Archery Target Ideas
April 16, 2010 6:37 PM Subscribe
Please suggest inexpensive, homemade targets for use in a rural area where misses will not endanger anyone. Target should not damage arrows, but should stop their flight.
Attach Twilight posters to hay bales. Aim for heads. Works with any other disliked thing you can find an image of on paper!
posted by that girl at 6:42 PM on April 16, 2010
posted by that girl at 6:42 PM on April 16, 2010
When I took archery at college they used hay bales. Worked quite well.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 6:46 PM on April 16, 2010
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 6:46 PM on April 16, 2010
Pumpkins.
posted by jessamyn at 6:50 PM on April 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by jessamyn at 6:50 PM on April 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
that "misses will not endanger anyone" is an impossible point here.... we can't answer that.
posted by HuronBob at 6:52 PM on April 16, 2010
posted by HuronBob at 6:52 PM on April 16, 2010
Response by poster: HuronBob: What I meant was, there is no danger of an arrow which misses the target hitting a person because I live in the woods and also can see all around. All I need is target ideas, and I'm getting good ones. Thanks.
posted by Hobgoblin at 6:57 PM on April 16, 2010
posted by Hobgoblin at 6:57 PM on April 16, 2010
Hay bales and set them up against a wall. That way it's quite impossible to get impaled by an arrow that would somehow make its way through the bale.
posted by astapasta24 at 6:58 PM on April 16, 2010
posted by astapasta24 at 6:58 PM on April 16, 2010
garbage bags full of leaves
posted by not_on_display at 7:09 PM on April 16, 2010
posted by not_on_display at 7:09 PM on April 16, 2010
Best answer: Hay Bales - Depending on how tight they were packed they don't always stop a heavy draw modern bow with carbon arrows, you can put another one behind it but then your fletching is going to get worn out. Also, if you are shooting broadheads they can sometimes be a little tough to pull out.
If you need a little more stopping power try using lengths of sod stacked together.
Foam works well but you have to figure out a way to pack it tight. Here is a guy that shows you how. Homemade archery target
posted by Bonzai at 7:17 PM on April 16, 2010
If you need a little more stopping power try using lengths of sod stacked together.
Foam works well but you have to figure out a way to pack it tight. Here is a guy that shows you how. Homemade archery target
posted by Bonzai at 7:17 PM on April 16, 2010
Best answer: Grain sack stuffed with rags - old clothes or other grain sacks. It will stop arrows from the heaviest of bows. They can be bought cheaply, or made even more cheaply.
posted by buxtonbluecat at 7:30 PM on April 16, 2010
posted by buxtonbluecat at 7:30 PM on April 16, 2010
Could you drag an old mattress out there? That would work pretty well. You could paint targets on it too.
posted by elder18 at 7:33 PM on April 16, 2010
posted by elder18 at 7:33 PM on April 16, 2010
Hay bale target against a backdrop of stacked firewood.
posted by The White Hat at 7:56 PM on April 16, 2010
posted by The White Hat at 7:56 PM on April 16, 2010
Straw bales are nearly always cheaper than hay bales.
posted by imjustsaying at 8:12 PM on April 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by imjustsaying at 8:12 PM on April 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
Oh man, an old mattress that you painted with "fuck you bedbugs" and made a lot of youtube videos of you shooting at it with flaming arrows would make you a minor sensation. Maybe not what you want, but....
posted by jessamyn at 8:23 PM on April 16, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by jessamyn at 8:23 PM on April 16, 2010 [3 favorites]
Are hay bales homemade?
posted by yoyoceramic at 8:24 PM on April 16, 2010
posted by yoyoceramic at 8:24 PM on April 16, 2010
elder18: "Could you drag an old mattress out there? That would work pretty well. You could paint targets on it too."
Great idea there, elder18, and maybe a futon even better, no metal springs inside it to dull your arrows, more dense, too, and either of them large enough that you're not going to be chasing down too many arrows.
Not sure, never tried this, but insulation, when still bound up in its plastic bag, is plenty dense yet I'd think it'd be soft enough to slow the arrow in such a way it wouldn't get damaged. And no metal or anything else hard in it to damage the arrow.
posted by dancestoblue at 8:25 PM on April 16, 2010
Great idea there, elder18, and maybe a futon even better, no metal springs inside it to dull your arrows, more dense, too, and either of them large enough that you're not going to be chasing down too many arrows.
Not sure, never tried this, but insulation, when still bound up in its plastic bag, is plenty dense yet I'd think it'd be soft enough to slow the arrow in such a way it wouldn't get damaged. And no metal or anything else hard in it to damage the arrow.
posted by dancestoblue at 8:25 PM on April 16, 2010
My pal used to shoot the hell out of an old suitcase full of rag-bag T-shirts with her crossbow down in the basement of her place. I recommend choosing your suitcase carefully so you don't get any surprises from internal framework or anything.
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 11:19 PM on April 16, 2010
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 11:19 PM on April 16, 2010
My pal used to shoot the hell out of an old suitcase full of rag-bag T-shirts with her crossbow down in the basement of her place. I recommend choosing your suitcase carefully so you don't get any surprises from internal framework or anything.
No kidding. I hope that was a big basement.
posted by lapsangsouchong at 7:40 AM on April 17, 2010
No kidding. I hope that was a big basement.
posted by lapsangsouchong at 7:40 AM on April 17, 2010
Best answer: straw bales or celsior bales (wood shavings) work great, the celsior is the best but straw is good is good. To catch the arrows that miss the bales hang up some old carpet or just old carpet backing if you can find any. The backing is a lot lighter and easier to store and transport. I would usually stack up two bales against the adobe wall of an abandoned stable (man, I loved that house), that worked great, but old adobe walls are hard to find, and not nearly as portable as carpet backing. the loose hanging fabric is great at catching the arrow and stopping it so it doesn't annoy (or kill) the neighbors. Good luck and have fun.
posted by bartonlong at 10:54 AM on April 17, 2010
posted by bartonlong at 10:54 AM on April 17, 2010
Seconding hay bales.
Please note that, quite often, people mistake straw bales for hay bales. There's a huge difference. Hay has far more mass and density (thus far greater stopping power) than straw.
posted by Thorzdad at 11:31 AM on April 17, 2010
Please note that, quite often, people mistake straw bales for hay bales. There's a huge difference. Hay has far more mass and density (thus far greater stopping power) than straw.
posted by Thorzdad at 11:31 AM on April 17, 2010
Response by poster: Lots of helpful answers. I appreciate every suggestion. I've gotten some hay bales (cheaper than straw!) and will also try several of the other ideas over time. Thanks Mefites!
posted by Hobgoblin at 2:33 PM on April 17, 2010
posted by Hobgoblin at 2:33 PM on April 17, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by stavrogin at 6:38 PM on April 16, 2010 [2 favorites]