Hey everyone. I do a lot of hiking and camping and would like to take my bow along on my next hike (14 miles or so) to target shoot. I am looking for ideas on how to construct a super lightweight target that can be constructed once I get to the camp spot. The last time I went, I tried to do this by carrying some plastic garbage bags on the hike, then filling them with sand once I got to the destination. Of course, after a few quivers, the bags was shot to hell and had to be repaired with duct tape... and of course the arrows had to be refletched after going through the duct tape numerous times. It was almost ideal since the carried weight was minimal (a few garbage bags), the filler (sand) was plentiful, and all I had to do was empty the bags and carry the trash out. I am looking for some ideas that are similar in thought. I want to carry minimal weight (under 5 pounds) and have a target that will properly stop the arrows without hurting the fletching. I was thinking of using the same method, but using burlap bags instead and perhaps packing the sand a little tighter. Does anyone think this will work or have any better ideas or criticisms? Thanks a lot.
not sure what my rhinehart ball weighs, its not under 5 but can't be much more... Has a handle and flat bottom so you can toss it and it lays out for you. Might be too heavy/big for what you are talking about, but worth a look at. I use it to unload my crossbow when I hunt with it.
Might consider some new points for your arrows. Stump shooters. Judo heads are always a popular choice for stump shooting. The have small arms that "grab" the ground and kick the nock end up so your arrow doesn't bury under leaves. Try some squirrel or rabbit hunting with them too!
If you're just looking for simple than a burlap bag would be it, but unless it's really big it won't be very deep so it might not stop arrows from a high powered bow. What i was thinking is get a burlap bag and cut 4 8" aluminum rods and glue them on the inside to the corners so that is forces it to have that depth. I have never tried this so I don't know how it would work but in my head it seems like it should work. You could cut the rod to what ever length you need to accommodate different powered bows. It would be light and small since it would just fold and you could stick it in a bag. If it wears out just stick another bag around it. If that doesn't work, get some judo points and put an orange sticker on a tree.
I appreciate the replies. Just for reference, my bow is a Hoyt Power Hawk at 27.5 DL and 70# DW. I like the Rhinehart ball, although it may be a bit bulky. It is worth considering though, so thank you. I was reading that stump shooters could damage my arrows. What do you guys think about that? All I have are carbon fiber arrows and I'm worried about the stress they'll take from hitting a stump or tree. Am I concerned about nothing? I like the rod idea to give the bags more depth. Perhaps carrying 4 bags and stacking them would provide the same benefit? I am also considering a small cardboard box and then carrying some small flat pieces of cardboard to fill the front half, then filling the second half with sand. Then I can just throw the cardboard in the fire at the end of the day and not have to hike it back out. Something like this: Maybe the burlap bags are the best best though.
The card board box is a great idea for getting more depth. I'm not sure why you would need all those other cardboard layers, I assume your thought was for it to stop sand from leaking. Instead of carrying around all that cardboard you could get a thin layer of that rubber foam stuff that seals it's own holes. You would only have to carry one cardboard box(which can fold to be flat), tape or glue this foam layer to the front so it won't leak when you fill the cardboard with holes, fill with sand and you're done. When you're ready to leave take off the foam and burn the box if it's large so that there is less to carry on the way back. All you would need for another run is to get another box. Supplies list: cardboard box, foam rubber cut to size, tape and an orange sticker for a spot to shoot. seems simple to me.
In case anyone cares, I ended up bringing a small box (10"L x 12"W x 5"H) and filling it with slices of cardboard. I was surprised to find out that only 5 inches of cardboard would stop the arrows about half way in from 30 yards and out. The hard part was pulling the arrows out... The box was burned the next morning before hiking out. It was small, hardly weighed anything, and we didn't have to hike it back out. Overall, that little box worked exceptionally better than I thought it would. Thanks for the input everyone. Even if I didn't follow the advice it helped me brainstorm. Maybe someone will find this useful one day. Or, maybe not...
