St Nicholas Round
The St Nicholas Round is a classic favourite in British archery — especially popular with juniors and new club shooters.
Format of the St Nicholas Round
In the St Nicholas Round, archers shoot:
- 48 arrows (4 dozen) at 40 yards
- 36 arrows (3 dozen) at 30 yards
Shooting a total of 84 arrows for the round with a maximum score of 756.
The target face used is the 122 cm standard target, which features a five-zone scoring system:
- Gold (Inner & Outer) – 9 points
- Red – 7 points
- Blue – 5 points
- Black – 3 points
- White – 1 point
For more information on scoring, check out the Archery Scoresheet
Why Shoot a St Nicholas Round?
- Reasonable Arrow Count—With only 84 arrows to shoot, this is an excellent starter round.
- With rounds at 40/30 yards, shooting opportunities exist for younger and less experienced archers.
- The St. Nicholas Round has been shot since the mid-20th century and is now a staple in British archery.
- Classification and Handicap – The round counts towards gaining a Handicap for seniors and juniors, but only for juniors does it count towards a classification..
Equipment Considerations
- The St Nicholas Round is open to all bow styles, including recurve, compound, barebow, and longbow.
History
The St Nicholas round is believed to have been introduced in the mid-20th century by Archery GB to create structured and accessible rounds for Juniors and Beginners.
It is likely named after St Nicholas, the Patron Saint of Children and some sources list him as the Patron Saint of Archers.
The St. Nicholas Round was introduced into the early Paralympics at the 1960 Rome games, the first official Paralympics, a continuation of the games originating from Stoke Mandeville Hospital.
Final Thoughts
The St Nicholas Round is a great introductory round with a moderate arrow count and shorter distance than some rounds.