Building a Donna Conna target

[loki]

Yeah I probably spelt it wrong, but I mean Donna Conna, the soft wood targets that you see at lots of shoots and ranges. I know by the pictures it looked like Bowwalker shot some last week or so.

I'm looking to build a Donna Conna target for my back yard, and have priced it out to be pretty reasonable (as targets go anyhoo). So my question is what are they capable of taking? Obviously target tips and field points, but how about broadheads? Can a Donna Conna target be used to shoot broadheads with minimal damage?

I know about splinting the target from broadheads, and for the record I will only mainly be using the target for a broadhead backdrop, or designate half of it to be the broadhead area when shooting it (who can resist a shot or twenty?). I own a Block 4x4 for my main broadhead practice .

[Kirby]

I wouldn't bother with teh Donna Conna, I use to shoot them alot. I found that they wear out pretty fast if your shooting them lots... oh ya NO broadheads, its destroys them fast. Get a Burlap back with plastic. Way better, way cheaper, easier, lighter(to move).

Donna Conna its loved by wood-peckers, if you leave it in the rain it will rot out pretty quick.

Kirby

[Allen50]

this type of target will not last long using broadheads, you will just shoot it out in no time, and you should have some kind of roof over it as the weather, rain etc, will make it soft, and will not last long eather,,, good luck..

[loki]

I was going to put a tarp over it when not in use, would that be good enough?

Ok, so then how do they wear with field and target tips?

Get a Burlap back with plastic. Way better, way cheaper, easier, lighter(to move).

I'm sorry, but I do not understand you. Do you mean wrap the back in burlap, or are you telling me to make a large bag target?

[Kirby]

With target tips they do wear out. If you are constantly shooting one spot you'll shoot it out, it does take a bit of time, specially if your not shooting it lots, but I find they don't last as long as bags. When I was shooting alot I would shoot the target out in about 6 to 8 months.

Covering it with a tarp would help protect it, I've never done that, usually were mobile targets, but i have heard of them still rotting out from condesation, but that would take awhile.

Make a bag target, my spulling isn't so gud. The only reason to shoot a donna conna target is for spot shooting. If thats what your serious about then go for it, if you in for bowhunting or 3-D Bag targets are better(IMO).

Also how fast are you shooting? Most modern bows will go through 6 or 7 inches of donna conna and you gotta keep your arrows lubed, but if your below 305 or 310 I wouldn't worry about that.

Kirby

[model88]

Here is how we built our target out of donna conda. We cut it into 3 3/4" strips going across its 4' width. I forget how many boards we cut, then we took 2 pieces of 4" channel iron 4 ' wide, drilled a hole on each outside end about 6" from the outside edged.

We stacked the boards flat on top of each other drilling out the holes on the outside edges as we went along. Then we ran some big ready rod through the holes, put some washers and bolts on each end and tightened it down as much as we could.

Ours measured 4' wide by about 6 feet high, heavier than hell, but it lasted along time. We found we had too move targets once in a while and when things started to look shot out, we cranked on the bolts a little more.

[Clint_S]

I'd second the motion on not wasting time with don cona (sp?).
They are a real bitchh to pull field point arrows out of never mind an arrow with a broadhead. You'll have more heads in your target than on your arrows. They also absorb water and weigh a ton and take too much time to build.
Go with some sort of shrink wrap filled target.

[Bow Walker]

Modell88 has the right idea here. Those targets are relatively easy to build although the are not meant to be movable all that much - and with only you (or you and a buddy) shooting it, the target should last at least 3 - 4 years.

The ones at the clubs and ranges are shot a heckova lot more and so have to be changed out every other year. Especially the middle parts where the center of the paper target sits.

If you can't get your hands on "channel iron" then use 2x4 or even better, 2x6 boards. If at all possible, cover the target butt (that's what it's called) during the rainy season and the winter.

If you're going to the bother of making a target butt in the first place, why not go one small step further and build a slanted roof on top of it? It'll keep the rain and snow off - plus you can shoot the butt all year round.

Remember the rules.......Post up some pics of the final product.

[Bowzone_Mikey]

If you making a BH target ... Loki go to Tropical Pool and spa on central ... with a Big garbage bag .... get the boys in the back to fill the bag with the polyurathane insulation that they insulate the Hot tub enclosures with .... form it to a shape you want poke an air hole into the plastic .... let set up for a few days ... peel the rest of plastic bag off ...