Project 252
🏹 Trying to get better at archery by earning 252 badges.
In 2025, I took an archery course for beginners. I liked it so much that I joined an archery club and bought my very own recurve bow.
Because I like to have goals to work towards with my hobbies, I'm aiming to earn some 252 badges.
So far I have earned two:
- 30 yards (2026-06-14)
- 40 yards (2026-08-08)
Why 252?
The 252 badge is a way of proving that you're a good shot at a particular distance. Badges start at 10 yards and go all the way up to 100 yards.
"252" is the minimum number of points you want to score. You have to do this with a set number of arrows – this varies based on the bow, but for recurve archers like me, it's three dozen. (You're also allowed to shoot 6 extra "sighters" at the start to adjust your sight, but these don't count for scoring.)
All this is using imperial scoring. To explain, here's a photo I took of a (slightly knackered) target:
Yellow is worth 9 points, red is 7 points, blue is 5 points, black is 3 points, and white is 1 point. Any arrows outside the white circle don't score anything.
To get 252 points from 36 arrows, you need to average 7 points per arrow. Basically, if you can get your arrows in the red or yellow every time, you can earn a 252.
If you'd like to know more, here's a longer explanation of the rules.
Glossary
- End – A set of arrows shot one after the other, followed by scoring and retrieving those arrows. I shoot 6 arrows per end.
- Round – Shooting a set number of ends at a set distance (or several set distances). For example, a "National 30" round is 8 ends at 30 yards, followed by 4 ends at 20 yards.
- Sighters – A set of arrows shot and retrieved before scoring begins, so you can check if you're on target or if your bow's sight needs adjusting.
Practice log
2026-09-05
Said fuck it and took a crack at 50 yards today. Could have been worse – at least my arrows consistently hit the target! Usually managed at least one gold per end (and sometimes two!), although my distribution was patchy. Certainly starting to feel the effect of the wind more at this distance.
It did feel very cool to shoot at 50 though. It was far enough that I couldn't actually see where my arrows were landing. Also I have totally maxed out my sight to the point that I had to aim like 15 inches above the top of the target, which definitely did not help with my grouping. I really need to upgrade to stronger limbs.
2026-08-16
My second National 40. Didn't score quite as well as last time but decent enough. I did get 5 golds in one end, which I hadn't managed at 40 yards before, and at one point I got an arrow absolutely dead centre on the target. So that was satisfying.
2026-08-08
Shot my first National 40 round (8 ends at 40 yards, then 4 ends at 30 yards). Figured I'd see how far off I was from scoring 252, but I didn't really have any expectations.
252? More like 2EZ because I scored 274 on my first 6 ends! So that's another badge for me. Pretty chuffed with that!!
2026-08-01
Finally pushed my distance up to 40 yards. I didn't shoot an official round yet because I was tinkering with my sight for ages, but my best-scoring end was 48 (3 golds, 3 reds). Very happy with that for a first-day attempt!
I probably need to consider upgrading my limbs before I attempt 50 yards. Limbs are often one of the first parts of the bow you upgrade, just because you get stronger by shooting regularly and so can handle a higher poundage than when you started, but I think I need to build up a little more strength first. Maybe do some rows at home or something.
2026-07-05
Today was my first attempt shooting a metric round. I shot 12 ends at 30 metres. Fortunately 30 metres is not too much further than 30 yards, so I only had to make minor adjustments to my sights.
The other difference when shooting metric (aside from the distance) is the scoring. Metric scoring is more precise than imperial scoring, so each colour band is divided into two sections, so you go 10, 9, 8, 7... all the way down to 1. I didn't realise just how used I'd gotten to adding up imperial scores in my head until I suddenly had to deal with way more numbers. Ended up breaking out the phone calculator.
2026-06-21
National 30 attempt #3. This one did not go so well. I made a rookie error adjusting my sight (moved it higher because I wanted my arrows higher, when you should always do the inverse) and unfortunately didn't realise my brain fart for several ends. Score was significantly worse than last week. Oh well, it happens.
By the time I dropped down to 20 yards, I finally got my shit together and then I got my perfect six-gold end! Twice! In a row!! So not a total disaster. And now that I've done three National 30s I can get my handicap from the club.
2026-06-14
Shot another National 30 round... and got my 30 yard 252! 🎉
I absolutely did not expect this at all. I haven't even gotten the 20 yard one yet (although now that feels very achievable). But for whatever reason, my form was just a lot better today. I must be getting stronger and more comfortable with this bow.
Highest-scoring end was 50 (at both 30 and 20 yards). It would be nice to get six golds some time. I think I can do it.
2026-06-07
Today I shot my first National 30 round. If I do a few more of these, I'll get a handicap score from my club. Moving the target midway through the round felt odd, but also it was nice to make things easier when my shoulders were tiring.
30 yards went alright. My highest-scoring end at 30 yards was 40, but my overall score did creep up a bit.
20 yards was better, of course. I actually averaged 40 per end (again, the goal is 42). With a bit more practice at that distance, I should be able to claim my first 252 pretty soon. (Also my last shot of the day hit the gold, so that's always a nice way to wrap up.)
2026-05-31
I shot a dozen ends at 30 yards and scored 364 points overall. My first 36 arrows scored 180, so if I'd been aiming for the 252, I was pretty far off. I need to be averaging 42 points per end, and my highest-scoring end was 40.
Still, for my first time shooting in a while, it wasn't bad. I think I'll focus on aiming for the 20 yard badge first anyway.