Archery targets

[gutsnthegrass]

I'm kicking the idea around about buying one of those Large targets like they have at the archery ranges.  I really like the targets at Cedar River Bowman but don't know if they sell them, and if they don't where can I buy one?  I have alot of room at my place to set up my own range, I just need the target.  Thanks for any info.

[Machias]

You can build a real nice target for about $7-$10.  Four 2X6s (make them as long as you want your target width to be)  Four all threaded bolts (I think the are 4 feet long) Eight washer and nuts.  Drill a hole in both ends of your 2X6s, slide your bolts through.  The top washer and nut should just cover the bolt.  Then the bottom washer and nut should be about an inch in.  Fill the void with cardboard.  Once you have them sandwiched in as much as you can tighten the bottom nuts.  You should be able to compress the cardboard about 4 inches and you'll have 4 or 5 inch legs to push into the ground.  Keep it covered from the rain and it will last a LONG time.  Once one side is shot up, one or two seasons, turn it around.  One of the bonuses of these targets is you can shoot without a target face and practice picking out a spot on a all brown target, which is very good practice for picking out a spot on a deer or elk.

[boneaddict]

Neat idea Machias. 

[Todd_ID]

Great plan Machias!  I did the same with carpet remnants from Home Dopey.  I don't think I'll ever shoot through it.

[gutsnthegrass]

What a great idea and alot cheaper than buying one.  Thanks I'll give that a shot. 

[Machias]

This photo gives you a better idea.  This one shows a strap, but the wood and bolts compress the cardboard alot better then the strap does.

[boneaddict]

Not as fun as shooting a wolf every day though.

[Machias]

Very true!   

[big ed]

That looks real good I'm going to make one for my kids to use in the garage.they keep dragging the straw bales in when it rains it makes a hell of a mess.

[BLUEBULLS]

for field tips I use a cardboard box filled with shrink wrap. I get plenty of used plastic shrink wrap at work. It's free and you don't need a whole lot of plastic. You have to replace the box itself after awhile but it stops arrows great.

[dp1175]

 the targets at cedar river  i believe are just  scraps  of carpet  pressed together between  wood. i dont think it would be  to hard to make them. the carpet  you could get  from flooring stores or flooring installers. they alway have left overs.  cut them into 4x4 squares and then do  what machias said to do.

[TheHunt]

Carpet would be for the wet side of state would be the better solution then wet cardboard. 

[flashover52]

Growing up back east, we took a pallet and put a 2x4 on each corner and a couple on top for a pitched roof. A piece of OSB and a bit of that 3 foot rolled shingle material and you've got a covered base. We then stacked three bales of excelsior on the pallet. We stapled a piece of cardboard across the front and draped a piece of carpet on the back for the few that might find the cracks between the bales.

We could easily replace the cardboard on the front as it got shot up.

The excelsior bales seemed to weather the New England weather (humidity, rain, snow, cold, hot) pretty well. During the winter, we would hang a couple of tarp scraps on the sides and back to help provide additional protection.

I like the idea Machias provided too.....   

I heard the other day that some of the targets sold are basically compressed trash bags. Sounds about right if BlueBulls uses shrink wrap in a box. Must be similar to the Morrell's Humungo target.

[bugle-em]

tried the cardboard between 2 boards when i was a kid, couldn't get the arrows out, maybe i did it wrong, sounds the same though. have used the shrink wrap in a burlap bag, that works good, can get differant sized bags and set them out like a 3-d course.

[Machias]

tried the cardboard between 2 boards when i was a kid, couldn't get the arrows out, maybe i did it wrong, sounds the same though. have used the shrink wrap in a burlap bag, that works good, can get differant sized bags and set them out like a 3-d course.

You talking field points or broadheads?  This is strictly a field point target.  I have use one for 20 years, never had any problems getting the arrows out.  Most of the time penetration is only 3-3.5 inches.

[matlockmike]

I bought one of these once....http://www.pacificbowbutts.com/

It will last you many years.  Mine lasted three year without it being cover.  If you cover it and don't let it get rained on it should last at least 5yrs.

[bugle-em]

used field tips, my grandpa helped with it, thought we had it to tight, but even loosing it didn't help, only thing i can figure is the cardboard was wrong, however that can be, think he had got the cardboard so hard telling where it was from.

[Bowcop]

I second that for the Pacific bow butts...I have two of them, one for BH and one for field tips..YES BROADHEADS!!!! You have to be stout to pull the arrow out though...make sure you use VERY good glue for your inserts though!

[Matt]

I second that for the Pacific bow butts...I have two of them, one for BH and one for field tips..YES BROADHEADS!!!! You have to be stout to putt the arrow out though...make sure you use VERY good glue for you inserts though!

So who pulls yours out Tim?

[Bowcop]

Matt..........

Go to your room!

[bow4elk]

Saw this thread earlier today but couldn't get around to pics until now.  Here's a layered cardboard target I made in 1998.  Yes, that is 11 years ago and I'm still shooting the original stack of double-thick corrugated.  It was scrap in our factory, so I decided to load a bunch up and figure out a way to make a compressed target.  Pretty basic but it's very mobile with the industrial locking castors.  Each year I turn the nuts a few turns but it still stops everything I send downrange, including carbons coated in automotive polish (for easy removal).

[Bowcop]

Very nice! but can you shoot it with broadheads?

[littlebuf]

i was going to suggest carpet also

[bow4elk]

Very nice! but can you shoot it with broadheads?

I don't recommend shooting broadheads into compressed cardboard.  You could layer any material you want into a target like this.  My intent ws to find a scrap piece of "C" channel across the top to keep the compression force distributed but I got lazy and never did.  You can see the 2x12 on top is a bit warped.  What you can't see is the large washers that help distribute the load and keep the wood from splitting.

There is a company (forget the name) producing a similar kit now, but it's made entirely of welded metal framing, etc.

[BLKBEARKLR]

I will try and post pictures tomorrow.

All I did was took a large furniture box, went around to the stores got their used shrink wrap, came back and stuffed the box full and then jumped in there smashed it all down and kept doing that until it was full taped it off and I have been shooting the same target for 3 years now, that includes my wife also.

If you end up getting a hole in the cardboard, I just take another piece of cardboard and hot glue it over the hole.

I use the paper targets on it.

I shoot a bowtech tribute at 74 pounds and it only goes in about 9 inches...

Joe

[MtnMuley]

Years ago I built a target like the one Machias built.  I loved it and it worked super.  I shot 2 broadheads into it and lost them both.  I definately wouldn't recommend using this type of target with broadheads.