Backstop for shooting

[-Joseph]

I live in the city and want to be able to shoot my bow in the backyard.  I have privacy fence all the way around but would like to hit something a little softer when I miss.  I was thinking about maybe layering some carpet hanging between the fence and target.  Anyone else have the same city dweller problems.

P.S. There is no ordinance to my knowledge about shooting bow in city limits.

-Joseph

[Zbearclaw]

Carpet will work well.

[-Joseph]

What do you think, 4 layers?

-Joseph

[Dean Lintz]

You proably could use straw bails infront of fence.

[-Joseph]

Straw was my first choice but I don't want to kill the grass in my yard or deal with it rotting and moldy.  I figure I could run some bolts through 4 pieces of carpet to hold them together and hang it from the fence.  Roll it up when I am done and throw it in the garage.

Dean - Where in MI are you?

-Joseph

[Jon Shade]

String a tight cable and drape a piece of carpet over it. Old hot tube covers work great too!

[poison arrow]

I had a problem with stray arrows going into the jungle where I live. I shoot hay bails on two wooden blocks with planks across the tops of the blocks to support the bails and keep them off the grass. I had some old aluminum pool polls that I used as a frame and wired an old carpet to. I hung the carpet behind the bails. It stops the strays pretty good. I drape some plastic over my bails to keep rain and dew off of them. When I shoot I just flip up the plastic. They last a long time when you put some plastic over them and some weight on top so it does not blow away. We get lots of rain in Florida and I have not had any probs with my bails getting moldy.

[-Joseph]

How many layers of carpet?  I have been using a box with a folded piece of carpet in it as a target and shoot through 4 layers (only gets through the last layer by and inch or two), do you suppose 2 will stop and arrow before it gets to the vanes?

-Joseph

[Bent Rig]

I went to Tractor Supply and bought a cow mat which is 1" thick , 4'wide and 6'long rubber , for $36 . Hang it behind any target and your good . a 70lb compound arrow @ 20yds went halfway through on the shaft . Good enough test for me , It will last forever in the elements too !!

[lpcjon2]

If you have a shed open the doors and put a target inside and shoot at it.And they consider a bow a firearm in my town due to it discharging a projectile.

[-Joseph]

I should add that I am going to my parents tomorrow to pick up my 3-D target and won't be using the hillbilly box with carpet in it anymore.  I'm 30 years old and still have to go to my parents to get my stuff on occassion.

-Joseph

[-Joseph]

Originally posted by Bent Rig:
I went to Tractor Supply and bought a cow mat which is 1" thick , 4'wide and 6'long rubber , for $36 . Hang it behind any target and your good . a 70lb compound arrow @ 20yds went halfway through on the shaft . Good enough test for me , It will last forever in the elements too !!

I live 2 miles from a TSC, I will have to go look for one of those mats.

-Joseph

[meathead]

I use the stall mats too.  Works like a charm.

[Hoyt]

Shooting in the city is tuff. When I lived in Orlando I shot in my back yard Being I'm getting old and can't see all that good anymore I thought I would try using dollar store reading glasses to shoot. I put them on and aimed at my target, released and heard the arrow (with broadhead) zip through the shed which was about 5 foot to the left of target. Walked up and saw two holes in the shed, one going in and one coming out. Jumped the fence and looked in my neighbors yard..no arrow..looke across the street, no arrow...gave up. Watched the 6:00 news to see if anyone got stuck with an arrow..luckily none reported so just forgot about it.

Two months later I'm in my back yard and see a arrow sticking straight up in the ground by shed. It's the one I lost. My only guess is it some how glanced straight up and stuck in a tree and the wind blew it out to fall on the ground straight up.

[GREASEMAN]

I agree with the Cow Mat's
Well worth the $$ looks good,lasts long time!!

[Tatersalad]

COW MAT!!!! Finally figure out what it was.  Thanks Bent Rig.  The guy i bought my house from was an archer and he had a mat hanging in the back yard.  I tried as i might but he would not leave it behind.  He said he got it from his brother who was a farmer not sure what it was....

Mystery Solved...I'm off to the Tractor Supply Store!

Michael

[L. Perry]

cow mats are the best.

[-Joseph]

Yep, sounds like the mats are the best thing going.  I like the fact that they can stay out in the weather.

-Joseph

[-Joseph]

How heavy are the mats out of curiousity?  I have to imagine they are kinda heavy if they are rubber.

-Joseph

[americanhunter7]

I use the cow mats as well and I live in the country. But the area behind where I shoot is a veritable arrow eating jungle. Since using the cow mats no more frustration with lost arrows.