city target

[bowmaster12]

was wondering what ideas you had for a target for shooting at in the city.  I have a fairly large backyard since i live on a corner lot.  I have a mid size block target i used with my compound but i dont feel comfortable shootig at it with my recurve worreid about glancing shots.  Any idea for a back stop or large target would be great thankx for the help and the ideas  

[DBerrard]

The law is prolly worried about glancing shots too and its prolly illegal  :D

I live in the burbs here...have to drive to the archery range.

[bowmaster12]

not sure probably on the books as illegal but if shot with cops parked across the street no porblems nieghbor had a target in his little backyard shed he would open the door adn shoot away for years no prob.  if i can find away to do it safely woudl make things alot easier to shoot everyday but if no safe way will just have to make the drive

[bowmaster12]

[DBerrard]

Ive heard of people hanging carpet in the background. Or, hay bails stacked in front of a big sheet of plywood.

[Marvin M.]

When I lived in town, I shot in the backyard a lot.  Hung a target in a corner between the dog kennel and the privacy fence.  I was shooting down hill (especially from the deck) and toward a ditch -- no houses directly behind me.  Any time there was anyone out I'd quit just to be safe.

It was illegal in my town (Lexington) as mentioned earlier, but I never had a problem.  Neighbors were cool with it and I was very conscious of what I was doing and didn't make it an issue.

Good Luck with it.

[Henry Hammer]

Keep your shots in close 10-15 yards and then you will have less of a chance of a miss and a wild arrow. I shoot at 10 yards in the house all the time and it is great for working on your form. Then when you can find a safer place to set up your target to shoot 20-30 you will have your form nailed down.

[Shakes.602]

"Dangerous Projectile" I think is what the POlice call them. I had to bite the Bullet and Use my HOUSE as a Sufficient "BackStop"!! I have an EMPTY-Hardly-USED Football Training LOT across the Street!!! I would Grab My Trusty Saw Horse and a BIG Bag target to Lean Against the Sawhorse. I was Doing Great!!  

[Hattrick]

Practice out in the street like every body else does:)    sorry jusy kidding

[rock_hunter]

I use on of the 2 storage sheds in my backyard as a backstoop behind my target.  The only people who care about me shooting in my backyard are the little kids next door who love to watch the arrows flying.

[longbow1]

I live in brooklyn, ny it doesn't get more city than this. 20*100 lots mostly semiattached. If I can shoot here anyone can find a way to shoot. I use a 4*6 kevlar backstop and shoot into a block target. I just hang the backstop from my garage door and place my target in front of the backstop. Viola, my own private ghetto range.

[Dmaxshawn]

I have to shoot towards my house.  Three hay bales stacked up about three foot away from the edge of the house.  then in front of that is the 3D targets.  I had to put a 4 by 4 sheet of 3/4 plywood over the house just leaning up on the wall to stop the arrows that went through where the two bales met. Seems to work fine.  

Shawn

[Doc Nock]

I've taken up the Ames Pillow Target which is 40x40 burlap with slit at top. Fill with Shrink Wrap from skids and it's impenetrable, yet arrows pull with 2 fingers.

40x40 gives me a snese of safety and margin of error.

[PrarrieDog]

I hung some conveyor belting on my fence and the target in front. Can get 25 yards.

[Steertalker]

Bowmaster12,

I built my backstop out of 4 x 8 sheets of celotex fiber sheeting.  Cut each sheet into 2 x 4 (4 per sheet) panels and stack them on top of each other like a deck of cards.  Make a frame to compress them.  Mine has lasted me for over 12 years and will probably last another 20 yrs (you can't get any more cost effective than that).  It will handle any bow made    

 
 
 


Brett

[Frank V]

You can always put up a 4X8 sheet of plywood directly behind your target. Very few field points will penitrate a sheet of plywood. I use one to protect the siding on my house from errant shots. Thanks Frank

[NW Jamie]

Originally posted by bowmaster12:
was wondering what ideas you had for a target for shooting at in the city.  I have a fairly large backyard since i live on a corner lot.  I have a mid size block target i used with my compound but i dont feel comfortable shootig at it with my recurve worreid about glancing shots.  Any idea for a back stop or large target would be great thankx for the help and the ideas    

Bowmaster the solution that I use is; at the end of the garage I have set up a ¾” MDF backboard with foam target in front of it, walk back through garage and prop open door into living room then walk to the far side of the living room next to window. Shoot arrows over couch, coffee table, and chair through 30” wide door opening to target in back of garage. Now I still am working on THE LOOK that I get from wife as she grabs the dogs and heads into the bedroom while all the time muttering something about “an idiot”; really do not think that she is all that upset. Good luck hope you find a way to get those very important couple doz. arrows in every night, my the way my little set up gives me close to 19 yard shooting and if I crouch on my knees then can shoot over the coffee table at about 16 yards.

[Dick in Seattle]

Here's a link to pix of my multi-target, multi-backstop yard range.   Maybe it will give you ideas.  If anyone ever complains, it will all have to come down, of course, but so far, using care to shoot during the day, when no one is around, I have had no troubles for four years.  The bag targets have been replaced with large plastic blocks from an indoor range... 3' x 4'.   To me, the most important thing is to NEVER have any 3D targets in the yard.  Arrows WILL glance off of them when they hit any curved surface.  If you've shot 3D you know how high and how far they can go.  Only targets with absolute right angle facesor soft bag targets

 http://dickwightman.com/archery/backyardrange/backyardrange.html

[Groundpounder]

I have the same problem i have a dirt road alley behind my house that i have to shoot towards i have a bag to shoot at with a couple of stakes driven in the ground holding up a piece of heavier paneling behing it lucking so far it dosent have any holes in it.

[Steertalker]

Maybe I should have mentioned that the backstop I describe earlier is 6 feet tall by 4 feet wide.  If you're worried about missing something that big then cut the sheets 2' x 8' and stack'em that way.  You ought to be able to hit that blind folded.

Brett