What Is the Longest Bow Shot? And Other Archery Records

Written by Tim Rhodes Last Updated: Oct 1 2023

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The longest bow shot is among one of the many archery records that have been set.

Impressive archery records have been set throughout the years by archers around the world.

If you’re anything like me, you always like hearing about archery stats.

What Is The Longest Bow Shot And Other Archery Records

This article will look at some of the most exciting records set in the world of archery.

Without further ado, let’s get right to it.

Notable Records in Archery

Because Archers and Archery equipment are very sophisticated and accurate in the modern-day, the name of the game is now down to how far can you be accurate.

This is why records are being broken, and newer records are set to take Modern Competitive Archery to the next level.

Farthest Archery Target Hit (Male)

On December 9, 2015, Matt Stutzman successfully hit a target with a distance of 930 ft (283.4 meters).

This was the farthest accurate shot in modern archery under World Archery Conditions.

Matt Stutzman was a disabled man and a member of the U.S. Paralympic Archery Team in 2012.

The shot was completed under FITA (Fédération Internationale de Tir à l’Arc) conditions.

An able-bodied person previously held the record.

Farthest Shot in Flight Archery

In 1987 Don Brown shot an arrow at an amazing distance of 1,336 yards 1’3” (1,222 meters).

Don Brown accomplished the record with a handheld Unlimited Conventional Flight Bow.

For Unlimited LongBow, Jeremy Spencer holds the best record with 415 yards (379.51 meters).

The Great Harry Drake was able to do farther, with a still unbeaten record of 2,047 yards (1871 meters).

Harry Drake did this in 1988 but with a Flight Crossbow or Unlimited Foot bow.

Harry Drake was a pioneer bowyer and made significant contributions in designing and building the early modern “Composite Bows.”

He also built the first-ever bow to shoot more than 600 yards since the day of Ancient Turks.

Recorded in the Southern California Archery Association Tournament on May 31, 1947.

A Drake bow designed in 1964 was able to shoot and record a distance of 1,077 yards on October 24, 1971, in the Official North America Archery Flight Championships.

Drake Bows are very popular and has a huge reputation for being very powerful, accurate, smooth, excellent shooters, and a tendency to not stack.

Largest Archery Tournament

The Largest Archery Tournament was achieved by theNational Archery in the Schools Program at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Kentucky, USA, from 9 to 11 May 2013.

It had a total of 9,426 participants for a total of 3 days.

Fastest Three-Circuit Underwater Archery Course Completion

Yohann Belpre (France) achieved the fastest three-circuit underwater archery course in just 54.74 seconds on the set of ‘Officially Amazing’ (CBBC) in Lyon, France, on 24 June 2014.

Greatest Height to Shoot and Catch an Arrow

Anthony Kelly (Australia) achieved the greatest height to shoot and then catch an arrow at 51.2 m (167.979 ft.), in New South Wales, Australia, on 12 December 2018.

Heaviest Longbow Draw Weight

The maximum draw on an arrow was achieved by Mark Stretton (UK) after drawing a longbow weighing 90 kg (200 lb.) to the length 82.5 cm (32 ½ in).

The bow was made of yew wood-backed with hickory by Bickerstaff Bows (UK).

The arrow was made of aspen (poplar) and fired at a target approximately 5 yards away from the archer.

It was recorded on 15 August 2004 at the shooting grounds of The Bath Archers, Somerset, UK.

Farthest Arrow Shot Using Feet

Brittany Walsh (USA) achieved the farthest arrow shot using the feet is 12.31 m (40 ft 4.64 in) at Creston School in Portland, Oregon, USA, on 31 March 2018.

Brittany is a Circus and Theatre Performer.

She has been performing her record-breaking skill for more than 11 years.

Most Light Bulbs Hit With Arrows In Three Minutes (team of two)

Marco Vitale and Oscar De Pellegrin (both Italy) have both recorded the number of light bulbs hit with a total of 11 in 3 minutes shooting arrows with recurve bows.

It was recorded on the Lo Show Dei Record set in Milan, Italy, on 19 April 2009.

Most arrows shot simultaneously From a Longbow

Hamish Murray (UK) had the most arrows shot simultaneously with a total of 12 from a longbow and was achieved at Margam Country Park, Port Talbot, UK, on 27 July 2014.

Most Balloons Burst With a Single Bolt Shot From a Crossbow Backwards

Ian Stewart recorded the most balloons burst in a single bolt shot with a total of 13 from a crossbow backward.

It was achieved in North River, Nova Scotia, Canada, on 3 June 2021.

Fastest Time to Shoot 10 Arrows

Joseph McGrail-Bateup (Australia) completed the fastest time to shoot ten arrows into a 40 cm target from an 18 m distance in 1 min 0.03 seconds.

Joseph used a longbow for this attempt.

It was achieved in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia, on 17 November 2019.

Most Amount of Arrows Caught By Hand In a Two-Minute Span

Joe Alexander (Germany) recorded the most arrows caught by hand in two minutes is 43 and was achieved at a distance of 8 m (26 ft. 2.96 in) from two archers.

It was achieved at Mosan e.V. in Hamburg, Germany, on 17 November 2010 during the celebration of Guinness World Records Day 2010.

Most Arrows Caught By Hand In Two Minutes While Blindfolded

Chayne Hultgren, aka “The Space Cowboy,” recorded the most arrows caught blindfolded with a total of 7 in two minutes.

Hultgren achieved this record by catching arrows shot by Zoe Ellis (both from Australia) in Byron Bay, Australia, on 9 May 2017.

Zoe Ellis used a 20-pound hunting bow.

Most Arrows Caught By Hand In One Minute

Joe Alexander (Germany) caught the most arrows by hand with a total of 15 in one minute and was achieved on the set of ‘Lo Show Dei Record’ in Rome, Italy, on 18 April 2012.

Most Target Hits On A Revolving Platform In One Minute Thru A Mirror

Anthony Kelly (Australia) recorded the most archery hits of a revolving target in one minute using a mirror with a total of 5 and was achieved in New South Wales, Australia, on 18 December 2013.

The condition for this record was to not look directly at the target.

However, he could only aim by looking into a mirror.

Anthony had to fire at a single target set on a rotating wheel.

Anthony attempted and failed to succeed on this record on an Indian TV in 2011 on the set of Guinness World Records.

Due to this failed record attempt, Anthony built the required wheel and target in his hometown of Armidale and managed to succeed in breaking the record with five hits.

Longest Archery Marathon

Ton van Eekeren (Netherlands) recorded the Longest Archery Marathon, with a total of 30 hours and 16 minutes, and was achieved in Almere, Netherlands, on 14 August 2015.

Eekeren scored a total of 20,638 points from a total of 2,340 shots.

Most Archery World Cup Wins

Brady Ellison (USA) achieved The Most Archery World Cup wins with a total of five, achieved in the men’s recurve in 2010, 2011, 2014, 2016, and 2019.

Sara López (Colombia) won the most in the women’s compound in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2019.

Most Points Scored by an Individual in 24 hours Under World Archery Outdoor Conditions

This record is for the highest archery score achieved outdoors in 24 hours at a distance of 30 meters (98.42 ft.), and a target size of 80 cm (31.49 in).

This record is to be attempted by an individual and was measured in points according to standard World Archery outdoor scoring rules.

Most Points scored in 18-meter Indoor Compound Archery (Female)

Sarah Prieels (Belgium) achieved the most points scored in 18-m indoor 60-arrow compound archery by a female archer with a total of 597 out of 600

It was recorded at the TRUBall/Axcel Roma Archery Trophy in Rome, Italy, on 14 December 2019

Ella Gibson held the record for three weeks with a total shot 596 until Prieels broke it later in the indoor compound record at the Indoor Archery World Series event in Luxembourg

Most Archery Women’s Compound World Cup Wins

Sara López achieved the most wins of the Archery World Cup women’s compound title with a total of 5, in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018 & 2019.

Tied with Brady Ellison (men’s recurve).

López beat Natalia Avdeeva 149-139 in Moscow and claimed her third consecutive (and fifth overall) women’s compound title, in Russia on 6 September 2019.

Most Points Scored in 18-meter Indoor Recurve Archery (Male)

The Most points scored in 18-metre indoor recurve archery was achieved by Brady Ellison scoring 599 out of 600 at 2016/17 Indoor Archery World Cup Stage 3 in Nimes, France.

Recurve archer Ellison broke his own world record of 598, set just two months earlier in Marrakesh, Morocco, on 20 January 2017,

Most points scored in 30-metre 36-arrow recurve archery (Female)

Han Hee-ji (South Korea) successfully recorded 360 out of a possible 360 – with 22 arrows shot within the inner ring of the gold target – at the 47th National All-Star Archery Tournament.

It was achieved in Yecheon, South Korea, on 18 September 2015.

All World Archery 36-arrow records must be set as part of a full 1440 round, which comprises 144 arrows shot over four distances: 30 m, 50 m, 70 m and 90 m for men, and 30 m, 50 m, 60 m and 70 m for women.

Most Points Scored In An Archery 1440 Round (Compound, Female)

Sara López (Colombia) achieved The most points scored in an archery 1440 round (compound, female) with a total of 1,424,

The event took place at the XX Juegos Nacionales “Carlos Lleras Restrepo” in Ibagué, Colombia, on 10 November 2015.

Known as a FITA round until 2014, a 1440 round comprises 144 arrows shot over four distances: 30 m, 50 m, 70 m and 90 m for men, and 30 m, 50 m, 60 m and 70 m for women.

López’s round of 1,424 included a score of 356 out of 260 at 50 m – also a world record.

Most Points Scored In An Archery 1440 Round (Compound, Male)

Mike Schloesser (Netherlands) achieved the most points scored in an archery 1440 round by a male with a compound bow with a total of 1,421, in Boekel, Netherlands on 30 August 2021.

Known as a FITA round until 2014, a 1440 round comprises 4 sets of 36 arrows shot over different distances: 30 m, 50 m, 70 m and 90 m for men, and 30 m, 50 m, 60 m and 70 m for women.

Schloesser scored 352 out of 360 at 90 m, 356 at 70 m, 353 at 50 m and 360 at 30 m.

He broke a record that had stood for 11 years.

Most Points Scored In An archery 1440 Round (Recurve, Male)

Kim Woo-jin (South Korea) recorded a total of 1,391 from a possible 1,440 points at the 95th National Sports Festival on Jeju Island, South Korea on 30 October 2014

His score included a world record of 352 in the 70 meters 36 arrows.

Known as a FITA round until 2014, a 1440 round comprises 144 arrows shot over four distances: 30 m, 50 m, 70 m and 90 m for men, and 30 m, 50 m, 60 m and 70 m for women.

Most Archery Men’s Recurve World Cup Wins

Brady Ellison (USA) achieved the most wins of the Archery World Cup men’s recurve title with a total of five in 2010, 2011, 2014, 2016 and 2019.

Organized by World Archery, the Archery World Cup was instituted in 2006 and comprises four separate events around the world and a final.

Brady Ellison beat Mauro Nespoli with a 6-2 victory and won his fifth Champion title in Moscow, Russia on 7 September 2019.

He shares the overall record for World Cup titles with Sara Lopez (women’s compound).

Most Archery World Cup Men’s Compound Wins

Sergio Pagni (Italy) achieved the most wins of the FITA (Fédération Internationale de Tir à l’Arc) Archery World Cup in the Men’s Compound event with a total of two, in 2009 and 2010.

Highest Points in Female 70-metre 72-arrow Recurve Archery (Outdoor)

Kang Chae-young (South Korea) achieved the most points scored in 72-arrow 70-meter outdoor recurve archery by a female with a total of 692.

She beat her own world record by one point.

It was recorded during the ranking round at the 2019 World Archery Championships in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands on 10 June 2019.

In outdoor target archery, the 72-arrow round is a preliminary round used to ascertain seedings for the head-to-head match play rounds.

Each arrow – shot from a distance of 70 m – can earn a maximum of 10 points for hitting the 12.2-cm-diameter inner ring on the target, offering a total possible score of 720.

Most Points Scored in 70-meter 36-arrow Outdoor Recurve Archery (Male)

Oh Jin-hyek (South Korea) scored 353 points from a possible 360 at the 32nd Korea Archery Association President Flag Tour in Yecheon, South Korea on 29 August 2015.

All World Archery 36-arrow records must be set as part of a full 1440 round, which comprises 144 arrows shot over four distances: 30 m, 50 m, 70 m and 90 m for men, and 30 m, 50 m, 60 m and 70 m for women.

Most Points Scored In 50-meter 72-arrow Outdoor Recurve Para Archery (W1, Male)

David Drahonínský (Czech Republic) achieved the most points scored in 50-m 72-arrow outdoor recurve para archery is 680,

It was recorded at the Para Archery European Cup Circuit event in Olbia, Italy on 30 April 2019.

W1 (also known as AW1) athletes compete from a seated position and have an impairment that affects their arms, legs, and trunk.

Drahonínský beat his own world record by four points.

Scores are out of a possible 720 points.

Most Points Scored In 90-meter 36-arrow Outdoor Recurve Archery (Male)

Kim Woo-jin (South Korea) scored 343 from a possible 360 points at the 49th National All-star Archery tournament in Yecheon, South Korea on 13 September 2017.

He beat Oh Jin-hyek’s 2009 record by one point.

All World Archery 36-arrow records must be set as part of a full 1440 round, which comprises 144 arrows shot over four distances: 30 m, 50 m, 70 m, and 90 m for men, and 30 m, 50 m, 60 m, and 70 m for women.

Highest Score in Female 50-metre 36-arrow Recurve Archery (Outdoor)

Kim Gyeongeun (South Korea) scored 351 from a possible 360 at the 36th Wha-Rang Flag District Match Archery Tournament in Yecheon, South Korea, on 19 July 2015.

She beat a 12-year record by a single point.

All World Archery 36-arrow records must be set as part of a full 1440 round, which comprises 144 arrows shot over four distances: 30 m, 50 m, 70 m, and 90 m for men, and 30 m, 50 m, 60 m, and 70 m for women.

Most Points Scored in 50-meter 36-arrow Outdoor Compound Archery (Female)

Sara López (Colombia) achieved the most points scored in 50-meter 36-arrow outdoor compound archery (female) with a total of 356 out of 360.

It was recorded at the XX Juegos Nacionales “Carlos Lleras Restrepo” on 10 November 2015 in Ibagué, Colombia.

All World Archery 36-arrow records must be set as part of a full 1440 round, which comprises 144 arrows shot over four distances: 30 m, 50 m, 70 m and 90 m for men; and 30 m, 50 m, 60 m and 70 m for women.

Most Points Scored in 50-meter Outdoor Recurve (male)

Kim Woo-jin (South Korea) achieved the most points scored in 50-meter 36-arrow outdoor recurve archery by a male with a total of 352.

It was recorded at the 100th National Sports Festival in Seoul, South Korea, on 6 October 2019.

The previous record of 351 points, set by Kim Kyung-Ho, had stood for 22 years, making it the oldest standing outdoor archery record.

Archers can score a possible 360 points in the event.

Most Points scored in 70-meter 72-arrow Outdoor Recurve (Male)

Brady Ellison (USA) achieved the most points scored in a 70-m 72-arrow round in outdoor target archery with a recurve bow by a male archer with a total of 702 in Lima, Peru, on 7 August 2019.

Ellison shot his record score in the preliminary ranking round of the 2019 Pan American Games.

He beat Kim Woo-jin’s record of 700, set at the 2016 Olympic Games.

In outdoor target archery, the 72-arrow round is a preliminary round used to ascertain seeding for the head-to-head match play rounds.

Each arrow – shot from a distance of 70 m – can earn a maximum of 10 points for hitting the 12.2-cm-diameter inner ring on the target, offering a total possible score of 720.

Final Thoughts

While archery is almost exclusive to performers, hunters, hobbyists, and athletes because of the sheer required amount of skill needed to be good in this art form.

One might say that archery is an intellectual pursuit as much as it is a physical one.

The longest bow shots and the other archery records listed here are a testament to the countless hours spent by archers in honing their skills.

Did you find the records listed here inspiring or, in the very least interesting?

Do you think you have what it takes to be a record-setting archer?

Feel free to let us know in the comments below.