The weather in Tennessee this week has been glorious! It’s been in the 50s at night, low 80s during the day and quite enjoyable. Alas, these cool temperatures are short-lived because by next week I anticipate summer to come back swinging. Nevertheless, I took advantage of the cooler temps last night and hit up the Williamson County Ag Expo Archery Park (4201 Long Ln, Franklin, TN 37064). I love shooting there and meeting new people, especially when it’s not scorching hot!
My Morrell High Roller target accompanies me each time I go for two reasons. One, the targets at the range don’t play nice with slim diameter arrows. The arrows either zip right through the semi-dense foam or they are very hard to pull out. The second reason is I like to practice shooting something smaller. It gives you an edge, it’s challenging and it’s humbling if you miss. What I didn’t anticipate was having it be the catalyst for conversation.
I met two archers last night, Mike Smith and Casey Jones, who happened to be shooting nearby. We talked about the Vortex Fury 5000 HD Binoculars I was using, my Mathews VXR that I refuse to stop shooting (because I love it), the High Roller target (which I failed to mention by name), my HHA NYTRX dual vertical pin sight and arrows. It was evident to me that I was babbling a bit about the NYTRX and shooting a vertical pin sight. Mike wanted to see me shoot, ‘the milk jug’, so I dialed to 30 and sent my arrows. They hit the mark and that lead to even more conversation. Can you tell I was enjoying the evening? The archery range is not only about sending arrows into foam, but I also love the conversations dealing with archery, hunting and about anything else that may come up.
Here’s where it gets interesting. Mike asked about the NYTRX dial and I gave a demonstration of how the sight works. I showed him how to adjust the dial and how HHA sight tapes work. I then decided to shoot another round and my first arrow dropped to the very bottom of the target. I thought I had dropped my shoulder and said as much. After a second arrow embedded into the foam next to my first, I glanced at my dial. You are all likely saying out loud, “You didn’t adjust your dial!” If you did, you would be correct! I had set it to 20 for the conversation, got caught up in gear talk and forget to reset it to 30 yards. We all had a good laugh while I adjusted and sent two more arrows that hit where I was aiming.
Even with all of the shooting, the conversation was key. Forging relationships with other archers, sharing knowledge and enjoying the moments. I had such a great time talking with Mike and Casey, shooting and then forgetting about the world for a few minutes. Thank you both for making my evening at the range so much more than sending arrows. If God has it in His plan, I hope to run into you again soon.
Be kind, be patient and enjoy what archery can do. I love it because it’s therapy and it’s so much fun! I’ve been shooting a bow for over 40 years and I still get giddy picking one up and shooting. In fact, I can’t wait to hit the range again! Who knows, maybe it’ll be tonight before the weather turns. Good luck and have fun!
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