Popinjay Shoot and a Repair Job

On Sunday I went to the ILAA Popinjay shoot hosted by Braintree Bowmen, wasn't really sure what to expect or how it would work.
It was great fun, we shot in order, one arrow each. Blunt arrows were provided, I was lent an arrow by one of the chaps Trevor who'd made some specially. With 24 competitors it was a while between shots. It too some getting used to leaning right back with foot on the plate at the foot of the mast. After a few shots I was getting my eye in and felt it might be easier from a kneeling stance.. I heard my name being called (I'd been busy chatting instead of watching out for my turn).  the stance felt good and clonk the popinjay was lifted bodily off the mast and left dangling on it's string!
I was the first to knock it down, and after that it wasn't long before someone else did it. The eventual winner knocked it off 4 times, I couldn't repeat my shot.
It was surprisingly tiring and although I only had about 8 shots I was tired and sore by the end of the day! One reason was I was shooting a 60# bow, the old bow I'd refurbished specially for the shoot was showing signs of the belly buckling when I braced it ready to shoot. I wasn't going to risk the ignominy of breaking another bow, to break one is unfortunate, to break two would be careless as dear Oscar said!
It was a very sociable event and one guy approached me with a bow that needed the top nock mending. I brought the bow home and got it done this morning.

The pictures of the nock speak for themselves, and show the difference between a quickly made commercial job and a more
considered crafted one.
The tip of the bow is shaped to a curved point which is much stronger than the simple conical end done commercially, the horn has more material where it matters and less excess length to act as a lever and split the horn. Mind to be fair, it's only a 40 bow, so the tip probably got a bump some how rather than actually failing in use. The job doesn't take too long to actually do, but there's a fair bit of experience behind the repair.