How to Make Bow Targets
Archers need targets for practice. Bow targets sold by retailers are pricey. However, you can make your own targets that are very cheap to construct. These types of targets are known as bag targets and offer the advantage of not removing the finish from arrow shafts like lots of commercial targets do.
You can make a target with mostly recycled items, such as plastic bags and a burlap sack. Check local pet shops and feed or livestock stores for burlap. Chances are that they order bulk pet and livestock grains, which are shipped in burlap sacks, and the retailers just discard them when they're empty.
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Things You'll Need
- 25-pound burlap sack
- Fill materials, such as empty plastic bags, old towels or fleece, carpet remnants
- Awl or ice pick
- 10 to 20 feet of 1/8-inch nylon cord
Instructions
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Cut up old towels, fleece or rug and carpet remnants into 2- or 3-inch pieces if you've chosen these materials to fill your target with. Heavy fabrics and plastic bags are good choices for fill materials because they won't damage arrows shot into them.
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2
Open the burlap sack and begin stuffing it with filler materials. Pack the filler tightly so that arrows shot into the sack won't poke out the backside of the finished target. Fill the sack to about 4 to 6 inches from the top. You'll need that unused material to seal the sack.
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Use an awl or ice pick to poke holes all the way around the opening of the sack once you're through filling it. Make the holes about an inch or two apart and large enough to run 1/8-inch nylon cord through.
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4
Create a drawstring closure by threading the nylon cording through the holes of the sack, like lacing your shoes.
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Pull the nylon cord drawstring tight and tie a knot in it to secure it. Hang your target from a tree or fence post.
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Tips & Warnings
Before beginning target practice, take a good look at your practice area. Know what's around and behind your target before shooting the bow. Using common sense and extreme caution will make archery a safe sport for you and those around you.
