Homemade Archery Targets

I’ve seen tons of shirts, packing/shipping foam. Those are 2 that have always stuck out

Shooting a compound, traditional, or crossbow?

A round bale will work, but you will spend time digging arrows out of it, especially with broad heads. I use one as a backstop where I hunt, but still put a target butt in front of it.

I’ve seen a few built using a 2x6 frame, covered in plastic burlap and stuffed with old clothes, rags, etc. It seems to work well if you want to build a bigger target. Biggest issue is messing up a carbon arrow if you bury it into the wood.

I had a morrell brand block that was finally shot out after a few years. My plan is to replace it with a Rinehart Rhino Block or 18-1 target.

Edit. Being I shoot in my yard, with a privacy fence as the backstop, I have been planning to get one of the horse stall mats from TSC to catch arrows. They work well for that. Old carpet will work also if you have access to some.

Archerytalk had a bunch of designs. I think the most effective was foam, like you put on the floor in a kids room, sandwiched under pressure in wood frame. I think another design used carpet remnants the same way. Local archery range uses hay bales with a stall mat backer. Can be a pain to pull arrows depending on range and draw weight.

The foam block and bag targets are cheap as hell fwiw.

That reminds me, the archery shop I go to has blocks made out of layered foam of some sort that is compressed between two boards. Think they use all thread on the corners to compress the boards.

These work well for $25 with field points, even with compounds up to 70 lbs. Arrows are also easy to remove which can be an issue with some targets. Pretty sure they are stuffed full of rags though, so you don’t want to leave it out in the weather.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Morrell-T...arget/26531812

I used two hay bales in the past (not a roll), in short order the arrows would shoot in to the fletching and tear them off.

I am planning to build a covered station to leave my target out, probably with a horse stall mat backer. Interested in seeing people’s range setups.

Friend is a Nationally ranked Long bow competitor. He and his wife shoot every day.

Their main target is a 2"x 6" frame 4'w X 5'h with a set of pivoting T legs for support. The pivot is for when they are shooting 100 yards and the arrows come down on the target. It stuffed with grocery plastic bags and covered in chicken wire. The targets are zip tied to that. With the bags instead of rags the whole thing is essentially weatherproof. He has made a ton of them for their local archery group.

As long as you don't hit the wood frame pulling the arrows out is pretty easy. A lot better than foam targets I have used. Don't get a hay bale style. They do not hold up to weather over time and are a pain to move or keep covered when not using. We have one rotting under our shed roof.

shooting a compound at 31" draw length, and 66 lbs. the guys at the archery shop were like "man, with your draw length, id back down on the lbs and still carry enough speed to kill anything you need to"

so yeah, apparently right now, just doing the calcs, im pushing a 350 grain arrow at 343 FPS.


the kids foam is pretty awesome idea.

but im not sure about the chicken wire... wont that mess up the fletching? gotta be a better way to keep the plastic bags in.... maybe use 550 cord across the face to hold stuff back?

X marks the spot!

I would be worried about wire ripping fletching on carbon arrows. That, and it would dull broad heads like crazy.

i used plastic burlap for the outside with eggcrate foam center with these little interlocking rubber-type floor stuff between the eggcrate foam and the plastic outside.

Those aren’t crazy draw length and weight specs. If you’re able to easily draw it from a sitting position or at weird angles, I’d leave it alone. You’re also better off shooting a heavier arrow IMO, like 500 grains. They carry more energy and will quiet the bow down a lot. You also don’t have to mess with your setup if you decide to go hunt elk someday.

I fucked up and took an old mattress to the dump without thinking. Its dense huge and free.

I've used rubber semi mudflaps laid up against square bales before. Works really good for field tips, I wouldn't use broadheads unless it was a fixed broad head. Might be able to get away with the practice mechanical broadheads that you usually get with the pack. Arrows penetrate, but the rubber self heals as it's going through and really stops the arrows from over penetrating. Might give that a shot.

I don't have any plans to back down the weight. Bow is dialed in and tuned, with 20 yard pin set. I need to practice and set longer distance pins.