The great foam shortage of 2013

pipeski

Member
I've been told by a number of archery shops that they're unable to get 130cm layered foam bosses at the moment, and that there's a shortage due to some shenanigans between the foam supplier and the target manufacturers...

Anyone have any more information on this? I'm desperate to source a couple of bosses this month.
 

DavidH

New member
Could mean you'll have to return to traditional straw, you know those nice round ones that look like a target;)
 

DavidH

New member
Seriously, why did we move to foam? The only problem we've had with straw is shoot throughs by compounds, easily solved with some carpet backing. Straw bosses can easily be moved around, there's no wood surround to get damaged, stands are easy to make, and they are eco friendly . They can used in competition and as they get more used, can go onto the field for general use. Even when the centres get soft they are still suitable for have-a-gos and beginners and can easily be revitalised with some wood glue in the middle. Apart from all that they just look right.

I know I'm totally outnumbered on this and our field usually has no more than a couple of straw bosses on it these days, just to keep us old longbowmen happy.
 

Rik

Supporter
Supporter
Seriously, why did we move to foam? The only problem we've had with straw is shoot throughs by compounds, easily solved with some carpet backing. Straw bosses can easily be moved around, there's no wood surround to get damaged, stands are easy to make, and they are eco friendly . They can used in competition and as they get more used, can go onto the field for general use. Even when the centres get soft they are still suitable for have-a-gos and beginners and can easily be revitalised with some wood glue in the middle. Apart from all that they just look right.

I know I'm totally outnumbered on this and our field usually has no more than a couple of straw bosses on it these days, just to keep us old longbowmen happy.
Why move away from straw?
1. It's damn heavy.
2. You make it dense enough to stop all arrows, and it will break some of them.
3. You can shoot through it relatively quickly, and they don't do replacement centres.
If there are good alternatives, why not use them?
 

DavidH

New member
Why move away from straw?
1. It's damn heavy.
2. You make it dense enough to stop all arrows, and it will break some of them.
3. You can shoot through it relatively quickly, and they don't do replacement centres.
If there are good alternatives, why not use them?
1 You can roll a straw boss
2 My woodies suffer no more into straw than foam (nothing breaks easier than wood!) and there's no wood surround to hit (that doesn't just apply to us longbow archers, my knife was used four times a week or so ago to get barebow arrows out of wood, and dont forget all the poor beginners trying new distances)
3. but they make lovely bonfires for barbecue nights;) or better still, give the old ones to gardeners to mulch into the ground
4. I'm just an old traditionalist ;) and what happened to all the fun we used to have jumping on them to get the centre back into position
 

Furface

Moderator
Supporter
For me, the chief problem with foam bosses is storage. They are generally thicker than the straw ones, and also have those sharp corners sticking out. Not to mention that the stands have to be somewhat larger to hold them. Much as I would love to have infinite storage facilities, we don't.
And, of course, as DavidH hinted, disposal is a concern to those of us who spend their non-archery moments hugging trees.
 
C

Compound10

Guest
Try pulling thin arrows shot from a 60lb compound at 50m from a new straw target. It's like trying to pull Excalibur out of the stone.
 

bimble

Well-known member
Supporter
Fonz Awardee
Ironman
AIUK Saviour
not to mention the wear to carbon arrows that you don't get with foam...
 

fanio

Active member
Yes, straw bosses tend to be so horrible (well some of them) that I try to avoid shoots that don't provide foam for the compounds. Don't particularly care for them when shooting my recurve either.

They are sufficient for longbows though.
 

Rabid Hamster

Well-known member
Ironman
biggest problem is no-one bothered to develop a value for money, effective stopping power boss with no storage issues the same way they developed limbs and arrows.

Having to pay ?600 for a boss to stop some maniac with a 59.99lbs peak weight compound with tungsten pointed x10's complaining about pass throughs is beyond most clubs and a staw boss has about as much chance of stopping the above mentioned compound/x10/tungsten combo as I have of being the next pope!
 
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