I would like to build an archery backstop.Any suggestions?
 

Hey I am interested in building an archery backstop for my target. The reason why is that I cant practice in my yard untill I do. This presents a problem because I can then only practice at my archery shop. Which is a half an hour away. This really limits my ability because I cant really see how good I would get if I could practice several times a week. So now on to the point. Have any of you made a backstop? If so what was it made out of and what was its design?Does a couple tarps wrapped together work? Also I have an old mattress(this is a stupididea but itcame to mind)would this work if wrapped in a tarp?This backstop needs to be pretty big because I live in the city. I already have a target I just feel uncomfortable shooting it without a backstop.Not to mention that it is illegal. I decided a couple weeks ago not to shoot in my yard untill I have a backstop. So now you know my problem and I hope you have some info that will help me out. Thanks.

RE: I would like to build an archery backstop.Any suggestions?
 

I use hay bales, stack three high and two deep with wood slate fencing behind it. It an arrow makes it through the target and the two bales of hay, the fencing will stop it.

RE: I would like to build an archery backstop.Any suggestions?
 

Thanks for the suggestion. That actually reminded me of somthing. The owner of the land I just got permission to hunt is selling big round bales. Maybe that would work. Just a thought.

RE: I would like to build an archery backstop.Any suggestions?
 

I used to fill a cardboard box with rolled-up carpeting and newspapers.
However, the carpeting left residue on the arrows.

Since then, I bit the bullet and bought aBlock and a Bionic Buck.

RE: I would like to build an archery backstop.Any suggestions?
 

Make sure they're not TOO big... you don't want to go looking for an arrow in a haystack! :D

RE: I would like to build an archery backstop.Any suggestions?
 

What I used to use years ago, and what I am "having made" right now, was/is a large burlap bag (4' x 4' x 2' approx. ) filled with scraps of sheet foam from the shipping dept. at my brother's job. Basically the same as some of the bags on the market now just bigger and cheaper. (both the burlap and foam were free, I just have to sew it into a bag, fill it and sew it closed)

RE: I would like to build an archery backstop.Any suggestions?
 

I've seen other guys around here do this and I am thinking of doing it myself. If you have a home and farm store like Tractor Supply Company, Orschelns, etc. they have very LARGE pieces of styrofoam that small trailers, Bush Hogs, etc. come packed in. They'll usually give it to you for free from what I understand since it is just trash to them. One section of my old archery club actually used this and glued the blocks together with liquid nails and staked it to the gound. It was real sturdy and stopped everything you could shoot at it. They used it as a backstop for a smaller 3-D area for those that didn't want to walk on the trails and to shoot at moving/swinging targets.

RE: I would like to build an archery backstop.Any suggestions?
 

I'd avoid the solid styrofoam, especially with a very fast bow. You are likely tomelt the Stfoam onto the arrow with friction. What I use is the sheet foam that you see wrapped around products. It is a sheet maybe 1/8"-3/16" thick, comes anywhere up to 4'+ wide and XXXXX long. Kind of feel like a foam rubber but has very large bubbles in it. (not bubblewrap)

RE: I would like to build an archery backstop.Any suggestions?
 

Hay bales! They are cheap and/or free if you know someone. Flip a farmer a 12 pack, he'll probably just give you 6-8 of them.

RE: I would like to build an archery backstop.Any suggestions?
 

I seem to remember suspendingpieces of carpet behind a target years ago. If I remember correctly, no arrows ever passed al the way through the carper remenants. The only thing is that this was back in my recurve days of old. So I don't know how it would wirk with today's compounds and more modern arrows.

RE: I would like to build an archery backstop.Any suggestions?
 

How do you shoot into hay bales without getting pass throughs? I've done that and the arrow just blows right through. Those big round ones used to stop my 45lb aluminum arrows. But make sure you douse those things down with ant killer...Ants love 'em!

RE: I would like to build an archery backstop.Any suggestions?
 

the original poster was using the backstop as extra protection INCASE he/she missed the TARGET i believe. in that case i think hay bales would work fine. i wouldnt use hay bales as a target with todays bows. id think they would more then likely wind up burried prettttty good. im going to be in the same dilema hopefully if i get my bow i want. my yard is fenced in. one neighbor has kids that play in his back yard and theres only one fence so i dont think ill shoot that direction. the back of the yard there is a school...but its empty for the summer and brick(i may shoot that direction..theres a fence between me and it) the other is a doubled fence..the neighbors put up there own against ours...i may shoot that direction. i dont wanna shot towards the front yard because the fence is new and thinner then the original..though all wood fencing. i have an old over grown apple tree at the corner of the double fence and the school fence. i may shoot into that corner and trim out the apple tree. but no matter what direction i shot i plan on building a hay bale wall. i heard carpet works very good at stopping arrows so ill put a layer in there somewhere. maybe a layer onfront of the hay..in between the wall(2 bales thick 3 high should work well enough...if i miss that bad i shouldnt be shooting! lol) and thena layer on the back sideright before the fence. that should stop a bullet let alone an arrow. 3 layers of carpet...2 layers of hay bales and 2 wooden fences. i am more then sure the arrow will stay in there somewhere and no worries. thats JUST IF i miss my target. be careful shooting inside city limits. check the laws. you really dont wanna get caught doing something like that if illegal. im lucky i live juuuuuust outside city limits by a few houses and live in the township where im fine but still wanna be safe doing it. if caught they could probably confinscate your gear and leave you with a stiff fine or something along those lines. depending on how the situation is and everything. just because you say you live in a city you may have a big yard and it would be safe to shoot a bow in. just gota be smart and be careful. the last thing you want is a biggggg uht ohhhhhh or OMG...lol. you could get real fancy and build a whole building to stack the hay bales into etc. my buddy did that. its almost like a mimi tool shed. he built it because theres nothing but houses and fields around(though the houses are 100s and 100s of yards away. better to be safe then sorry. so he built it and put a roof on it and a thick board on the back. it holds 3 bales high and 2 across. keeps the bales dry and they last a long time too.

RE: I would like to build an archery backstop.Any suggestions?
 

Round bales? Im not sure how big your yard is, but you might have some trouble getting a round bale into your yard. You would have to have a tractor either bring it in, or atleast unload it off the trailer. I guess you could just roll it off and hope it doesnt keep rolling through your fence or whatever. You might want to rethink that idea. Just a thought!

RE: I would like to build an archery backstop.Any suggestions?
 

Something else you might consider...in a lot of cities (if that is where you are at), at least here in KS, it is illegal to shoot bows in the city limits.

As far as the styrofoam I was talking about, we've not had any problems whatsoever with it at our archery club with relation to it "melting". I've shot 410 grain arrows at about 290 fps into it with no ill affects. Now, you wouldn't want to use it for broadheads, but it stops FT's just fine. It is not like the packing foam you get with your TV or something like that. It is very dense and made to protect and support a heavy load like a PTO shaft and such.

RE: I would like to build an archery backstop.Any suggestions?
 

Try it with the switchback, I bet you will have different results

RE: I would like to build an archery backstop.Any suggestions?
 

Friend of mine showed me this trick. go to your local Grocery store and ask for their empty carboard boxes. Break them open and cut them down to 4 or 5 inch strips. Get some wood 2x4'sto build a base stand. Now on top of the stand you use a 2x6 for the bottom and a 2x6 for a top, cut to desired width for your backing. Drill a hole on each side so it looks like this
__________________
:O O
__________________:

(sorry about the drawing skills)
Center the holes (represented with the O's) on each side, and do this to both 2x6's. Attach bottom to the stand you made out of 2x4's.

Now You buy some threaded rod, bolts and washers from your local hardware store. You thread the rods through the holes you made, with washers and bolts on the outside of the 2x6's. Add your cardboard ( you will need quite a bit for a descent sized backing) and tighten the bolts to compress the cardoard. Most supermarkets will be happy to give you their empty cardboard boxes. And the lumber should be cheap enough.

You can tape a target to the cardboard get creative. Once the carboard is used up you can replace it. Buy this point you shouldn't have to replace all the cardboard.


=l============l= l threaded rods
lxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxlx Carboard
lxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxl = 2x6 compresion boards
lxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxl m 2x4 base stand
=l============l=
mmmmm
m m
m m

RE: I would like to build an archery backstop.Any suggestions?
 

For a target backstop,one thing that I am going to put together(and I think it will work)is some repair screen.I am going to double and /or maybe tripple it in thickness,then span the upper part with rope and tie the ends off from tree to tree,then I will leave the bottom loose to float, so that when arrows hit it willmove tohelp stop a blow through.The screen material I have actually seen in some bag targets,it is made of what looks like fiberglass or maybesome fabric of a sort.It's not cheap though.

RE: I would like to build an archery backstop.Any suggestions?
 

Why not just use a thick sheet of plywood? Paint it to protect it from the weather and maybe put in a couple of posts to support it.

RE: I would like to build an archery backstop.Any suggestions?
 

Thanks for the thought Amhrdwd, sounds like a good idea. The fact that I work at a grocery store may help in getting boxes;)I can take as many as I want so that would work great.

RE: I would like to build an archery backstop.Any suggestions?
 

I use a big celser bail the work good there the ones that are rapped in plastic

RE: I would like to build an archery backstop.Any suggestions?
 

Hay bales.
Elkshed

RE: I would like to build an archery backstop.Any suggestions?
 

Here is what I did,you have to put a little money into it, but it is sure to stop your arrows from passing through. I built a very sturdy frame out of 4X4 uprights 6 feet apart and 2x8s for cross members. I then went to my local horse supply store and bought two horse mats. These are about 1" thick,4' by 6'rubber mats meant for horses to stand on, very seriuos mats. ($35 a piece.) I then secured the mats to the framework with 2" coarse threaded wood screws every two inches on the uprights and to the cross members. I even went as far as to make a 4'X8' "roof" to help keep my targets out of the rain. The top of the frame is high enough to walk under, wide enough that I really never worry about missing that bad, and just for fun, I tried to shot an arrow through the mats. The arrow stopped about a quarter of the way through. I am shooting a 390 grain arrow at 300fps. Like I said, you'll end up spending some cash, but it will last forever if you anchor it 24" deep in concrete like I did.

RE: I would like to build an archery backstop.Any suggestions?
 

Hey bales will just rip your fletchings to shreds.

RE: I would like to build an archery backstop.Any suggestions?
 

Friend of mine who got me into archery back in the early 90's made one of these and it works great and it's inexpensive to maintain.