The Best Outdoor 3-D Shoots to Attend This Summer

Backyard practice is good for maintaining shot-execution fundamentals, but to really test your bowhunting proficiency, attend a challenging 3-D shoot. (Photo by Becca McDougal)

Backyard bow practice is a vital part of archery proficiency. It’s how you maintain your shooting form, muscle memory and accuracy. But it isn’t very realistic bowhunting practice. The ground is usually flat. The wind is minimal to nonexistent. It isn’t raining, and there is no pressure to produce because your target isn’t going anywhere. It’s kind of like playing a guitar in your bedroom with the door closed. It’s a safe place where little can go wrong.

But suppose you play guitar and get hired to open a concert for a huge band. You wouldn’t want that big show to mark the first time you played outside of your bedroom. You’d want to put yourself in similar but smaller-scale situations to expose yourself to the realities of a crowd with big expectations. So you’d play local and regional gigs to acclimate to the pressure to produce, which would build your confidence for the big concert.

Don’t Miss: Find a Big Buck In July With These Trail Cam Tips

Relate that back to bowhunting. If you only practice archery in your backyard or at the local archery range with a concrete floor, how confident can you really be when a huge whitetail walks out 34 yards away through a narrow window, or a monster bull elk gives you a now-or-never 53-yard opportunity as he aggressively pushes cows up a mountain?

Again, backyard practice is great and will help you maintain the principles of executing shots, but to truly test your bowhunting proficiency, you’d be wise to hit up one of these 3-D shoots, where you’ll be tested by difficult shot challenges that are closer to what you’ll experience while bowhunting.

An outdoor 3-D event such as the Total Archery Challenge will test your bowhunting accuracy through realistic hunting scenarios, in which missing the target will likely involve a lost or broken arrow. Expect many steep shot angles and partially obstructed targets. (Photo by Becca McDougal)

Total Archery Challenge

My first TAC shoot was in Big Sky, Montana, in terrain similar to where I hunt elk. I wore an elk hunting pack and hiking boots. The air was thin and the slopes steep. Beyond that, shots were very challenging, including extended-range shots, shots through tight windows, and shots at steep inclined and declined angles. And I shot with several other bowhunters, so there was some pressure. It was a great time, but more important, it truly tested my bowhunting proficiency. I left the event feeling readier than ever to hunt.

TAC events have a few courses for various skill levels, and if you put in two or three days, you could shoot all of them. Some TAC shot challenges are designed so you’ll lose or break an arrow if you miss the target. And with others watching you shoot, you’ll find out just how proficient you are. I recall most targets having a pile of broken arrows next to them, which meant that a lot of bowhunters learned they had more work to do before bowhunting season — something they might not have realized while shooting in their backyards.

Don’t Miss: Testing New See-Through Hunting Blinds

TAC hits 12 locations from spring through mid-August. Events feature raffles and also novelty shots with the possibility of prizes. There’s even a chance to win a truck. Between courses, visit vendors showcasing their products. Mainly, dig into the difficult shot challenges, and focus like never before.

There are only three more TAC shoots during Summer 2024, and availability is limited, so head to the TAC website to register.

There will be many challenging shots at the 3-D events listed in this article, and you’ll get some physical training in as you hike between targets. (Photo by Becca McDougal)

BowFest

BowFest is an annual archery and music festival held at Mont Du Lac Resort in Superior, Wisconsin. It runs July 25 through 28 this year. There are four courses totaling 60-plus targets, with plenty of challenging shots and hiking between targets. This event will test your bowhunting proficiency. While you’re at BowFest, watch for hunting celebrities including Realtree pros Melissa Bachman, Nate Hosie, Randy Birdsong, and Michael Waddell. The event also features concerts by nationally known artists.

“BowFest is an incentive to keep shooting and not just pick your bow up right before the season and scramble to get things ready,” Bachman said. “Plus, the music, vendors, activities and food make it not only a fun shooting weekend but really an awesome experience for the entire family.”

Having someone watch over your shoulder as you attempt a difficult shot will impose pressure similar to the stress you’ll feel when a buck or bull offers an opportunity. (Photo by Andrew Sandage)

Rinehart R-100

The Rinehart R-100 has about six stops remaining on its 2024 tour. All R-100 events have a 50-target Safari Range and a 50-target North American Range. Archers can sign up in one of seven classes based on age, equipment and skill level. In addition to the two large courses, there is a Youth Zone for youngsters to shoot, and also Specialty Shoots — such as the Badlands Iron Buck Shoot — that feature prizes from event sponsors.

Don’t Miss: Pennsylvania Grandmother Bags Giant 14-Point Buck

Hiking the timber and shooting 100 targets makes for a long day, but it will put some grit in your pre-season practice. If you’re still making kill shots when you reach targets 99 and 100, you’re probably ready for bow season.