Archery target printable: free 10-ring face

What the colors and rings mean

Read the face from the middle outward: gold, red, blue, black and white. Each color contains two scoring zones. Gold is 10 and 9, red 8 and 7, blue 6 and 5, black 4 and 3, and white 2 and 1. The small X circle sits within the 10.

For ordinary 10-point practice scoring, an X contributes 10 and receives a separate X mark. A miss contributes zero. If you are rehearsing a specific competition, use its governing rules for the 10 zone and center counts. The 10-ring scoring guide explains the face before you start adding scores.

The full face is useful when arrows spread beyond the blue. You can still locate and score those arrows instead of losing the information at a cropped edge. Leave the outer white visible when you trim the sheet; it is part of the scoring area.

Print one copy and measure it

1. Choose letter or A4 paper in the print settings and inspect the preview. Keep the entire outer ring on the page.
2. Use color printing if you want the usual aiming picture. Make sure the background colors and fine scoring lines appear in the preview.
3. Select a scale that fits the available paper, then print one test sheet. A setting called actual size cannot create a 40cm face on a small sheet.
4. Measure the outer scoring diameter horizontally and vertically with a ruler. Write the result in the margin before printing more copies.

Printer margins and browser settings can shrink the artwork. The same file can come out at a different size on another printer, so compare the printed circles when you change machines or settings.

Horizontal and vertical measurements should agree. If the circle becomes an oval, remove any setting that stretches the image to fill a custom area. A stretched target changes the aiming shape and makes ring measurements unreliable.

Choose a distance for the size you printed

Use a distance at which you can keep arrows safely on the target butt, the material that stops them behind the paper. The appropriate starting distance depends on your ability, bow and range. A small sheet of paper does not make a short lane safe by itself; use an established shooting area and a suitable backstop.

For visual practice, target size and distance can be scaled together. If the full scoring diameter prints at 7.9 inches [20cm], shooting it at 10 yards gives roughly the same apparent target size as a 15.7-inch [40cm] face at 20 yards. This is a geometry example, not an official substitute round.

Your arrow shaft does not shrink with the face. It takes up more of a small ring and can affect line calls, while shorter flight changes the demands of the shot. Label the session with the printed diameter and actual distance instead of entering its score as a regulation indoor result.

Mount paper on a target that stops arrows

Fix the print flat to an archery target butt suited to your bow and arrows. Ordinary printer paper is only an aiming surface. A cardboard backing can hold it flat, but it does not replace the material needed to stop the arrows safely.

Place pins away from the intended impact area and secure the sheet so loose corners cannot move across the aiming point. Follow the range's procedure for going forward to the target. After collecting, check that the sheet has not slipped and that the center remains in the same position.

Replace a face when tears make the rings difficult to judge. Layering a fresh print over a heavily damaged center can leave loose paper around the hole. Smooth the new sheet against a sound surface so you can see where each new shaft enters.

Two ways to use a full face in practice

For a scoring session, shoot a fixed number of arrows per end and use the printable archery score sheet. Keep the printed size and distance unchanged across sessions. You can then compare sessions on that practice setup. Use a regulation face when preparing a score for an event or league.

For an aiming-location drill, record where the arrows land as well as their values. A group clustered left of center can score similarly to a scattered group around the middle. Note the difference before deciding to change the sight or your practice task. The target shows a pattern, but cannot tell you its cause.

If most arrows stay in the blue or better, a six-ring practice target gives you a cropped view of the scoring area. For one arrow per aiming point, use the Vegas three-spot printable. Measure any replacement face instead of assuming identical paper sizes produce identical rings.

Check print quality before scoring close arrows

Look closely at the center and the edges between colors. Faint boundaries, missing black ink or streaks through the gold can make a close arrow hard to call. A grayscale copy may work as an aiming mark, but it changes the familiar color contrast and can hide adjacent rings.

For informal practice, agree on the scoring convention before the first end and keep it consistent. For formal scores, use the approved face supplied or required by the organizer. Store a clean measured copy with your practice notes so you can check the scale of the next batch.

Questions