Bocajnala

FFW, I started shooting archery when I wa syoung and had no money as well. So I know the feeling. What I shot for the first two years was a box filled with rags, clothes, blankets, whatever old material you have. Pack it in nice and tight then close up the box with duct tape to make sure it stays packed. As the box takes more hits rotate it, turn it, patch it up if you can. Keep using the duct tape to patch it up. The packed cloth will stop your arrows and eventually you'll need to get a new box and pack it again. This will work. It's not perfect, but it will work. I strongly suggest getting on youtube and watching some beginner videos. I learned allot that way. Don't get discouraged. You can learn to shoot well, just keep at it. Good luck and ask any questions you have.
-Jake

rockport

Oh yeah, I shot straw bales for years. We also use to find dock foam floating up on the river banks.

Ridgerunner56

Feed sacks.Used to be bark sacks but are plastic now. Stuff them with rags for field tips. Last a long time.
I have also made a box about a foot deep out of wood with a chicken wire front. Stuff it with rags.
Lots of people start out shooting home made targets.
Spend any money on arrows.

tiffany

I've also done archery target with straw bales. Works pretty good! Good luck and I liked the couch cushion idea - very innovative!

Valentine

It's some twenty years old, since I first built a DIY archery target. Saved some money, I don't need to add.

I usually fit my needs. I've never had an over $500 archery bow, so a DIY homemade target always fits my cheaper needs.

This week I reviewed the current stock of commercial targets. My DIY target went up; but not as much as the better commercial targets did.
Might have room for improving my DIY's.

I avoid the greatest mistake - the painted homemade target. My DIY has always used plastic stickers for targets.
Plus I have to have a target light enough to carry into my practice range, with my bow and arrows. One carry in; one carry out. Can't use a double trip or a large block target on a big city target range.
When I leave, the target leaves with me. Legal, but want to avoid leaving behind any information.

May look at making my DIY target a little thicker. Could be an option this year.
Unlike a lot of archers, I have to adopt one best for a big city environment. As I told one archery tech, I look for a place to shoot first; not an expensive bow. Many an expensive bow sits idle in a big city environment. And fitting a target to a big city environment is very important. Too bad it wasn't a commercial prospect. Perhaps it's too ugly. it works, but sure is ugly. And it is probably too cheap. Cheap and ugly seem to go good for me. But never had that commercial appeal, a trap for many it seems.

hcorrigall

There are always unhelpful *******s everywhere!! Just ignore the idiots and focus on the real people!!

GOOD OLE BOY

I use round bales with success.

10hunting

That'd be a good idea too

bronko22000

Wife..just an idea. You just might want to go to a local archery shop with a shooting range and have them watch you shoot so they can pick up any flaws in your shooting form. Contrary to the popular phrase you quoted, practice does not make perfect. PERFECT PRACTICE makes perfect. Practice doing something incorrectly will ingrain bad habits that are hard to break.
I'm happy to see women getting involved in the shooting and hunting sport. It really helps our cause against the antis.

bronko22000

If any of you read my post about rekindling the passion (buying a recurve bow) you would know I just got a CenterPoint Aspen. All my archery target bags and blocks are up in PA but I'm wintering in FL. I was dying to shoot this bow so I grabbed a cardboard box at a local store (about 16" square) and stuffed it with a bunch of old rags and towels. Put a couple small pieces of masking tape on for an aiming point and started shooting away. The arrows only penetrate about 3-4" and are easy to pull out. When one side gets shot out I'll just turn it around!