Archery range distances in Canada: indoor, outdoor, 3D and field

Archery range distances depend on what you shoot. Indoors, target archery is shot at 18 metres. Outdoors in Canada, compound and recurve archers shoot 30, 40 or 50 metres, and recurve goes up to 70 metres, based on age. 3D runs from about 5 to 60 metres. Field courses use their own set of yardages.

This guide lists each distance and explains why they differ. It also covers the room a range needs behind the targets, and how to start closer than the competition distance.

Find a range for your distance. Look up indoor and outdoor ranges across Canada, with listings for clubs, lessons and events. Find a local range

TL;DR

Indoor target archery is shot at 18 metres, which is just under 20 yards.
Outdoors, World Archery's standard is 70 metres for recurve and 50 metres for compound. In Canada, archers also shoot 30, 40 or 50 metres, based on age.
In 3D competition, nobody marks the distance, so you judge it yourself. Archery Canada's Canbow program caps indoor 3D at 30 metres and outdoor 3D at 45 metres.
Beginners should start closer than the competition distance. They can move back once their arrows group well.
A 20-yard indoor lane needs more than 20 yards of room.

Quick reference: distances by discipline
Indoor target distances
Outdoor target distances
3D archery distances
Field archery distances
How far should a beginner stand from the target?
Our perspective: ask for the distance before you drive
Find a range with the distance you need
For clubs: put your lane lengths where archers can see them
Safety behind the target
FAQ
Sources

Quick reference: distances by discipline

Use this table to find your starting point. Archery Canada gives target distances in metres, while NFAA field rounds use yards.

Discipline	Typical distance	Who shoots it
Indoor target	18 m, just under 20 yd	Target archers
Outdoor target, short	30, 40 or 50 m	Compound and recurve, by age
Outdoor target, long	Up to 70 m	Recurve, by age
World Archery standard	70 m recurve, 50 m compound	International events
3D, indoor	Up to 30 m	Canbow programs
3D, outdoor	About 5 m to 60 m, with Canbow layouts up to 45 m	3D archers
Field (NFAA)	15 to 65 yd from one stake, with some shots out to 80 yd	Field archers

Use the table as a guide. The exact distance for an event comes from its rules and your age group.

Indoor target distances

Archery Canada says indoor target archery is shot at 18 metres. That is just under 20 yards.

You do not have to start at 18 metres. Ask your coach to set you up closer while you learn stance, anchor and release.

If you are shopping for a place to shoot, ask the range two things.

What is the longest lane you have, in metres or yards?
Can I shoot at 18 metres here?

A shorter lane is fine for learning and for form work. It will not let you train for an indoor round at 18 metres.

Indoor range space: a 20-yard lane needs more than 20 yards

Are you setting up your own lane or planning a club range? The shooting distance is only part of the length. You also need room for the shooting line, the bow racks and benches, and people walking behind the line. You need a safe gap behind the target butts, too. Measure the whole room before you sign for a space.

Outdoor target distances

World Archery says archers shoot as far as 90 metres. Its standard distances are 70 metres for recurve and 50 metres for compound.

Canada uses shorter distances for many archers. Archery Canada lists 30, 40 or 50 metres outdoors for compound and recurve. Recurve can go up to 70 metres. Your age decides which one you shoot.

Your age group sets your distance. Check it in the rules of the event you plan to enter.
Recurve archers who want the full 70 metres build up to it.
Compound archers shoot 50 metres as the World Archery standard.

Why target faces change with distance

Nock On Archery points out that in target archery, the target rings get larger as the distance grows. It says this keeps the challenge about the same at every distance.

Local variations

World Archery says there are many local variations on its formats. Your provincial body or your club may run a format that is different. Read the event's invitation before you pay to enter. Our 3D and tournaments listings show upcoming events.

3D archery distances

3D archery is shot at life-size foam animals, and the key skill is judging distance. Archery Canada says that in all competitive 3D archery, the distance from the stake to the target is unknown and unmarked. Its basic guide puts the full span at about 5 to 60 metres.

For Canbow, indoor setups use a maximum of 30 metres. Outdoor layouts go up to 45 metres. They need a safety zone of at least 30 to 40 metres behind the targets. That zone is easy to forget. A foam target stops the arrows that hit it, but a miss keeps flying.

Outdoor Canada says bowhunters created 3D so they could practise in the off season. Archers shoot at life-size foam game animals from unmarked distances. If you hunt, that is a good reason to shoot it, since you will judge the distance yourself on a hunt too.

Tips for estimating 3D distance

Shoot a practice target at a few distances you know. Note how big the animal looks at each one.
Pick a point halfway between you and the target. Then judge each half on its own.
Check your guess after you shoot, if your event's rules allow it.

Our guide to 3D courses and clubs in Manitoba shows where to shoot 3D in one province.

Field archery distances

Field archery is shot outdoors. You walk through a forest or a field and stop at each target to shoot. Archery Canada says field archers are told the distance to each target, so they can set their sights.

Under NFAA rules, a standard field unit has 14 targets. On 10 of them, you shoot four arrows from one stake. Those stakes sit at 15, 20, 25 and 30 yards on a 35 cm face. They sit at 40, 45 and 50 yards on a 50 cm face, and at 55, 60 and 65 yards on a 65 cm face. You shoot the other 4 targets from four spots each, from 20 feet out to 80 yards.

The NFAA also has an International Round. When it can, the NFAA says to lay it out in order from 20 yards through 65 yards.

Field rounds are one reason to know both metres and yards. If your club runs a field course, ask whether the pegs are marked in yards or metres. Do it before you set your sight marks.

How far should a beginner stand from the target?

Stand closer than the competition distance. We won't give you one number, because a coach should see your form first. Your goal in a first session is clean, repeated shots.

Archery Canada says most of its clubs have coaches to help guide your first steps. Ask yours where to start. Nock On Archery says a larger target helps you accept normal movement and still see good results.

Here is a simple way to step back.

Start close, on a large face. Learn stance, nocking, draw, anchor and release. Aim for arrows that land in a group, wherever the group is.
Move back a few metres and tighten the group. If your bow has a sight, start to adjust it.
Move back again. Work on shooting the same way for a whole session.
Shoot your first full indoor round at 18 metres.
Head outdoors to 30 metres and beyond. That is where you add wind, light and fatigue.

No rule says you must pass each step in a set time. Move back when your group is tight, and let the calendar wait.

Distance also ties to your bow. Archery Insider says a recurve shoots a slower arrow than a comparable compound. A slower arrow drops more at long range. For a question about what your draw weight can do, ask a coach at your range. They can see your gear and your form.

For a deeper start, read our beginner's guide to archery in Canada or browse lessons and coaching.

Our perspective: ask for the distance before you drive

Archery Ranges Canada is where archers find a range, log their scores and earn an ARC Rating. Before you drive to a range, ask one thing. Does it have the lane length you need?

A listing that says "indoor range" does not tell you how long the lane is. A short lane works for a beginner. Say you are training for an indoor round at 18 metres, or you hunt and want to practise at 30 metres in January. Then the length matters a lot. That is why we want clubs to state their lane lengths and units. If a listing is wrong, you can report it so the next archer gets it right.

Our advice is plain: start closer than you think, and learn your distances in the unit your club uses. When you travel, check the longest lane before you plan the trip.

Do you want to track how you shoot at each distance? Our free archery scoring app keeps the distance in your practice history. The handicap calculator turns a score into an ARC Rating. Lower is better, and a perfect round scores 0.

Find a range with the distance you need

Start with the listing, then confirm the distance with the club before you go. Search the Archery Ranges Canada directory by province or city. Here are a few places to start.

In Ontario, see our pages for Toronto and Whitby.
In Alberta, look at Parkland Bowbenders in Spruce Grove and Lethbridge Bowbenders.
In the north, read our guide to archery in Yukon.

Are you looking for something else? Our category pages cover youth programs, pro shops and rentals and birthday parties. If a listing has the wrong distance, please report it.

For clubs: put your lane lengths where archers can see them

If you run a club or a range, put your lane lengths on your listing. Then archers know before they visit. Every listing has room for a description. Claim your listing, then add your longest indoor and outdoor lanes, in metres or yards.

Safety behind the target

Distance is also a safety number. Three habits apply at every range.

Know what is behind the target. Canbow outdoor 3D layouts need a safety zone of at least 30 to 40 metres behind the targets.
Listen to the range officer, and follow each call.
Do not move back on your own. Step to a longer line only when the range officer says it is clear.

Archery Canada says you will learn the basics of range safety on your first visit to a club. If you are not sure a space at home is safe, ask a coach at a club before you shoot. A home lane that works on paper can still be unsafe if arrows can get past the butt.

FAQ

How far do you stand from the target in archery?

It depends on the discipline. Indoors, it is 18 metres. Outdoors in Canada, compound and recurve archers shoot 30, 40 or 50 metres, and recurve goes up to 70 metres, based on age. Beginners start closer, and a coach can tell you where.

How far is an indoor archery range?

The standard indoor distance is 18 metres, which is just under 20 yards. Some ranges have shorter lanes, which are fine for learning. Ask the club for its longest lane before you book.

What are the distances in 3D archery?

Canbow indoor setups go up to 30 metres, and outdoor layouts go up to 45 metres. Archery Canada puts the wider 3D span at about 5 to 60 metres. In competition, you judge the distance yourself.

Do compound and recurve archers shoot the same distance?

Not at the top level. World Archery's standard outdoor distance is 70 metres for recurve and 50 metres for compound. Indoors, both shoot at 18 metres.

How much room do I need for a 20-yard indoor range?

You need more than 20 yards. Leave room for the shooting line, the space behind it and a safe gap behind the target butts. Ask a coach at a club to check your plan before you shoot.