Target and Stand for Home Use

Gadgets

New member
I am currently tidying up my garden after recently moving into a new house. I am doing this so I can fit a target in as I have 12 meters of space down the side of the house with the boss sitting in the garden.

I have read a few threads in the forum, but what do you guys recommend, straw boss or foam target. I shoot a 38lb bow and think a straw boss would last longer, I maybe wrong...?

Those with targets in their gardens, do you have a full size stand or one closer to the ground? I was planning on a full size stand as I think a free standing boss/ close to the ground wouldn't be the same?

Last question I promise, do any of you have netting behind their target? I don't think I need it, but I am not sure how my neighbor would feel if an arrow came through our adjoining fence into his garden lol.
 

Corax67

Well-known member
I can shoot 30yds plus in my garden but choose to shoot 20yds on Portsmouth faces.

I use a small layered foam target, the centre block from a Danage style target face which I was given by someone who took up archery then lost interest within a few months. It sits on an easel style stand made from 4x2 offcuts at regulation height against my back fence. Between this fence and the pine end of my neighbours house is a 3' gap of bramble filled scrubland.

It's had 12 months of me shooting 5 dozen sets about 3 times per week on average, originally from my 40# recurve using ACCs but after a layoff for health issues I am currently shooting 27# bow wth XX75's.

The very centre is soft enough that the ACCs will push through around an inch now but the XX75's are still fine.

I don't have a back net in place (a) because I don't own one, (b) because I've never missed at this range, (c) because my fence is 8' high and made of concrete slats seated between concrete posts.

From experience of shooting indoors at one local club I am not convinced netting is of much use since quite a lot of arrows from higher poundage bows frequently punch through it.




Karl
 

ben tarrow

Well-known member
I am not sure how my neighbor would feel if an arrow came through our adjoining fence into his garden lol.
I trust you're joking. Imagine it, neighbour pops round with your arrow sticking in his head. "Is this your arrow?" "Err, no?"

I can shoot 30yds plus in my garden but choose to shoot 20yds on Portsmouth faces.

I don't have a back net in place (a) because I don't own one, (b) because I've never missed at this range, (c) because my fence is 8' high and made of concrete slats seated between concrete posts.

Karl
Hey Karl,
Just for the fullness of completeness, though you've never missed at this range, what happens when you (inevitably) do?
Whats beyond your target?
What happens if you clip the top of the boss and your arrow pops over the top of your 8' fence?
Who are you going to kill?
 

Corax67

Well-known member
Hi Ben - I am likely to kill the pine end of a three storey detached house with no windows in it just masonry.

As I said in my post this wall is separated from my boundary fence by only a three feet wide gap of impenetrable bramble, so should I get an arrow over the 8' fence its trajectory would have to be akin that of a clout shoot to hit anything other than brickwork.

Effectively the house wall is a 20' high arrow backstop for my boss.



Karl
 

geoffretired

Supporter
Supporter
I used to shoot with a small layered foam boss standing in the garden. Shooting downhill in that way made me feel it was safe. I was wrong. Luckily the accident I had didn't send the arrow outside my property, but the shot was out of my control and could so easily have been disastrous. I have never shot in the garden since. My boss hangs from the roof of the garage. As it can swing, it takes a lot of the sting ot of the arrows so the boss lasts longer.
 

Simon Banks

Active member
Foam boss you can leave out straw boss you need to bring in otherwise it fits. You need a backstop net unless you have a good long area behind and to the sides. Backstop net costs more than the foam boss but it's a lot less then not having insurance and a wild arrow. I put my foam boss inside a child's goal which has a double layer of backstop netting. Arrows rarely penetrate a single layer.


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ben tarrow

Well-known member
should I get an arrow over the 8' fence its trajectory would have to be akin that of a clout shoot to hit anything other than brickwork.

Effectively the house wall is a 20' high arrow backstop for my boss.



Karl
A few weeks ago, one of our novices, shooting 20 yards, clipped the top of the boss. His arrow headed for orbit and made earthfall just next to the 60 yard boss. An 8' fence wouldnt have stopped it, though a 20' house wall, presumably with a roof on top, is more likely to have done the job :)
 

Simon Banks

Active member
With aluminium arrows I've even seen them do 180s if they hit a hard flat surface....


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Erkat

Member
Just to add that any backstop netting should be hung loosely draped not pulled tight. The purpose of backstop netting is to de-power the arrow not to stop it. Narrow shafts like ACEs regularly pass through nets but if the net is loose there is a higher chance of the arrow tangling in the netting as it tries to pass through thus taking the energy out of it.
 

mkhari

New member
Target bag from Merlin with a 40cm FITA face. Stand the bag on a garden chair.

No net, but getting one after my daughter sky'ed an arrow over the neighbour's garage, luckily it landed in the hedging that runs between our block of houses and the next block. I understand the argument that netting may not stop a compound arrow, but she's 9 years old shooting Easton Neos arrows from a 16lb bow, so I think it will do the job. Netting will be about ?60 + ?10 of hardware from B&Q, and will be doubling it over, only need about 2m width so getting a 4m net

Prior to that shot safely in the garden for a few years using the fence and the neighbours garage wall as a backstop and didn't miss once. Bloody kids!!!!

Another thing that made me think, is that last week at practice I shot an aluminium 1916 arrow from a 35lb barebow at 20m, it hit the wall, just above the net, de-fletched and de-piled itself and the bare shaft bounced back and landed at my feet. Given that at home, I shoot from 10m, and the garage wall is 12m away, that might have taken my eye out if it had happened at home instead of the club, another good reason to get a net.
 
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