Remembering Legendary Archer Byron Ferguson

Byron Ferguson (photo above), the internationally renowned longbow archer whose near-impossible shots drew standing-room crowds around the world, passed away Oct. 3, 2025. A fixture of archery exhibitions for decades, Ferguson blended showmanship with old-school craftsmanship, turning a traditional bow into a precision instrument and inspiring generations to pick up the sport.

Ferguson’s feats became legend. Famous for his coin trick, he once shot eight dimes in a row out of the air. His most difficult shot came on the television program Super People in Tokyo, where he sent an arrow cleanly through a diamond ring. On American television, he became a household name for viewers of American Shooter on TNN, ESPN, ESPN2 and OLN, where his “Shot of the Week” segment was the most-watched portion of the show for a decade. He later appeared on Shooting USA on The Outdoor Channel and on Impossible Shots, and served as host and producer of TNN’s Everything Outdoors, billed as the world’s first “how-to” outdoor TV program.

His exhibitions spanned the globe, with performances in France, Japan, Chile, Italy, Spain, Canada, the United States, Sweden, Austria, Germany, Finland, and Brazil. He took traditional archery into mainstream pop culture with appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Extreme Marksman, and Super Human, always with the calm, exacting presence that defined his stage persona.

A teacher as well as a performer, Ferguson authored Become the Arrow, a book that distilled his philosophy of focus, form and follow-through. In 2023, he launched Byron Ferguson Productions, a full-service video production company dedicated to telling outdoor stories and passing on hard-earned lessons to a new generation of shooters and filmmakers.

Recognition followed a lifetime of dedication. In 2023, Ferguson was inducted into the Archery Hall of Fame, a fitting honor for a man whose name had become synonymous with instinctive shooting and precision under pressure. His legacy endures wherever a longbow is strung and a target hangs, and is proof that, in the right hands, traditional archery can still astonish.

Byron’s skill, humility and enduring passion for sharing the art of archery perfectly embodied the spirit of mentorship and inspiration that strengthens the outdoor traditions we cherish. His influence will continue to guide archers, hunters, and marksmen for generations to come. A reminder that with focus and heart, we too can “become the arrow.”

Click here to read Byron Ferguson’s obituary.

Pope and Young Announces New World Record Non-Typical American Elk

Pope and Young recently announced a new Pope and Young (P&Y) world record non-typical American elk. A special panel was convened by both the Pope and Young Club and Boone and Crockett Club consisting of experienced measurers from each organization in Lacey, Washington, on October 13th to verify the scoring of this exceptional animal — and it has officially been confirmed as the new Pope and Young world record. This was the first ever joint special panel with both P&Y and Boone and Crockett Club convened for a potential world record for both organizations.

On Dec. 31, 2024, Casey Brooks shot this record-breaking bull in Kittitas County, Washington. The bull has an official score of 478 2/8 inches, surpassing the previous P&Y world record by an astounding 28 6/8 inches. This incredible bull is less than a half-inch from the Boone and Crockett world record, which would be the largest bull ever taken or found in North America, and Casey killed his bull with archery equipment, which is an outstanding accomplishment.

Casey pursued this bull for two years before finally getting him within bow range. Undeterred, he dedicated himself to the chase, ultimately releasing a well-placed arrow on the final day of 2024 — culminating a remarkable two-year pursuit.

“This elk represents the heart, dedication, persistence and respect for the hunt,” said Tim Rozewski, P&Y director of records. “It’s an incredible achievement, not only for Casey, but for the entire bowhunting community.”

“From a scoring and verification standpoint, this bull was remarkable in every way,” said Roy Grace, records chairman for P&Y. “The mass, tine length and overall configuration made it clear early on that we were witnessing something special. It’s a true testament to the conservation success of bowhunting and wildlife management.”

Click here to hear Casey’s full story on P&Y’s Conservation Spotlight Episode of The Typical Sportsman Podcast.

Team USA’s Ellison Sets Record With 6th World Cup Final Win

Team USA’s Brady Ellison made it a record-setting six World Cup Finalwins recently as he defeated Marcus D’Almeida (BRA) in the Chinese city of Nanjing. The 6-4 victory means no man has more World Cup Final wins than Ellison, who came through contests against Wenchao Kao (CHN) and Mete Gazoz (TUR), before facing D’Almeida in the gold medal match.

Ellison had earlier been given a scare in his quarterfinal match, being taken to a one arrow shoot off by his Chinese opponent, before overcoming Gazoz 6-2 in the semifinal.

On a chilly day in Nanjing, his win over D’Almeida was a repeat of the World Cup Final gold medal decider in 2014, with Ellison beating the Brazilian 6-5 for the third of his now six titles.

“When you come to a Finals, you can’t expect anything to be given to you,” Ellison told Archery+. “We’re the top archers in the world, we’ve all had a good season, and that’s why there’s no easy matches.

“You don’t really think about the opponent when you’re here, just go in and play your own game, shoot your own shots and that’s either going to be good enough or it’s not going to be, and today I shot the arrows that I needed to, when I needed to.”

Ellison won in 2010, when making his debut at the World Cup Final, repeating that feat in 2011, before further wins in 2014, 2016, 2019 and now 2025.

Now, just eight days shy of his 37th birthday, the Team USA archery ace once again showed his class at the highest level of the sport in beating the 27-year-old Brazilian.

“It’s fun,” began Ellison with a smile. “I love shooting, I love this sport, and it’s nice to go show the young guys that an old guy’s still got it.”

Lancaster Archery Supply Named One of Newsweek’s Best

Lancaster Archery Supply, for the second year in a row, has been named one of Newsweek’s Best Online Shops for 2026. The list includes 500 online shops across 25 categories, including outdoors, media and electronics.

Through its online store found at lancasterarchery.com, Lancaster Archery Supply offers one of the largest selections of gear for target archery, bowhunting and recreational archery in the world.

With its online operation based at its warehouse facility in Leola, Pennsylvania, the company separates itself from others in the outdoors category through its wide selection of the highest quality equipment, its easy-to-navigate web-based store, its commitment to having inventory in stock, by offering fast, accurate shipping and by having excellent customer service. The customer service department, in fact, is staffed by accomplished archers, ensuring that when customers ask questions via chat or phone while placing orders, they are getting educated advice.

Another innovation is Lancaster Archery Supply’s online “string builder.” This is a feature exclusive to lancasterarchery.com that allows shoppers to virtually build their own bowstrings so they can get the custom look and function they want.

“We have a team of employees who work hard every day to make sure that our online customers have the best experience possible when they come to us looking for archery equipment,” said Rob Kaufhold, who founded Lancaster Archery Supply in 1983.

Newsweek’s rankings are based on objective evaluations and an online survey of more than 3,000 American online shoppers, both of which were used to score shops across eight dimensions: trust and security, purchase and delivery, structure and usability, service and communication, technical details, payment, likelihood of purchase and traffic growth.

Lancaster Archery’s online store scored well in all of these categories — a testament to the company’s never-ending commitment to improving the interaction customers have with its website.

Bowtech Expands the Virtue Lineup with New 80-Pound Draw Weight Option

Bowtech Archery recently announced the launch of the Bowtech Virtue 80-pound draw weight model, engineered specifically for serious hunters pursuing the world’s largest and toughest game.

The new 80-pound-draw Virtue brings even more lethal power to Bowtech’s most advanced hunting bow to date, offering uncompromising penetration and downrange performance without sacrificing the shootability that defines Bowtech engineering. Built on the Virtue’s proven platform, the 80-pound model leverages the AeroMag Magnesium Riser, DeadLock Cam System, and TimeLock Technology for superior stability, precise tuning, and repeatable accuracy shot after shot — now with epic knock down power.

“Hunters chasing the most formidable big game animals in the world demand more than just speed, they need confidence in their equipment when it matters most,” said Todd Snader, brand manager for Bowtech Archery. “By introducing the Virtue in an 80-pound draw weight, we’re giving those hunters a purpose-built solution that delivers maximum energy transfer, deeper penetration, and the same smooth draw cycle that has made the Virtue a favorite among dedicated bowhunters.”

The Bowtech Virtue 80-pound edition is available through authorized Bowtech dealers and comes finished in a range of premium color and camo options to match every hunting pursuit.