Why spend hundreds of dollars on an archery target when you can easily build one on your own? You don’t have to spend a lot just to get your own archery target.
There are many things around your house that you can use as parts of your own target.
There are many DIY archery target projects that you can easily create. You only need a few tools, materials, and your time and effort. If you want a flashier target, more money and time would be needed.
However, if you only need a basic and simple archery target, you can build one very easily. So, here are some options that you can consider in building an archery target, whether you want a professional-looking one or just a bare-bones version that you can use as a beginner.
Build An Inexpensive Box Target
According to WikiHow, If you are just a newbie in archery, you can start by building an inexpensive target box.
All you need is a big enough old box (or buy a new box if you want) with a minimum size of 18 inches by 18 inches by 18 inches.
These boxes should be thick enough to handle beginners’ arrows. They should not be used by those who are able to shoot compound bows or high-powered crossbows. But they should be strong enough to take on high draw weights or high-velocity arrows.
According to Archery360, Stuff the target box with plastic bags or shrink wraps or similar materials. You can get them from your local grocery store.
If you are conscientious, you may even get them for free. Alternately put insulation foams in between each bag or wrap. Pack them full and tight.
Use duct tape or packing tape to completely seal the box. This is your archery target, and also portable at that.
Now, you can test it if it will perform as a practical archery target. Test it by shooting at it at a closer range to ensure that it has enough safety margin.
If the arrow doesn’t penetrate through the other side of the box, it is safe. But if it does, discard this box and get another bigger box and transfer all the stuff that you’ve put into the first box into this second box. Of course, you also need to add more stuff to this box to pack it full.
Build A Target Out Of Puzzle Mats
According to Instructables Website, You can also use puzzle mats to make an archery target. These mats are the ones used in children’s playrooms.
They are made of strong foam and are suitable materials for making sturdy but inexpensive archery targets.
Aside from the puzzle mats, you will need a wooden box that will hold them in place. The puzzle mats that you can use are the 12 inches by 12 inches mats.
You will need several pieces of these mats. Their actual number will depend on the size and thickness of the archery target that you intend to build.
If you will build 2 feet by 2 feet target with a thickness of 12 inches, you will need several pieces of puzzle mats. The thickness of a puzzle mat is usually over one-half inch.
So you have to figure out how many puzzle mats will be required for the size and thickness of the target that you want to make.
The size of the box should be slightly bigger than 2 feet by 2 feet. It should have sides that are thicker than the total thickness of the puzzle mats that you will use. This size should enable you to slip in the layers of the puzzle mats easily.
Put a cover on the back side of the box. This should serve as the base of the box. Preferably it should be made of thick plastic wire mesh. The wire mesh will stop the arrow from completely punching all the way through.
According to GoneOutoors, Assemble the puzzle mats together and place them inside the box. If you want the assembly to be stronger and more stable, you can use duct tape to keep the mats altogether. You now have a DIY archery target which can be classified as a compression target.
Use A Carpet To Build An Archery Target
You can also use a carpet to make your own archery target just like this man in this video.
The target that this man built could pass for a pro archery target because of its quality. You should watch this video to get an idea of how carpets can be used to build your own archery target.
Basically, what you need to do is to cut your carpet into several pieces so that these pieces can be compacted into a wooden frame that will hold them together.
The wooden frame that the man used is composed of two thick wooden planks that are two inches thick, 12 inches wide and 6 feet long.
He bored holes in each of the corners of the wooden boards and stuck threaded rods 36 inches long in each of the holes.
The carpet is just the normal carpet which is not rubber-backed. It is cut into several pieces to fit the size of the wooden boards.
According to ARCHERY ESSENTIALS, He then stacked up the pieces of carpets one on top of the other at the base wooden board until he gets them up to the thickness that he desired.
And then he placed the other wooden board on the topmost piece of carpet. He then placed a nut on each of the long threaded rods and began to tighten them using a wrench.
He continued to tighten the nuts on the rods until the whole assembly appeared to be tight and compacted. The man said that he could add more pieces of carpets on top if he wanted to make a larger archery target.
Then he tested his target to see if it will really function as it was intended. He shot an arrow at a distance towards the target and the arrow seemed to have cleanly penetrated the compacted carpet. He says that this target is good.
He even said that it can last 50 times more than a good target that he can buy in the market.