Sand pits/broadhead practice

[Footed Shaft]

Hey gang,i am looking for some ideas on a backyard sand pit for shooting broadheads into.I have seen some at  older archery shoots(before 3-d's became popular).
Does anyone have some pictures of thier sand pits or ideas on how to make something up (that looks OK in the backyard...those were my wifes words    )
Kinda tired of shooting out my 3-d targets with broadheads so i thought i would ask around and see what else i could come up with.The sand trap sounds like the best option.
Post some pics/ideas. Bill

[Seeza]

I'll be keeping an eye on this Bill as I am wanting to do the same thing.
Tim

[Whip]

I built mine using treated 4x4's as corner posts, and then connected them with horizontal 2x4's spaced a foot apart.  Then treated plywood on the inside, and fill with sand.  I left the front two 4x4's tall enough that I can stretch a wire between them and hand cardboard cutout targets from it.  By far the best way to practice with broadheads!

[BobW]

That would make for one popular place for the neighborhood cats to congregate.... then again, that makes for more practice opportunities.  I think I have to make me one of those.

BobW

[Dave2old]

I have two of them, both made by accident when I did some shovel excavating to add on a porch deck -- piled up the resulting large quantity of clean topsoil into a couple of small hills, thinking my wife would use it in her gardens. She didn't. Grass grew over and now they blend in. No rocks and the perfect broadhead targets, for free. Nothing to buy, nothing to build, assuming you have access to rock-free dirt.

[Fallguy]

We have had sand pits at our old range, because we had a range full of sand. If you use a wood box to hold the sand make sure it is large enough to allow the arrow to come to a stop before hitting the wood. Our new range we have built our broadhead bunkers using sod. If you contact your local sod company and get the stuff that has gotten old you can get cheap. We just rolled it out and stacked one layer on top of each other until it was about 2' high. We have our range in a county park were it gets alot of public use. We put a single wide and replace the thin shots in the spring.

[V I Archer]

I was thinking of building one using landscaping ties. No broadhead arrow combo I shoot would go through one of those if I deliver an errrant shot!

[Falk]

posted by BobW:
That would make for one popular place for the neighborhood cats to congregate....

It does!  :mad:      

The far back and one side are brick walls, corner of the barn. To hold all the sand together I've used a BIG sheet of plywood at the other side. Arranged in a trapezoid shape.
You need LOTS of sand to stop your Bhd-arrows and prevent "pass throughs" with hitting the wall behind.
Most often I use bags filled with plastic foils of all kinds as primary target, set up infront of the sand pit, the later beeing only the backstop.

[Footed Shaft]

VI Archer,what is a landscaping tie?? Bill

[Footed Shaft]

Whip,how tall/wide is your trap ?? Did you put any landscape paper under the sand to keep the weeds from growing up in the trap?? Bill

[Rick McGowan]

I built one like Whip described about 20 years ago and I am still using it with no repairs. I used one 12' 4X4 cut into four equal lengths and the sides and back were 1X6"X4' all pressure treated, its four feet square and three feet high. It took one ton of sand. Originally I also had a 2X4 across the top in the front or open side to keep the sides from bowing out, but it was always in the way for pulling arrows, so I took it off and just let the sides bow, which hasn't been much, but if I built a new one, I would put a 8' 2X4 across the bottom of the posts at the front with 2' sticking out on either side and run another section of 2X4 from the ends of that up to the tops of the front posts as an angle brace to prevent the bowing.
Something like this. Make sure you use hot dipped galvanized nails or they won't last long.

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[Orion]

Back in the days before 3-D targets when I wanted to shoot broadheads year around (the ground freezes here in winter) I built one similar to Whip's and Rick's in my basement.  Don't remember how big it was, but I know I carried an awful lot of 5 gallon buckets full of sand down my basement steps.  Of course, no matter how careful one is, some sand escapes the box, from arrow impact, pulling and cleaning arrows, etc.  Pretty soon, I had sand over a good share of the basement floor, then the house.  That lasted about three years.  Taking the sand out was even harder than bringing it in.  What a fella will do to shoot a few arrows.

[Rick McGowan]

I can still remember when I ordered the sand, I told the guy I needed one yard of sand delivered,"he said, we sell it by the ton", I said,"I don't need a ton, only a square yard", he said,"a square yard is MORE than a ton",I said,"Oh". It seemed like a LOT more than a ton when I hauled it from the driveway to the very back of the yard in a wheelbarrow!

[Gun]

I built one in the corner of my wifes garden at one of our homes. My current one is in our "front yard" along side of our driveway into our acreage. I can shoot as far as I like. I used treated plywood as stated above but added some old conveyor belting against the back before filling with sand on the first one. I'm using recycled tire 1" thick old floor matt on this one. I'm still hitting the rubber with two blade heads. But they pull free easy. I did put landscape cloth on the groung first to keep weeds at bay, but find I need to spray a bit anyway. I put two post out front with wires across and rubber bungee cord at one end to give a bit. One other thing. I used playground sand which is sifted finer. I have heard of mixing some saws dust in as well. I shoot broadheads all summer.

[Whip]

Mine is  6' across and 4' deep, 3' tall.  I didn't put any landscape fabric down, but would probably help a little.  Weeds will still grow, but not too bad and they pull easily.  I spray with roundup occasionally.
One other tip - build your pit so that you can face north if possible.  The first pit I built I had to face east directly into the sun in the morning, and I couldn't see to shoot before work in the morning.  My newest one I face north and can shoot anytime of day without worrying about the sun.

[Footed Shaft]

Thanks for the suggestions so far.Keep them coming.How about some pictures fellas?? Bill

[Brian Krebs]

I used to shoot in broadhead leagues; and practiced in SAND. I took eigth bales of hay; and put two in the back; two on each side; and put two on top.
 The yard of sand goes inside. I backed up the hay ( which is heavier than straw) with a piece of plywood; and in time laid a piece of plywood under the two top bales- to hold them up.
 Warning danger warning! ALWAYS check behind the target! I used to shoot everyday; and one day I hit the top of the sand pile; and the broadhead went through the plywood. I looked behind to see how to get the broadhead out; and it was sticking out next to my sons head ! He and his friend made a fort behind the target... argh!
 Good thing about sand is that it last forever. You might have to replace the bales; but the sand will not wear out!
 Now I have several acres of sand to shoot into; uphill; and downhill; and straight; and I practice with broadheads all the time. I even missed a local 3d shoot because I didn't have any field points.
  Sand will really dull the broadheads; to the point that I check my hunting arrows for a few days- and then sharpen them; and practice with other heads that are butterknife dull.
  I have told some people- we used to shoot in competition with broadheads; and they didn't believe me.. but we did !
  Here is another idea - make two of these targets; so you shoot into one; pull your arrows; and shoot into the other... and don't do all that walking back to the line to shoot.    
  SAND works way better- than dirt.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Good grief guys! that's a whole lot of work to build a cat box...  :eek:    :eek:      

I'm thinking a foam block would be much more sanitary than picking cat poo poo's off my arrows, or worse yet, someones cat.....get locked up that way...don't ya know....  

[BobW]

I hear it (cat poo) quiets the whistling in snuffers  

[Footed Shaft]

Cats will only visit it ONCE!!!!    Bill