Preserving a hay bale for target practice.....

[Eric Krewson]

I have used anything from walmart bags to sheet plastic left over from a painting job.

On one of my bag targets I used the polyester mat from a shot up square commercial target.

I use nylon soy bean seed crates, stuffed with used silage plastic. Free, tough, large, out lasts any commercial targets made and will stop any arrow out of any bow.

[Tajue17]

Originally posted by gringol:
A couple ratchet straps to keep it compressed will help.

highly recommended!

[Jaz5833]

Originally posted by Eric Krewson:
Hay bales are probably the worst arrow backstops out there, they don't hold up to many shots.

The only thing we had to use as backstops back in the 70s were hay bales. I still remember arrows going through them like they weren't there after a week or so of shooting them.

I have 8 bales of hay stacked and wrapped with plastic then ratchet strapped to a long pallet. I have been shooting at it almost daily for a year. Additionally, I have two friends that come over quite regularly to shoot. One shoots a compound and our arrows rarely go all the way through.

[overbo]

Go to any farm center or local Co-op and buy a compressed bail of ''straw''. $11 or $12. It'll be packaged in a plastic coating. Spray paint a couple dots on it and shoot the side w/out the plastic straps.
Been shooting mine for a year w/ 60+lbs bows and have hardly made a dent in it. Heck my arrows only penetrate 3 or 4 inches. You can also shoot Zwickey eskos into them and pull them out w/out much problems.

[Friend]

Matress outlets have proven to be a great source for acquiring a tough plastic stuffing.