1.) bluecat - 08/31/2015

Made an archery target bag for field points recently and thought I'd share a bit. All you need is a feedsack available at a Farm and Home type store (for free) or a burlap coffee sack. You can get these online or have someone at a coffee shop save them for you.

The key to making a bag target is to line the outside with cardboard or something stiff so the bag retains its shape and can stand on its own. I've found the best padding is old cotton clothes or blankets. Just cut out any zippers or metal studs if you use jeans.

Once stuffed full you can sew the top using some hay bale twine or something similar. I got a sewing needle from a fabric store that has a big eye and is used for sewing tapestries or such.

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Once you shoot out the covering. Just slip a new covering over it and you are back in business. They will stop arrows well.

2.) Jon - 08/31/2015

One bit of advice, don't use blue jeans! Let's just say they make it very difficult to pull arrows from the bag.

3.) Swamp Fox - 08/31/2015

The other thing to avoid if you have other options is plastic grocery bags. I used to stuff cardboard boxes tight with them and thought that was pretty swift, but then figured out how much time I was spending scraping "melted" plastic off the arrow shafts. The speed/friction always left a residue, which is easy enough to remove with your fingernail, but why bother if you have a lot of rags or something else lying around?

4.) bluecat - 08/31/2015

[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;34269]The other thing to avoid if you have other options is plastic grocery bags. I used to stuff cardboard boxes tight with them and thought that was pretty swift, but then figured out how much time I was spending scraping "melted" plastic off the arrow shafts. The speed/friction always left a residue, which is easy enough to remove with your fingernail, but why bother if you have a lot of rags or something else lying around?[/QUOTE]

Yes, I encountered the same thing. They stop an arrow but are kind of a pain. They also grab the area between field point and shaft and you have to constantly pick out the bits of plastic bag.

5.) bluecat - 08/31/2015

The heavier duty plastic isn't so bad, its the lightweight plastic you mentioned (newspaper covers, grocery bags) don't work well.

6.) Swamp Fox - 08/31/2015

Good point.

I half-attempted building a big cardboard backstop for shooting long distance once, but never figured out how to keep it from disintegrating in the rain, or even heavy dew, LOL. A shop I used to go to had one but I'm convinced they must have taken the cardboard inside each night or something.

I also considered a Blob target at one time but was too cheap to have it shipped to me, and never got the adrenaline pumping enough to make the long drive to pick one up where they make them.

7.) Wild Bob - 08/31/2015

:tu:

Great idea, thanks for sharing it.