how much hay?

[Ian johnson]

I do not like my burlap target anymore and was wondering how much hay is needed for a backyard target?

[rbbhunt]

I stack 3 bales.  Club I used to be with would strap the bales as tight as possible and they would last much longer and stop the arrows better.  I have also made a press from 2 x 6 and threaded rod that worked well.  The idea is to get the bales compressed as much as possible.  And straw is usually cheaper than hay.

[Aeronut]

The club I belonged to years ago used the 3-bale system that rbbhunt described.  We banded them together with metal strapping and compressed them as tight as we could.  Never had an arrow go through.

Living in the country I use a 1000# round bale.  Kinda hard to move around but so far it has lasted three years of arrow and bullet shooting and I shoot at it from almost any angle.
 

Dennis

[TexMex]

I use 3 also.
I compress them using a T-post, some baling wire and a 2x4.
I stick the post in, tie wire and one end of 2x4 a little below bale height, stand bale next to post and pry down with 2x4 on bale.

Works pretty good.

[Ian johnson]

where do I get hay?, I live in the country, but never had any animals that needed hay

[BobW]

You want straw, not hay (unless you don't care about the weeds it will grow).  Straw for bedding is cheaper than hay for feeding.  Here in the suburbs, 6 bales cost me $25.  I use three as a backstop and one as a ledge in front to put the target at "animal height".  If you live in the country, stop and ask a farmer if he has a few to sell.  You might get lucky and get them for nothing.  I had that luck in the past.

[oldgriz]

I have been wanting to use a large round bale... we have a load of them across the road at my FIL's farm, but my wife refuses to let me set one up in the back yard... some thing about aesthetics or some such garbage        

Now that my daughter is starting to shoot, I will have to get her to work on Mommy...

[TexMex]

Originally posted by oldgriz:
...some thing about aesthetics or some such garbage            

Now that my daughter is starting to shoot, I will have to get her to work on Mommy...

put some flowers around, make it pretty  

[Biff]

Call your local co-op. Also nursury's sometime carry straw for garden use. By all means go with straw, not hay. Try to get the tightest baled ones you can.  Biff

[knife river]

Aeronut, I hope that isn't a recent photo...  Looks a bit chilly for the end of June.