Round bale for backyard target

[Zbone]

dnovo - "Bad thing about round bale, if shot at wrong spot or angle, your arrow will completely disappear into it. Ask me how I know."

Yep, me too... Am still waiting on one I shot at for a short time to melt down to where I can retrieve some of my arrows.

[Prairie Drifter]

Originally posted by Smitty:
 I wish I got Prairie Drifter prices for the ones I sold for 60 a bale.

That's what I have been paying for the last few years for my horses and rams. That is delivered though.

[KSdan]

Should add. . . I have never even come close to losing an arrow in a bale. Even after four full years of sitting out in the weather, even compound friend's arrows do not penetrate more than 6-10" at most.  I suppose there are different bales made with different equipment. . . maybe Kansas farmers just know how to do it right!    

[sweeney3]

I got one for free from the neighbor.  Probably shouldn't plan on that though.  Been shooting it since spring.  I'll last till this spring.  Shoot blunts when you are inside say, twenty yards or so and when you are shooting face on.  From the side or farther away, field points work.  I've had to dig out a couple of arrows.  Depending where you put it, you can practice for a while, then stand on the backside of it and maybe get a shot at dusk as the deer work out of the woods and head to the pond to drink.  

[ksbowman]

Ksdan, Ours weigh 1600+-. We set the baler as tight as she'll wind em. I don't like putting out bales any more often than I have to. I usually use one bale a season for a backstop with a 3D target in front of it. Then it goes out for feed and a new one goes in its place.

[Zbone]

You guys that feed ever loose field points in these bails?

[Russ Clagett]

I have been shooting one for 3 years now. Didn't know any better so I shot the flat side.....now it has developed a hole and there are quite a few arrows stuck way inside there.

There are also probably 15 or so field tips, and various broadheads also stuck in there.

We aint feeding this one........

shoot the round side.  Dammit.

Round bales work good and last quite a long time. You have to make sure they are baled tight though. If they are not you may need to wrap a couple ratchet straps around them to compress them some. If they are too loose they will gobble up arrows and it is really hard to find them!

Bisch

[bornagainbowhunter]

As far as the density goes, you want one bailed by a John Deere bailer.  They get super tight.  I would also want net wrapped for the life of the bail.

Yall guys are getting crazy prices for your hay.  I sell mine for $25-$30 a bale, all bermuda net wrapped 5X6 @ 1100+lbs.  I could have sold it for more to the Tx or Ok boys, but feel like I would be taking advantage of folks...not in me.

If you want one, A.S., I'll give it to you...ya just gotta come and get it.

God Bless,
Nathan

[A.S.]

Nathan, great offer!  If I find myself in AR soon, I will look you up!        

Your price sounds more in line with what I was expecting. I will start shopping around.

[NormanDale33]

I like Batmans idea. I know my old man is getting $250/ton for good hay right now so it isn't cheap. Round bales can be loosely rolled and you can lose arrows in them. Big and small squares are probably the best as they are more compact. Bigs will weigh 1200+ pounds though.

We would shoot bales in the field after baling growing up. Just randomly pick a bale at an unknown distance and shoot. If we hit strings then we fed it sooner.

[The Whittler]

What is the diff. between hay and straw. Is one stronger, last longer??

[ChrisM]

I'm like AS I shoot and feed.  Lost a broadhead once in one. It took a while but i dug it out.

[Big Sneaky]

Out here there are most generally grass hay bales and alfalfa bales.  Most generally alfalfa makes a tighter bale because it was baled with some moisture.  Grass hay is usually baled a little dryer so they are not quite as tight.  I shoot round bales that are net wrapped all the time.  I don't know how long one would last it usually gets shot a few days and then gets fed.  For those of you who have lost arrows see if you can find someone with a bale bed to unroll the bale for you.  Recovered several this way.   Try and find a bale that is baled tight, you can tell because you won't be able to dig your hand in the bale on the flat side.

[DGF]

Originally posted by The Whittler:
What is the diff. between hay and straw. Is one stronger, last longer??

Hay is used as feed. Straw is used as bedding. Hay is much heavier.

[The Whittler]

OK thanks, so you can use either as both will work equally well for stoping arrows.