Cheap Homemade Target
 

Does anyone use a homemade target and if you do what do you use. right now i am using hay bales with plywood behind and it seem to work pretty well. i am just getting into bowhunting and am using a bow with a light draw weight. so i dont worry much about pass through

RE: Cheap Homemade Target
 

http://forum.hunting.net/asppg/tm.asp?m=476962

Lots of ideas in this thread...

RE: Cheap Homemade Target
 

Since I started that thread that Rangeball linked too, I've actually made a target and started using it, with good results.

I got a burlap bag (not always easy to come by) and put some old sofa cushions that had cotton inside of them. I was able to fit 2 in the burlap bag, 1 on top of the other. Just this was able to stop my arrows without pass-though, but then I slip a piece of carpet down the front and back to make it stop my arrows even better. I then painted circles to shoot at.

RE: Cheap Homemade Target
 

Thnx guys I'll try it out and get back to you on it. by the way finally got my bow sighted in today and it is shooting great and straight.

RE: Cheap Homemade Target
 

I like to get a nylon feed sack (about a buck) from the local farm supply & stuff it really full of those bags that you get groceries (& about everything else) in these days. Zip up the top w/a pc of wire & spray a couple/three 2" dots on it. Holds up great, will easily stop an arrow from any bow, & allows 2 finger arrow removal. Works great for field points, not good for broadhead practice tho. All for about $1.00.

RE: Cheap Homemade Target
 

I'm leery about firing arrows into a bag with only plastic bags as stuffing...what poundage are you shooting at?

RE: Cheap Homemade Target
 

I use two landscape timbers (6') buried vertical into the ground 2 ft deep, about 36" apart. Bolt on two 2x4's horizontally about 4" off the ground to the timbers. Nail/bolt a piece of plywood for a floor and lay on 32" x 10" (or whatever you want) pieces of carpet as high as you want. Mine is about 36". It'll take some carpet, but that can be found for free. Add two 2x4's horizontally for the upper support (with the back board about 3-4" lower. Add a plywood roof (the lower board will give it the angle. Be creative to hold the carpet down. You can use threadall and 2x4's and crank it down. I just installed two 2x4's horizontally (side-to-side) front and rear by lag bolts on one end (so they pivot), compress the carpet and hold the boards down with another board placed fwd to aft (about 10" long) and hold it down with a lag bolt. It works great. The hardest work is cutting the carpet. And best of all with some scrounging (legallly I'm talking here!) it can be made for $10 or less. It works great for broadheads when the carpet is not packed down so tight.

RE: Cheap Homemade Target
 

i just made some targets out of boxes filled with shredded paper, crumpled newspapers and old magazines compressed into them and put some old cabela's catalogs in last for extra stopping. then i duct taped the box shut and drew a target on the front. i will try it out after school tom. and will get back and post results. thanks everyone for posting and keep the ideas coming!

RE: Cheap Homemade Target
 

I just made a target out of a box filled with plastic wraps from a grocery store. I was wondering how long this box will last before I start passing thru it? Thanks in advance.

RE: Cheap Homemade Target
 

Got done shooting at the box filled with the paper and magazines and only one pass through. that was a shot in the corner of the box. it seems to work great maybe you should try it.

RE: Cheap Homemade Target
 

18 years ago when I bought our house I built a permanent target. I used four treated poles and two sheets of treated 3/4" plywood. Two poles were positioned in the ground eight feet apart with four foot of the poles exposed. I then used galvanized screws to mount a full sheet of plywood horizontally between the poles. I took the remaining poles and positioned one four foot in front of each pole now holding the plywood. After cutting the last sheet of plywood in half(4'x4') I screwed each of the halves to these new poles and those already holding the full sheet of plywood. Once I had this completed, I painted the inside of the plywood with tar. Then ordered a load of clean black dirt.
I attached some coarse screen to some discarded 2x4's to make a sifter. I shoveled the dirt from the pile(where the vendor dumped it) into a wheelbarrow, through the sifter to catch the rocks. Then I wheelbarrowed it into the target. Once done I had a target that allowed field points or broadhead use.
This target will last another 18 years. I actually at one time put plywood on the top thinking it would keep the dirt dry for use after a rainfall. But the dirt actually stayed wet most of the time with the roof on, so I took it off. It works much better without the roof.
Dan

RE: Cheap Homemade Target
 

If you can get a hold of some used shrinkwrap plastic, and stuff it in a burlap sack or box, works the best and simple to make. Also a 2 finger pull every time.:D

RE: Cheap Homemade Target
 

Fabricating a "catch" target for fieldpoint mounted shafts is easy and the various types of materials are in abundance. The emphasis for target design should be for broadheads..

Beware of targets (material) and backstops that are too hard and/or tend to stop penetration too abruptly. That is how your arrow shafts are damaged. Materials that abrade the shaft and broadheads should also be avoided e.g., sand, dirt, etc. Don't use any material that have adhesives in or on the material e.g., carpet, tape, some foam products, etc. The material will adhere to the shaft.

RE: Cheap Homemade Target
 

c903: maybe you don't "recommend" carpet because some carpet may adhere to shafts. The carpet I use does not adhere to my shafts.:)

RE: Cheap Homemade Target
 

I use broadheads for practice. My target but is several layers(50) of cardboard taped with duct tape. To remove the arrows I pull up the tape and seperate the layers where the broadhead is located, unscrew the head and pull the arrow out. re-seal the tape and go again. I have 5 target dots on the 2'x3' target but. I never shoot a second arrow at the same dot. I learned the hard way the effects of the Robin Hood shot.