Anyone else using the compressed straw bales from TS?

[Tajue17]

discovered there is a TS here in Mass actually a few of them,, But maybe its a Mass thing but I stood around in that store and could not for the life of me find anyone working anywhere,,, finally a young girl comes from the employees only area and helps me but she never heard of compressed hay and didn't even know what I was talking about when I said I want it to shoot arrows at (I swear she was anti by the smirk I got) but she said the only thing they carry is what's out in the trailer,,,,, the hay in the trailer was feed hay tied loose with twine even my selfbow would blow thru it..

I'm sure the TS places in more remote or farmland areas will have better quality stuff with a bigger selection but here though It didn't cut it for what I needed it for.

Rough run, I was thinking about threaded rod thru 2x4's sandwiching 3 bales together but I like your idea,,, wonder if putting the strap thru PVC pipe will protect it from arrows a bit but good idea.

[oldbohntr]

There may not be an excelsior supplier in every area but I've located one in the last two states I've lived in.  I simply got sick of dealing with rotten straw, vermin, wasps, bees, an pass throughs....although a piece of conveyor belting is a good idea if you don't have a safe background.  There is an excelsior supplier w/in a reasonable drive from me.  They charge $47/bale and will firmly band together 3 in a stack.  No it's not cheap but I've got a sloped roof built over it with a drop down tarp.  Kept dry and tightly bound excelsior bales will last many years.  I also have 5 3ds scattered around the property as well.  But for shooting at night under the lights, or teaching a newby,
bare shaft tuning a new setup, etc, it's real nice to have a real good backstop.

[oldbohntr]

There may not be an excelsior supplier in every area but I've located one in the last two states I've lived in.  I simply got sick of dealing with rotten straw, vermin, wasps, bees, an pass throughs....although a piece of conveyor belting is a good idea if you don't have a safe background.  There is an excelsior supplier w/in a reasonable drive from me.  They charge $47/bale and will firmly band together 3 in a stack.  No it's not cheap but I've got a sloped roof built over it with a drop down tarp.  Kept dry and tightly bound excelsior bales will last many years.  I also have 5 3ds scattered around the property as well.  But for shooting at night under the lights, or teaching a newby,
bare shaft tuning a new setup, etc, it's real nice to have a real good backstop.

[Rough Run]

Rough run, I was thinking about threaded rod thru 2x4's sandwiching 3 bales together but I like your idea,,, wonder if putting the strap thru PVC pipe will protect it from arrows a bit but good idea.

I think that threaded rods would work well for the target.  But I have found that the bales have to be tightened  individually to be really snug for arrows, so I used the strap for ease and speed.  PVC pipe will definitely protect it - but I have the strap around the outside of the bales, so an arrow has never touched the strap.  A tarp weighted with 2x4, attached to the target frame I built, keeps everything dry.