From: dasaxe@milton.u.washington.edu (Daniel Perreault)
Newsgroups: alt.archery
Subject: Re: Targets, poundages and ranges
Date: 13 Oct 92 05:50:57 GMT
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle

In article <1992Oct9.063533.25941@monu6.cc.monash.edu.au> ins894r@aurora.cc.monash.edu.au (Aaron Wigley [Wigs]) writes:
>Just a query to the more experienced people out there,
>the local archery club (Monash Archery Club - I'm club secretary)
>has recently had problems with bows putting arrows through the target,
>and breaking chunks of paper backing and straw away. We figure the head
>is pushed through the target, and puts a strain on the paper backing
>before puncturing it. The strain causes straw to break away.
>
>We are currently shooting indoors, with ranges:
>       30 metres, 20 metres and 10 metres (for beginners).
>
>We are figuring imposing a poundage limit on each range:
>       up to 40 pounds on the 20 metre target,
>       up to 30 pounds on the 10 metre target,
>       and unrestricted poundages on the far target.
>
>Comments? Opinions? Flames?
>
>We will also be using a double thickness target on the far range
>from now on, which brings me to another question:
>       How can two damaged targets be bonded together easily and
>securely ? The targets have cracks up the centre of each, and we
>figured we could get some more use out of them by getting two
>cracked targets, and overlapping the targets like so:
>
>         ||||    ====
>         |||||||| =======
>         ||||||||| || =======
>         ||||||||| |||||| =======
>         ||||||||| |||||||||| =======
>         ||||||||| |||||||||| =======
>         ||||||||| |||||||||| =======
>         ||||||||| |||||||||| =======
>         ||||||||| ||||||||||            <- crack
>         ||||||||| |||||||||| =======
>             ||||| |||||||||| =======
>                 | |||||||||| =======
>                  ^  |||||||| =======
>           Crack  |      ||||    ====
>
>
>Opinions? Suggestions?
>
>The Wigs of Oz,
>Aaron Wigley           Monash Archery Club
>


Something you can use to put between those cracks is soundboard. It is
like plasterboard only I think it is made from shredded cardboard. Put it
in edge on to stop the arrows. I guarantee that that will stop any arrow.
The only drawback is that it can be very difficult to pull arrows out of it.

I assume from your discription and such that you are using Ethafoam targets.
Personally I dispise them, because I shoot a high poundage bow with heavy
arrows. Compressed cardboard layed edge on makes a good target, but it is
hard to get. The soundboard is also a good target backer, but might be
expensive or difficult from a practical standpoint. The target material my
shooting partner and I use on a rigid target is phonebooks. Point the
edges out, get about four columns and 10 phonebooks high and you have a
good size back. Buy a couple of 4x6's and some big bolts and compress the
phonebooks. It works great.

Another good target is to take a couple large burlap sacks. Put plastic
packaging material in it, (like lexan, seran wrap looking stuff. Warehouses
get large shipments packed in it) old plastic tarps-that kind of thing and
stuff it into a sack. When the sack is quite full, sew it shut and put it
into the other burlap sack and sew that shut. This will stop almost anything.

Dan Perreault
dasaxe@u.washington.edu