Lets See and Hear Other Home Made Target Ideas....

[Nala]

Hey all,

I just read through the hay bale target thread and I would like to hear more ideas for a backyard home made target.

I have been without a target for 3 months now since I had to leave my SWEET target back in Florida.  It was made from 1'x1'1.5' dense styrofoam blocks I got at the local Tractor Supply.  They were out by the dumpster one day and I filled my truck up with 11 of them.  I actually used 9 of them to make a 3'x3' target that was 1.5 feet thick.  Man it was great.  All held together by wratcheting tow straps.

I was hoping to put the same thing together down here in Houston, but I ain't having a bit of luck.  Went to the local Tractor Supply and asked if they had any of the foam blocks and the little gal said "yeah, we got 'em."  I told her I needed 9 of them and she said I'll have to take your name and number and call you when we get more in.  I thought I would float out to my car I was so happy.  She then goes back to some guy and asks him about the foam blocks and he said "oh NO, we DON'T give those away and we DON'T SELL THEM!"  I asked if there was any way I could get some of them and was told "NOPE!"  I left dejected knowing it was going to be a while before I got to shoot again.

Now I am looking for other ideas since it looks like I am not going to be able to get the foam I need.  I've heard all sorts of things like carpet strips, particle board, cardboard, hot tub covers and so on.

Lets see some of your targets and if you don't have pics, how about telling us about some of them.  If you know of one that is relatively easy and inexpensive to make, please share it.

One last thing, I really don't like the stuffed burlap bag targets.  I'll use one if I can't find anything else though.  So come on with the ideas.

Thanks for your time.

Nalajr

[bow_man_66]

I once had a cardboard target in my basement. Stack cardboard on edge with a board on each side. Used re-rod on top and bottom through the boards with big washers and nuts to squeeze the cardboard together. As the cardboard wears out, loosen nuts and replace. It will loosen some as you shoot but you just tighten every once in a while. You can almost always get cardboard boxes that stores are throwing away so you have an unlimited supply of target material.

[Jermcramp1]

you mean like this? IT was less than $10 for the rods, I had the wood and stand. even at less than 10 yds the arrows only go in a few inches. O I live u in spring. where abouts you at?

   
   


No pics wider than 640

[lpcjon2]

The cheepest homemade target you can get is on trash day,go find a couch and get the cushions. duct tape two together at the top and bottom and stick a couple stakes on the sides and shoot it up. And a nice piece of floating dock foam(some Home Depots carry them)works great to.

[Hummer3T]

I have several different go to self build target I like

1.) I get some some seed bags (these come in various sizes usually about 6"x 14' x 2 feet) for free, either leave as they are or cut the shape of the animal out that I want to make and resew edges and then stuff with free grocery bags (while recycling).  these are great life like targets that can take any arrow and last a long time.  I usually tie the top corners so I can hang. (don't leave these outside with bears or raccoons around your yard will be full of grocery bags in the morning.

2.)I have also got some left over construction foam and laminiated the pieces together using spray foam, them carved and painted them.  A couple pictures below.

 http://s1085.photobucket.com/albums/j435/Tloran/targets/

[MTArrowLauncher]

i got some compressed plastic wrap in a huge heavy bale from a warehouse that compressed them to go to recycling. i paid a small fee and they loaded it in my truck. i wrestled it out of the truck, covered it in canvas and shot the heck out of it.

[Scott357]

I took an empty 25# bag of dog chow and turned it inside out and stuffed it full of old rags and blankets rolled the top down and stapled it shut. Then I took a fat black sharpie marker and drew a black aim point on it.That dog food bag material is pretty tough stuff If you have dogs its a free target

[BowHunterGA]

I use old laundry detergent bottles, 2 liter soda bottles, and even 24oz water bottles. Punch a couple of holes for air and fill with the canned foam insulation. Pick these up at Big Lots and other discount stores for cheap.

Throw them around and shoot away. Love the way they jump off the ground when hit too!!!

[David Yukon]

I just use burlap feed bags, the white ones, and fill them with shrink wrap, plastic bags etc close the top, hang them, and shoot at it. I have one in the basement at 6yards and even with my 72# bow, I don' t go true... It is about 2.5'x 1.5' and maybe 8" thick!!

[Nala]

I've heard about that idea with the cardboard.  Looks like it would work well, I'm afraid what it would look like after it got wet a few times.

Another one I've thought about trying is the same setup as pictured only instead of cardboard you use carpet strips.  Cut them say 3-4 feet long by 18" wide and stack them how high you want and then you can use a couple of those wratcheting tow straps to secure it.  That's what I used on my styrofoam target and it worked great.

If the people at Tractor Supply only knew how much heartache they were putting me through by not giving me any of those blocks, I'm certain they'd cough up enough so I could get back to shooting.  I may try that line the next one I go in that refuses to give me any blocks.

Thanks all for the ideas and tips.

Keep 'em coming.

Nalajr

[Thumper Dunker]

I can get lots of used shrink wrap. Pack a card board box full of it and wrap with duck tape. ,milk cartons stuffed with shrink wrap. I like to hang lemons from a string also. Have way too many lemons. Cheap stuff animals.

That soda bottle filled with foam is a great idea.

Seed crates from soybean dealers, it is woven plastic and is much tougher than the woven stuff that commercial archery targets are made from.  I stuff them with used plastic from silage piles from farmers.  They are about 44" square and put two verticle and supported from my garage gutter. They will stop anything many thousands of times and last for years.  the cost is zero.

[GrayRhino]

I use the plastic burlap type bag stuffed with grocery sacks.  I made a pvc frame to hang it on and it works well.

 

[ronp]

My home made target is similar to the cardboard one above, only I use closed cell foam sheets about 42 inches by 18 inches.  I get the foam from work.  It looks like the same stuff the block targets are made from.
 

Sometimes I stand my cheap 3D deer in front of it. (Actually I just wanted to show off my Robin Hood LOL!)

 

[Jack Whitmire Jr]

If you have room and a place to put it here is a LIFETIME target that never wears out . This one is several years old. Broadheads, atom bombs, blunts it will take em all . Built with 4X4's in the ground then sided with quarter round on three sides .

Jack
 

[Possum Head]

Another fun and reactive target utilizes 2-liters and gallon milk jugs as well. Just tie a strng to them and hangem from a tree limb a couple feet off the ground and chootem with a 7/8" flatwasher behind a field point. Caution, dont do it early in the morning while the wife is still sleeping, try it and you'll see what I'm talkin about! The dirt mound cant be beat for broadheads.

[Uncle Buck]

If you have a TSC store nearby they sell a good size burlap bag for about $1.20, if you drive around back you can probably get enough plastic wrap to stuff it with for free. I also but a piece of an old plastic coated tablecloth from a Thrift store in front of the suffing. It helps limit penetration making the arrows easier to pull out.

[Gray Buffalo]

I built a frame out of  2” x 6” boards and tacked some old carpet on both sides and filled it with plastic bags. It works good and  old carpet is cheep. My local store saves me some every so often when they do an install.


 

[Montanawidower]

I use that same concept as the white seed bags... But instead I get free burlap bags from a coffee shop that roasts their own beans.  

The raw beans come in 4'by 2.5' burlap bags.  I stuff them with clothes and blankets my wife had destined for good will.  

I think the stuffing it with plastic bags would be preferable.... cloth is very heavy and after it rains.  

Also the stuffed bags are almost exactly the size of a large buck's body.  I scatter them around in my wind row and have a low cost (free)  3D range.  

Jeff

[Jeff Strubberg]

Nothing but plastic burlap stuffed with heavy plastic here.  Lasts longer than about any other target, is portable, and can be had for less than ten bucks with a little scrounging.