Award Schemes

We run a number of the popular outdoor and indoor schemes at HCB, and badges can be attained to mark your progress as an archer.  In addition we also run our own Grading Scheme to enable archers to track their progress. Many other rounds could be shot but the following are the ‘badge schemes’ at HCB. All of our schemes can be shot in general Club practice sessions as well as Club competitions, as long as you have an accompanying archer who is willing to countersign your score sheet on the day.

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Hardy Country Bowmen Grading Scheme

New in October 2025, the HCB Grading Scheme is based on the '252' Challenge' outlined below, but this has been extended through the application of handicap values to cover all our eligible rounds and bow styles. There are 6 grades, taking the colours of the archery target starting with White, to Black, Blue, Red, Gold and 'X'. Members are provided with tables that enable them to look up the scores needed in any of our outdoor or indoor, Imperial or Metric rounds to achieve the different grades with their chosen bow style. Rounds of 3 dozen arrows (outdoors) or 2.5 dozen arrows (indoors) shot at the required standard count as one credit, and four credits from any of the eligible rounds, mixed and matched if desired, need to be shot at each level to attain the grading. 'Sighters' are permitted before scoring a round.

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‘252 Challenge’ round
One end of 'sighters' then 6 ends of 6 arrows at a range of distances from 20 yards to 80 yards at HCB (available range length not quite adequate for 100 yards awards, and 80yds requires a back-stop net) on a 122cm face.
5 zone scoring i.e. 9-7-5-3-1
Maximum score 324 but badges are awarded simply for achieving 252 with an olympic-style (sighted) recurve bow  (average 7 per arrow) or more at each distance. The target score changes to 280 for a compound bow, 189 for barebow, 178 for a traditional recurve (including Asiatic bows), 169 for flatbow and 164 for longbow to reflect the perceived accuracy of the different bow types.
Two qualifying rounds, on the same or different days, to qualify for a badge.

Note: 20yd & 30yd '252s' may also be shot in our gym in the winter months.

 

​Portsmouth round

 

Generally shot indoors but could be shot outdoors as well.
One end of sighters then 10 ends of 6 arrows per end at 20 yards on a 60cm face.
10 zone scoring i.e. 10-9-8….2-1.
Maximum score 600. Badges for scores from 300 to 575 in increments of 25, then in increments of 5 up to the maximum!
One qualifying round required per badge.

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Worcester round

Generally indoors.
One end of sighters then 12 ends of 5 arrows per end at 20 yards on a special Worcester face with 16in upper and lower faces.
6 ends at upper target followed by 6 ends at lower target (or vice-versa).
5 zone scoring i.e. 5-4-3-2-1 in this instance.
Maximum score 300. Badges for scores from 100 to 250 in increments of 25, then 265, 275, 285, 295 and 300.
One qualifying round required per badge.

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Frostbite round

Outdoors at Hardy Country Bowmen.
One end of sighters then 6 ends of 6 arrows at 30 metres on an 80cm face.
10 zone scoring i.e. 10-9-8….2-1.
Maximum score 360. Badges from 200 to 300 in increments of 25, then 315, 330, 340, 350 and 355. An 'equivalence table' on our Frostbite score sheet takes into account the different perceived accuracy of the different bow types and shows the scores required for each badge.
One qualifying round required per badge.