# Stuffing for targets



## thirdhandman (Nov 2, 2009)

We started making the Third Hand Archery Rag Bags over 25 years ago. Since then, people are always asking what to stuff them with and where to find places to get stuffing materials. It would be great to have one spot that people could go to find what they are looking for.
What works best and where to get stuff for the Third Hand Archery Rag Bag and DIY range targets.

Over 30 years ago, I figured out that the most expensive part of a target was the shipping. Because bag targets wear out so quickly I was looking for a better way to get a great target. I was doing business with an industrial bag company and after testing about 100 different fabrics, I found a fabric that we still use to this day.

While practicing out of a treestand I figured out by mistake, that old clothes will stop and arrow quickly. It was very hot and I had a towel in the stand. The towel blew out of the tree and sort of rolled up going towards the water. I shot the towel with my recurve and it stopped the arrow without sticking in the ground and the arrow laid over on the ground. I thought it was a fluke so I shot it again with the same results. It seemed as though the towel gave in as it caught the arrow. So I went home and put some clothing in a small box. Shot the box from point blank range and it stopped it.

*Old clothing is something that anybody can find if they look in the right places. Lets stadt here by telling what we have found that works great and where there is a good source to get more.*

What we have found that is readily available is old shirts, pants, jackets and coats, sheets, table cloths, curtains and towels. 
Hotels will get rid of old sheets towels etc on a regular basis. Just ask and useually you can get it free.

At the end of the day yardsales will a lot of times have old clothes that didn't sell. Tell the owners that you don't care about size or condition, you just want to fill your target bag. They usually don't want to pack the clothes back into the house so they will give it to you or will ask for a couple bucks. 

Sometimes at the end of a Church rummage sale you can fill a target with a small donation to the church.

Uniform rental companies and linen supplies have stained or worn uniforms that they get rid of. The ones that they can't sell go into the trash.

I recently found a local flag and banner manufacturer. While making flags and banners there is a ton of scrap material. I drop off about 10 black plastic 42 gallon bags. When they are filled they call us for pick up. It keeps them from paying to remove it and gives me great target filler.

Commercially made targets are all filled with industrial scrap. They are usually compressed by machinery. If you have old worn out targets they can be cut open and the guts refurbished in a new target. I usually can't get them tight enough by hand so I put a plastic bag in the Rag Bag, fill it with scrap and compress it by sucking the air out with a vaccume. Insturctions to rebuild the target can be found in the thread *What to do with an old bag target*.

*For the benefit of all AT'ers please list other target filler suggestions and where to get them here. *

Thank you in advance and make it a great day!:wink:


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## Konk (Aug 4, 2016)

Jim,

I have used several of your bag targets. The first one I stuffed with old clothing, was really heavy. I have to move it each day to shoot, and lugging that heavy sucker around was a chore. Not only that but mice chewed a hole in the side of the target. Need to try something different. With the second one I stuffed it with old shrink wrap, problem solved with weigh and mice. Shrink wrap works great and you can get it from anywhere that brings in pallets of goods. Just ask them to save it for you, they'll gladly do it to save on waste disposal.


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## blbhunt2 (Oct 15, 2018)

I'll second the shrink wrap idea. Have 3 of them they all hold up great. Some have complained about plastic melted onto their arrows, but I haven't had a single problem with that. Biggest issue is the skins, I used landscape fabric on the one that I built a frame for, it didn't last real long. Others are just black garbage bags, once it gets worn I just put another over it. Haven't tried the thirdhand skins, but seems everyone that has loves them, so maybe one of these days ..... 

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## tackscall (Jul 26, 2004)

Old shot out bag targets are full of great stuffing.


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## adr1601 (Oct 15, 2012)

First thing I learned is I won't use plastic again. It smears on the arrow and isn't worth it when fabric is so easily obtainable. 
My first suggestion is to go through your own house and see what you have. You'd be surprised how much clothing is laying around that isn't ever going to be worn again. 
Second would be to ask your family for their unused clothing.
Yard sales. At the end most will be more than happy to leave unsold clothing out for you to pickup. It saves them the work of having to haul it to a donation box.


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## Thumbs (Sep 8, 2013)

I fill mine with used pallet wrap. It’s lighter than clothes and doesn’t pick up water.
Trucking company’s usually have lots of it free for the asking


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## MCason410 (Jun 1, 2018)

I work at a car dealership. When we get new cars in they have covers over the hoods on them. I have found that those covers work amazing in the Rag Bag. They pack well and have stopped any arrow I have shot at it. Plus they are water proof and big enough to wrap around the target when not in use.


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## YankeeRebel (Dec 30, 2005)

I use pallet wrap plastic balled up and smashed flat, Walmart/Dollar General plastic bags and old cloths. I also like to line the front and back with old carpet or layered foam and then alternate stuffing the pallet wrap plastic, Walmart/Dollar General plastic bags and old cloths. As I load the different material I will stomp and smash it down in the wooden frame box with my foot and/or shovel handle till the front and back are bulging really good. I have built both box targets as big as 4'X4' to stuffing $2 burlap bags from Rural King.


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## Pfranchise (Jul 13, 2018)

Softener salt bags work great


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## dsherrer (Mar 31, 2012)

I went to the local free store and asked them to save soft cotton clothing they could not give out.
A few days and a small donation later I had all the cloths I could use.


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## tyWhite (Nov 22, 2018)

Great idea. Never even thought about it but it makes sense


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## m2md6 (Feb 15, 2015)

Good idea



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## Flambowski (Sep 3, 2013)

A combination of plastic and rags works best at our range. The plastic is from a company that receives a ton of stuff on pallets. They cut the shrink wrap off and save it for us and when we need it we drive a truck down and pick it up. The rags are purchased from an automotive store, they come in 15-20lbs compressed blocks and cost around $5... each target is 40x40x16” and 5-6 blocks with the shrink wrap works well


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## demueller (Jan 15, 2019)

Old clothes do work


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## greybushactual (Dec 28, 2017)

I'm thinking about trying to use an old foam mattress. Anyone tried this?


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## PineyMan (Sep 16, 2018)

Watching this


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## waldo320 (Sep 20, 2009)

I was hesitant when thinking about stuffing my target with old clothes. However I had more junk clothes than I thought and towels are a great space filler!


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## Rxr04 (Feb 8, 2019)

How are you guys compressing the filling?


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## blbhunt2 (Oct 15, 2018)

With used shrink wrap, just wad it up and stuff it in tight. You don't need to go crazy, I've found if I pack it too tight, my arrows actually penetrate deeper. 

I don't know for sure on the old clothes but I think it's pretty much the same idea... 

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## 570archer55 (Apr 1, 2008)

Reading this just gave me an idea. Take your stuffing material and put it in a vacuum bag, suck out all the air and pack it into your target. Should be compressed better than trying to just stuff the target. If anyone tries it please post results.


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## Fdalebowhunter7 (Sep 1, 2016)

Awesome!


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## BAP08 (Jan 23, 2019)

Thanks for the tips for filler sources. I'll be setting up a range with multiple targets at our cabin and your bags will work excellent for this purpose.


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## Erat08 (Dec 7, 2018)

Awesome!


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## beech grover (Jan 13, 2014)

I will be getting one of the skins at the Deer & Turkey expo in Indy . also need to get a couple more bow holders, and trees stand stabilizer straps the ones i have work awesome. I added a couple of new stand on a buddies place, now to outfit them the proper way.


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## Deli (Jun 12, 2006)

nice


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## va_bank (Feb 19, 2013)

I make mine out of large cardboard boxes that I stuff with our old clothes, having cut out buttons and zippers beforhand.


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## Hsetraki (Nov 10, 2017)

this!


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## Kmarks (Jul 6, 2018)

I usually hit up a local Goodwill.


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## Manning11 (Dec 16, 2018)

following


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## hunter1997 (Apr 7, 2006)

This could use a bump


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## jcw740 (Jun 13, 2018)

Screen material for windows works well too


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## Hippiedevil (Mar 17, 2016)

Home Depot has a woven plastic that there insulation bags get bundled and compressed in four or five bags at a time. That stuff works amazing. I have tried just about everything and that's the best yet. Shrink wrap works too but this is better. Just asked the guy if he could save some up for me and a day or two later I had enough to do three targets

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## bldtrailer (Feb 2, 2010)

Walmart/shopping bags>>>---> they will not rot like cloth and are easy to get


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## Spike76 (Aug 19, 2018)

Shrink wrap, bubble wrap, plastic shopping bags all work great.


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## anthonyyoung385 (Mar 25, 2019)

very well thought out


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## Poppahunts (Jan 24, 2016)

Great idea 
Thanks


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## wrbrd (Mar 30, 2019)

I have a third hand bag with old clothes but it’s very heavy. So now I have got one stuffed with shopping bags mostly from Wally World. Unlike the shrink wrap that melts onto your arrows or bolts the shipping bags just coil around them and are a 3 finger removal if you don’t let them get wet. I fluff them up every once in a while also you can use carpet padding as a divider in the bag for layers. Cut to the size of the 3rd hand bag flat. 4 to 6 squares,a square of padding per layer and have them in the bag before stuffing it. Think of a lasagna-3rd hand bag and a pad square then plastic bags.repeat until stuffing is complete. I would have a square pad on each side of the target bag then the shopping bag filler between each of them start with a little bit to get the layers started and go from there. Use as many shopping bags as possible because it’s what actually stops the projectile! Have fun and aim to get a kid envolved in shooting!


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## slamnationalley (Jul 5, 2007)

I have a couple of bag targets that are going on 30 years old and 10's of thousands of shots. They are stuffed full of onion sacks. I've replaced the burlap bags numerous times but still using the original stuffing. They're light and when you get a soft spot just lay them on the ground, roll them back and forth to re-adjust the stuffing and you're ready to go again. The onion sacks leave no residue on the arrow shafts. I also have a bag made from silt fence material off a job site and the results have been the same. Old clothes work great unless they get wet, then its almost impossible for them to ever dry out.


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## Steelsearchin2 (Jan 26, 2017)

Awesome!! We always had great luck w/ shrink wrap as long as your field points are sized properly to the shafts.


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## Joey C. (Aug 26, 2014)

Great


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## BURGIEFISH (Feb 23, 2014)

Thanks for sharing ideas


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## BowhunterJT (Jun 4, 2009)

Been using old clothes in cardboard boxes since the late 80's. works excellent. when you stuff a large moving box with old clothes it doesn't weight too much and if you are bothered by that weight you need to do something else.


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## kzz1king (Jan 21, 2007)

bldtrailer said:


> Walmart/shopping bags>>>---> they will not rot like cloth and are easy to get


I have a 4' by 7 ' by 1' deep target/backstop that is stuffed with grocery bags. It took awhile of filling garbage bags ful out of the recycling bin. I have been shooting it foe over 10 years and it still works well. I have added bags occasionally. If I get a weak spot I just stuff more bags in.


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## kzz1king (Jan 21, 2007)

I throw those in with my walmart bags to!


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## RLWilkins (Feb 27, 2019)

Going to build new target , I think will try free shrink wrap .....great idea...


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## AZarcher338 (Sep 14, 2013)

Great stuff


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## ksvajv (Jun 18, 2018)

I have used old jeans.


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## John_hessell (Mar 12, 2019)

Love the ideas


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## Outsider (Aug 16, 2011)

I use shrink wrap. Have a lot of it for free from work.


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## mrdices (May 11, 2019)

Question is it better to layer them flat as neatly as possible or just to jam them in because it makes no difference ?


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## Night Stalker (May 20, 2014)

Someone needs to make a bag target that is a life size Elk. Durable, lifesize.


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## Vovchok (May 13, 2019)

good afternoon. use the isolone . Cut the sheets into three parts and tighten the logs


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## caden.shonk (Aug 28, 2016)

Nice!


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## brownz71 (Sep 13, 2014)

great idea!


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## klukdog (Sep 12, 2017)

I have a really generic question...

How deep should a target be to assure no pass throughs? Using Blankets, towels, t-shirts. Compresses pretty well (compressing it using all-thread)

Just looking for a Ball Park figure?


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## RodgMahal (Dec 17, 2012)

I love archerytalk, you stumble upon the coolest products, thanks!


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## Dbcustom (Jul 9, 2017)

Great Idea.


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## AFL40 (Nov 10, 2018)

plastic grocery bags work good, but FP only ofcourse


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## Normash Shwacks (Jun 2, 2018)

Shrink wrap

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## Bethelbass4 (Oct 24, 2017)

I have used old rugs.


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## Border6901 (Jun 7, 2014)

Another vote for shrink wrap


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## ItsQuiteAlright (Aug 26, 2014)

Lots of good ideas and input. Thanks everyone


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## Pic (Sep 12, 2003)

Went by the marina this morning, they throw out all their wraps from the winter boat wraps, that would make great stuffing for bag targets.!!!


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## Pic (Sep 12, 2003)

They usually throw these bags out, they would also make great stuffing bags.

https://www.google.ca/url?sa=i&rct=...aw3v79zC2q4UMZCObxus7c81&ust=1559142656191621


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## 74hntr (Apr 1, 2011)

I used old clothes in my third hand skin targets but buddy uses old bale and silage wrap and I like it better. Clothes are heavier and never dry I think that wrap stops better per lb of material and doesn’t hold water so bad.


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## GMtech (Mar 28, 2013)

Anyone tried the rubber mulch as a stuffing? Works great with pellet guns, just don't know about arrows


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## Decibel (Aug 5, 2013)

Clothes work great, if you can handle the wait, or don't have to move it often. Just a friendly reminder to cut off any buttons, zippers, other hard materials before stuffing them!


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## Rodray12 (May 7, 2014)

greybushactual said:


> I'm thinking about trying to use an old foam mattress. Anyone tried this?


I used an old memory foam mattress from the free section on craigslist and it has been working well through about a 1000 arrows so far.


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## flpickrel (Jul 12, 2015)

I have been wondering what material is the best to use myself. Can't seem to pack it tight enough. Any suggestions?


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## thirdhandman (Nov 2, 2009)

klukdog said:


> I have a really generic question...
> 
> How deep should a target be to assure no pass throughs? Using Blankets, towels, t-shirts. Compresses pretty well (compressing it using all-thread)
> 
> Just looking for a Ball Park figure?


A 12" target filled with the above described materials will stop up to 350 fps. Just don't keep shooting the same spot over and over.


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## thirdhandman (Nov 2, 2009)

570archer55 said:


> Reading this just gave me an idea. Take your stuffing material and put it in a vacuum bag, suck out all the air and pack it into your target. Should be compressed better than trying to just stuff the target. If anyone tries it please post results.


The picture in my op is a target that was built by taking a contractors bag and putting it into the rag bag. Then I filled the contractors bag with the scrap shown in the picture from another target. I closed the contractor's bag around a shop vacuum and sucked all the air out. Then I filled it two more times. After the third fill, I velcro closed it with the vacuum still sucking the air out. Then I ran a few zip ties under the velcro. Then I removed the hose and watched it blow uptight.

All this material from another target fit in this Rag Bag.


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## 65mustang13 (May 15, 2013)

Great idea!


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## thirdhandman (Nov 2, 2009)

Konk said:


> Jim,
> 
> I have used several of your bag targets. The first one I stuffed with old clothing, was really heavy. I have to move it each day to shoot, and lugging that heavy sucker around was a chore. Not only that but mice chewed a hole in the side of the target. Need to try something different. With the second one I stuffed it with old shrink wrap, problem solved with weigh and mice. Shrink wrap works great and you can get it from anywhere that brings in pallets of goods. Just ask them to save it for you, they'll gladly do it to save on waste disposal.


If you plan to carry a target in and out every day, old clothes are certainly heavier than plastic. The plastic I tried 30 years ago before I found clothing to work well, didn't work for me. One of my old trucking customers made the plastic bags for shoe stores. They gave me a 600 pound block of scrap to try. I shot five arrows into the 600 pound bale and had one heck of a time getting the arrows out. I guess being compressed like they were was the wrong thing for stopping an arrow. I only got about 2-3" of penetration but the arrows seemed to be welded to the bale.


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## wrbrd (Mar 30, 2019)

Walmart grocery bags not shrink wrap. Neoprene scraps work well also.


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## mulley_59 (Dec 14, 2019)

Thanks for the tips!


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## mlkrdma (Apr 27, 2008)

Cool!


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## mlkrdma (Apr 27, 2008)

I built one a few years ago with fabric scrapes from a local fabric store. It’s been a while, but I think they gave two or large three bags to me for free


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## thirdhandman (Nov 2, 2009)

mlkrdma said:


> I built one a few years ago with fabric scrapes from a local fabric store. It’s been a while, but I think they gave two or large three bags to me for free


When I started making the Rag Bags about 25 years ago, I was still working in the Transportation industry. I had a customer called Stretch and Sew. Who cut fabric and wholesaled it all over the USA. They gave me their scraps and I used that for a couple of years. I used it for our Targets and the customers loved them. Stretch and sew went out of business so I had to quit building targets. 

If anyone has a source for free scrap fabric we will wholesale empty bag targets for them to fill and sell.:wink:


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## Kyhunter1986 (Aug 9, 2020)

Beats the ones most stores sell


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## bowgeekGreg (Aug 9, 2020)

Another Walmrt bag vote. I've made several XL targets with them. Takes alot of bags to build a target but I just ask at Walmart if I can have the bags collected at the drop off bin. A couple of visits and I have enough for a target. Makes great use of a plastic that I think is hard to recycle.


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## curoso99 (Aug 9, 2020)

This would be awesome for a target that can be left out.


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## Sparrowhawk2000 (Mar 15, 2020)

I got a couple moving blankets from harbor freight when they are on sell. Put those towards the outside of the bag and fill the rest with old clothes, blankets etc


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## Normash Shwacks (Jun 2, 2018)

Go down to the Beer distribution place. they'll give you all the shrink wrap that they throw away. that's the best stuffing for an archery target.

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## shotacoffey (Dec 18, 2019)

Nice, I have to try the shrink wrap.


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## farscapesg1 (Sep 30, 2019)

For those using shrink wrap.. how packed do you have it? I built a 4x4 target and stuffed it full of shrink wrap (a vendor I work with gave me a huge 4x4x3 compressed block of it). I've packed that stuff as tight as I can using a 2x4 "T" I put together to pack from the top.. and I'm still having arrows bury themselves up to the fletching.. or a little more from a 34# recurve. I haven't had a complete pass-through yet. I've got 3 more black trash bags of the stuff but I can't seem to compress what is in there anymore.

I know cloth would work better.. but i can't source it. I've talked to goodwill type places with no luck even on cheap "bulk" options. Posted in neighborhood pages offering to take old cloths/sheets/towels/blankets and no luck. Talked to hotels, linen companies, etc. and no one is willing to part with anything (or are selling/giving it to others to make masks for COVID).


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## chinewalk (Apr 15, 2009)

I was wondering about using rubber mulch myself (like GMtech post #66). I'm using clothes /old shot out bag contents and can't get the bag packed tight enough to keep pass throughs from happening (bad shoulder - so 50# bows).

I would like to load up a bag, hang it on a stand and leave it be anyways, so the rubber mulch seems like something to try. I have shot .45 ACPs and 44 Mags into a five gallon bucket of the stuff and it contained the bullets. I'm just afraid after filling a bag up with the rubber mulch, the arrows wouldn't stick into the bag and the mulch isn't really that cheap.

I might give this a try this weekend as I am running out of targets.


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## rbussard (Nov 21, 2016)

The goodwill stores around me all have contracts with companies to take bulk clothing that they are going to throw out. So no freebies there.

I instead picked up a few of the moving blankets from Harbor Freight. These are the larger ones, which are more heavy duty material and dense. They normally cost 9.99 each, but with the coupon come out to 7.99 each. No having to cut zippers, buttons or deal with plastic melting on your arrows or bolts. Plus, due to the blankets size 72x80 you do not need many to fill a target size box. I simply stuffed the box as tight as I could by hand and sealed the top with packing tape. Stops my 400 FPS crossbow bolts with ease and takes only 2 fingers to pull them out.


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## farscapesg1 (Sep 30, 2019)

rbussard said:


> The goodwill stores around me all have contracts with companies to take bulk clothing that they are going to throw out. So no freebies there.
> 
> I instead picked up a few of the moving blankets from Harbor Freight. These are the larger ones, which are more heavy duty material and dense. They normally cost 9.99 each, but with the coupon come out to 7.99 each. No having to cut zippers, buttons or deal with plastic melting on your arrows or bolts. Plus, due to the blankets size 72x80 you do not need many to fill a target size box. I simply stuffed the box as tight as I could by hand and sealed the top with packing tape. Stops my 400 FPS crossbow bolts with ease and takes only 2 fingers to pull them out.


I may have to take a look at that. I can't find anywhere to get cloth in my area. Shrink wrap isn't working. I may try a combination of both, moving blankets lining the inside of the target and shrink wrap as extra filling between layers. No idea how many blankets I would need to fill up a 4'x4' target


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## jac88 (Dec 6, 2011)

Look for old couches people are throwing away. The synthetic polyester fiber fill is great as a filler; easy to pull arrows. Also if you can find it, synthetic sleeping bag insulation scraps like polargard or holofil are great because they dry out quickly if they get wet and do not promote mold growth. I have both my large targets filled with synthetic insulation and have been shooting them for years. You just "fluff" them back up after shooting for a period of time.


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## Crdicke1 (Oct 1, 2020)

how dense do you need to pack the bags with shrink wrap?


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## thirdhandman (Nov 2, 2009)

570archer55 said:


> Reading this just gave me an idea. Take your stuffing material and put it in a vacuum bag, suck out all the air and pack it into your target. Should be compressed better than trying to just stuff the target. If anyone tries it please post results.


Look up 
*What to do with an old bag target*. We give you step by step on how to use the vacuum to fill the target.


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## thirdhandman (Nov 2, 2009)

What to do with the old worn out bag targets.


Most bag targets are designed to last a couple years and a couple thousand arrows. We call it built in obsolescence. The manufacturers get paid to haul out some industrial scrap, then put it in an inexpensive bag and sell it as a target. It works well for a few years then most throw them away...




www.archerytalk.com


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## Ramey (Aug 9, 2019)

[emoji106]


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