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Cheap Archery Target

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WNYBuckHunter Experienced

WNYBuckHunter

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I had a foam target, my arrows were blowing through it the first day with field tips at any distance 30 yards or less. It would almost stop them before the fletchings touched at 40 yards, but before long, they were blowing through it at 40 as well. I will not use styrofoam targets again, I tore too many fletchings that way.

One thing that has worked well for me has been that expandable liquid insulation or packing stuff. You basically take a cardboard box, line it with plastic sheet, squirt or pour the insulation into it, let it expand and dry for an hour or so, then take it out of the box, peel the plastic off and trim it to the shape you want and you are good to go. Its similar to the stuff 3D targets are made from. In fact, its what I use to repair the holes in my 3D target as well.

You can get a couple quarts for @ $40 and that will make you 2 or 3 targets.

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Doc Experienced

Doc

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I don't have any problems with field tips, but finding something that I can shoot broadheads into is quite a trick. There are some cheapo styrofoam targets that Walmart sells and generally I wind up buying a new one every year. But no matter what I have tried, broadheads will chop chunks out in no time at all.

For field tip, I have had two butts (one inside and one outside) that have lasted for years. They are both about 3' high x 3' wide x 2' thick. They are made out of compressed corrugated cardboard. I got the idea from a professional indoor shooting range in Rochester years ago. I shoot the arrows into the corrugations and they will stop anything. I devised a clamping mechanism that screws pressure on the cardboard. Also, when things start getting shot out, I simply turn the whole thing around and shoot the other side. When that starts getting shot out, the sheets of cardbord can be moved around swapping unshot sheets for the shot out ones and then we start all over again. The beauty of it all is the ease with which I can pul the arrows out without a effort or arrow damage. It was some time in the late 80's when I first built them and finally they are getting to the point where I really need to find some more cardboard.

Doc

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Doc Experienced

Doc

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Hey Doc ...... on those WalMart Targets . They run about $17 each . Two years ago I bought 3 of them for $1.50 each at the Hudson ave WalMart in Irondiquoit . I love those CLEARANCE sales !  ;D ;D ;D

Yeah, they are cheap enough so that I can afford to use them as disposable targets for broadheads. I wish I could run into that kind of sale. I'd buy a bunch of them.

They do make a bit of a mess though. I generally wind up raking up the mess and putting it with whatever is left of my target and burning the whole stinking mess. I guess with the new burning law in NYS, I'll have to stuff it all in a garbage bag and let the landfill figure out what to do with the left-overs.

Doc

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arrow nocker Newbie

arrow nocker

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here is what i do it is cheap and good for the environment.

materials:

cardboard

1/2 inch threaded rod with 4 nuts and 4 washers

1x8 board 4ft or longer.

utility knife,drill,5/8ths drill bit,tape measure.

go anywhere you can get free cardboard boxes.Take them and stack them on top of each other and cut them into 8 to 10 inch rips.Now cut the rips down to about 2 ft long.Stack all the rips up untill you have a 2ft by 2ft square.

Cut your 1x8 into 24 inch lengths or the length you want to make your target.I perfer 2 ft to prevent the board from warping in the middle.

Drill a 5/8ths hole about 1 1/2 inches from the end in the boards.

Now take the threaded rod and cut it 6 inches longer than the desired hight of your target.The extra 6 inches is so you can push them into the ground so you can stabilize the target.

Now what i did with the rod that took some practice but cut the time in half was to cut two angles on the rods end that is on the bottom of the target.I put the to end of the 1/2 inch rod in the chuck of my drill and just simply drilled the rod through the cardbaord.It slowly works its way through.Just keep it straight.Do this to both sides.

Now put the boards on and install the washers and nuts to the threaded rod.Tighten down untill the cardboad is squished together really good.If it is done right there shoud be maybe a half inch of thread on the top and about 6 inches of thread on the bottom that you stick into the ground.

I have built these for years and only thing that ruins them is i forget to bring them in out of the weather.They stop the arow from my mathews just fine.If it isn't stopping your arrow just tighten the nuts down more.

Not sugested too much for elevated shots but i have one that i have without the boards for the 40  yd elevated shots when i am practicing.

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shu9265 Newbie

shu9265

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We made some archery targets out of Styrofoam coolers. The kind from Omaha Steaks.

What we did was to fill the cooler with odd pieces of Styrofoam from the furniture store.

It was packed in there so there was no holes.  When filled, we taped it closed with duct tape to keep it from blowing apart.

Works very well.

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5.9cummins Newbie

5.9cummins

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here is what i do it is cheap and good for the environment.

materials:

cardboard

1/2 inch threaded rod with 4 nuts and 4 washers

1x8 board 4ft or longer.

utility knife,drill,5/8ths drill bit,tape measure.

go anywhere you can get free cardboard boxes.Take them and stack them on top of each other and cut them into 8 to 10 inch rips.Now cut the rips down to about 2 ft long.Stack all the rips up untill you have a 2ft by 2ft square.

Cut your 1x8 into 24 inch lengths or the length you want to make your target.I perfer 2 ft to prevent the board from warping in the middle.

Drill a 5/8ths hole about 1 1/2 inches from the end in the boards.

Now take the threaded rod and cut it 6 inches longer than the desired hight of your target.The extra 6 inches is so you can push them into the ground so you can stabilize the target.

Now what i did with the rod that took some practice but cut the time in half was to cut two angles on the rods end that is on the bottom of the target.I put the to end of the 1/2 inch rod in the chuck of my drill and just simply drilled the rod through the cardbaord.It slowly works its way through.Just keep it straight.Do this to both sides.

Now put the boards on and install the washers and nuts to the threaded rod.Tighten down untill the cardboad is squished together really good.If it is done right there shoud be maybe a half inch of thread on the top and about 6 inches of thread on the bottom that you stick into the ground.

I have built these for years and only thing that ruins them is i forget to bring them in out of the weather.They stop the arow from my mathews just fine.If it isn't stopping your arrow just tighten the nuts down more.

Not sugested too much for elevated shots but i have one that i have without the boards for the 40  yd elevated shots when i am practicing.

This is what my old man did for me when i was a kid. Target was 4 X 4 and he put it into a 20 ton press before clamping it down with the rod. He did that when i was Probably 10 or 11. He tore it down about two years ago because i have long since moved out and he doesn't hunt anymore. Thing was 15+ years old and still looked and worked like a charm.

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Nomad Grand Master

Nomad

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I must be the last guy who still goes into the barn, grabs two bails of straw and stacks them behind the house.Oh I do glue a deer poster/target to some cardboard that I place on the bale.

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Doewhacker Newbie

Doewhacker

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I finally wore out my block target to the point of no return and I remembered this thread. I googled a bit too and found a twist for you guys, I used a cardboard box and stuffed it full of plastic bags and the insides of the block target and then taped it up real nice. It works great at stopping arrows and removal is a breeze, and with an endless supply of boxes at work when I wear this one out I will just re-pack it and add more plastic bags. I will never buy another block target again!

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