My family and I recently attended a R100 event in Wetumpka AL. The R100 claim to fame is that it is the “greatest archery shoot in the world”. This archery shoot has been on my bucket list for years, I’m not sure why I put it off for so long, because it definitely lived up to my expectations!
I had been talking to people who had already participated in one of their events for years and had a very good idea of what to expect when I got there. I thought I would share my experience with others who might like to try shooting this amazing archery event to give them an idea of what to expect too.
What Is The R100 Tour?
The R100 is a family friendly National touring 3D archery shoot that has been around for 21 years. It travels the eastern United States starting in the spring and continuing through the summer. It consists of two 50 target archery ranges, the North American Range and the Safari Range, as well as specialty shoots held throughout the event.
Where Are The R100 Archery Events Held?
The R100 partners with Archery clubs and ranges throughout the eastern US to offer many locations and opportunities for archers to participate. We shot the R100 in Wetumpka, AL at Bennett’s Archery. Mr. Bennet, as he was referred to by local shooters, has a fully stocked pro shop, indoor range, outdoor range, and all the expertise you would ever need. Click here to find an event near you.
What To Expect At The Event
The event is run by Brad and Brittany Rinehart, who travel with the tour. At each event they partner with the local club or range to make everything come together. There will be 100 3D targets on two different ranges and targets for the specialty shoots. The ranges are open 12pm – Dusk on Friday, 7am – Dusk on Saturday, and 7am -2pm on Sunday. There is food and drinks available for purchase and plenty of R100 swag you can buy.
Throw in daily door prizes and Top Shooter Pins and its a full weekend of fun!
An Inside Look At The R 100 Archery Tour: The Greatest Archery Shoot In The World
Registration
Registration is a simple affair. It can be done online in advance or at the shoot, they accept cash or credit cards. There are several shooting classes to pick from; men’s and women’s compound or traditional, youth, cubs or just for fun. Even crossbows are allowed. We registered in advance to save a little money and our score cards were waiting for us at the R100 trailer. And just like that, we were ready to shoot.
North American Range
We started on the North American range. This range is made up of exclusively Rinehart 3D targets, self-healing foam replicas of animals you would find in North America. We shot our way through 50 targets of deer, bears, turkeys, elk, bison and various other smaller targets. The distances varied from a few yards to as much as 25 yards for us, as we were shooting traditional bows. Compound shooters had shots as far as 50 yards. We started shooting shortly after the range opened at 12pm on Friday and finished at 5:30. There were coolers with bottled water for purchase on the range. And a golf cart with three young volunteers came by selling Gatorade, soft drinks and water. We got a Gatorade and a water, and they left with ear to ear grins when I tipped them the change from my $5 bill.
Safari Range
The Safari Range is a collection of standard Rinehart 3D targets and unique, custom targets made of fiberglass and a self-healing foam shooting area. This is the range everybody wants to shoot. It is the closest you can come to going on Safari with actually being in Africa, or maybe a zoo. Targets included a 20 plus foot tall giraffe, elephant, hippo, Sasquatch, Yeti, lion, tiger, kudu, gazelle, baboon, t-rex, stegosaurus, crocodile and many, many other really cool targets. Make sure your phone is charged, you will want to take a lot of pictures and videos. These shots ranged from prairie dogs at 3 yards to a massive T-Rex at 32 yards and everything in between. We started late due to a few rain showers. We were the last ones to start shooting and near the end we were the only ones on the range. It was an absolute blast.
Youth Zone
The youth zone is a range that is free to youth and cub shooters. It is made up of 5 unique Dinosaurs and 2 NASP targets. All shooters must be supervised for safety. This range is open at the same times as the North American and Safari ranges.
Whitetails For Warriors
The Whitetails For Warriors is a pay to play shoot, $10 per round, where the archer shoots one arrow each at 10 whitetail deer targets at various ranges. The archer with the highest score wins a prize form the sponsor, HHA USA.
Steel Forest Challenge
The Steel Forest Challenge is a free 10 target shoot, where the archer shoots at 10 whitetail deer targets that are obstructed by steel trees. Each shooter is allowed only 2 arrows to complete the course or break both arrows trying. The highest scoring archer wins a prize from the sponsor, NBEF.
Iron Buck Shoot
The Iron Buck Shoot is free and held after the ranges close. Each archer is allow one arrow to shoot at a steel deer target with foam insert the size of a dinner plate. Any shot not in the insert is eliminated. The first round is at 40 yards and increases 10 yards each round till only one archer remains. The last man standing receives a prize from the sponsor, Badlands.
R1000
R100 gives out a R1000 collectors pin for any shooter that has a total score of 1000 points on both ranges plus their handicap. Handicaps are; hunter class: 20 points, traditional: 150 points, and youth/cub: 250 points.
Door Prize Drawing and Awards
Door prizes are drawn each day from free tickets each shooter receives at registration. Participants may also buy additional tickets if they choose. The prizes range from caps to targets. We scored a 2 caps and a bow stand. Top Finishers award pins are given for the top five finishers for each class on each range. You have to be present to win prizes and pins.
Do I Recommend Shooting the R100?
I absolutely recommend shooting the R100! You should look for one in your area, we drove almost 7 hours to attend ours and have no regrets, it was worth it. If the one in your area has already been held, check the schedule for the following year. It usually posts in January. If you like 3D archery shoots or have been considering trying one out, this is the shoot for you.
More Archery Resources
- Beginning the Journey
- Three of the Best DIY Archery Targets and How to Make Them
- Seven Important Guidelines For Range Safety in Archery
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