# Ideas for DIY target and arrow curtain



## CHeath (Jun 5, 2013)

I'm brainstorming on how to build a DIY target and looking for suggestions. 

For the target box, I'd like to be able to roll it around (so I can set it off to the side when not in use) and the shooting area to be about 3ft square - so there's room for multiple and/or various size targets. I'd like the box to be about 1 foot off the ground.

For the "stuffing" I've heard that clothing/rags are excellent, compressed straw is good, and so is bubble wrap. I've been using blow-in insulation tightly packed into a cardboard box and it stops most of my arrows, although some make it almost all the way through. 

What about using horse stall mat for the facing? Will my arrows stick into this or bounce off? I'll be shooting field points from 10 to 25 yards and my draw weight is only about 20lbs. I'm thinking this might be a good self-healing material. Here's what I've been looking at: http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/rubber-horse-stall-mat-4-ft-x-6-ft

Also, I'm new to archery and occassionally (OK, frequently) shoot a wild arrow. I can't risk hurting a neighbor and so want to put up some kind of arrow curtain behind my target to catch wild arrows. Would trampoline fabric work for this? http://www.funspot.com/trampoline-fabric.php#


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## John G (May 25, 2013)

The trampoline fabric may work ok with a 20# bow. I just looked at backstop netting at Lancaster Archery and it's very pricey. The Tractor Supply link that you posted says that the rubber mat that you are interested in weighs 100#. I don't think arrows from a 20# bow would ever penetrate that stuff.


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## Thin Man (Feb 18, 2012)

Others will go into various detail as to backstops and target bags. You may try using the "search" function on this forum for this, for there have been many discussions on this topic that can provide more ammo for your project. 

Horse stall mats are often used as a backstop, rather than the target. They can provide a bullet-proof prevention of a pass-through if you miss your target. I believe the arrow will bounce off of them. 

My backstops are 3/4" plywood. Outdoors, I stand two of these sheets side by side to present a large margin for error. 

A note: a 25# bow shooting a wooden arrow from 20 yards can strike this plywood and penetrate 4 inches through the other side ... I've observed this several times... do not underestimate the power of your arrow or the need for a bullet-proof backstop.

Old clothing in a burlap sack makes for a good target bag. If you want a pre-made square target to stand or hang, the Morrel models are quite good and come in wide price range - the cheap ones are actually quite sufficient.

The earful will follow. Just my initial thoughts. 

Oh, and beware how you mount your paper targets. If you use bungee cords or a hard, plastic-like rope to hold the target paper, you can bounce an arrow back at you four or five yards if you strike that material. I use twine or cloth-like rope/string so that if an arrow strikes this, the material will spread and the arrow won't bounce backwards.


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## jusoldave (Apr 28, 2012)

Stall mats and trailer mats are nearly impervious; I've seen guys post that their 100# stickbows and 85# compounds can't drive a broadhead through them.

The trick seems to be to suspend them so they hang loose from the top; the swinging action helps absorb and dissipate the energy of an impact.


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## Nekekal (Dec 25, 2012)

For the actual target stop, I use baled straw. But if you hit between the bales, the arrow will go all the way through. I back them with particle board, but this is not mobile. I have been looking for some sort of hanging backstop. The horse stall mat weighs a ton. My bad back will not allow that. I tried some thin rubber, like pond liner, but it just barely slowed the arrow down. I have seen stuff in 3rivers catalog, but it is pretty costly.

I will be watching this thread to see if anyone has anything that works.


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## FMJ500 (Oct 5, 2012)

Thin Man 
Registered User
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Others will go into various detail as to backstops and target bags.


> You may try using the "search" function on this forum for this, for there have been many discussions on this topic that can provide more ammo for your project.


As you are very new to archery can only assume to this sight. The search bar is that little white rectangle box on the upper right of your screen. Type in DIY archery target and many past threads will come up to answer your question. IMO the most common at the cheapest cost was a simple box stuffed tight with rags or old clothes. Old carpet padding works great for me in a box. over time the box is trash and then get a new box or on the DIY sight a vendor makes skins that last forever.


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## CHeath (Jun 5, 2013)

John G said:


> The trampoline fabric may work ok with a 20# bow. I just looked at backstop netting at Lancaster Archery and it's very pricey. The Tractor Supply link that you posted says that the rubber mat that you are interested in weighs 100#. I don't think arrows from a 20# bow would ever penetrate that stuff.


Doh! I did not notice the weight of that rubber mat...


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## CHeath (Jun 5, 2013)

Thin Man said:


> Others will go into various detail as to backstops and target bags. You may try using the "search" function on this forum for this, for there have been many discussions on this topic that can provide more ammo for your project.
> 
> Horse stall mats are often used as a backstop, rather than the target. They can provide a bullet-proof prevention of a pass-through if you miss your target. I believe the arrow will bounce off of them.
> 
> ...


Good advice... I might be making this more complicated than necessary  I found the Morrell targets you mentioned and, Yes, they are reasonably priced. I also found a target bag stand that is also pretty cheap. I was avoiding the plywood approach because I thought my arrows/tips might get busted up hitting the wood. Of course, it would be far more expensive to settle a lawsuit and/or replace lost arrows every week!


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## CHeath (Jun 5, 2013)

jusoldave said:


> Stall mats and trailer mats are nearly impervious; I've seen guys post that their 100# stickbows and 85# compounds can't drive a broadhead through them.
> 
> The trick seems to be to suspend them so they hang loose from the top; the swinging action helps absorb and dissipate the energy of an impact.


Someone pointed out to me how heavy the mats are... I don't think I can use that material for a target face as I initially thought - my arrows would bounce off.


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## CHeath (Jun 5, 2013)

Nekekal said:


> For the actual target stop, I use baled straw. But if you hit between the bales, the arrow will go all the way through. I back them with particle board, but this is not mobile. I have been looking for some sort of hanging backstop. The horse stall mat weighs a ton. My bad back will not allow that. I tried some thin rubber, like pond liner, but it just barely slowed the arrow down. I have seen stuff in 3rivers catalog, but it is pretty costly.
> 
> I will be watching this thread to see if anyone has anything that works.


Yeah... Arrow Curtains are way too pricey for me. I am now reconsidering plywood as a target stop.


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## jusoldave (Apr 28, 2012)

CHeath said:


> Someone pointed out to me how heavy the mats are... I don't think I can use that material for a target face as I initially thought - my arrows would bounce off.


Stall mats won't make a good target face; as you say, arrows won't hold.

They're more useful as a failsafe backstop, set behind your primary target face, and primarily for folks shooting a lot of broadheads, or for urban backyards, etc, where misses absolutely cannot leak past the target butts area. Not even necessary for everyone...

Think of 'em as the safety berms behind the target pits at a rifle range...


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## jusoldave (Apr 28, 2012)

CHeath said:


> Yeah... Arrow Curtains are way too pricey for me. I am now reconsidering plywood as a target stop.


Plywood should work fine as your backstop, for quite awhile, given the draw weight of your bow. Doesn't hold up well, or even stop all arrows, with hunting weight bows and broadhead arrows, but in my experience, plywood does do the job for fieldpoint arrows shot out of bows up to, say, 35#.

Not the best backstop, but it'll work, and it's more do-able for most folks when first setting up.


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## Nekekal (Dec 25, 2012)

I have used wood for about a year now. I use stuff called OSB, which is cheaper than plywood, and is made of large chips glued together. At 10 yards, my 38 pound bow will not shoot through it the fist time. It does not damage the arrows but they are a bit tricky to get out. I use carbon arrows and if all else fails, I unscrew the points, pull the point with pliers, and screw a new point into the shaft. Field points are less than a dollar each, so it is a pretty good solution for the occasional errant arrow.

However, places that you hit a lot, in my case between the straw bales, the OSB sort of comes apart and allows the arrow to penetrate. To solve this problem, I have started putting about 4 layers of heavy cardboard in front of the OSB. This slows the arrow just enough that it doesn't destroy the wood backing, and makes it much easier to pull the arrows that miss the straw bales. Yes, once in a while I miss my stack of 3 straw bales.

Every 3 or 4 months I just rotate the cardboard and change the overlap, but am still using the same OSB and the same straw bales, and the same cardboard I started with. It is not portable, but in my back yard it doesn't really need to be. 

I wish I had money for one of those sheet things though.


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## Xero (Apr 20, 2013)

Straw bales -- straw is for bedding. Hay is for feed and much more expensive. Feed store or farm supply might tell you, or they may assume everyone knows the difference. 

I found 3/4" particle board "culls" at Home Depot. 4' X 8' sheet (cut into two pieces by Home Depot) ran me $2.02. The center target area got shot out pretty fast and so I patched that area w/ 3/4" plywood (scrap). All this behind a stack of straw bales. 

Face for the bales is appliance cartons. The local appliance store takes delivery on Thursday. Thursday afternoon I stop by and toss some prime samples in the truck -- FREE. 

I fasten the carton face to the bales w/ chopsticks. An arrow strike on a chopstick breaks the stick, not the arrow. 

Stacked this set-up on free pallets from the John Deere shop. Pallets are pretty easy to find for free. 

It's a large, heavy set-up at the end of the barn. I can move it, because I have a pallet fork loader on the John Deere. 

Probably for light and easy to move, the standard archery compressed foam block, backed by some 3/4" plywood. Set the foam block on sawhorses.


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## Longbowone (Aug 17, 2021)

CHeath said:


> I'm brainstorming on how to build a DIY target and looking for suggestions.
> 
> For the target box, I'd like to be able to roll it around (so I can set it off to the side when not in use) and the shooting area to be about 3ft square - so there's room for multiple and/or various size targets. I'd like the box to be about 1 foot off the ground.
> 
> ...


Thought of making an adequate backstop from the horse mat you mention from tractor warehouse but thinking that the blunt force would damage the arrow. I shoot acc arrows that are part aluminum and part carbon. Sometimes the arrow damage is not clearly visible. This is dangerous because I’ve seen a an arrow that wasn’t visibly damaged that was being used by a friend of mine shatter upon release from his 70# compound and go through his wrist that he was holding the bow with( not his shooting hand) Had to get an ambulance to get him to the hospital where he was treated and released the next day. Fragments of the arrow needed to be surgically removed from his lower wrist and palm. Needless to say he could not hunt that season. Much care needs to be taken and considered when choosing a material that will properly slowdown and stop an arrow rather than just choosing something that will stop and arrow which could damage it and lead to personal injury and or even death. Just wanted to share that word of caution with the archery community.


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## camperjim (Oct 22, 2016)

Horse mat is expensive and heavy. For a large backstop I hang two layers of discarded household carpet. It is free and lasts at least 5 years in the weather. The target itself is a bigger issue. Bag targets are reasonably priced and with the Morrell bags you can replace the cover and double the life. Unfortunately it seems that bag targets rapidly develop hard spots and arrows can fall out or droop. I have broken quite a few arrows when they droop even just a little. Currently I have a Black Hole layered foam target in front of the bag. It holds the arrows straight but wears out quickly. A can or two of insulation foam can extend the life. 

There are countless other options for homemade targets. Which you make depends on the materials that are readily or cheaply available. If you have access to lots of old carpeting, then a compressed carpet target can work really well. For a long time I also used a thin plywood box stuffed with either rags or better, if available, used plastic such as pallet wrap. Spyder Targets sells a mess cover material that can last for many years of heavy use.


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## Longbowone (Aug 17, 2021)

camperjim said:


> Horse mat is expensive and heavy. For a large backstop I hang two layers of discarded household carpet. It is free and lasts at least 5 years in the weather. The target itself is a bigger issue. Bag targets are reasonably priced and with the Morrell bags you can replace the cover and double the life. Unfortunately it seems that bag targets rapidly develop hard spots and arrows can fall out or droop. I have broken quite a few arrows when they droop even just a little. Currently I have a Black Hole layered foam target in front of the bag. It holds the arrows straight but wears out quickly. A can or two of insulation foam can extend the life.
> 
> There are countless other options for homemade targets. Which you make depends on the materials that are readily or cheaply available. If you have access to lots of old carpeting, then a compressed carpet target can work really well. For a long time I also used a thin plywood box stuffed with either rags or better, if available, used plastic such as pallet wrap. Spyder Targets sells a mess cover material that can last for many years of heavy use.


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## Longbowone (Aug 17, 2021)

Thought of making an adequate backstop from the horse mat you mention from tractor warehouse but thinking that the blunt force would damage the arrow. I shoot acc arrows that are part aluminum and part carbon. Sometimes the arrow damage is not clearly visible. This is dangerous because I’ve seen a an arrow that wasn’t visibly damaged that was being used by a friend of mine shatter upon release from his 70# compound and go through his wrist that he was holding the bow with( not his shooting hand) Had to get an ambulance to get him to the hospital where he was treated and released the next day. Fragments of the arrow needed to be surgically removed from his lower wrist and palm. Needless to say he could not hunt that season. Much care needs to be taken and considered when choosing a material that will properly slowdown and stop an arrow rather than just choosing something that will stop and arrow which could damage it and lead to personal injury and or even death. Just wanted to share that word of caution with the archery community


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## dougmax (Jul 23, 2009)

I asked at a local gymnastics club if they had any old mats they wanted to sell off…turns out they had some they were more than happy for me to take (apparently hard to get rid of) then I asked at local high school and they had some too. Free. Stops arrows from a 53# recurve at 20 yards and the arrows just pull right out. Did I mention FREE? Can’t hurt to ask right?


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## Dartwick (Oct 28, 2019)

Use a free hanging horse stall mat for the backstop curtain.

Dont use it for the target.


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## chidseyd32 (Aug 31, 2021)

dougmax said:


> I asked at a local gymnastics club if they had any old mats they wanted to sell off…turns out they had some they were more than happy for me to take (apparently hard to get rid of) then I asked at local high school and they had some too. Free. Stops arrows from a 53# recurve at 20 yards and the arrows just pull right out. Did I mention FREE? Can’t hurt to ask right?
> View attachment 7452041
> 
> View attachment 7452040
> ...


Ok this is pretty sweet idea. I am going to make some phone calls.


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## WhiteFalcon (Jun 17, 2009)

I just use a Block target.


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## AzureSkydiver (Sep 13, 2021)

I've been using pet resistant screen I got from Home Depot as an archery net. I hang them up from a wooden dowel using shower curtain hooks. The key is to let them hang loosely so that they absorb the energy of the arrow. I've only tested up to 34# with field points and bullet points from 10'. Out of paranoia, I setup two layers. Second layer is about 8 inches behind the first layer. From what I've seen though, the most the field points from a 34# draw weight will pierce through the first layer and have about 6" of the shaft go through. With a 20# draw weight, only about 1" of the shaft goes in. I could technically not bother with the second layer to trim down on my setup time, but I figured belt and suspenders...

Part of the reason for the choice of using the hanging pet screen is to have something easy to setup and takedown so that I don't get any nastygrams from the HOA about an "unapproved permanent structure" in my backyard. (The HOA is so anal retentive, approval is needed to setup a doghouse -- and the doghouse color and roof needs to match the rest of the house.) The other reason is so that when the weather gets colder, I can use the same screens inside my garage.


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