Homemade archery target

[clu__82]

Just wondering if anyone makes their own homemade archery target? I bought a foam target (a cheaper one) and have maybe shot 100 arrows through and my arrows fly right through it now if I hit it in the middle...the foam is getting loose and chunks have flown out of it. To be honest I really don't want to go and spend $100 on another target...sooo I was wondering ....does anyone make their own? if so how? even if it is something that I can put behind my target so I dont lose a bunch of arrows...thanks

Clu

[OOBuck]

Just wondering if anyone makes their own homemade archery target? I bought a foam target (a cheaper one) and have maybe shot 100 arrows through and my arrows fly right through it now if I hit it in the middle...the foam is getting loose and chunks have flown out of it. To be honest I really don't want to go and spend $100 on another target...sooo I was wondering ....does anyone make their own? if so how? even if it is something that I can put behind my target so I dont lose a bunch of arrows...thanks

Clu

The club I'm a member of makes burlap targets and fills they with old mesh from screen doors or tons of plastic shopping bags..

[The 'Hummer']

I picked up a large woven bag, similar fabric to what is commercially available in target bags and stuffed it with as much plastic wrap material I could get into it. Actually, I made four. Two for myself and one for each of our kids. I'm still using the first one and have been for about five years so I should be good for many years to come. This is for field points. For a little broadhead practice, I have a unit made by "The Block".

[Ddog]

i make my own and have for years,,simple really
just stuff some shrink wrap into a large burlap bag, stuff as much as possible then stuff in a little more. never had a problem with pass throughs on these ones.
i have a friend who uses old clothes and stuffs them in a box about 2x2x2 then duck tapes the box. works great looks kinda neat to. after it gets all shot up just get a new box.
when i use shrink wrap i stuff it into sandbags. i have several different areas where i leave them up.
as for putting up something behind your target, (i dont cause i dont ever miss! :) ) you can hang an old thick blanket loosely so the arrow will push into it but not pass through it. but haybales work to as long as you dont expose them to the weather.

[Johnnybear]

You can always use hay bails. Share Care, Buckerfields, or others have them readily available. Work great. Use a blunt field point and they don't go in as far:wink:. They are natural looking and you can paint what ever target or spot's you want on them. Cheap and eviro friendly too.

[The 'Hummer']

You can always use hay bails. Share Care, Buckerfields, or others have them readily available. Work great. Use a blunt field point and they don't go in as far:wink:. They are natural looking and you can paint what ever target or spot's you want on them. Cheap and eviro friendly too.

True enough. With the ones I've made up as mentioned previously, they're durable, virtually uneffected by weather and very mobile. I have mine hanging in my basement and weather permitting, I open my basement/car port door and shoot into the basement from a 20yrd/18m mark on my driveway. No mess no fuss. The ones I made up for the 'kids' have been hanging outside since I gave them.

[Bowzone_Mikey]

Just wondering if anyone makes their own homemade archery target? I bought a foam target (a cheaper one) and have maybe shot 100 arrows through and my arrows fly right through it now if I hit it in the middle...the foam is getting loose and chunks have flown out of it. To be honest I really don't want to go and spend $100 on another target...sooo I was wondering ....does anyone make their own? if so how? even if it is something that I can put behind my target so I dont lose a bunch of arrows...thanks

Clu

I can only assume you are talking Deltas from Canadian tire .... and after 100 shots and foam falling out I can only assume you are shooting Broadheads ...

well for 100 bucks I coulda gotten you a Rinehart 18-1 ...you wear it in a year and its replaced for free ...
but .. i would reccomend you buy the 6 dollar core replacement kit ... otherwise known as MonoFoam ..... for broadheads ... buy a few cans and empty them into a cardboard box ... and keep your CDN tire Delta deer for feild points

[Kody94]

Grass seed bags (woven plastic) stuffed tight with plastic shopping bags work pretty good and last a lot longer than I ever would have thought.

Burlap is a good cover bag too.

[Ambush]

I would say spring black bears are one of the best targets and all natural.

A bright pin on a shiney black coat!! Mother Nature's most nearly perfect target.

[todbartell]

get a camo one...............;)

[Wild one]

I like shooting crows you just throw them away and wait for the next one to fly in to the yard and squirrels work good to. The best thing is they start getting real spooky so you get to practice stalking to.

[GoatGuy]

The club I'm a member of makes burlap targets and fills they with old mesh from screen doors or tons of plastic shopping bags..

x2..........

[Bow Walker]

I used to work for a coffee company - I'd get the empty sacks and stuff them full of plastic shopping bags and then stomp on them and stuff in some more. Been using them for years now. Not for broadheads though.

I've also found that using too much shrink wrap in the target bags makes for harder arrow removal as the shrink wrap will grab onto the arrow shaft, heat up with friction, and shrink - making for tough pulling out of arrows.

[ThinAir]

I get a carboard box and stuff it full of old clothes. I shoot a my matthews cranked to 70lbs - never a problem.

Replace the box when needed, the clothes will last a long time.

Oh ya, I shoot my broadheads into the target too.

[mark]

The easiest way to do this is, find any construction site in the insulation stage. Insulators use 1 insulation bag to put all the others in, even offer to clean up all their bags and take em away, they will be happy as its their job and you will save them money. Now you have a large target stuffed full of plastic that works excellent. Another tip.... stuff the plastic in there really good to prevent pass throughs, also turn about 2 or 3 bags inside out and stretch em over top of the original, it will make for a real strong shell as well be nice and white, then you can draw on it with a felt marker, or use elec tape!

[Bow Walker]

Now that's a great idea Mark. Construction grunts will thank you for cleaning up their work site - and - you get a good target for free. Win, win situation for all.

[bigwhiteys]

Has anybody used these Ames All Weather burlap targets...?

http://www.amesallweathertargets.com/

I like the fact that they are cheap, you are shooting at something life-like and they can be placed over existing targets or haybales etc...

They had a few good reviews on Cabelas.

I am using a 6 shooter foam target right now and it's hell to pull the arrows out of it. I've broken the fletching on one arrow already trying to pull arrows out.

Carl

[budismyhorse]

The 6 shooter is a hernia waiting to happen....my partner has a broadhead and insert buried in his......

these target ideas are great! good way to use some old clothes/plastic bags.....

[Bow Walker]

I have used - and still use - the E-8, Elk target from Ames. I've been using it, on and off, for well over 5 years now. It's still going strong. The looser weave of the burlap makes for a long lived target face.

Two of those sewn together and stuffed will make a great double-sided target.

[bigwhiteys]

The 6 shooter is a hernia waiting to happen....

Yeah, pretty much! Some arrows, out like butter... Others it's like they have been epoxied into place, and if you shoot a tight group it's near impossible to remove them. Fighting with your target takes away some of the fun.

I am going to order some of the burlap target faces and throw them on some haybales. See how that works.

Carl

[bigwhiteys]

I have used - and still use - the E-8, Elk target from Ames. I've been using it, on and off, for well over 5 years now. It's still going strong. The looser weave of the burlap makes for a long lived target face.

Good to know! I think I am going to get the Elk, Mule Deer, Whitetail, Sheep and Bear. I've got a few acres of forest here so I'll setup a little fun park :)

Carl

[greatwhitehunter]

I have a coffee company; If anyone wants burlap sacs let me know, we have lots.

I live in Duncan.

[clu__82]

Well being the economical cheapskate that I am ....I made what I think are some excellent homemade targets...

1) All I did was take two 40lbs dry dog food bags and place one inside the other...
2) I had collected some election signs to turn into goose decoys and I cut a few of those up to place in front to have a nice hard entrance..
3) Next...we went through all of our old old clothes that had been sitting around....and we stuffed socks ...and shirts and old blankets ...and really packed it in tight...
4) I then duct taped the bag closed and duct taped the front and drew 4 dots
5) the arrows stop dead in the target and being that they're made of clothes ...the arrows pull right out with no problem at all

Note: 1) I made one in the same fashion with grocery bags ...and its good but the bags can get wrapped around the arrow making them difficult to pull out
2) I made a different one out of a large Meat smoker box that I got for my birthday...I packed the smoker box full of recycling boxes ...and layered them very tightly ...the arrow stops dead...but it is much harder to pull out ....

I have now made 5 targets ...I will never buy another one purely for target practice ....the only problem that I may have is broadheads ...but I still have the layered foam one for that ....just can't shoot it dead centre or the arrows fly right through it ....

So there ya go ...

Thanks for the help.

Clu

[Trapper]

I use to make my targets out of Donocono (spelling?)board you get from your lumber store,its compress cardboard comes in 4x8 sheet 1/2 inch thick,i would cut into 6 inch stripes and 36 inches long,you then take two pieces of 2x4 40inches long and some ready rod 36 inches long, the idea is to stack the cut donocono board and stack up to the size you want,using the 2x4 with holes drilled at the ends and using the ready rod to compress your target together. then just make a tripod to mount your target on.just don't compress your target to tight or you will have a hard time pulling your arrows out,then i would spray paint a bulls eye on it,doesn't cost much and will last a long time,hope this helps

[358win]

I like this idea.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=30588

[Evolution]

That flooring mat is what Ive been using, I never bolted it together , I just used some of that red technical tape. I think I got eight layers, it works well, but occasionally I get a pass through with my single bevel broadheads, but my field points never penetrate more than an inch or two. Ive been at it for over a year with an estimated 5000+ arrows. I dont think There has ever been any chuncks out of it yet. Often what Ill do is use the pad behind a photo real paper animal target.

[island grown]

i'm surprised that no one has said the tire targets yet. maybe people found they didn't like them, i don't know.
when i was a kid i used to do archery at the Nanaimo fish and game club. they took old tires and cut long strips and stacked them. i believe they built a 1x4 frame around them.
the arrows from a fifty pound draw didn't go through it. when we retrieved our arrows we used a small piece of tire to hold around the arrow and pull. there was no damage to any arrows and they seemed to last forever.

might be worth giving it a try.

[urbanhermit]

I went into the farm feed and supply store in kelowna, they had a roll of burlap they sold by the yard. It was like a $1.50 a square yard and you can sew up a 3'x3' bag for under $5. I just stuffed it full of plastic wrap and shopping bags. cheap cheap.

[Bow Walker]

i'm surprised that no one has said the tire targets yet. maybe people found they didn't like them, i don't know.
when i was a kid i used to do archery at the Nanaimo fish and game club. they took old tires and cut long strips and stacked them. i believe they built a 1x4 frame around them.
the arrows from a fifty pound draw didn't go through it. when we retrieved our arrows we used a small piece of tire to hold around the arrow and pull. there was no damage to any arrows and they seemed to last forever.

might be worth giving it a try.
Nowadays they do the same thing with old ceiling tiles - the fibrous kind...works like a hot damn. ;) :lol:

[gary murray]

Just wondering if anyone makes their own homemade archery target? I bought a foam target (a cheaper one) and have maybe shot 100 arrows through and my arrows fly right through it now if I hit it in the middle...the foam is getting loose and chunks have flown out of it. To be honest I really don't want to go and spend $100 on another target...sooo I was wondering ....does anyone make their own? if so how? even if it is something that I can put behind my target so I dont lose a bunch of arrows...thanks

CluWhat i use and think is just awesome is styrofoam. Not the white styrofoam that comes in packaging boxes but the hard blue stuff that builders use in insulation. Tape 4 sheets together at the desired size and i guarantee your arrow wont go through it. I shoot a 175 pound crossbow at 20 yards and it doesn't go through. It also doesn't blow apart on you leaving big chunks laying all over the place.

Gary

[kgriz]

I was also going to agree with the sack full of cloths until I read AMBUSH's idea and that one only costs $21 and not too much gas mony as most of the bears are right around town anyways:D

[tactical308]

I would say spring black bears are one of the best targets and all natural.

A bright pin on a shiney black coat!! Mother Nature's most nearly perfect target.

Now where headed in the right direction,you reeeeeeely need to shoot good groups then.:shock:

[Riverjet]

This after 50 arrows using 100 grain pre season Montecs all for the low low price of $140. They say the Block is good for tens of thousands of arrows with field points and thousands with broadheads. I beg to differ!


http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a359/sledhed/Archery/IMG_0001.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a359/sledhed/Archery/IMG_0005.jpg

[qhergt]

I had one of these Morelle Yellow Jacket Supremes

http://jeffsspecialtysports.com/images/products/detail/104.jpg

Shot the s**t out of the center until arrows sailed clean though and the stuffing was hanging out the back end.

I stomped on, sat on, laid on the thing to swish in all down as tight as I could then wrapped it up with 60 yards of the handyman's secret weapon.

That seemed to help for a while(another 400 shots) until it started falling apart again.

So, off to walmart I went.

1-6'x8' tarp =$7 aprox

As i left i took a look im the big recylcle bin and grabbed lots of card board boxes, some of those moulded plasitic style packing pices (not styrophoam but that other stuff)


I cut the tarp in half leangth wise so I had 2 3'x8' sections, those were folded in half and sewn into to 2 3'x4' bags.

I found a box that was just smaller then those dimensions and placed the box inside the bag

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/299382_10150852372180607_512865606_21226260_192833 7711_n.jpg


I then cut open the ols morelle target and seperated the stuffing from the burlap sacks that are in there.
Then I then rebuilt the target inside the box

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/313809_10150852372695607_512865606_21226261_166776 0529_n.jpg

folded down the lid of the box, pulled the tarp in tight anf folded it over the end of the box in a triangle as if I was wrapping a a gift

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/304218_10150852399580607_512865606_21226472_152071 2418_n.jpg

its not pretty but she did stop a 370 grain arrow with field point going 318 fps fired from a distance of 3 feet and left 45% of the arrow out with easy 2 finger removal.

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/296437_10150852373255607_512865606_21226263_914450 989_n.jpg

The next target I built the same way but used more cardboard around the outside, a few old pillows in the inside and the sheets of that plastic foam in the middle.

This target is obviously lighter, but still stopped the same arrows with about 35% of the arrow left out for "hold the knock in your lips like a smoke" easy arrow removal.


Im in the process of making a broadhead target yousing that same plastic foam stuff and that spray able expandable sealing/insulating foam. Ill post my results later.

[qhergt]

the big boy...

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/319506_10150853688340607_512865606_21233583_150511 0406_n.jpg