# Arrow backstop materials ??



## Golfbuddy45 (Jun 23, 2010)

Due to future construction in the vacant lot behind my house I will need to use a little better backstop than my back fence. I was thinking about getting a large piece of 3 or 4 inch thick polyfoam in a 4ft x 4ft or 5ft x 5ft like they use for arrow targets but have determined that due to cost of those sheets this may be prohibitive. Local supplier said I would be looking at $150 - $200 for such a sheet of polyfoam. The factory maid netting is also in the $200 and up price range. 
No problem leaving my target out but not want to leave larger item hanging on back fence - the House Boss frowns on such thinks. 









Some have talked about carpet stacks and others have said moving blankets. What other methods are you using for a safe backstop???

GB45


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## BarneySlayer (Feb 28, 2009)

Golfbuddy45 said:


> Due to future construction in the vacant lot behind my house I will need to use a little better backstop than my back fence. I was thinking about getting a large piece of 3 or 4 inch thick polyfoam in a 4ft x 4ft or 5ft x 5ft like they use for arrow targets but have determined that due to cost of those sheets this may be prohibitive. Local supplier said I would be looking at $150 - $200 for such a sheet of polyfoam. The factory maid netting is also in the $200 and up price range.
> No problem leaving my target out but not want to leave larger item hanging on back fence - the House Boss frowns on such thinks.
> 
> View attachment 1608657
> ...


Multiple layers of carpet remnants can work well, and should be cheap. I use plywood, because it's what I have for free, but it's a pain to get the arrows out sometime.


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## kegan (Aug 28, 2006)

A couple sheets of plywood are cheaper and will do a great job stopping arrows unless you're shooting really powerful bows?


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## ArcherFletch (Jul 8, 2012)

Plywood can jack up your woodies though and can be difficult to remove arrows from if the field points catch because the splinters kinda act like one-way valves.

There is a guy on ebay selling netting for around 100 bucks shipped, I like this because you can easily take it down if it's an eyesore - big chunks of carpet and plywood, are probably harder to fold up and put away if you need to keep the backyard looking pretty.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/White-nylon...e=WDVW&rd=1&ih=008&category=1291&cmd=ViewItem

My backstop is a giant pile of dirt that some construction workers kindly left at the end of my street. I miss BIG so I appreciate something that softly catches the arrows. The only disadvantage is they are very dirty when you remove them, I usually have to wipe the field points in grass and my quiver has a bunch of dirt in the bottom of it, lol


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## Easykeeper (Jan 2, 2003)

If you live in rural area or have a good fleet store near you see if they have a "stall matt". It's a 4'x8' piece of very thick and durable rubber or poly-something that is used on the floor of a stall or horse trailer. It's heavy and awkward to move, but stops an arrow well and is pretty much indestructible. Hang it behind your regular target and even if your arrow hits it square it won't be damaged.


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## JINKSTER (Mar 19, 2011)

Like EK said above..A stall matt is a great idea..cost effective..safe...and doesn't damage your arrows..other than that?...i've found that compressed straw bales are hard to beat as they are large and cheap..way cheaper than replacing bag targets (that last me a few months at best at $60 a pop) at about $12-$15 a 18x18x36 bale..i went through these in less than 18 months...










both sides of each taped up and shot out...and you're looking at well over $200 worth of junk bag targets there...conversly?..these two bales cost me $15ea...










and i think i dropped about $20 for a 2' x12' strip of astroturf (about $10) and about $10 for the econo 3pack of ratchet straps to even further compress them...










and?..set the tension and/or tighten them up as needed...but i haven't needed to yet...and i installed these balse sept. 1st 2012..they are 6 months old and i'm not even thinking about replacing them yet...and here's what just 2 bales looks like at 25yds...










i staked a piece of ethafoam onto the face of them but just for shot clarity and something to paint or stick targets onto..and here's a pic of'em from a couple days ago...










and holding up fine...point being?...$150 equals (10) bales in my neck of the swamp..and that's dang close to a "broad side of a barn" sized target/backstop! :laugh:

Hope that helps and L8R, Bill. :cool2:


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## Easykeeper (Jan 2, 2003)

Hey Jinkster, you need to put that new Whip down for a while and mow your lawn...:wink:


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## auwood74 (Feb 2, 2013)

Thats a nice setup!!


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## Long Rifle (Dec 8, 2011)

I've framed and totally enclosed my bale press with colored metal roofing panels on the sides, roof, and doors since this picture was taken. My Chief of Staff actually kinda likes the looks of it sitting out back now!

Jinkster you're paying too much for hay!


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## JINKSTER (Mar 19, 2011)

Easykeeper said:


> Hey Jinkster, you need to put that new Whip down for a while and mow your lawn...:wink:


no way...we have a youngster that comes around every now and then and if he comes too soon?..he wasted a trip...now he calls first. :laugh:

this may sound brash of me but..."THE REASON"...this 3/2/1 crackerbox of a ******* palace that i've called home since 1989 still has woods on 3 of it's four sides?...is because..well?...you know...LOL!...and that 4th side?...i bought it for $3,000...and 3 years later?..i sold that lot to a contractor for $52,000..and i told'im.."Ya better build quick cause one bad headline and this bubbles gonna burst."...he just chuckled and said "No Way."...that was right before the frances/jeanne hurricanes hit south florida and this town was ground zero/landfall for them both...i picked the check up from the title company on my way out of town as my family and i fled to murphy NC where we ran from frances only to come home after 10 days and a week later get slammed by jeanne...after which i was laid off from my job at piper aircraft cause tornados took 2/3rds of the place down...tell me the Big Man wasn't looking out for me and mine as if i hadn't sold that lot?..we'd of lost our home...and here it is 9 years later?..

now he's outta biz and and his mother still lives there...he put 1/4million in that place...knocked on my door when he got the C.O. and told me it's on the market for $490K...but that if i wanted it he'd let me have it for $410K..as i thought..

with that big of a mortgage i'd never be able to pay to get my lawn mowed! :laugh:

as he'd be lucky to get 1/4 of that right now...and all those rich folks up the street aways from me?..they rarely appear to be real happy but...that doesn't stop'em from their ritualistic saturday morning lawnmower races...and i'm just glad i can't see or hear'em as..

the woods seem to block my view.


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## guyver (Jan 3, 2012)

I'd use old/left over carpet, should be cheap or free from carpet installers. Would also keep an eye out for a used trampoline for the netting/mat material. Or hay bales.


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## JINKSTER (Mar 19, 2011)

Long Rifle said:


> View attachment 1608844
> Jinkster you're paying too much for hay!


Not to sound uppety or anything but..actually?..i'm not...as your bales?..are just that..."bales"...mine are "Compressed Bales".

See how your bales are kinda loose and hairy looking around the edges?...where mine are machine compressed tight and sliced like so?..










also..there's a dif between straw vs hay...mine are compressed "straw" bales...straw is a "stalk" (usually of wheat or oats)..."hay" is a grass.

also..i might mention...they had "Double Compressed" straw bales...they were like 18x18x18 but the suckers were like blocks of wood! :laugh: I guess thay'd save room in a horse trailer though but they were a whopping $18 per bale.

double also?...straw is a more durable "bedding material" where hay is a "feed".

all i got.


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## treehermit (Nov 13, 2011)

Easykeeper said:


> If you live in rural area or have a good fleet store near you see if they have a "stall matt". It's a 4'x8' piece of very thick and durable rubber or poly-something that is used on the floor of a stall or horse trailer. It's heavy and awkward to move, but stops an arrow well and is pretty much indestructible. Hang it behind your regular target and even if your arrow hits it square it won't be damaged.


The Tractor Supply near me has this in 5' roles for less than $6 a lineal foot. I'm going to give it a try. A 4' X 5' piece would be around $25 and should stand up to the weather well.


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## Easykeeper (Jan 2, 2003)

treehermit said:


> The Tractor Supply near me has this in 5' roles for less than $6 a lineal foot. I'm going to give it a try. A 4' X 5' piece would be around $25 and should stand up to the weather well.


That might not be the same material unless the diameter of the rolls is _huge_. I always see stall mats sold in sheets about 1/2"-3/4" thick and stiff enough I can't see it rolled up.

That doesn't mean the material you are talking about is different, just probably not as thick.


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## zmanastronomy (Jan 29, 2013)

Belt line belts are a great backstop.


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## Roughrider (Oct 19, 2012)

My son and his shooting buddy found an old mattress I had stored in my shop and decided to try it out, long story short it works even with their PSE EVO compounds at 340 fps.


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## airwolf (Jul 28, 2005)

go to your local dump you'll find your backstop in about 2 minutes


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## Golfbuddy45 (Jun 23, 2010)

Some great ideas here folks... thanks for all the input (and output) :mg:

Keep the ideas coming though as I know I am not the only fella out here lookin . . . 

GB45


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## Golfbuddy45 (Jun 23, 2010)

Long Rifle said:


> View attachment 1608844
> 
> I've framed and totally enclosed my bale press with colored metal roofing panels on the sides, roof, and doors since this picture was taken. My Chief of Staff actually kinda likes the looks of it sitting out back now!


It looks like that bottom board that the bales are on is "floating" - are you drawing that board UP to compress the bales? 

Would love to see the rig with the doors on too....

GB45


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## nomad2081 (Apr 28, 2013)

3/4inch rubber mat, 2 4x4 2 2x6 and a lot of screws stops carbon .340s and alnium at 70lbs @310fps


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## ncheels (Jun 3, 2009)

Ralph,
just an idea. You could setup a horizontal plank mounted to your fence, with some some hooks screwed in. Then you could hang three 5x5 pieces of carpet from them. These hanging layers would make a good backstop and then when done, you can unhook the carpet pieces and store them away. That way the boss won't mind : )


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## trapper.robi (Jul 9, 2011)

I live in town too. My boss was throwing away an old hot tub cover so thats what I use. It is THE BEST BACKSTOP EVER. If you can get ahold of one of those dont hesitate!


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## Razith (Mar 24, 2013)

I used Baled straw, with thin plywood behind it. The baled straw will usually stop a arrow pretty good, if it's a nice tight bale. 2 sets of 3 High, and 2 deep. Should stop most things, and straws fairly cheap. Though if you want it to be 'aesthetically' pleasing, or not take up quiet that much room(really not that much room I think), then some of the other ideas are great. I'm a cheapy and live in the middle of nowhere haha, so straw it was for me.


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## Easykeeper (Jan 2, 2003)

Razith said:


> I used Baled straw, with thin plywood behind it. The baled straw will usually stop a arrow pretty good, if it's a nice tight bale. 2 sets of 3 High, and 2 deep. Should stop most things, and straws fairly cheap. Though if you want it to be 'aesthetically' pleasing, or not take up quiet that much room(really not that much room I think), then some of the other ideas are great. I'm a cheapy and live in the middle of nowhere haha, so straw it was for me.


Get a couple ratchet straps and you can really tighten up hay/straw bales tight. Get creative with the ratchet straps and add some strategically place 2x6s and you can really cinch them down tight. Bales last a long time when you can tighten them up as you go.


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