# Material to Stop an Arrow for Backyard Archery Range



## mainehunt (Sep 11, 2006)

Two layers of carpet will work, I have also used mill felt that I get for free from the paper mills up here.


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## skottyboi34 (Aug 19, 2012)

You might try the rubber horse stall mat from a farm supply store. It can stop a much more powerful bow. Our local public range uses it behind their compressed carpet targets.


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## cstet (Oct 12, 2011)

The thick rubber horse stall mats from Tractor Supply will stop arrows from nearly any bow, but arrows can be a pain to pull. I think they run about 30 bucks and are 4'x6'. It's what I use.


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## WhiteElder (Jun 26, 2012)

I use the stall mats. It is hanging from a 2x4 frame.

As Cstet said it can be a pain to pull from.


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## kkamills (Apr 16, 2015)

mainehunt said:


> Two layers of carpet will work, I have also used mill felt that I get for free from the paper mills up here.


Thank you for the fast response. Out of curiosity: how well will carpet hold up to the elements? Would I need to replace it every year (I would take it down in the winter when not in use)? Would one material hold up better? 

Unfortunately, I do not have access to mill felt (at least that I know of) as there are no paper mills near where I live.


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## kkamills (Apr 16, 2015)

cstet said:


> The thick rubber horse stall mats from Tractor Supply will stop arrows from nearly any bow, but arrows can be a pain to pull. I think they run about 30 bucks and are 4'x6'. It's what I use.


That isn't too bad of a price. I wonder if I would use this as the final backstop (with a layer of carpet or canvas tarp [if that would work] in front), the arrow wouldn't have enough energy to make it too difficult to pull out.


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## Michigan Dave (Dec 28, 2005)

I have used stall mats from Tractor supply, but I'll warn you that they are heavy. If put up on a swing set frame, make sure that the frame will hold up (rusted out??) and will not tip over. The center of gravity on the swing system when hanging a stall mat will be much higher than that for a little girl on a swing seat, possibly leading to instability. Heads up.


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## thirdhandman (Nov 2, 2009)

The reason the netting works well is it is hanging very loose and has plenty of give to it. Its sort of like catching an egg. I haven't tried canvas or single layered carpet but doubt that it will work and the sun will probably eat it up. For what you are wanting I think the horse mats will work fine and a large target. If you want an inexpensive big target May I suggest you build it yourself with one of our kits. www.diyarcherytarget.com


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## Aronnax (Nov 7, 2013)

I used carpet when I was a teen and it does not hold up for very long at all. The sun rots it pretty fast, and you won't know it's rotted until the next arrow you shoot goes through your shed.

Stack 3 hay bales on top of each other, face down. This makes about a 4' square target butt. Then get some 2x4's or 2x6's and make a spreader bar that goes across the top and under the bottom hay bales, and some good ratchet straps so you can squeeze them down together. You'll need to support the bottom bale with a couple of 4x4's to give space underneath for the lower spreader bar. This helps stop arrows that find the gap between the bales from passing through. Then, get that horse stall mat hanging behind all that. I use a piece of plywood, but I've heard a lot of good things about the horse stall mats. 

BM


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## big cypress (Jul 31, 2006)

i've often thought about a quilt with bottom just hanging . i'd think it would just ''poof'' and kind of catch the arrow but don't know about higher draw weight bows maybe hang two for them with about 6'' air space between them .


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## bbjavelina (Jan 30, 2005)

The stall mat will stop most any arrow you will shoot. Like said above, it's very heavy and very hard to get arrows out of. I use it behind my compressed carpet bale. It's only for that rare shot that has to be stopped, and it does an excellent job of that. Back in my recurve and longbow days the arrows bounced off of it. 

It's a great safety device, but shouldn't be your primary arrow stopper.

Best of luck to you and your daughter.


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## gofor (Feb 4, 2013)

For what its worth, some things I have experienced:

Loose hanging carpet, especially 2 layers separated by 4+" is pretty good for stopping fletched field point arrows. The first layer catches the fletching to stop the arrow, so soft fletches like duravanes take a beating (but can be straightened with a heat gun). Leave plenty of room between the carpet and the shed.

Loose hanging carpet does not stop bareshafts or broad head arrows well at all.

Loose carpet slows down bullet shaped field points better than the sharp tapered ones.

Tight stretched carpet doesn't stop much.

Heavier arrows go through a lot more than light arrows, especially when distance shooting. 

In my quest to find a good affordable material, I have gotten it narrowed down to something with a tight weave but flexible that will hang loose. I am thinking Tyvek house wrap or home wrap may be good options and it is what I will be trying next. I have tried the landscape fabric with somewhat good results, but it does not hold up well in the elements (sunlight breaks it down fairly quickly). I don't think either one will work well with broadheads, but may be surprised.

The above based on arrows travelling between 240 and 280 fps (estimated) from 350 to 450 grains weight. The broadheads were G5 Montecs.

Good luck.

Go


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## RTILLER (May 4, 2009)

Horse stall mat.


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## Strodav (Apr 25, 2012)

Take a look at http://www.theshieldarcherybackstop.com/ . Currently have a Bull Dog Range Dog 3' x 3' target in my basement range. Will be moving to Tx in a few months and will need to shoot in the backyard as there are no basements in Tx. My archery coach told me about The Shield Archery Backstop. He uses them and swears by them. I plan on putting the 6' x 8' behind my Range Dog in the backyard. Luckily there's a farm field behind my back fence.


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## bbjavelina (Jan 30, 2005)

Strodav said:


> Take a look at http://www.theshieldarcherybackstop.com/ . Currently have a Bull Dog Range Dog 3' x 3' target in my basement range. Will be moving to Tx in a few months and will need to shoot in the backyard as there are no basements in Tx. My archery coach told me about The Shield Archery Backstop. He uses them and swears by them. I plan on putting the 6' x 8' behind my Range Dog in the backyard. Luckily there's a farm field behind my back fence.


If you don't mind revealing, to where in TX are you moving. Hoping it will be close to me.


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## mgs270 (Apr 16, 2015)

old carpet remnants cut in say a 16" by 42" stack them about 48" high (they will compress) and sandwich them between 2 pieces of plywood about the same size then get two 2 X 8 48" long and get 2 1/2" threaded rods, drill the wood on each end and I think you can see where Im going here


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## thare1774 (Dec 13, 2010)

This is what we use at places where people shoot in a booth setting or at birthday parties/events. It stops arrows well, is easy to take down and put back up with shower curtain rings, and lasts a long time. 

http://www.lancasterarchery.com/x-spot-hd-high-performance-10-white-backstop-netting.html


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## wheelie (Mar 2, 2009)

I use and old industrial rubber belt. Have to use an exacto knife to cut the belt to get them out CHEERS!


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## kkamills (Apr 16, 2015)

Thank you all for the help. I can't thank all of you for your comments enough. I appreciate it greatly. 

I should have done this with the initial post (showed a picture of the swingset). It is a wooden swingset that looks like this (just a little less fancy, but with the tower to the left and swings to the right): 
http://www.willygoat.com/cataloglargeimage.asp?manuname=SoloWave&image=53bb.jpg&id=6546
I am removing the tower portion and will only have the part remaining where the swings were located. 

There are a lot of good suggestions here, but what I gather from reading the posts is the following: 

1). Carpet might not be the best option unless it is stacked and compressed as it will break down quickly in the elements and I won't know it isn't holding up until the arrow goes threw it. 
2). Horse stall mats work well, but are heavy and hard to get arrows out.
3). Some commercial products are available
a). http://www.bupsports.com/shop/targets-backstops/bup-shield-archery-backstop/ 
- Works well, but is too expensive (it is about $700)
b). http://www.diyarcherytarget.com/
- my apologies, but this seems like a target only and not an option to stop wayward arrows that miss the target
c). http://www.lancasterarchery.com/x-spot-hd-high-performance-10-white-backstop-netting.html
- seems to be a very viable option for stopping wayward arrows

I had planned on purchasing a couple bales of hay and stacking a target on the hay so the mats / netting / carpet / etc is only for wayward shots that miss the target itself. 

Perhaps the high performance netting with horse stall mats as a final backing? The netting in front with a couple inches of gap with the horse stall mats behind. I just want to make sure the neighbors dog and the shed do not get a few arrows. It sounds like the carpet might rot too quickly.


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## Strodav (Apr 25, 2012)

bbjavelina said:


> If you don't mind revealing, to where in TX are you moving. Hoping it will be close to me.


Richmond. Just west of Houston.


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## thirdhandman (Nov 2, 2009)

The 10 foot wide is the best option for the actual back stop. It is used commercially at hunting expos and works well. The suggestion of the www.DIYarcherytarget.com was to give you an inexpensive option for a large target. Since you were concerned about missing target, generally a bigger target will help.


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## bbjavelina (Jan 30, 2005)

Strodav said:


> Richmond. Just west of Houston.


I'm about 30 miles S of Richmond.


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## bbjavelina (Jan 30, 2005)

kkamills said:


> Thank you all for the help. I can't thank all of you for your comments enough. I appreciate it greatly.
> 
> I should have done this with the initial post (showed a picture of the swingset). It is a wooden swingset that looks like this (just a little less fancy, but with the tower to the left and swings to the right):
> http://www.willygoat.com/cataloglargeimage.asp?manuname=SoloWave&image=53bb.jpg&id=6546
> ...



I'm not so sure about carpet not holding up. It's all synthetic material. 

My carpet is stacked and compressed. It has been living outside for about 5 years, now. I live on the Golden Gulf Coast of Texas, and we get better than 40 inches of rain per year. In addition, I have an aerobic sewer system that soaks the carpet every second or third night. It has held up very well so far. Way better than anything else I've tried in the last 30 years. 

The only fault I find with carpet is that it's very heavy.


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## Strider1 (Nov 26, 2014)

skottyboi34 said:


> You might try the rubber horse stall mat from a farm supply store. It can stop a much more powerful bow. Our local public range uses it behind their compressed carpet targets.


They are extremely heavy. Mine are 5 by 6 and 3/4 inch but again extremely heavy. I got mine on sale for $39 Canadian


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## Strider1 (Nov 26, 2014)

I like my carpet back stop. They are cheap but require a little work
I use 2 x 10's for the frame and cut any old carpet for fill
I then stuff a feed bag full of rags or plastic or netting from hay bales, paint targets on it and place it in front of the carpet backstop
Nothing gets through it. I protect the edge of the wood just in case a stray arrow hits it
Mine are 3 feet by 4 feet but you can make it any size you want
It too is heavy but portable with a dolly


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## thirdhandman (Nov 2, 2009)

BB: He said carpet might not be the best *unless it is stacked and compressed* 
Hanging carpet doesn't work well as a backstop. It is too stiff for one piece of carpet to stop an arrow and sun will eat it up when hanging.


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## Strider1 (Nov 26, 2014)

I even took an old feather cover my wife was throwing out and stuffed it in a feed bag and shot thousands of arrows into it without a problem the center gets blown out so I just slide a new feed bag over the old one, paint new targets and I am good for many more thousands


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## Strodav (Apr 25, 2012)

bbjavelina said:


> I'm about 30 miles S of Richmond.


Close in the middle of July. Let's do lunch sometime after that. PM sent


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## thirdhandman (Nov 2, 2009)

Strider1: You have a really nice looking yard and backstop. Why not spend $25 to have a nice looking target that doesn't wear out. You already have the materials to fill it.


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## bbjavelina (Jan 30, 2005)

thirdhandman said:


> BB: He said carpet might not be the best *unless it is stacked and compressed*
> Hanging carpet doesn't work well as a backstop. It is too stiff for one piece of carpet to stop an arrow and sun will eat it up when hanging.


Yes sir, I read that exactly that way. My post was in hoping to inform the OP of options available. Not in trying to push a product. Archers helping archers, don't you know. No reason for you to get all butt hurt over that. Please put me on your "ignore" list.


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## Strider1 (Nov 26, 2014)

thirdhandman said:


> Strider1: You have a really nice looking yard and backstop. Why not spend $25 to have a nice looking target that doesn't wear out. You already have the materials to fill it.
> 
> 
> View attachment 2209871


That is only a crude painted target. My targets are actually a number of circles done in gold and red with large majic marker black lines between the colors
I just didn't have a picture of one of those at the time
I shoot an honest 200 arrows per day and a target might last a month. the feed bags are free since I have horse and the stuffing comes from wrap for the hay
I have more bags then I can use plus more filling then I can fill
I shoot a constant 40 yards and find when a friend comes over to practice he shoots at 20 and it seems so easy
Same target I practice at 40 suddenly looks twice as big at 20
I just started into this sport a year ago and I love it. Addicted to it
I am an addict


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## thirdhandman (Nov 2, 2009)

bbjavelina said:


> Yes sir, I read that exactly that way. My post was in hoping to inform the OP of options available. Not in trying to push a product. Archers helping archers, don't you know. No reason for you to get all butt hurt over that. Please put me on your "ignore" list.


BB Not butt hurt at all. Since you highlighted his post, and then told him how good carpet was, it was a little confusing. As a back drop, a single piece of carpet hanging will not stop an arrow. Cut carpet stacked tight does make a decent target. Lots of archers shoot them.:wink:


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## WhiteElder (Jun 26, 2012)

I'd just like to add that my rubber stall mat has been hanging outside for better part of 3yrs. With no sign of deterioration.

And a nice rubber arrow puller will help with removing arrows


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## pizzaburgers (Oct 22, 2014)

Hi Everyone...

To all those who are using the stall mats, how are you hanging them up?

Nailing it at the top to a wood beam?

Using bolts and washers to secure it to said beam?

Pinching the top between 2by4's?

I've already picked up my mats, just trying to figure out how to hang it without doing so to have it eventually pull thru and fall off.

Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks!


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## flyfisher151 (Jan 4, 2008)

Stall Mats. For her bow they will not be hard to get out if they even penetrate. Your bow they will be a bit harder to get out but will stop the arrow.


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