DIY target turned out great
Pennsylvania
Got a big cardboard box. Packed it with a ton of plastic shopping bags that were saved. behind tap I put four pairs of old jean folded in each quadrant, 4 pairs total, one layer, zips & rivets cut out. Then behind that 2 Sunday paper bundle stacks. At 12 yards arrows never go past jeans, (55lb Long Bow) but there's a huge heavy duty backstop behind it all. The arrows pull out super easy. I'm happy as it was all free and allows me to practice inside.
Is there any problems with using newspaper bundles only as arrow stops? I know that a lot of these get thrown out for recycling at Papers office. My target relies on the plastic bags and jeans. The paper bundles are just there for extra assurance.
You can purchase a rubber mat used for horse stalls at tractor supply for either $25 or $42 depending on size you want. They stop arrows...
Thank you RC, good info. I'd think these rubber mats for stalls are similar to wrestling mats. That is what the big $600 and up targets are made from. I'd looked into getting even a few pieces of old mats but they are way expensive. I have a Tractor Supply near, thank you for the tip.
I have a twelve target bag course in the woods behind the house. Plastic feed type bags stuffed with shopping bags are twisted at the top and wired to small trees. The bags are right along my looped path and can be shot from both directions. When a target gets shot out I stuff it into another bag. They do a great job stopping arrows from my longbows and recurves. Zero mess, weatherproof, free.
Since I built my bag course I seldom shoot on my range.
Aspire, if you are looking for other "stuff" to fill your cardboard boxes, visit almost any business that relies on their materials/products being shipped to them on pallets. The plastic used to wrap those pallets is simply thrown away. However, it makes some of the best target stuffing I've used. And, it's free! Most businesses might look at you "funny", but if you explain what your goal is, you might just get a supply for life.
I offload 6 or so trailer trucks each week, and every pallet is wrapped in that plastic. If you live in/near Greensburg, I'd be glad to save it for you. I've already supplied myself, and a few others....
And you can expand upon Red Beastmaster's idea, and find a few of those feed - seed bags (from Agway, etc.) to wrap around your cardboard box target.
All kinds of targets can be made on-the-cheap or for free, if you just look around at what's really out there!
Good shooting!
I never had luck with pallet wrapping plastic. Pulling arrows was like drawing the sword from the stone.
Red, Randy doesn't hit the target often:)
Wife is in construction, just brought me 18 3' long rectangular refrigerator packing foam blocks. Glued all together i have a 3' x3' and even hexx's from a 70# don't go past 2 blocks. Pulling them out though? That's the entire reason these aren't used for targets. Hard is an understatement. The good thing is I now have a huge broad head target.
Does that mean even Roy could hit it at out to 10 yards give or take?
Im surprised some of you actually wear out targets and use plastic bags..... Figured Red would still be using paper bags from the 60's :)
I am a retired carpenter and a die hard stickbow hunter. That being said in 1980 I got the idea that using used visquine off a job site for a target. So first I stoped by a big box store and picked up 2 boxes. A frig box and a dryer box . I packed the smaller box tightly with the 6 mil plastic and slid the bigger box over it. With 4 sides to shoot at the boxes seemed to last 3 to 4 years . This was in Lafayette Colorado where G.Fred Asbel and Denny Bean had his first bow shop. I worked there some and Fred needed a target so I collected the materials and made him one. At home I sat a 4X4 sheet of plywood on top to keep it somewhat dry. Like I said I changed boxes when needed. I had the same material in many different boxes in 2007 when we moved back to Kansas. I left the 6 mil. with my son Paul owner of Cleland Stickbow LLC and collected me a new target from the Lumber Yard in the area. It is in my basement /man cave for last 10 years now. Did I mention I am of Scottish decent. Check out Paul's web site and Instagram. Kansas where a Booner is behind every tree. LOL Good Luck to y'all there in the Keystone state.
P.S. I hunt every day deer of season and haven't laid eyes on a "booner" sense 2013 on public or private ground So don't take the word of the high fence outfitters that are popping up all too often.
