiatic bows, barebow, modern 'Olympic' recurve, to the mechanical wizardry of the compound bow. Permitted bow styles and much else is covered in the Club's Rules of Shooting, which are aligned with those of the national archery governing body.

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The club is affiliated with and insured through the National Smallbore Rifle Association (NSRA).

Club Shooting Times
Normal outdoor club shooting days are Sundays between 10:00 and 16:00 (10:00-12:00 from 26th October to Spring 2026, when availability will be notified on a week by week basis).
 

Indoor shooting sessions at Piddlehinton Gym are currently on an ad hoc fortnightly basis on Thursday evenings, 7pm to 9pm, until late October 2025 (small fee payable at each session).

From 26th October 2025 until Spring 2026 regular Sunday afternoon indoor  sessions (2pm to 4pm) also take place at no extra cost to members.

Want to learn?
Archery may be one of those activities of which you've said "I've always wanted to do that". Well you can! We also offer tuition in "Target Archery" and "have a go" sessions for groups during holiday periods and the summer months. Beginners' courses are available in the gardens so if you feel like having some fun and fresh air the 2026 course start dates will be in Spring and late Summer, actual dates to be confirmed in due course.

Check out our Beginners' Courses page for further details and  get in Contact!

 

Tuition may also continue through the winter period should there be enough interested parties (i.e. four or more people).

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Club shoots

The club holds regular competition shoots for members which are as much social gatherings as they are gentle competitive archery! They provide a taster of tournament archery within the familiar setting of the club's facilities. Our next League competition will begin in January, combing indoor and outdoor events that are scored on a handicap-adjusted basis. So whatever skill level or bow style our archers possess, all have an equal chance of being competitive.

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Award schemes
We also run some of the popular indoor and outdoor badge awards schemes, allowing members to track their progress shooting different rounds at different distances. Click on Award Schemes for more information.​

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*22.8.23
The gym at Piddlehinton reopened after renewal of the roof and other refurbishments on Monday August 28th, Bank Holiday Monday. Hardy Country Bowmen were represented at the event chatting about the club and offering Have a Gos too!

See the Blackmore Vale Magazine's story HERE.