Founded in the late 60's, the Briones Archery Club descended from the old Roving Archers Club of El Sobrante. Together with the help from Bob and Millie Dean, Faye and Smitty Smith, Vern Thompson and his family, Ron Halpin and the help from many others they leased land and layed out what would later become the Roving Archery range.

Many of the volunteer members donated funds from their own pockets, and went around and asking for donations of materials, tools, bales of hay, wire and anything else that might come in handy and be of use to the club. They put in long hours and a lot of hard work to fulfill a dream.

The resulting Roving Archers range was 28 targets, chartered by the NFAA and a member of the local region (NCFAA) and the state organization (CBH/SAA). These folks continued to clear trails, remove poison oak, build bridges and install bow racks and yardage markers. They all had one thing in common: they loved archery and wanted their own place to shoot and to show off, with great personal pride, each time another archer used their facility.

New housing and appreciating land values forced the Roving Archers off their range, but they did not quit or join other clubs or take up another hobby. Instead, they helped the newer, younger members to take up the cause with the same sincerity with which they had started the Roving Archers. These young members - Morris Abbott, Bernie Shapiro, Pat Norris, Dennis Duffy, Doug Welch and many others negotiated with the East Bay Regional Parks District and moved the club to its present location in Briones Park. Today, the Briones Archery range is comprises of 42 targets over a 30 acre course and is also host to a number of 3-D tournaments during the year.

The name, the logo and the location have changed but the spirit is the same. Some of the original 'old timers' are gone, some are life members, but don't shoot anymore and some are still here. Their legacy is the Briones Archery Club. Our future, as well as the future of all archery, depends on the lessons and inspiration passed down by our previous members and the amount of dedication, hard work and pride that the current members give to their club.

oday the members of the Briones Archery Club are solely responsible for maintaining our 30 acre facility. We contribute our time and efforts toward the target and range management programs and our hosted tournaments. We offer a full range of shooting styles within the club - from Traditional to Freestyle.