Broadhead target

[bow boy]

Hey,

I was wondering if a broadhead target is necessary to have if you are going to tune your broadheads.  Could you shoot into a bale of straw?

~Bow Boy

[TommyH]

If your going to be into archery it would be a good idea to get a target you can shoot at! A bale of straw, i did for a while but you will destroy enough vains to want a real target. Then you can shoot alot more and be more confident in your shots.

[Special T]

A great low cost broad head target is the pink hard insulattion faom from the hardware store. get a 2x8x 2in thick or 1.5" cut into 2x2 squares and ductape together. you'll need some way to stake it down. Not the best but pretty good for the cost and availability. 

[carpsniperg2]

Yes for sure. Spend the money to buy one and you will be happy you did. You can shoot into straw but it will mess up your heads pulling them out and a lot of time it will over penetrate and mess up your vanes. You can buy broadhead targets for about 40.00.

[DoubleJ]

I heard stuffing paper tightly into a box and then duct taping the box is a good broad head target on the cheap. 

[Antlershed]

I tried shooting into straw once with field tips. At 40 yards I had a complete pass thru and into the side of the barn  Now I have a block target 

[Bshiftbc]

I heard stuffing paper tightly into a box and then duct taping the box is a good broad head target on the cheap. 

I have a buddy that stuffs large dog food bags tightly with those plastic grocery bags. He says they work great!

[DoubleJ]

I heard stuffing paper tightly into a box and then duct taping the box is a good broad head target on the cheap. 

I have a buddy that stuffs large dog food bags tightly with those plastic grocery bags. He says they work great!

Probably not for broadheads though.  I was joking with my post: http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php?topic=94466.msg1213623#msg1213623

Do not make your own broadhead target.  Field points are ok but not broadheads

[seansfire]

wal-mart usally has a target block fairly cheap that is field tips on one side and broadheads on the other. sometimes if you go to wal-mart.com they are even cheaper than at the store.

[Bshiftbc]

I heard stuffing paper tightly into a box and then duct taping the box is a good broad head target on the cheap. 

I have a buddy that stuffs large dog food bags tightly with those plastic grocery bags. He says they work great!

Probably not for broadheads though.  I was joking with my post: http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php?topic=94466.msg1213623#msg1213623

Do not make your own broadhead target.  Field points are ok but not broadheads

Double J...I had not seen that past post! Ouch!
My buddy does shoot broadheads into it, but I think I will stick to the commercially made ones!

[Special T]

The problem with home made bag targets and broad heads is that they will tear up the bag and make a hell of mess in a hurry. Bag targets are great for field points and the pink foam one i described is great for BH. You can have one of each for less than $30

Here is a place where you can buy bag targets that you can fill yourself. Its based in Tacoma.
http://www.amesallweathertargets.com/
Our club ordered a bunch of the burlap sheets to use on our straw bail targets because they last a lot longer during the winter time. The best things to put in bag targets are any plastic bags or construction plastic. I took a pice of carpet an lined the inside of the target with it and then filled with plastic. That seemed to really last a long time and stopped the arrow really well. Good luck!

[throttlejocky20]

If you use duct tape to hold the target together will the glue transfer to you broadhead and shaft. I have never made my own broadhead target so I was wondering how the duct tape thing works.

[Special T]

The pink foam will adhere to the shaft a little. basically there is so much friction that it melts the foam a little. it scrapes off easily with your fingernail. This mostly happens with a field point. With a broad head this doesn't seem to happen.

[colockumelk]

My recommendation is to one day own a bag Target for field points. They last forever. My brother has the same one he bought in 2005. And he shoots A LOT!.  Then buy yourself a block style Target. They all work fine. The amount of money you spend will relate directly to how long it will last.

Or buy a really nice block 4x4 and restrict yourself to one side is for broadheads, the other is for fieldtips ONLY!  I went the first route FYI.

Now if you tune your bow really well then the only time you'll need to shoot broadheads into the Target is while your broadhead tuning your bow. Once I am done doing my broadhead tuning. I re-sight my bow using fieldtips. Once complete, I proof by shooting broadheads at each distance I sigjted my pins at.  Each your I probably only shoot 30-50 broadheads a year. Last year I changed nothing in my setup. So I shot maybe 15 broadheads at my Target. If you do this a Target will last many years.

[huntndad]

I've tried many so called broadhead targets, and most aren't worth snot.  A fewyears ago I bought 10 50lb bags of play sand, and built a three-sided box to contain it.  I can shoot it with broadheads forever.  I can't imagine a better broadhead target.

[lokidog]

I've tried many so called broadhead targets, and most aren't worth snot.  A fewyears ago I bought 10 50lb bags of play sand, and built a three-sided box to contain it.  I can shoot it with broadheads forever.  I can't imagine a better broadhead target.

Do you hang your targets out in front of the sand?  If so, do you keep them low so the arrow stops in the sand before passing through the target?

Last year I had to do some shooting at the last minute out in the field, I ended up filling a grocery bag with some sandy clay from a bank and then hung the bag off a root on the bank, it actually worked pretty well for the BH's and it was easy to dump out when I was done....   

[TommyH]

I've tried many so called broadhead targets, and most aren't worth snot.  A fewyears ago I bought 10 50lb bags of play sand, and built a three-sided box to contain it.  I can shoot it with broadheads forever.  I can't imagine a better broadhead target.

Sounds like it works well for ya!        What did you "contain" it with? Got any pics for the rest of us? Thats something I would like to see!

[Special T]

I know my muzzy Broad heads included some "practice blades" for shooting into sand pits. 

[Bshiftbc]

I've tried many so called broadhead targets, and most aren't worth snot.  A fewyears ago I bought 10 50lb bags of play sand, and built a three-sided box to contain it.  I can shoot it with broadheads forever.  I can't imagine a better broadhead target.

Sounds like it works well for ya!        What did you "contain" it with? Got any pics for the rest of us? Thats something I would like to see!

[huntndad]

I don't have a picture (not too computer literate), but it's not very complicated.  It is literally a pile of sand.  I built sides and a back out of 1/4" plywood to contain most the sand.  I think I built it 30x30, or something close to that.  For an aiming spot, I have about 4 inches of the fletched end of a broken arrow sticking in the sand.  If I hit (or miss) too high, the arrow can go through far enough to penetrate the plywood back, but that takes a pretty poor shot. 
My target has been up for about 5 years and I haven't added any new sand.  I do recommend the "play sand" or whatever it's called.  It is much finer.  Obviously, you will only want to shoot practice broadheads into it, as they go dull instantly.  I usually buy a pack that I use only for practice.  Also, I've never had an arrow show any kind of wear from the sand, nothing, and I've shot many different brands of carbon shafts.

[LivinTheDream]

The best and cheapest targets I have found are the styrofoam plugs you see floating down the river in high water or littering the beaches. If I see one while fishing I mark where it is and grab it on the way back to the launch. You'll want to avoid the water logged ones because one, they are super heavy and two, they are harder to pull arrows from. Spray paint some dots and launch away. I built a whole course of  3d styrofoam targets. Hang them sideways, head on, or stand them up. Paint life size vitals and body shapes. They work great!

[DoubleJ]

The best and cheapest targets I have found are the styrofoam plugs you see floating down the river in high water or littering the beaches. If I see one while fishing I mark where it is and grab it on the way back to the launch. You'll want to avoid the water logged ones because one, they are super heavy and two, they are harder to pull arrows from. Spray paint some dots and launch away. I built a whole course of  3d styrofoam targets. Hang them sideways, head on, or stand them up. Paint life size vitals and body shapes. They work great!

I've been looking for dock foam for years with no luck. 

[Jason]

The best and cheapest targets I have found are the styrofoam plugs you see floating down the river in high water or littering the beaches. If I see one while fishing I mark where it is and grab it on the way back to the launch. You'll want to avoid the water logged ones because one, they are super heavy and two, they are harder to pull arrows from. Spray paint some dots and launch away. I built a whole course of  3d styrofoam targets. Hang them sideways, head on, or stand them up. Paint life size vitals and body shapes. They work great!

I've been looking for dock foam for years with no luck.

Just go fish the lower Columbia from I5 down its floating all over

[LivinTheDream]

Yeah it is everywhere, hit any beach that has boat only access and walk the high water mark. Bet you dont have to walk more then a 1/4 mile before you find one.

[lokidog]

Yeah it is everywhere, hit any beach that has boat only access and walk the high water mark. Bet you dont have to walk more then a 1/4 mile before you find one.

Come to Decatur and help us do our annual spring beach cleanup, more styrofoam than you know what to do with.  Unfortunately, most of it is busted up into its little beads.     Wish they would ban that crap!