How Do You Build an Archery Target?

If you need an archery target because your old target is spoiled, you can build your archery target economically instead of buying expensive ones.

There is no rocket science involved as I had researched a bit when my old target needed replacement and made the new target at home.

All it takes is effort, and you will have a new target ready without investing extra bucks.

How Do You Build an Archery Target?

What Makes a Good Archery Target?

There are a lot of factors that contribute to making a good archery target. Here is the list you should consider when analyzing the quality of archery targets.

• A good archery target is durable; it consists of fine-quality material that will not wear out after a few shootings.
• The target type also matters, and the type of wood the target has also played an important role.
• The target should be easy to use, and one should be comfortable while using the target.
• The target size should be big enough to divert the focus and not be too short of making it hard to focus.
• A good archery target is compatible with arrows; when the archer releases an arrow and hits the target, the target should endure the arrow hit.

Types of Archery Target Designs

Before I explain building your archery target, you should also know the target designs. There are two types of targets designs you can make;

1. Frame

The frame is the main structure of the target that is responsible for the rigidness and shape of the target and also helps in providing balance. You can make the frame from wood, PVC pipe, cardboard, or metal.

The frame needs a solid body that can stand firm on the ground. Wood is the prime material to use in the target, and other PVC supplies, including pipe, metal, or any other thing, can be an alternative to wood.

2. Backstop

Another target design is a backstop; as the name indicates, it prevents the hunting down of the arrows and collects them finely when they hit the backstop. The backstop consists of a spongy material that absorbs all the pressure of the arrow and helps in slowing the projectile’s momentum of the target.

The most common backstop designs consist of hay, cardboard, cloth, carpet, plastic, and foam. Most of these materials are excellent constituents of the other, and you can easily find them in your house.

How Do You Make A Homemade Archery Target?

Making a homemade archery target does not require any complicated process. You only have to follow the steps right.

Remember not to panic if anything goes south, as there is a workaround for everything. There are several types of homemade archery targets that you can practice depending on your needs.

I have explained each type of archery target below with their merits and demerits to give you an idea of what fits your budget and usage.

How To Make an Archery Target – Types Explained (DIY)

You can make an archery target from a frame and material. Materials, cost, durability, construction, and the pros and cons of each target are given in detail below;

1. Full Cardboard Target

A full cardboard target is one of the cheapest and only costs you $10 to $20. The target’s durability is low, and bulletproof points are the best arrows compatible with this target. In manufacturing this target, you need a few boxes that might lie in your house somewhere.

Materials Required

• Tape
• Cardboard box 22″ by 13″ by 16.5.”
• Some extra cardboard
• Glue

It would help if you had cardboard to make the frame of the target and some stuff you can fill inside the cardboard that will help make this targeted work as both a frame and a backstop. Any box with a good length and height will work well for the target, and ensure the width is not more than 1 to 2 feet.

The width should be less; if the width is more, you will need some extra material to stuff inside the cardboard. You want the target to hold still, and if you stuff a lot due to the increase in the width, the target will top off on every hit and have to arrange it all over again.

How to Make Full Cardboard Target

• Take the cardboard box and extra cardboard, match their long side dimension and cut them along.
• Take 17 stacks of cardboard, tape them together, and repeat the process.
• Now take the stake and glue them to the inside of the box. Let it stick to the inside of the box for some hours to let the glue stick to it permanently.
• Now take your 2^nd stake of extra cardboard and tape them on the other side of the box.
• After you have glued both sides of the boxes, take a clip and extra sheets and tape them to the small cardboard bar that connects one set of the stacked cardboard to the other stack glued in your box on different sides.
• After you have the right size of the cardboard, glue this to the bottom to connect the set of stacked and again add some weight so the glue can dry quickly and adhere to the cardboard.
• Now you can glue the sticker or the bullseye page on the cardboard and let it dry.

Pros

• The cardboard is easy to find; you can get it even from your store room.
• Cardboard target also allows only one type of arrow, and you cannot use other arrows.
• It fits nicely for the bullet targets.

Cons

• As the material is cheap, so is the quality. This target will not stay firm for a long time. This target will eventually fall off within one or two weeks.
• This cardboard only supports bullet point arrows and does not hold broad head arrows.
• Using a broadhead arrow on a cardboard target can damage the cardboard, and the arrow can be badly stuck.

2. Hay Target

You will need a hay bale if you want a solid backstop and a self-made frame. Hay target is a great idea and a suitable replacement for cardboard. Hay target costs $20 to $100, its durability is low, and it supports blunt arrowheads. Hay is a bunch of herbaceous plants compressed together. The target made with hay is of a solid shape, and you have to attach a target only.

Material

• Hay Bale
• String
• Some plastic covering

Hay targets are usually covered in plastic to prevent them from falling off and enduring the arrows. Hay falls apart fast because it comprises loose material combined and pressed together. It will fall apart if you constantly and bluntly shoot arrows at it. Please do not put the hay outside, as they are edible for clutters, and this targe can get wet in the rain.

How to Make Hay Target

• Buy several bales of hay, set them up, and cover them in a plastic that can be a mattress cover or tarp.
• Use a string to attach the target, make a hole in the target, and tie the string in the hole in the paper.
• Then to the bay of hales from where you attach the target.
• The construction of a hay target is easy as it already comes in a ready-made shape.

Pros

• They are very lightweight and easy to carry and fix on the ground.
• Bullet arrows work well in these targets. But the weight of these targets is well-suited for the blunt arrows because they will not shift the target
• There are other cheaper options than this, but if you can find hay at a cheaper rate, you can make these targets easily.

Cons

• One of the cons of hay target is that you can quickly disperse it and damages it with a few arrows, which is why it is covered in plastic, but it can only hold this hay for a short period.
• Hay targets cannot bear broadheads as well because of their delicate construction.

3. Puzzle Mat Target

The puzzle mat target is of acceptable quality and costs $80 to $120, and the durability is high compared to the targets mentioned above. These targets can firmly bear broadhead arrows which are a plus point of these targets

Materials

• Carpet 3″ by 3.”
• Screws
• Chicken Wire
• Puzzle Mats
• Metal Angle Braces
• Four 1″ by 1″ by 36″ pieces of wood
• Two 1″ by 1″ by 3″ pieces of wood
• 2″ Nails
• Two 3″ by 3″ by 36″ pieces of wood

How to Make Puzzle Mat Target

• Take a 3 x 3 puzzle mat grid and take 1 by 1 of each mat as a backstop. This way, if you take a 3 x 3 grid, you can make a 3 by 3 surface.
• Make a pile of them, and they will become 1 foot thick. To create the frame, take the woodcut 2 of the 1 by 1 and 36 inches of wood.
• Now take the other 3 by 3 inches of 36-inch wood and repeat the process for this as well.
• Now move forward to make the bottom of the frame and take the most extended 3 by 3 piece flat on the ground, then attach the shorter 3 by 3 piece to connect it to the end of the board.
• Use nails to attach the metal angle braces, and your fame base is ready.
• Now make the top of the frame in the same way.
• Attach the top of the frame with the bottom at the end of the frame base.
• Add blocks to the top corners of the frame and nail them to secure the top of the frame.
• Add the chicken wire to the back brace of the frame. This chicken wire will secure the puzzle mat.
• Take a 3 by 3 grid of the puzzle mat and tie it to the frame on top of the chicken wire.
• Attach the 3 by 3 carpet to the front face and attach the target to the ground.

Pros

• It is one of the best targets among the whole list of targets.
• It has medium durability; you can replace the damaged parts. The durability might be medium, but it is not impossible to maintain the durability.
• It is one of the few targets that can endure broadhead arrows.

Cons

• Expensive to set up and make. People mostly drop the idea of making it after hearing the price. This extra price is for the wood and the puzzle mat itself.
• Finding the correct sizes can also be challenging.

4. Carpet Archery Target

This target costs you $50 to $80, and the durability of this target is high. Arrows that are best for this type of target are bullet points.

Materials

• 4 threaded dowel rods
• Lots of carpets
• 12″ by 12″ by 6″ piece of wood
• 8 washers and nuts

How to Make Carpet Archery Target

• Cut the 12 by 12 by 6″ in half, and you will have two 2 by 12 by 3 boards.
• Drill holes on the same corner of each board and fix the threaded dowel rods through these holes on both boards.
• Place a piece of wood on the ground; this will become the base of your target.
• Push the dowel rods on all the corners of the board and then attach the washers and nuts to the end of the dowel rod. Your target feet are ready.
• Take your carpet, cut 2″ by 11″ strips, and stack them on top of your baseboard.
• Take the stake as high as you want because when you compress it, it will shrink.
• Take the other board, fit the dowels through the holes, and push the wood down to the carpet stack.
• The nuts and washers left behind are then put on top of the dowel and then twisted as far as you can.
• Your target is ready, and you can improve your target by making the target even more layers and its face to the ground and stepping on it. This facing will help even out the target and give a perfectly smooth surface.

Pros

• Carpet target is the easiest and most incredible design and helps hold the target well.
• It is an excellent target for archery practice.

Cons

• Making it is expensive than other methods listed.
• This method is a little time-consuming because cutting the carpet into strings is a time taking and complex process.

5. Ethofoam Target

This target costs you an estimated $100, and the durability is medium. The best arrow type this target supports is broadhead. Broadhead arrows are one of the best arrows many hunters use. Ethofoam targets can endure these targets. Ethofoam targets can also hold bullet heads and field heads.

Materials

• 1″ nails or screws
• Three 30″ by 5″ by 1″ pieces of wood
• One 30″ by 30″ by 0.5 pieces of wood
• Two 30″ by 2″ by 0.5″ pieces of wood
• Five 2″ by 2″ sheets of Ethofoam

How to Make Ethofoam Target

• Take the 30″ by 30″ board to make the back of your board, and add a 30″ by 5″ board to make the bottom of both sides of the boards.
• You can nail the backboard into the other boards that you are attaching. You can also use screws instead of nails.
• Add three sides to the backboard using the incomplete box with the 5 sheets of Ethofoam.
• Then seal the sheets with slim pieces of wood. Keep these pieces at the bottom of the frame and on the top of the Ethofoam.
• Leave the top open; this will give you the option of the Ethofoam to switch when they get worn out. Knowing this, you can stay tension-free and quickly replace the foam when the present one is in bad shape.

Pros and Cons

Ethofoam is the best target for broad-head arrows; this makes it a firm target. You can throw as many arrows as possible without worrying about the target wearing out. The Ethofoam sheets are easy to replace, and you can easily replace them.

One con about this target is that it is expensive and costs a lot to replace the Ethofoam time with the new one. This whole Ethofoam replacement and 2 sheets of Ethofoam cost almost $200.

What Are Archery Bag Targets Filled With?

Most archery targets contain a filling of the primary material of their body, i.e., cardboard target has stacked cardboard filling, and Ethofoam target has stacked foam filling. But if we talk about bag targets, they are generally filled with synthetic fibers, which helps them stop the arrow and fix it so you won’t keep finding it everywhere. You can fill these targets with other materials such as cotton, old clothing, etc.

How To Build an Archery Target for A Compound Bow

All the targets, including cardboard, Ethofoam, carpet, and hay, are homemade archery targets. Taking an archery target for a compound bow is similar to all these targets. You need some materials and combine them to build your target.