Bairnsdale Field Archers

16/06/2026

🏹 Looking ahead to 2027!

For any of our members who have ever considered shooting an international IFAA event, this is a fantastic opportunity right here in Australia. Plenty of time to start planning, training and setting some goals.

Who thinks they’ll be making the trip? 🏹

Time to book some holidays for 2027. 5 days of archery at an international event , what more could you ask for.

14/06/2026

🏹 Gippsland Branch Indoor IFAA Shoot 🏹

Bairnsdale Field Archers had two members represent the club today at the final IFAA event on the Gippsland Branch calendar, hosted by West Gippsland Field Archers.

For both David and Zoe, this was their first time shooting an IFAA Indoor round, meaning new personal bests were guaranteed to be set.

The format for the day consisted of:
🎯 5 arrows per set
🎯 4 minutes per set
🎯 6 sets shot consecutively (30 arrows)
🎯 A short break while the second shooting group completed their sets
🎯 24 sets and 120 arrows shot in total

With music playing throughout the venue, the event had a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere while still providing plenty of competition on the shooting line.

At the halfway point (12 sets and 60 arrows), the scores stood at:
🏹 Zoe – 96
🏹 David – 259

After the full 120-arrow round, the final scores were:
🏹 Zoe Stanford (Bowhunter Recurve) – 206
🏹 David Hattam (Freestyle Limited Recurve) – 520

Both archers improved throughout the day as they settled into the format and found their rhythm.

David, whose score of 520 earned 1st place in Men’s Freestyle Limited Recurve. Unlike many other formats, Indoor IFAA has no grading divisions, meaning all archers shooting the same bow style compete directly against one another regardless of experience level.

A big thank you to West Gippsland Field Archers for hosting the event, providing a warm and dry venue, and creating a welcoming atmosphere to finish off the Gippsland Branch IFAA calendar.

👏🏹

08/06/2026

It’s been at least 24hrs since we have had a shoot to attend and some of us are keen to keep shooting.
Good thing we are hosting the next Branch G event.
It’s an indoor event.
It’s 60 arrows.
It’s this Sunday.
Don’t worry about the weather.
It’s indoors.

07/06/2026

🏹 Victorian State IFAA Championships – Geelong

Bairnsdale Field Archers was proudly represented by three members at the Victorian State IFAA Championships held at Geelong Trophy Bowhunters on the 6th and 7th of June.

The championship was hosted on a spectacular rainforest course featuring challenging shooting lanes across creeks, valleys and fern-filled gullies, along with numerous steep uphill and downhill shots. It was a demanding but rewarding course that tested archers across both the Hunter and Field rounds.

Our members achieved some fantastic results over the weekend:

🏆 David Hattam – A Grade Freestyle Limited Recurve
• Hunter: 468 (Personal Best)
• Field: 450
• Total: 918 (Personal Best)

David was crowned Victorian State Champion, winning by 57 points.

🏆 Charlotte – A Grade Bowhunter Compound
• Total: 759

Charlotte claimed the title of Victorian State Champion in her division with an unbeaten performance across the two days of competition.

🥈 Zoe Stanford – C Grade Bowhunter Recurve
• Hunter: 149 (Personal Best)
• Field: 150 (Personal Best)
• Total: 299

Zoe achieved personal best scores in both rounds, finished the weekend with all of her arrows intact, and earned a well-deserved Second Place medal in her division.

Congratulations to all three archers on their achievements and for representing Bairnsdale Field Archers so well at the State Championships. We look forward to seeing what the rest of the season brings.

31/05/2026

🏹 Bairnsdale Field Archers was proud to host the G Branch IFAA Field Round today – our first IFAA event since 2022!

We welcomed 21 archers for the day, including 9 shooters from BFA. The weather certainly played its part, with sunshine greeting us for the morning round and temperatures reaching a comfortable 15°C before the clouds rolled in for the afternoon session.

It was a fantastic day of shooting with a relaxed atmosphere throughout. One of the great things about IFAA is the ability for groups to take their lunch break as they pass through the clubhouse after Target 14, making for a very enjoyable and social day on the course.

A few highlights from our BFA members:

🎯 Jason finished on 518 only 8 points shy of the score he shot in his previous IFAA Field round last year.

🎯 Tez and Steven spent the entire day trading blows in a head-to-head battle, with the lead changing hands multiple times. It came right down to the final target, with Steven claiming bragging rights by just 2 points and finishing on an impressive 492.

🎯 David backed up a fortnight of hard work, quality practice scores and shoot his first ever A Grade score at Branch level. His 456 score was an incredible 51 point increase on his previous personal best. Continue with your form into next weekend and good things will happen.

🎯 Carl and Brett both shot their first ever IFAA rounds and didn’t disappoint. Carl continued his recent hot streak, posting a fantastic 479 and earning himself an A Grade classification in Bowhunter Unlimited straight out of the gate. Brett also shot strongly for a score of 424 but was definitely feeling the effects of shooting more arrows than usual through a high-poundage compound bow. Spending an entire day with the boys from Macalister Trophy Bowhunters may have also contributed to his sore ears… 😂

🎯 Charlotte continued her steady improvement with another strong performance, scoring 417 and moving closer to matching her personal best. Best of luck at the State IFAA Championships next weekend!

🎯 Bailey shot a new personal best by 4 points, lifting his PB to 172. Those new arrows you built are clearly doing their job. Keep putting in the work because the improvement keeps coming every shoot.

🎯 Zoe also recorded a new personal best while shooting unsighted in Bowhunter Recurve, one of the most challenging IFAA divisions. A score of 133 in only her second IFAA event is a great achievement and shows she’s heading in the right direction. We are incredibly proud of the effort and determination she’s showing. Best of luck at the State Championships near Geelong next weekend!

A huge thank you to everyone who helped prepare the IFAA course over the past few weeks. Whether you cleared branches, repaired targets, placed cub pegs, cleared paths, or simply helped with the countless little jobs that often go unnoticed, every contribution helped make today’s event possible. No matter how small the role, it all adds up. 💪🏻

And finally, a special thank you to Charlotte for bringing along the homemade custard slice made by her mother-in-law. It was absolutely delicious and may have been the most fiercely contested item of the entire day! 😋

Thanks to everyone who attended, travelled, volunteered and supported the event. We hope you enjoyed the day as much as we did and look forward to seeing you all on the range again soon.

11/05/2026

Upcoming Branch G IFAA Field shoot 31st May, being hosted by Bairnsdale Field Archers 🏹

06/05/2026

The 2027 National Safari will be hosted by Mount Clay Archers right here in Victoria from 26th–29th March 🏹

Two of our BFA members made the trip to this year’s event in Mudgee NSW and came home saying what an amazing experience it was. Great shooting, great people, and plenty of good memories made along the way.

Now it’s Victoria’s turn 👌
Time to start making some plans 🙂

06/05/2026

03/05/2026

Rain, Resilience and Results

The second G Branch IFAA shoot for the year, this time hosted by Boola Valley Field Archers in Morwell, with IFAA Hunter on the menu.

Conditions were ideal to start the day, with mild temperatures in the low 20s and light winds making for enjoyable shooting. After a short lunch break, a change rolled through and brought steady rain across the course, adding another layer of challenge to the back half of the shoot 🌧️

This was the only opportunity for archers heading to the State Titles in Geelong to shoot a full Hunter round in a competitive setting before the big event in early June. With IFAA Field coming up at Bairnsdale later this month, and the two-day State Titles featuring both Field & Hunter, it played an important role in preparation.

We had three members from Bairnsdale Field Archers make the trip over — Zoe Stanford, David Hattam & Charlotte Veness — all of whom have been putting in the work at home over the past few weeks.

Zoe had another first today, shooting her first IFAA event. She showed great consistency across most targets and really stepped up in the second half as conditions became more challenging, finishing with a 131 in C grade.

David found some form again after a below-average performance at the previous IFAA shoot, putting together a solid round to finish on 390 in B grade.

Charlotte continued her strong form, shooting consistently well throughout the day and finishing on 411 in A grade — right on par with her previous Hunter rounds.

A great day on the range and a solid hit-out leading into the final G Branch IFAA event of the season.
Go team Bairnsdale.

20/04/2026

Boola Valley is calling! 🎯

Our next Branch G shoot is coming up on 3 May at Boola Valley Field Archers – shooting an IFAA Hunter Round. Perfect chance to sharpen those hunter distances before the State Championships in June.

The good news? We’ve already got a Hunter setup right here at home, so there’s no excuse not to get some solid practice in before the trip!

Camping is available on-site, and don’t forget to bring your own lunch.

Also – with fuel prices being what they are, why not organise a carpool? Save a few dollars and make the trip a bit more social.

Who’s keen? 👇