Let’s talk targets
Equipment
I for one try to get the absolute most out of any name brand /store bought target.
It’s not that I’m cheap, but they do cost quite a bit and and they don’t make it a summer season for me.
In the photo above, I have the “Bulldog Target” an older Block and a one year old block.
The Bulldog target has a “Lifetime Warranty” and for the mere cost of $12.00 (Last time I purchased one) they will send you an entire new wrap for the target.
When I screw on smooth field tips, this target is great… but I rarely shoot at dots. I mostly use it for sighting in and paper tuning. It’s heavy!
The black “ Block” lasted one season. Once I screwed on the broadheads, it became chewed up in no time.
The smaller Block really held up well this year but all four sides are done. So I figured, what the heck. I flipped it on its side and now I’m shooting the top of the target.
While it’s a bit harder to pull out the arrows, I figure I have one more side (The bottom) to use… maybe.
I painted an area to look like a pronghorn kill zone. (LOL)
Out to 60 yards (*Disclosure: I’m practicing to 80 to get real comfortable at 60) the white area stands out much better than a dot.
Now the other two only serve as additional back stops.
It just seems no matter the target, the broadheads chew them up.
There was a great thread awhile back on bag targets and home made stands for them.
What’s your preference for broadheads.
Rhinehart 18-1 I can get a couple years out of
Interesting… The block target that I had, had a layer of plywood in the top and bottom, which had a big “do not shoot this side” message marked on them…
I only shot broad heads into it, just a few times, but by the time I got done with it, it was being held together with mason’s twine, and none too effectively at that! That sucker REALLY could have used a fresh layer of shrink wrap around the outside, but I don’t think that was a Thing then.
This is the target I have used for the last 3 summers. I just last weekend turned the core for the first time. That was more for wanting a fit that wasn’t shot up so I could see it better. It was still stopping arrows before the fletchings contacted the target. I have never shot broad heads into it so I can’t say how well it will hold up.
I don’t shoot at my house. So I have to keep the target in the back of my truck all summer. The 36” target is hefty but nice to have a larger target for long range. Initial price hurts but after 3 years I am money ahead then buying a block every summer. In sone summers if I shit really heavy I couldn’t get a block to make it till September.
I make my own. Way cheaper than the store bought ones.
Bulldog target is amazing. Great price. Lots of sales. You can’t kill them.
For foam, just buy blemished or sale items and keep replacing them when you shoot ‘em up.
Rhinehart 18-1 I can get a couple years out of
Bowboy.
What material is that? Looks like insulating foam?
Showing the top of the Block taking it now.
Rinehart RhinoBlock. I've lost track of the inserts I've replaced.
I made one like Bowboy. Great for shoots no broadheads and can rotate layers. I shoot FMJs and have no problem shooting them into the foam.
That’s what it is, Rich. I’ve got one, as well, but I pretty much just use mine as a backstop when I shoot longer distances. Anything from 40 yds and in, carbon arrows are a real bitch to pull out. FMJ shafts are a piece of cake, but not the carbons. It leaves a little bit of a film on the carbons, as well. That’s been my experience with it, at least.
Big Boy targets, not cheap but durable. They make range targets and a broadhead target as well. Note - NO target is going to stand up to broadheads forever.
Mt sevr target will last me for years. I hated it when I first got it since I could not pull the arrows out. This was in January so maybe the rubber was affected by the cold. I bought some lube and this helped. 8 months laters its much easier to pull the arrows out without lube. I shoot about 20 shots a day and the area I shoot at still is super sturdy.
Go to rinehart3d.com and buy a blem RhinoBlock.
I've been doing the making my own and buying targets thing forever it seems. Drives me nuts spending the amount we do for something that gets shot up in a season. The bag targets work fine for the money with field tips. I did the foam ones but they do get pretty messy after a bit, still may go back to them. I did see some tight bound hay bails at fleet farm I may try for 26 bucks a peace, but hay puts quite a resin coat on your shafts. Been looking into the gym floor foam mat targets, but your at 100 bucks with one of those also. I don't shoot BH's a lot, hoping that my tuning of field points to BH's is perfect and stick with FP's. When I do shoot BH's, I use the rear end of my 3D target or old ones. Yes, 3D targets are spendy and I can shoot the core up in a season it seems. The cores themselves are spendy, drives me nuts.
For FP's Iv'e done great with an old Morrells Yard Range (think that's it) target. It's seriously like 15 years old. I dont shoot as many arrows as many of you, so perhaps that would be a shorter life for you all... that said, it's been great for me. It's getting a bit beat the last few years, but still stops my arrows pretty well.
That 18:1 target is high on my list, and I think may be my "next" yard target.
I had a stacked insulating foam target a long time ago. I had a problem with foam sticking to the shafts. It was not the end of the world, but it was very annoying. Are you experiencing the same issue?
I don’t think the 365 can be beat.
I have a Big Boy bale sold on line reasonably priced… I do have a couple of 3 D targets but I also hang the vital sections in front .. from used targets I pick up at 3 d shoots…
The replacement cube for the 365 targets is what I tried last year and is still holding up well. I see they have a larger traditional cube size now like a block target. The replacement core is only about $50-60.
Troy I'd suspect you'd need a much bigger back stop at 40 yards than that.
After being disappointed with maybe 10 BH targets I bought a Rinehart block with replaceable core. I am on my third core and see no reason to switch.
Seems the Rhineharts are pretty tough.
Any issues pulling carbon arrows out of them?
I'm likin my 365. I love shootin broadheads.
Treestandwolf, if you've shot a 3D with Rineharts, it's the same material. I've never shot super-skinny shafts into mine but Rineharts are well known for ease of arrow removal.
They sure aren't shy about the price of those 365's?
I shoot a spiderweb box style bag type thing. I have had 2-3 but have not been overly impressed with the durability of this last one. It’s FP only of course.
For broadheads (I don’t shoot them a ton) I think it’s pretty hard to beat the Rhinehart Rhino block. I’ve had mine probably 10 years.
I think my next target purchase is going to be one of the big Matrix modular target. They are expensive, but they all are.
—Jim
I too use construction foam. You can repair it well with a can of greatstuff. Wipe a little wd40 on shaft at short distance to pull out easier.
I've been using the stacked foam target for many years. For the cost of one sheet of foam every year or two I can replace 9 layers, restack them and it's good as new.
I'm sort of surprised that no one has mentioned the "Blob' target. They are great and last forever; even with broadheads.
Seems the Rhineharts are pretty tough.
Any issues pulling carbon arrows out of them?
I’m cheap. I buy the foam animals from our archery range when they are buying new ones- this bear for $20. I’ve got easily 1,000 shots in this bear that I’ve refoamed 3x. I stuffed some fibers in with the foam last repair- too much fiber to foam ratio.
I also buy the bag covers from Morrell and cover a 15 year old completely shot out morrell, then add old clothes wrapped in plastic to fill it out.
IF you're planning on shooting pronghorns at 60 yds. I have no comments other than please don't. You'll think me later. I have a buddy that's killed more goats than most ever will and he swears he shot one at 32 one time and hit it on the totally opposite side than he shot at and hit it perfectly.
Best broadhead target by far is the big Matrix modular target. By one and a couple replacement modules and you’re set for a long, long time. Rhinehart targets are also good, just not as good. Both are relatively easy to pull arrows from with broadheads being easier that field points.
For everyday practice with field points I’ve got a 12” x 4’ x 6’ “bag” target I bought from Pacific Bow Butts 15 years ago. It’s framed with wood, wrapped with heavy woven nylon (similar to a bag tag) and stuffed with window screen remnants. It’s a heavy sucker and weighs at least 200# but has lasted for 15 years now (I recovered it two years ago) , stays in the same spot year round and I can put several target faces on it at the same time. I shoot about 50 arrows a day for about 100 days leading up to hunting season so this target has around 75,000 arrows pumped into it and it’s still going strong.
With any bag target I highly recommend shooting bullet points rather than tapered field points. The tapered field points grab the internal stuffing on some, it wraps around the point and makes it extremely difficult to pull the arrow. This is especially true with the big target that’s stuffed with window screen remnants but I’ve experienced the same with my other bag targets.
Hey there Pop-r.
I’m practicing at 60 to make those 30’s seem like 10 :)
Those Matrix are interesting. Wonder how they hold up with broadheads?
I had a matrix and returned it. It was the worst foam I’ve ever seen. I know others have had good success with them, but I blew through a few of the modules in less than a month shooting field points. Foam just crumbled.
Find a blemished Rhinehart 18-1 or something else on sale. You don’t need many shots with broad heads once your bow is tuned. Replace it every couple of years and just use a good bag target for field points. You can spend less than $200 for both combined.
The best/cheapest field point target I've ever used is my homemade target made out of a 2x4 framed box stuffed with old plastic sheeting, plastic bags, shrink wrap, etc and covered with carpeting with the backing out. It has a piece of steel siding for a roof. Arrows pull out with 2 fingers and it's relatively light. You can shoot all 4 sides and you just have to replace the carpeting every few years or so depending on how much to shoot.
I used to use foam like other guys here, and shot FMJ's half the reason so that they don't get that film on them from the foam. Ultimately I stopped because of all the little bits that fall out that will not break down in 1,000 years that I don't want to deal with. See Mike's photo above all the little pink foam bits. But I would keep mine in my yard, I guess if you have a lot of acreage and just donate an area to it would be one thing.
Nowadays I just shoot very very few broadheads lol.
Yeah, it can get messy but I have 60 acres and a dedicated spot for my targets. For me the advantages outweigh the little bit of mess.
I've been planning to build something like Bowboy made. Be interested in knowing what material you using Bowboy?
TGbow, see Mike's post above. It's insulation foam.
I just re-covered a shot out bag target last week, this is my first shot at it.
I shoot broadheads into a block style target and it has worked well for that purpose.
I've been kicking around picking up a 3D deer and maybe putting up some hay bales to pin targets to just for something different.
Mike, I do like that target with bags and carpet.
