How to Make an Inexpensive to Free Archery Target by Billy Ray. Use a double layer of stacked bales if you are using a high powered compound bow that could fully penetrate and exit the stacked bales. Place the plywood in front of the straw and secure to the bales with more rope. Attach the heavy straw mat to the front of the target with.
'Self-healing,' targets are a misnomer: Genuinely self-healing materials are very expensive polymers that return to their original state when heated, but none of these are used in the manufacture of archery targets. So-called 'self-healing' targets are made of various closed-cell urethane foams, usually polyurethane. When an arrow is removed, the foam presses the hole closed so that it is virtually invisible. Eventually, the damage will be extensive enough to require replacement, which can cost $250 or more. Fortunately, the clever do-it-yourselfer can produce an inexpensive (less than $15 per target), portable and practical alternative made from materials found at the local home-improvement center. Glue a sheet of cardboard, cut to the same 24-inch square dimension, to one side of the insulation. This increases the durability of the target and helps stop the arrows.Glue one of the floor mats to the cardboard.
This will be the front side of your target.Bind the edges with tape. Use two strips at each corner, going from front to back across the stack, is usually enough to keep the target together.Wrap the block you just made in a plastic or canvas tarp or drop cloth (optional).
Doing so catches bits of foam that will fall from the target as it's being used.Place the 30cm FITA target on or onto the target butt you just made. This size target matches the size of the floor mat panels used. TipsAdd a handle by embedding ends of a length of wire or cord between the two layers of foam insulation in Step 2. To increase the strength and durability of the target, insert another layer of cardboard between the layers of insulation in Step 2. Beginning archers should consider making the target larger, perhaps 3-feet square, though this will result in a higher cost per target. WarningsThe polyurethane surface will last longer than the insulation behind it. This can lead to the arrows eventually passing most of the way through the target.
Make sure there is nothing behind the target that can be damaged. Setting up the target against a hillside is the best option; a wall or fence will stop the arrows, but it will also most likely destroy them.
I have a bad habit of crafting things without planning. This instructable would just serve as an idea for you in case you wanna make one. You can make use of your own specifications if you wish. 1. 1' x 1' x 10' wood (i used about 4 pieces of these) 2. 1' nails 3. 2' nails 4.
wood glue 5. wood putty 6. sand paper or electric sander 7. 3' x 3' x 10' wood (i used about 2 pieces) 8. 4 pieces of casters/wheels 9.
plastic mesh or chicken wire 10. puzzle mats 11. metal angle braces 12. carpet (1m x 1m) - the ones used for car trunks 13.
varnish or wood paint (optional). The box is where the puzzle mats would be kept all together. Using the 1' x 1' woods, i came up to this design. I used some scrap plywood from the backyard to make the walls and flooring. The size of the box is an inch bigger than 3ft x 3ft x 1ft. I've made the allowance so that i could slip more sheets from above in case i need to.
The angle braces serves as reinforcement so the whole thing won't wobble. I'm not a good carpenter, so i need this. For the back side, i placed the plastic mesh intended to stop the arrows in case they punched all the way through, which i doubt because of the puzzle mats' thickness. Metal chicken wire can be used but i don't wanna scratch my arrows.
I made a separate square at the same measurement of my box, then nailed the mesh onto it, spreading it evenly. Then i nailed them to the back side of the box to make it even tighter. I used the 3' x 3' wood to make the feet. It's heavy, yes. But it makes the whole thing stable.
I used the 3' nails to keep the heavy wood together. I placed the casters/wheels underneath for mobility in case i wanna shoot at some place else. Cracks and spaces (because i'm not a good carpenter) are treated with wood putty. I used an electric sander to smoothen the whole thing after the putty had hardened overnight. Sandpaper is used best with a lot of patience, which i dont have.i mean patience.
Then i placed the puzzle mats neatly inside the box (wires are just temporary). Target faces are usually made of paper. These can be posted on the carpet by 1' nails (push pins are not a good idea, they would only be sent flying because of the impact). I have issues of melted foam on my arrows.
But i learned from an archery forum site, running soap onto it would do the trick. Dry of course.
With it's thickness, arrows don't. Well seldom punch through the back side. As a remedy, i slipped some corrugated cardboards in between some puzzle mats. The whole thing is not perfect, but as i've said.
Just to give you an idea. This thing works for me.
For now, until the next instructable. Comments are welcome, thanks! Very cool idea. Another thing that makes a good target is a huge cardboard box filled with news paper.
![Make A Compound Bow Target Make A Compound Bow Target](/uploads/1/2/5/3/125369882/715627323.jpg)
When I was little my older brother bought an old crossbow and he took a big box, stacked news papers inside it unlit the box would hardly close, then he flipped the box onto its side so when he shot it, the arrows were going into the bottom of the box because the news papers were stacked flat the arrow couldn't penetrate them. If he had shot the side of the box, the arrow may have been able to sort of wedge itself between the pages and penetrate the target. It worked rather well. I use a wall section from an old coolroom (from the tip) I removed one of the metal sides leaving 6 inches of polystyrene foam and a metal back. Some of my shots penetrated the metal back. Adding a layer of old carpet or two prevents this. I needed a large target because there's no safe backstop in my backyard.
With a coolroom wall of about 4 by 7 feet I can keep even the really bad shots in the yard from my longest range of 35 yards.A layer or two of old carpet will capture the arrow, and a couple of loosely hung layers of shade cloth a few inches behind the carpet will stop full penetration.I use a 50lb recurve bow, but this works with a 65lb compound as well. I know this is a DIY site. However, I tried many things including using 2'X2' tiles. But finally ended up buying the target from Lancaster Archery in PA. The 2' diameter targets are less than 100 + shipping (Shipping is a lot).
The 4' diameter targets are about $300. If you really want to use the targets properly, I would suggest to use those targets. I ended up paying a lot more and these did not lot long. My son shredded the targets within a week.
![Make A Compound Bow Target Make A Compound Bow Target](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Y0RUYnAlwC4/hqdefault.jpg)
The other targets are going about 1.5 years so far. The center cores of the bigger targets can be replaced with smaller target.The other problem is the arrows may pass through depending on your weight of the bow. Nice try through. Great idea, Tukmol! One suggestion, though; If you happen to hit one of the puzzle seams your may get a pass-through.The fix is to offset every two or three layers.
Just slice a row of the puzzle pieces in half and assemble like a brick wall. I encountered this particular problem while sighting in a crossbow.These are great because when the target starts to wear out you can restack and move around the beat up pieces a few times before needing to replace any.
This also works well on a smaller scale as a bb and pellet trap. They always seem to penetrate to the same depth so mining the trap for lead pellets to recast is a snap!