I want to get a 4' x4' (min) target. I looked at the range targets from block and others and OUCH! Need a cheaper solution. Of course I will shoot my trad bows at target but main reason is to allow kids to shoot at longer distances. Kids shoot both wheelies and trad bows. Wheelie bows are a little faster but we are only talking about a 30-35# bow.
What have you used? Prefer something I can make or buy from easily available materials.
Thanks
Mike
Try this....
1) Basically build a box with 2 x 10's. Leave an opening on the top to allow you to stuff extra material if needed.
2) Enclose the frame with 1" chicken wire
3) Stuff with old clothes, plastic bags, etc...
4) Cover the outside with a large piece of cardboard.
The wire won't damage you arrows. Make sure to remove any zippers, buttons, etc. from any clothes you use for stuffing. The hardest part for me was coming up with enough material to stuff the target with.
I'm using 3-bales of hay set on a pallet and secured with ratcheting tiedown straps.
You could also fill a large box with 3-4 mil visquene. Might be able to find some used visquene at construction sites.
Will a regular hay bale stop the arrows?
You need to build a life :readit:
http://archeryreport.com/2011/04/diy-lifetime-archery-target/
and before you ask NO CHIX WIRE DOES NOT HURT ARROWS YOU HAVE A STEAL TIP (not for broad heads) don't use jeans for stuffing and TAKE ALL ZIPPERS & BUTTONS off clothing used to stuff(tee shirts/ sheets are great, get at church thift stores/sales)
Interesting design. Chicken wire doesn't seem right but .....must be OK. I don't think I have access to that much clothes. Need to think about that one.
Anybody just use bales?
Mike,
Check a local farm/ranch supplier handling trailers.Down here T****** Supply gets their trailers in with styrofoam blocks to protect the paint job.Takes 9 of them strapped to a pallet to
make a 4'x4' target.Light,easy to move.Rotate block position to extend life.Wrap with shrink wrap to prevent white junk.
Usually get them for$0
Good luck,
Mike
You can also back the target with a stall mat available at most any place that sells horse equipment. It's 3/4" thick and is tough, same stuff used for bed liners in pickups.
I was also thinking stall mat behind a couple square hay bails. A friend that uses that type of setup also packed a bail with a mix of hay and wood shavings. Stops an arrow pretty good.
I use haybales w/o problem.I use four--two rows two high. Shot from recurves, arrows at 20+ yds will go thru the first bale and a couple inches into the one behind. Cover the nales w/ plastic when not using them and they'll last 6 mths or more.
The ratcheting straps snug up the bales nicely. I'm shooting wood arrows with Chubbie Bunny point and I don't have a problem with passthroughs on a single bale. I am only shooting 50 lbs, though. Maybe different shafts and heavier weights would need a more substantial backstop.
(http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii185/finnish-archer/Snapbucket/B2C5DB30-orig_zpsb4255141.jpg)
I added a couple a wraps of rope around each bale for insurance against the bale falling apart if an arrow slips between the bales. Because of the way they are designed, I really don't think that the Chubbie Bunnies would break the bailing twine anyway.
Straw bales will work for your trad bow and kids compound. We used to use carpet squares in back of kill zone area. We poked a couple holes in carpet and hung down back of bales with wire. Yes it is loose but that helps stop the arrows.
If you can rebrand the bales that helps also to pack the straw tight.
We also used large foam blocks that came from boat docks.
Chicken wire on the front will tear up your arrows espicially wooden arrows! I do use chicken wire on 3 sides and plastic netting on the front. I suff mine with plastic.
4 straw bales in a 2x10 frame compressed.
I have to have 2 layers of carpet on the back to stop my 60+ pound bows
Get to large burlap bags cut both down one side and across the top and bottom, then unfold them and lay them on ton top,of each other. Then sew up both side sides and the bottom. Next fill it up with rags unsold clothes from yard sale also WalMart bags plastic. Then after it is full sew up,the top. I bought 2 bags at rural king for 3.00. When it get shot up just buy 2 more bags stuff the old target into the new target bag.
I went to a flooring dealer friend and got an old piece of jute carpet about 20'x5' ( or whatever size) from their dumpster. Cut a piece 8'x5', fold over for a 4'x5' and sew along the 2 sides to create a "pillow". Fill from the open end with shrink wrap, plastic bags, etc. and sew the top shut. Should be about a foot thick.
This I use for a backstop and hang a bag target in front. Bag target is made from an old feed bag (dairy farmer up the road), filled with shrink wrap, old plastic bags and sewn shut.
All sewing is done with heaviest thread I have and a large needle. I build a 2x4 frame for the carpet bag and hung between 2 posts.
Unfortunately, for me, it's not as hard to miss that big a backstop as I would have thought...
The Goodwill always has clothes donated that are not fit for sale. Ask nice and you will get more than you can use.
The best target I have used is stacked cardboard with a threaded steel rod going down each side to add compression.
Briefly, I buy cardboard sheets from Uline, cut them to a uniform size, stack them on a simple 2x4 base, add the 2x4 top piece, tighten the steel rod on each side and its ready to go.
I built my current target @ 3-4 years ago and it is still holding up great. I do protect it from the weather however.
I've always wondered about the bundled up bales of old cardboard boxes you will usually see at your local groceries stores or other large store that uses a lot of boxes. They look good and you could probably get them free by just asking. Anyone ever used one?
Also, how does the clothes target hold up against broadheads?
QuoteOriginally posted by Kamm1004:
I've always wondered about the bundled up bales of old cardboard boxes you will usually see at your local groceries stores or other large store that uses a lot of boxes. They look good and you could probably get them free by just asking. Anyone ever used one?
Most stores sell those for recycle. They weigh several hundred pounds too. Some as much as 1,000 pounds.
I went to the local grocery store and asked for the manager and he gave me their cut off shrink wrap for free. Three HUGE bags of it for stuffing burlap sacks.
Find the biggest bicycle dealer in your area, and find out when their next shippment is coming in. It's unbelievable how they wrap all of those bike up for shipment.
The last time I went by my local bike dealer, they had enough plastic bags to stuff 3 of the targets your talking about.
I am very very much considering making one of those clothes targets. They look great and I have the old clothes to spare! The only thing holding me back is how they hold up to broadheads. I imagine they'd either shoot straight through or get twisted up and stuck when you tried to pull them out. Anybody have any experience with this?
You do not want to shoot the targets stuffed with cloth or plastic bags with broadheads. The target stuffed with plastic bags will not slow down a broadhead and you will not be able to get your arrow out of the target filled with the cloth with out tearing something up.
thats what I figured. Thanks benjy
I'm in the process of making a back stop out of an old mattress. 2x4 frame on legs to hang the mattress. For a target I always use my empty chicken feed bags stuffed with plastic bags. Shopping bags work real well, but old plastic sheeting or packaging plastic ect. will work. I just re-stuff a new bag when bag gets shot up. When not in use I will cover the mattress with a sheet of plastic or a plastic tarp.
Like Benjy said, field tips only.
The gymastics gym behind my house replaced a lot a their mats recently, so I went in and talked with the owner and he said that I could have anything that I wanted. It is really to bad there is a 12' fence with barded wire on the top between my house and there, it would be about a 50 yard drag, otherwise it is a 3/4 to mile drive. They have a huge 10'x12'x2' thick target that I could cut up into quarters and I would be set for life, but I just have to redneck it home.
4' X 4' X 1' frame
Horse matt backing or similar type material
Stuff with Mattress Shipping plastic covers
Mesh front - Lowes
Removable or hinged lid
**Extremely durable and long lasting
Simply add more readily available and most likely free plastic from mattress outlets when required.
I use a couple of coffee bean burlap bags stuffed with plastic grocery bags. Both materials were free just took some time to accumulate the plastic bags. Very light weight so they can be moved around easily. Will stop and target arrow Trad, compound, wood, aluminum, or carbon. With daily use my targets last about a year before the burlap starts tearing. Simply take the same stuffing and put it in a fresh sack. The best part is that all arrows pull with very little effort. NO BROADHEADS!
I love the build link provided by Bldtrailer...now what if we used to lengths of all thread, and blocked it inside, so we could tighten the allthread, and compress the fabric even more? Just saying...I'm gonna get some graph paper and draw this up... (I'm one of those tinker's lol)
2, not to lol my bad
When shooting into plastic bags, do you find that it melts onto your arrows?