$1 Archery Target!!

Here is an easy and effective way for almost anyone to have a target for archery, regardless of where you live!

Please keep in mind that this target is only intended for field point shooting. Also, PLEASE SHOOT RESPONSIBLY!!! You'd think that one wouldn't have to say things like that but common sense ain't all that common, ya know?

Step 1: Materials

Here is what you need for the target:

1- Burlap bag. I found mine at a feed store (Atwoods)

2-Binding. I was going to use paracord guts but I couldn't find a needle big enough for it, so I used thin gauge wire
3-Shrink wrap. You're gonna need a lot, I used half of a stuffed 65(ish) gallon rubbish bag.

4- Cardboard and spray paint (optional). I cut some rings out of cardboard to make a target and then spray painted it onto the bag

Step 2: Spray the Target!!! (optional)

Cut your bullseye design out of the cardboard and spray paint it onto the bag. I sprayed it before i filled the bag so that it looked clean and stayed the right shape. Easy peasy

Step 3: Stuff That Sucka

Cram the bag full of shrink wrap! try to make it uniformly full and be sure to stuff it like crazy! it will look like you won't need a lot of it, but it can hold a lot of shrink wrap. Mold and strategically stuff the wrap as you go so that the bag isn't lumpy. The more shrink wrap you can shove in there without ripping the bag, the more effective it will be.

Step 4: Time to Be a Surgeon

Time to sew up the bag. I doubled up the burlap so that it would hold up to a lot more abuse. I try to keep the stitches approximately 2 inches apart, but it's all up to you.

After you're done stitching up the bag, you can thump and mold your bag to make it nice and pretty.

Step 5: You're Done!

Look at that, you're done! it took me about 10 minutes to stuff and sew up the bag, and I left it alone for about 3 hours prior to stuffing to let the paint dry.

I shoot a Mathews Black Max 2 drawing at about 58-60 pounds, and I shoot both 28 and 30 inch arrows (pretty much whatever is cheapest. I like aluminum because they're fixable if you miss and ding the arrow :p) The arrows didn't penetrate the back of the bag, but I should have packed it a little more.

There you go! Hope you enjoyed the inscructable and happy (and more importantly safe) shooting!!!

Comments

[frammis]

Pretty slick. I've been casting about for a convenient and easy-to-use backstop and this fits the bill perfectly. What a great idea.

Now all I have to do is hunt down some of that shrink-wrap stuff.

(Bales of hay are the best, but they're big and heavy - especially when wet.)

[LanceIkaika]

thanks! it was something my dad taught me, and since I didnt have a target but wanted to shoot, I decided to make one.

I work in a warehouse so I got the wrap pretty easy, but I bet you could gp to a warehouse/factory nearby where you are and ask if you can take the scrap wrap. Happy hunting!

[MrE]

SHRINK-WRAP? Do you mean industrial grade stretch wrap? Or in smaller supply called Cling-wrap? Like this stuff.

http://www.amazon.com/Stretch-Wrap-Wide-1500-Long/... Because shrink-wrap is something you use to seal items with a heat gun. Like this.

http://www.amazon.com/Photo-Frog-Basket-Accents-30...

And I think you could get away with stuffing your bag with ordinary grocery bags as it is the multiple condensed layers of plastic that gives it the ability to reduce the incoming force by allowing the layers to deflect laterally to the incoming direction.

[AndyH69]

Yes, grocery bags work just fine. My impression is that light-weight material such as shrink wrap or plastic bags is more "grippy" on the arrows than is heavy plastic sheet.

[kickercoach1285]

I use old clothes. You don't get any residue from the plastic. remove any buttons and zippers though.

[lmherbel]

Hi, just made our first instructable!!! My son used this for his archery 4H project. I made a few adjustments, it had to be something that a kid could do himself. We used a large red permanent marker instead of spray paint. Our bags are old grain bags that I have been dying to reuse. Instead of sewing, we stapled at the top, folded it over and stapled again. We also used duct tape along the top so he didn't get scraped by a staple. We stuffed with straw, it's what we had. Needless to say, it was a huge hit at 4H and its something that a kid can make and transport without help. The patents liked that it was creative and affordable. Thank you for an excellent project from a very grateful 4H mom.

[fred.battley]

Plastic grocery bags work just fine I have used them for years with a 80lb long bow

[1iJack23]

what about using shopping dags? do you think they would be to light?

[MoTinkerGNome]

Thanks I think i now have a use for my chicken feed bags, I have been using them for trash bags in the garage but Archery targets would be more fun.

[fzumrk]

Nice re-use for discarded shrink-wrap.