This is week four of Thwack in 3. Every Monday we pick one archery event about three weeks out and tell you what you need to know. This week's pick is one you can actually shoot: the Lancaster Archery Winter Warm Up, Saturday and Sunday, November 14–15, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
After three weeks of world stages, from Lima to a virtual college cup to Dakar, this one is close to home. It's an indoor 18-meter tournament, it costs $40, and it runs five different start times over two days, so you can fit it around a work shift or a kid's soccer game. If you've been wondering when to shoot your first real tournament, this is the kind of event built for that.
The Event at a Glance
November 14–15, 2026 · Lancaster Archery Academy, 2195-A Old Philadelphia Pike, Lancaster, PA 17602 · Indoor 600 round at 18 meters · Recurve, barebow, compound and fixed pins · $40
The Winter Warm Up is in its 13th year. It's run by Lancaster Archery Academy on its main range, downstairs from the Lancaster Archery Supply pro shop. It's registered with USA Archery as a STAR FITA, which means scores shot here count toward World Archery and USA Archery records.
Why it's this week's pick: it's a real, sanctioned tournament with a schedule that works for regular people, a price that doesn't gatekeep, and divisions from the youngest archers to masters. It's a great first tournament and a great early-season tune-up if you've shot a hundred of them.
Pick Your Line
You shoot one line, and you pick which one when you register:
- Saturday, November 14: 9:00 AM, 12:30 PM or 4:00 PM
- Sunday, November 15: 9:00 AM or 12:30 PM
Scores are final and awards are handed out after the Sunday 12:30 line. Equipment inspection starts 30–45 minutes before your line, so plan to arrive early. When there's space, you can take unofficial practice ends in the Lancaster Archery Supply Shooting Center.
Who Can Shoot
- Bow styles: recurve, barebow, compound and fixed pins.
- Age classes: Masters, Senior, Collegiate, Junior, Cadet, Cub and Bowman shoot at 18 meters. Yeoman, the youngest class, shoots at 9 meters.
- Membership: every archer needs a current USA Archery membership.
- Registration is required. There are no day-of walk-ins, and spots are first come, first served.
The event listing doesn't name para or adaptive divisions. If you shoot adaptive, call the Academy at 717-556-1379 before you register and ask what they can set up. Asking is how events learn to plan for everyone.
How the 600 Round Works
- 60 arrows at 18 meters (about 20 yards) on a 40-centimeter face. You choose a single-spot face or a triangle of three spots.
- Top score is 600, 10 points an arrow. A single-spot face scores 10 down to 1; the three-spot face shows only the 10 through 6 rings, so an arrow outside them is a miss.
- Recurve, barebow and fixed pins score the outer 10. Compound scores the inner 10, the smaller ring, which is why compound scores are often harder than they look.
- Equipment rules: arrows can be no thicker than 23/64 inch (9.3 mm). World Archery and USA Archery dress code applies, and camouflage isn't allowed.
New to scoring? Our beginner's guide to your first archery competition walks through divisions, scoring and what the day actually feels like.
Key Dates and Cost
- $40 per archer, registered online through the event listing.
- Wednesday, November 4: a $10 late fee starts.
- Wednesday, November 11: registration closes.
Register by Tuesday, November 3 to skip the late fee.
Can't Make It to Pennsylvania?
- Follow along. The tournament uses electronic scoring, so family and friends can follow results as they come in.
- Find an indoor shoot near you. November is when indoor season gets going. The Thwack Life Archery Calendar lists 18-meter shoots, leagues and state indoor championships all month.
- Find a range. The National Archery Directory has ranges, clubs and pro shops in every state.
- Get ready for indoors. Read Indoor vs. Outdoor Target Archery: What Actually Changes and How to Prepare.
- Talk about it. Going? Tell us your line time in the Thwack Life community and find someone to shoot with.
Buying a snack there helps too: concession money supports the Lancaster JOAD youth team.
How Thwack in 3 Works
- Every Monday, a new feature goes up here on the blog, at the top of the calendar page, in the Thwack Life community and in our newsletter.
- Each one covers one event about three weeks out, so you have time to plan, register and go, or at least know when to tune in.
- The picks rotate: big international events, national championships, grassroots club shoots, youth events and adaptive events.
- Know an event that deserves the spotlight? Submit it to the calendar and tell us why in the community.
The Bottom Line
Sixty arrows, 18 meters, $40, five line times and every age class from Yeoman to Masters. If you've never shot a tournament, this is a friendly one to start with. If you have, it's a STAR FITA early in the indoor season. Register by November 3 to skip the late fee, and tell us in the community how you shot.
See you next Monday. Now go shoot something. (A target. Obviously.)
Thwack Life Archery Addiction is a national culture-first community platform for U.S. target archers — recreational, competitive, and adaptive. No gatekeeping. No gear elitism. Just real archery.
References
Event
1. USA Archery. Lancaster Archery Winter Warm Up: Event Information. Accessed October 23, 2026.
2. Lancaster Archery Academy. Winter Warm Up. Accessed October 23, 2026.
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