I live in the city and want to be able to shoot my bow in the backyard. I have privacy fence all the way around but would like to hit something a little softer when I miss. I was thinking about maybe layering some carpet hanging between the fence and target. Anyone else have the same city dweller problems.
P.S. There is no ordinance to my knowledge about shooting bow in city limits.
-Joseph
Carpet will work well.
What do you think, 4 layers?
-Joseph
You proably could use straw bails infront of fence.
Straw was my first choice but I don't want to kill the grass in my yard or deal with it rotting and moldy. I figure I could run some bolts through 4 pieces of carpet to hold them together and hang it from the fence. Roll it up when I am done and throw it in the garage.
Dean - Where in MI are you?
-Joseph
String a tight cable and drape a piece of carpet over it. Old hot tube covers work great too!
I had a problem with stray arrows going into the jungle where I live. I shoot hay bails on two wooden blocks with planks across the tops of the blocks to support the bails and keep them off the grass. I had some old aluminum pool polls that I used as a frame and wired an old carpet to. I hung the carpet behind the bails. It stops the strays pretty good. I drape some plastic over my bails to keep rain and dew off of them. When I shoot I just flip up the plastic. They last a long time when you put some plastic over them and some weight on top so it does not blow away. We get lots of rain in Florida and I have not had any probs with my bails getting moldy.
How many layers of carpet? I have been using a box with a folded piece of carpet in it as a target and shoot through 4 layers (only gets through the last layer by and inch or two), do you suppose 2 will stop and arrow before it gets to the vanes?
-Joseph
I went to Tractor Supply and bought a cow mat which is 1" thick , 4'wide and 6'long rubber , for $36 . Hang it behind any target and your good . a 70lb compound arrow @ 20yds went halfway through on the shaft . Good enough test for me , It will last forever in the elements too !!
If you have a shed open the doors and put a target inside and shoot at it.And they consider a bow a firearm in my town due to it discharging a projectile.
I should add that I am going to my parents tomorrow to pick up my 3-D target and won't be using the hillbilly box with carpet in it anymore. I'm 30 years old and still have to go to my parents to get my stuff on occassion.
-Joseph
QuoteOriginally posted by Bent Rig:
I went to Tractor Supply and bought a cow mat which is 1" thick , 4'wide and 6'long rubber , for $36 . Hang it behind any target and your good . a 70lb compound arrow @ 20yds went halfway through on the shaft . Good enough test for me , It will last forever in the elements too !!
I live 2 miles from a TSC, I will have to go look for one of those mats.
-Joseph
I use the stall mats too. Works like a charm.
Shooting in the city is tuff. When I lived in Orlando I shot in my back yard Being I'm getting old and can't see all that good anymore I thought I would try using dollar store reading glasses to shoot. I put them on and aimed at my target, released and heard the arrow (with broadhead) zip through the shed which was about 5 foot to the left of target. Walked up and saw two holes in the shed, one going in and one coming out. Jumped the fence and looked in my neighbors yard..no arrow..looke across the street, no arrow...gave up. Watched the 6:00 news to see if anyone got stuck with an arrow..luckily none reported so just forgot about it.
Two months later I'm in my back yard and see a arrow sticking straight up in the ground by shed. It's the one I lost. My only guess is it some how glanced straight up and stuck in a tree and the wind blew it out to fall on the ground straight up.
I agree with the Cow Mat's
Well worth the $$ looks good,lasts long time!!
COW MAT!!!! Finally figure out what it was. Thanks Bent Rig. The guy i bought my house from was an archer and he had a mat hanging in the back yard. I tried as i might but he would not leave it behind. He said he got it from his brother who was a farmer not sure what it was....
Mystery Solved...I'm off to the Tractor Supply Store!
Michael
cow mats are the best.
Yep, sounds like the mats are the best thing going. I like the fact that they can stay out in the weather.
-Joseph
How heavy are the mats out of curiousity? I have to imagine they are kinda heavy if they are rubber.
-Joseph
I use the cow mats as well and I live in the country. But the area behind where I shoot is a veritable arrow eating jungle. Since using the cow mats no more frustration with lost arrows.
That cow mat sound like a great idea!!! It might save me some money from the occasional wide shot. I live in the city to, but neighbors are safe.
Those are 8x8x16 concrete blocks behind that target, just don't miss :)
I'm going to check out the cow mat for a different reason :o
Thanks :)
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c210/coaster500/Fieldpointsbareshaft300grAboywerBro.jpg)
get your self a windscreen box (the cardboard box they are shipped in) from the windscreen repair man and fill it with plastic wrap or bags.
I like the idea of the cow mat, pretty cool and a cheap way to go!
Carpet works great. I have a frame and target I put up in my garage and use for form work during the winter. 3 layers is plenty for stopping your arrows and it is cheap.
I use rubber beltinf. If you know someone who works in any sort of factory with conveyors and thet can get you a couple of pieces it works great> The arrow hits it and drops to the ground.
Stall Pad, Horse mat, Cow mat, whatever you call 'em, they work great. Rural King approx $35.
I have a wood fence so I screwed my pad to the rail and no fence damage.
(http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii47/bel007/archery/targ1.jpg)
(http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii47/bel007/archery/targ2.jpg)
These backstops are made for that purpose. http://www.bupsports.com
Allan
I like the mats. My current back stop is a sheet of plywood. The arrows penetrate about 3 inches and pull out ok. Might be the cheapest solution to keep the grass alive. But I may invest in one of those cow mats.
QuoteOriginally posted by amar911:
These backstops are made for that purpose. http://www.bupsports.com
Allan
another vote for these. I will say that the stall mats look interesting, and seriously less expensive. My BUP backstop is very arrow friendly.....
I'm real curious how wood shafts hold up to the cow mats.
I use an old trampoline mat
Thanks for the idea of the cattle mat, Josh
I use 3/4" plywood also.The arrows penetrate a couple of inches and they are easy to pull out.I've used it ever since I started shooting.I just lean it up against the fence.I've never torn an arrow up by pulling one out.The 4'x 8' is a nice size also.
agree cow mats I take the metal t-post drive in the ground tie the mat between them with ss wire works great 3yrs now
also if you can find some manlift belts that works as well
The stall mats work great. Have not damaged an arrow on one yet, arrows will bounce off or just the point will stick in them, easy removal. I mounted mine to two 4x4's buried in the ground with a support 2x4 across the top. I also buried about 6" of the mat in the ground to keep any arrows from snaking thru underneath. The one I got from TSC was 5'x6' I believe.
Excellent post! I found some at a feed store but the 4x6's were $55.00. I'll probably buy it anyway. I'm going to build a frame with plywood behind it. I might put some wheels on it. :)
http://www.bupsports.com/products.cfm?gclid=COnNzJmzlqECFQEMDQodcWx0Mw
This is what I use. And I really like it.
I like those, but it says they're not for broadheads. I take that to mean that a broadhead may sail through it. It seems from the posts here that the cow mat can stop a broadhead, at least for the most part.
I use coveyor belt. Works like a charm! Same principle as the cow mat though, and the cow mat appears much easier to get. I just screwed mine onto my privacy fence and it does the trick. With a recurve they bounce or just the point sticks in (I used to shoot compound alot as well -- now that's a different story). It still shoots hard enough to penetrate both worn out 3-D target, the mining belt, and the 3/4" fence plank. :eek:
If you guys come up with a "mobile" set up, be sure to post it. I'd love to be able to move mine around the yard and change the scenery a bit. But I'm not the handiest man in the world when it comes to design structure.