DIY large animal 3D target

[Archie]

Does anyone have any successful experience with building their own large-animal 3D targets?  Would you mind sharing your ideas, or how you did it?

I remember being on a 3D course in the Midwest several years ago, where they had a full-size bison 3D target, and a similarly-made full-size tiger.  Both were clearly custom made, made with various materials.  I think there was some carpet partly used as covering, and also something like paper mache incorporated into it. 

Here in Alaska, 3D targets can get expensive by the time they are shipped in.  I think I'd enjoy making a 3D moose and/or caribou, and am wondering if anyone here would like to share their success stories? 

I don't want to use spray-foam insulation, as the friction from the arrows tends to melt the foam and then gunk accumulates on them. 

[Zeebob]

I built some using salvaged carpet and Walmart spray foam.  I built enough to set up a 10 target 3D course on my 40 in the ozarks.  Pigs, bears , deer, javelina and one wildebeest…. I have not had any issues with the foam insulation sticking to my arrows either.

Not my idea though.. John from MS posted a thread about building them several yrs ago. That is where I got my start.  I’ll drop u a pm.

[Tajue17]

I seen some cool stuff made from insulation board cut to shape then wrapped in carpet and landscape or drainage clothe.  Also a box filled with old sheets and whatever clothe stopped broadheads but the top has to be open to remove the arrows head first out the top.. 

I also seen targets made from drainage clothe,  the guy sewed the sides to make a sheet then he just cut out the shapes in two sheets, rolled the edges then sewed them then he stuffed them with old painters plastic,, those things where hung from a clothes line type thing and they held arrows good,  two finger arrow removal and one of them he had plastic clothes line wheels on the target ropes so it would roll down tje pitched clothes line for a moving target... it was 25 yrs ago but a fun diy course

[Trenton G.]

I'd be interested as well in figuring out how to do this. 3D targets are pretty expensive, and it would be fun to be able to make some more customized targets. Could make 29 targets and have an entire super slam course to play around with!

[supernaut]

A friend of mine built a life sized moose (silhouette) out of plywood with about a 2 foot circle of thick foam inserted where the vitals would be. He painted the whole thing brown. It was a good time shooting at it.


I know you asked for 3D but this might work for you as well.


Happy shooting 

[Archie]

I've been thinking about this today.  I think it's a good tip that maybe isn't as well known.  If you're interested in making a 2D target, you can go find a picture on the internet and print it in "tiles" on the computer.  I use Microsoft Publisher to do this, and it works pretty good.

Get your picture. 

Save it, or snip a screenshot of it using the Snip & Sketch tool in your PC's accessories folder. 

Open publisher.  Paste your picture onto the canvas in the software.  Set the page width and height as the size that you want the target to be. 

Select "Tiles" as your print option.

Here's how it will print:

Each little rectangle in the preview will be a single page.  You have to print the pages, cut them out, then attach them to your background.  It is a little bit of work and messing around, but in the end you can make either a stencil for painting a silhouette, or use the picture as the target.  They don't all have to be gigantic... I set this elk example up to create a target 110" x 85".    They can be as big or small as you'd like.

[Maclean]

Nice work Archie. That's really creative and super applicable. You've just given me a bunch of ideas, thanks!   

[5deer]