A Letter From a Target Frame

There are two kinds of target frame my friend. New ones, and ones that have met archers.

Dear Archer,

When John built me, I had dreams. Not ambitious dreams - I wasn’t expecting to be central to an Olympic final or cradle the arrows of a world‑class pro. I simply hoped to spend my days quietly supporting target faces at club and regional level, watching the occasional perfect ten arrive like a surprise visit by a welcomed guest.

Life started well. John seemed particularly proud of me and my kin. He designed us carefully, measured everything twice, cut once. Michael, Chris and Geo helped assemble us. And then we were admired. We stood perfectly square and level - a majestic sight, if I do say so myself.

Ten minutes into our very first competition, someone shot me in the left front leg and the Arojac was required. Things did not improve.

After two competitions, I have counted roughly one hundred arrow strikes across all the frames. We have become intimately acquainted with stainless steel points, tungsten points, field piles on woodies, and several colourful Scottish expressions that we suspect are not permitted by the AGB big book of etiquette.

Yet every Wednesday and Sunday, my kin and I stand stoically behind boss and face. Because someone has to and apparently .. that someone is us.

John proudly describes us as "robust". I soon discovered this is archery shorthand for "you're going to get shot a lot." The design brief called for durability. It did not specify resistance to Scottish archers - just the ability to survive them.

Competitions survived: 2 .. Confirmed arrow strikes: 16 .. Structural integrity: Acceptable .. Morale: Wounded but defiant.

For those wondering whether experienced archers still hit target frames: Yes. Absolutely. Repeatedly. Beginners apologise when they hit us. Experienced archers inspect the arrow, blame the wind, question the tuning, mutter something about a bad release, and carry on as though it was all part of the plan. The difference is simply that experienced archers have more convincing excuses. Practice making excuses makes perfect, it seems… except when they have one of those arrows. Then there is only swearing.

Finally, I’d like to clarify something. Contrary to popular belief, I am not the target. I merely have the statistics - and the wounds - to prove many of you disagree.

So see you on the line. I’ll be the one holding up THE ACTUAL TARGET YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE SHOOTING AT!

Yours, still standing
Target Frame #1