Archery Merit Badge Guide

Archery Merit Badge – When a Scout picks up a bow and arrow, he becomes heir to one of humankind’s oldest legacies. Archery plays a large part in stories of Cherokee hunters and is at the heart of the Robin Hood legend.

The Huns were famous for their composite ox-horn bows, and the Moguls of India made bows entirely of steel. But for all its age, archery remains a living and the vibrant sport that is still practiced throughout the world.

Although modern laminated recurve and compound bows look little like the primitive bows our ancestors used, the essentials of archery are unchanged.

A steady hand, a good eye and a disciplined mind remain essential to the modern archer.

Like many other sports, archery is a fun way to exercise minds as well as bodies. The sport has dozens of variations. Many archers start with target archery, shooting arrows at a
five-color, 10-ring target.

But the sport also offers field archery, clout archery, 3-D archery, action archery, walk-up rounds, and many others.

Archery Merit Badge Requirements

1. Do the following:
   • State and explain the Range Safety Rules:
     1. Three safety rules when on the shooting line.
     2. Three safety rules when retrieving arrows.
     3. The four whistle commands used on a range and their related.
   • State and explain the general safety rules for archery. Demonstrate how to safely carry arrows in your hands.
   • Tell about your local and state laws for owning and using archery equipment.
2. Do the following:
   • Name and point to the parts of an arrow.
   • Describe three or more different types of arrows.
   • Name the four principle materials for making arrow shafts.
   • Do ONE of the following:
     1. Make a complete arrow from a bare shaft using appropriate equipment available to you.
     2. To demonstrate arrow repair, inspect the shafts and prepare and replace at least three vanes, one point, and one nock. You may use as many arrows as necessary to accomplish this. The repairs can be done on wood, fiberglass, or aluminum arrows.
   • Explain how to properly care for and store arrows.
3. Do the following:
   • Explain the proper use, care, and storage of, as well as the reasons for using tabs, arm guards, shooting gloves, and quivers.
   • Explain the following terms: cast, draw weight, string height, aiming, spine, mechanical release, and barebow.
   • Make a bowstring using appropriate materials.
4. Explain the following:
   • The importance of obedience to a range officer or other person in charge of a range.
   • The difference between an end and around.
   • The differences between field, target, and 3-D archery.
   • How the five-color World Archery Federation target is scored.
   • How the National Field Archery Association (NFAA) black-and-white field targets and blue indoor targets are scored.
5. Do ONE of the following options.

Option A – Using a Recurve Bow or Longbow

• Name and point to the parts of the recurve or longbow you are shooting.
• Explain how to properly care for and store recurve bows and longbows.
• Show the 10 steps of good shooting for the bow you are shooting.
• Demonstrate the proper way to string a recurve bow or longbow.
• Using a bow square, locate and mark with dental floss, crimp-on, or other methods, the nocking point on the bowstring of the bow that you are using.
• Do ONE of the following:
  1. Using a recurve or longbow and arrows with a finger release, shoot a single round of one of the following BSA, USA Archery, or NFAA rounds:
     • An NFAA field round of 14 targets and make a score of 60 points.
     • A BSA Scout field round of 14 targets and make a score of 80 points.
     • A Junior 900 round and make a score of 180 points.
     • A World Archery/USA Archery indoor* round I and make a score of 80 points.
     • An NFAA indoor* round and make a score of 50 points.
  2. Shooting 30 arrows in five-arrow ends at an 80-centimeter (32-inch) five-color target at 10 yards and using the 10 scoring regions, make a score of 150.
  3. As a member of the USA Archery Junior Olympic Archery Development program (JOAD), earn your indoor or outdoor green, purple, and gray achievement award pins using a recurve bow or longbow.
  4. As a member of the NFAA’s Junior Division, earn a Cub or Youth 100-score Progression Patch.

Option B – Using a Compound Bow

• Name and point to the parts of the compound bow you are shooting.
• Explain how to properly care for and store compound bows.
• Show the 10 steps of good shooting for the compound bow you are shooting.
• Explain why it is necessary to have the string or cable on a compound bow replaced at an archery shop.
• Locate and mark with dental floss, crimp-on, or other methods, the nocking point on the bowstring of the bow that you are using.
• Do ONE of the following:
  1. Using a compound bow and arrows with a finger release, shoot a single round of one of the following BSA, USA Archery, or NFAA rounds:
     • An NFAA field round of 14 targets and make a score of 70 points.
     • A BSA Scout field round of 14 targets and make a score of 90 points.
     • A Junior 900 round and make a score of 200 points.
     • A World Archery/USA Archery indoor* round I and make a score of 90 points.
     • An NFAA indoor* round and make a score of 60 points.
  2. Shooting at an 80-centimeter (32-inch) five-color target using the 10 scoring regions, make a minimum score of 160. Accomplish this in the following manner:
     • Shoot 15 arrows in five-arrow ends, at a distance of 10 yards.
     • Shoot 15 arrows in five-arrow ends, at a distance of 15 yards.
  3. As a member of the USA Archery Junior Olympic Archery Development program (JOAD), earn your indoor or outdoor green, purple, and gray achievement award pins using a compound bow.
  4. As a member of the NFAA’s Junior Division, earn a Cub or Youth 100-score Progression Patch.