Building a Backyard Target

The supplies I used are simple: 3 bales of hay that I picked up from the local feed and seed, burlap (found it with hunting supplies at Walmart) and some brass paper fasteners.

I stacked the hay bales, and then wrapped the burlap around the sides.

The brass fasteners worked perfectly.

They pop right in the holes of the burlap and hold it pretty securely together. They aren’t permanent so making adjustments is simple.

Here you can see the top. I just brought the edges of burlap up and fastened them together.

It’s more fun picking off cans and water bottles than shooting the targets. But they don’t sit on top of the hay very well. So we put an old skateboard up for stability. Any board you have lying around will do.

No mom wants a bunch of shot-up debris lying around the backyard. So I put an empty bucket behind the target to hold all their objects. Even better, they usually fall right back into the bucket; nice and tidy.

We decided that the paper targets weren’t very practical for archery (we’d need a lot of paper). So we took some spray paint and painted a target right onto the burlap.

We also have a brier patch in the woods right behind the target. Wading through thorns to get the arrows that missed got old fast. We put a board behind the target. I’m sure it’s not great for the arrows in the long run, but it’s better on our skin and clothes. We can hear the bb’s and pellets bouncing off the board. It’s 5 feet behind the target so they don’t ricochet back into the firing line. Hopefully we’ll all get better at hitting the target and the board won’t be necessary.

It was super easy to put together. Eventually the hay and burlap will break down and need replacing. It won’t be any trouble to re-make. I’m impressed by how well it’s held up so far. There are six people shooting and we’ve had several hours of practice. We’ve definitely hit on a new family past-time.

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