# Burlap Bag Target



## Bytesback (Apr 8, 2013)

I want to thank the folks here in the DIY forum for such excellent ideas and tips for projects to help others out. I am new to archery, just recently got into recurve bows and wanted a more cost effective target than the $120 self healing foam blocks that they had at my sporting goods store. I decided I'd just build myself a burlap bag target using the information on this thread. I am in the middle of ranch country over here in western Montana, so burlap sacks are pretty easy to get, our local ranch supply store had a sale 5 for $5 for assorted burlap bag sizes. I believe I grabbed 22x36" seed bags, I got 5 so I could make a few double layered target bags and have 1 spare sack. I then went to the local thrift store and offered to buy their ugliest bedsheet sets for $1 a set, and their ugliest t-shirts for 3/$1. They were amused and curious, but they agreed and helped me out. I think I spent maybe $18 and got plenty of ugly shirts and 4 sets of sheets. I had an old torn up blanket that got abused camping a few years ago, so that got thrown in too. I then went and hit the wal mart for 2 small cheap cans of spray paint and spent maybe $4. So, between the sacks, sheets, shirts and paint I spent a grand total of $27.00. Here is my Burlap bag target. It isn't pretty, but it does pretty good job stopping arrows. Thanks again folks!


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## oldschoolcj5 (Jun 8, 2009)

looks fine to me - enjoy


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## slowen (Jun 27, 2006)

Nice, i have been using burlap filled with used sofa foam stuffed inside plastic garbage bags to "waterproof" the targets. They last long time soldier!


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## stringgun (Feb 6, 2012)

Another good target stuffing material is balls of shrink wrap used in warehouses for pallets. They throw it away anyway most times. Stops arrows well when used with old shirts etc. Good luck:darkbeer:


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## Nebelräuber (Jul 6, 2010)

The old "fiber fill" material works very well. Get it from old pillows, your sisters stuffed animals etc. Too expensive to buy at Wal-Mart. This is the same material (or similar) to "Spiderweb" butts. It looks like strands of cotton.


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## Bytesback (Apr 8, 2013)

Thanks for the tips guys. I actually buy quite a few stuffed animals from thrift stores for the dogs to tear up, now i'll start saving back the filler instead of tossing it.


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## dustoffer (Jan 24, 2009)

I have done the same thing, but just drove the local back road dump sites and gotten the cotton padding out of dumped furniture and mattresses. Stuff the bag full, stomp it down, stuff it a bit more, and put a second sack over it and sew the top shut with paracord leaving a loop to hang it by. Good to go! Start getting overpenetration, lay it on the ground, stomp it a a bit to redistribute stuffing, and start over again.


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## Bytesback (Apr 8, 2013)

This works perfect for my bow, but I plan on building another bag using just stuffing and no clothing for my wifes bow. She's got a 25# bow and shoots low poundage cedars with bullet tips, so when she shoots my bag, the arrows hit the bag, go in, and then the clothing springs them back out. Does not do that with my 35#bow using sharp field points. Not sure if its the lower poundage, or the bullet tips shes using but this bag just does not work for her. I think stuffing would be more accepting of her tips. Thanks for the dump idea Dustoffer, I was wondering if there was a quick way to get enough stuffing for cheap.


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## varmint (Mar 17, 2005)

plastic bags from walmart work well and you can get a bunch if you ask.


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## wpod (Mar 30, 2013)

I work at a warehouse, (well, a driver) we have a lot of shrink wrap. We also have a couple of horses so large bags are no problem either I could probably make100's of target thanks for the idea
One thing about the bags, they are woven nylon like a tarp.
Sent from my VS950 4G using Tapatalk 2


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## Bytesback (Apr 8, 2013)

I would think woven nylon would work just fine, and last as long as the burlap. I have bringing my burlap inside with me after shooting simply because I have heard that the clothing in the burlap can get to stinking pretty good if it gets rained on. I double bagged my burlap just to give me a little more durability


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