Archery Target

What an archery target has to do

An archery target has one job: stop the arrow, hold it and let it go when you pull. Every bow target on the market does that job with one of three tricks. It traps the point in packed fill (bags), grips it in dense foam (solid blocks), or squeezes it between compressed sheets (layered foam). A 3D target is foam shaped like an animal.

The trick matters less than the ratings. A target that stops a 40-lb recurve all summer can let a fast compound or crossbow walk right through. So the first two questions are always the same: how fast is my arrow, and what's on the front of it?

The table under this page lists archery targets we track on Amazon US, with the type, point rating, speed rating, shooting sides and size that the maker or the Amazon listing states (the table marks values that come from the listing). A dash means neither states it, not that the answer is zero.

Which kind of archery target fits you

Archery 360, the Archery Trade Association's consumer site, sorts targets into foam, 3D and bag. Here's how I'd split them by who shoots them.

• Bag target: field-point practice, lots of shots, easy pulls. Each sub-type has its own page; this one is on the bag target page.
• Solid foam block: more shooting faces, often rated for broadheads. See the foam archery target page.
• Layered foam: stacked sheets, light for its size, field points or broadheads by rating.
• 3D animal: shot placement and angles for hunters, and 3D tournaments. See the 3D archery target page.
• Broadhead target: dense foam made to stop and release fixed or mechanical heads. See the broadhead target page.
• Crossbow target: rated for the speeds crossbows put out. See the crossbow target page.

If you only ever shoot at a club range that supplies targets, you can skip all of this and buy arrows instead. Nobody at the range will check your garage.

What to look at when you pick an archery target

These are the fields in the table, in the order I'd read them.

Pick the type by what you shoot most

The Type column says how the target is built: bag, solid foam block, layered foam, 3D animal or straw.

Bag targets have a woven outer shell stuffed with plastic or fabric. Archery 360 calls them relatively inexpensive and a good fit for recreational archery. They're also the lightest per square inch of face, which matters when you carry one out every evening.

Foam targets come solid or layered, per Archery 360. Solid ones use a soft, self-healing plastic. One 3D maker says holes in its solid foam close within 10 seconds of pulling the arrow (that's the maker's claim, and it's about its own foam).

Layered targets work differently. A layered foam patent describes thin polyethylene sheets, about 1/8 inch each, stacked and pressed together. The arrow point slides in between the layers, and friction from the compressed sheets slows and holds it. The patent is blunt about the catch: the layers have to stay compressed, or an arrow can slip through the gaps. Think of a stack of mattress toppers held tight with a ratchet strap. Let the strap go and the stack stops being a wall.

Read the Stops column before the first broadhead

The Stops column is the maker's point rating: field points only, or broadheads and field points. This is the one spec you can't fudge.

A field point is a blunt practice tip; a broadhead has blades. Blades cut fill instead of pushing it aside. That's why a target rated for field points only can be wrecked by a few broadheads, or let one through. A 3D target maker's range-setup advice adds a second rule: don't leave broadheads sitting in a target, and keep separate targets for broadhead tuning and field points.

Archery 360's backyard-range article suggests bag targets for broadheads and high-poundage bows, and blocks for field points and lighter bows. Other makers sell bags rated for field points only. That's the reason the table shows the rating the maker or listing states: the label on the target beats any rule of thumb, including mine.

My one opinion on this page: buy the target for your fastest arrow and your sharpest point, not for your average session. The reason is in the two rating columns. A target only promises to stop what its maker rated it for, and the one broadhead session a year is the one that finds the limit.

Match the speed rating to your bow, with room to spare

Speed rating is the fastest arrow the maker says the target will stop, in FPS (feet per second, how arrow speed is measured). Not every maker or listing states it, so expect dashes.

Leave yourself a margin. If your setup sits right at a target's rating, the next faster arrow or the next season's bow puts you over it, so buy for the bow you'll own next season, not the one you owned last.

Crossbows push the hardest. One crossbow maker's FAQ says most targets work well with crossbows shooting about 350 to 430 FPS, and some are rated higher. If you shoot a crossbow, the crossbow target page goes deeper on speed ratings and arrow removal.

Count the shooting sides

Shooting sides is how many faces the maker or the listing says you can shoot. A bag usually has two. Foam blocks are often sold as four-sided or six-sided.

Each face is a fresh piece of target. When the front face wears out, turn the block and keep going. A bag lists fewer sides than a block, and the table shows the stated count. A six-sided block also lets you leave one face for broadheads, if its rating allows, and keep the others for field points.

Size: bigger targets are harder to miss and last longer

Size is height × width × depth in inches, as the maker or the listing lists it. Archery 360 makes the trade plain. Smaller targets are easier to carry and easier to miss, and they wear out faster. Large bales last longer and are harder to miss, but they don't move easily, and some need a stand.

Depth matters too. A thin target and a fast arrow is how you meet the backstop. If you're new, start with more face than you think you need. (My first season, my groups were the size of a pizza. A family-size pizza.)

Animal: only on 3D targets

The Animal field only applies to 3D targets: deer, turkey, bear or other. It's there so you can filter for the one you hunt. The deer ones have their own page, the deer archery target page.

Bag vs foam vs layered: when to choose which

Here's the short version, using what the makers and the ATA say.

Choose a bag target when you shoot field points, shoot a lot, and want easy pulls. Hang it if you can. A crossbow maker's FAQ says bags work better hanging by their grommets so they can swing, and that arrows go through a bag faster when it sits on the ground.

Choose a solid foam block when you want several faces, or a target rated for broadheads. Expect a heavier target for the same face size.

Choose layered foam when you want a big face for field points without a lot of weight. Check the rating if you plan to shoot broadheads.

Choose a 3D animal when you're practicing for the hunt or for a 3D shoot. Archery 360 notes that 3D tournaments score rings molded into the vital area, and that targets range from skunks to elk.

Straw shows up in the Type column now and then. The ATA's DIY article uses hay bales as a backstop, not a target, and says to watch them for holes and refill the gaps. Treat a straw target the same way.

A target stand lifts a bag or block to chest height. They're on the archery target stand page.

Set up a backyard archery target safely

Before the first arrow, check your town or county rules on backyard shooting; Archery 360 suggests the town website, a call to the police information line, or an archery shop. Tell the neighbors, too.

Then set the lane up like this:

1. Pick the direction. Never toward a road, house or place where people walk or gather, per Archery 360.
2. Put a backstop behind the target. It should be bigger than the target and able to stop arrows. Hay bales, horse stall mats, thick foam mats and stacked cardboard all appear in the ATA's lists.
3. Keep the buffer clear. For targets under 30 yards, the ATA's guidance is 15 yards on each side and 25 yards beyond the target.
4. Set small targets low. Archery 360 suggests putting small portable targets on the ground so you shoot at a downward angle and misses don't travel far.
5. Mind the brush. Oregon's wildlife department warns that arrows can ricochet off thick brush, and that you shouldn't shoot over a ridge you can't see past.

Netting is for light bows only. The ATA limits it to draw weights under 30 lb with large-diameter arrows, hung loosely about 3 feet behind the target.

On a slope, stake or weight the target, and put the backstop where a target that tips back will still land on it. A foam block is lighter than you'd think, and a hill is longer than you'd think.

When more than one person shoots, Archery 360's rule is to call out when the range is clear and when shooting can resume, with everyone behind the shooting line while anyone shoots. Keep pets leashed or indoors.

Make an archery target last

Most of a target's life is decided by where you aim and where you store it.

• Spread your shots. Hitting the same spot breaks down one patch long before the rest. Aim at different dots or faces.
• Rotate the block. Turn multi-sided targets before one face is shot out.
• Keep it dry and shaded. A 3D maker's range-setup advice is to cover targets in rain and avoid full-day direct sun.
• Refill the bag. If you made your own bag, repack it when the fill settles.
• Bring it in. A target stored indoors between sessions stays out of rain and sun entirely; an enclosed wooden stand, which Archery 360 describes, does the same job outside.

When layers start to gap or a bag starts letting arrows through to the fletching, that face is done. Turn it, patch it or retire it. Don't wait for the arrow to tell you by sliding out the back.

Who should skip buying an archery target

• Club-range shooters who never practice at home.
• Apartment archers with no safe lane and buffer. Find an indoor range.
• Crossbow shooters with a vertical-bow target. Check the speed rating first; you may need a crossbow-rated one.
• Broadhead tuners with a field-point-only bag. You need a broadhead-rated target for that.

That's the whole decision. Speed first, point second, size third. Then put a bigger backstop behind it than you think you need, because Uncle Walt's fence has seen enough.