[Salskov]

Did some measuring the other day and found a very nice, flat shooting alley that will give me stations up to 45 metres. Only challenge is that 12' behind the 45 metre post is the 18" thick drystone wall of the old cowshed. Arrows that hit it die the real death.

Thus the question of the day for the Braintrust . . . has anyone used archery backstop netting with success? Shortest range would be 12 metres, longest 45 as mentioned above. Doubt it will see anything over 42# draw weight. But with my wife's growing interest, grandkids, and the occasional local interest in archery I can see more use of it than by yrs. truly only.

The stuff is expensive, so I'd want some pretty good assurance that I wouldn't be throwing money - and arrows - away on something that kinda sorta worked only some of the time.

Regards,

Salskov

 

[DDD]

I shot a indoor range something ago that the owner had long rubber mats which he hung down spaced off the by two by four. Think the mats were old conveyor belt or the mats from a live stock feed store for live stock trailer. Arrow will just bounce off dead to the ground. The key s the mat must be loose to swing at the bottom.
DDD

 

[Greysides]

Ignore the back-stop netting. As you say, it's expensive, it's also not fool-proof where high poundage is concerned.

I'd suggest multiple layers of old carpet hanging free, slightly separated. Three should do it.

Hanging old conveyor belt rubber works too.

 

[dkard]

Netting works well as long as the diameter of your shafts is not too small. Also leave space between the net and the wall. The arrows will penetrate, small one are only stopped by the vanes/feathers.

If it is just a stop. Get old carpeting and hang several layers. I made a target like that worked really well but the center got shot out relatively fast. Benefit it was free, con it was heavy. For a stop , I would use several layers with gaps.

Not sure how the netting would hold up outdoors.

dave

 

[longrifle346]

I cut a 3/8" rubber truck bed mat in half and layered them as a backstop obehind my bale press. They're attached at the top and swing freely at the bottom. After thousands of shots, even if I concentrate too much in one area and penetrate the layers, I've never seen more than a tip come through to the back side.

I also saw some real thick horse mats at Tractor Supply the other day that impressed me. They were pretty good size and ~$40 apiece.

 

[DDD]

Better idea. Instead of putting hay stack in the the barn put on the outside. Lol.
DDD

 

[kenn1320]

My dad uses that shade mesh you see used at nurserys. It's an outdoor netting that is above your head when your walking around looking at plants. Again the key is loosely hanging, so it can soak the energy out of the arrow.

 

[JOEU]

Don't know if you can get it, but the best stuff I've found for targets is trampoline material. I use it on our indoor range and our field targets. It lasts about two years, our indoor range gets hammered pretty good, it lasts longer on the field targets.
If one was to use it for just a backstop behind a target bale, no telling how long it would last. It comes by the yard and is 160" wide, I get it from a place in Georgia, free shipping and it costs about $16 a yard.

We've used all kinds of stuff over the years, it's all we use now.

 

[Bowcephalus]

Good old used conveyor belt. The wide stuff. Works like magic.

 

[Salskov]

Thank you, gentlemen . . . kinda had a feeling it was TGTBT. What I would give right now for a roll of dryer felt !!


Regards,

Salskov

 

[Rasyad]

Just get a bigger target, say a 52" x x52"

HERE is link to Domino Targets. I have the A39 / XHD and think it is the best target made. HERE is a thread.

Rasyad

 

[Phil]

We use old rubber stable matting used in our horse stables 1 inch thick ... nothing gets through it.

 

[SteveInNJ]

Hanging carpet is too heavy and fashionably gaudy if you get something from the 70s. Go with something made of rubber.