Archery targets are an essential part of the bowhunting and target archery process. It can be hard to figure out which product is best for your needs, though!
Archery targets come in many forms, and finding the right one for your preferences can be difficult. Foam blocks or bag targets may work best for broadheads, but 3D targets won’t help you with sighting a bow. Ultimately it is important to match an archery target to what type of shooting you are doing because each has unique properties that make them more comfortable and effective than others.
I like foam block and bag archery targets because they stop arrows well without hurting my point (broadhead). I also do not enjoy using three dimensional deer figures as much since those usually have flaws such as creases down their sides which affect accuracy when trying to shoot at closer ranges.”
1. Rinehart 18-1 Target
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The 18-1 is a uniquely shaped archery target. It is particularly famous for its durability and self healing feature, with 15″ long sides that make it portable and providing a variety of looks in your bow hunting practice. There’s an integral rope handle so you can throw the target downfield to have varying size shots at different angles!
Rinehart’s 18-1 target is an excellent option for both field points and broadheads. However, to get the most out of this product you should use only fieldpoints as they will not damage it in a way that would affect its performance over time. The main downside with this particular bow target is that using regular broadheads can cause small chunks of foam to be pulled from the surface leading them being used up more quickly than if one were just sticking to arrow tips designed specifically for archery targets such as this particular bow target is suitable for compound bows or crossbows.
The foam-based high-density construction of this target can make it difficult to remove hunting arrows in colder weather. However, users have reported using the same target for over two years when used heavily without replacements.
2. Rinehart Rhinoblock – Best For Beginners
The Rhinoblock is a unique cube archery target made from high-density foam. It has 6 shooting surfaces that two of those surfaces have 3D deer outlines to highlight the vital organ areas, and it also comes with replaceable cores when they wear out. The quality foam lasts shooters for years, making this an affordable option when you need to get replacement parts in order to continue using your original box design of choice. This makes the RhinoBlock perfect for both beginners needing something simple enough not too intimidate them but experienced hunters who want their shot opportunities minimized due its tough structure allowing only broadheads on game like deer or elk.
If you are shooting a crossbow, it is important to consider the Rhinoblock target. The foam can “fuse” with your arrow/bolt making removal nearly impossible due to high speeds so be prepared! You have multiple options when considering this type of target: grease or waxing your bolt shafts prior to shooting and using an arrow puller for easy retrieval after being shot into the BlockTarget.
3. Block Vault Foam Target
The Block Vault target is built like a cube, which makes it suitable for use with compound bows or crossbows. The integrity of the arrow depends on friction in order to stop it; thus the name “Vault.” There are layers parallel to where an incoming arrow will go, and they’re composed of high-density open cells that make up its core. This outer shell encases all these components called polybutyl.
Reviewers have reported getting multiple years of use out of one target, so the Vault is durable enough to withstand thousands of arrows. It’s good for shooting a compound at close range in a garage or basement for practice and tuning. Even though only 4 sides can be shot at, it holds up well under pressure!
The four sizes range from 16″x16″x12″ up to 22″x22″x16″, but since only 4 sides can be shot at you might consider buying a larger size, Most of the shooters shared good reviews regarding its durability about two or more years of usage of single target. Bigger Vault targets XL or XXL are best pick for crossbow shooters and good enough for stopping the high powered crossbow bolts.
4. Morrell Outdoor Range Bag Target
The most popular bag target brand, Morrell targets have a variety of commercial and consumer grade bags for sale. However, the Outdoor Range is marketed as a commercial model but still available to buy by anyone! This makes it an exceptional product that’s worth trying out even with its high price tag – totally justified when you see how good this bag really is in action.
This target is filled with a dense material that will not break down easily. It can hold up to any compound bow & crossbow and heavy enough (50 lbs) can withstand thousands of shots before needing replacement. If you’d like to hang it from something, such as at the range, then you have two options: either build one yourself or purchase another separately made item for this purpose.
5. Morrell MLT Super Duper Target
The bright green color of the MLT Super Duper Target makes it easy to see in all light conditions, and from distance. This target is a low cost alternative of Outdoor Range targets despite its similar multi-layered density design which I like.
The bag’s design has a target circle and deer vital organs drawn inside a large ring. This layout is perfect for hunters looking to practice their shot accuracy on animals like deer, pheasant or other game that call the forest home. The Morrell internal frame system allows you shoot nearly anywhere without issue; this makes it easy to vary your shots while practicing in order to prepare yourself for different situations when hunting live prey.
6. Rinehart Broadhead Buck
The Broadhead Buck is a 3D deer target that is about the size of a 100-pound whitetail. The buck might not be as large as other targets out there, but it provides enough realism to let shooters practice on something more realistic than paper images and gets high marks for quality.
The Broadhead Buck can be shot with all types of arrows and heads, although you’ll have the best results with field points and compound bows. If you shoot a lot or your arrows hit in deeply (like crossbow bolts), then it may help to bring along an arrow puller for easy extraction! The foam is dense enough so that even when epic misses happen, they will likely not harm any other targets around it.
One complaint about the Broadhead Buck is that it leaves you with only two inches of rebar to stick into the ground. This doesn’t provide a lot of holding strength for taking arrows and bolts from powerful compounds or crossbows.
7. Rinehart Woodland Turkey
The Tom Turkey 3D target is an excellent choice for bowhunters looking to perfect their turkey hunting skills. The realistic, full-size replica of a wild turkey measures 30 inches from head to tail making it full replica of wild turkey.
This turkey target has a stable shooting platform and features that look great. The base is wide enough to create stability while you shoot, but there are no highlighted “kill shot” zones on this product. However, one trick I like to use with targets like these is drawing highlights using bright yellow markers around the vital organ insert; it can be helpful for identifying your shots when practicing in low-light conditions or at longer distances outside of hunting season (when turkeys aren’t active).
8. GlenDel 3D Buck Targets
GlenDel Targets offers a wide range of 3D deer targets, including the Rinehart Woodland Buck. This target is too small for some hunters and does not feature realistic shooting scenarios like its larger counterparts from GlenDel do. I really enjoy how these targets assemble together to create various positions which help me practice different hunting styles in preparation for my hunt this season!
The Full Rut Buck is the biggest 3D archery target you can buy. It measures 37 inches at its shoulders, and stands over 5 feet tall overall. This big buck makes for a great trophy hunting challenge as it accurately mimics an average 300lb whitetail deer with huge vitals size of 14”x14″.
The Pre Rut Buck just like the Full Rut, but with a 250lb animal vs 300lbs. The shoulders are 30 inches tall and antlers top out at 60. Being slightly smaller deer, drop down to 12”x12” replaceable vital zone insert is used for this target practice game.
The Buck model is a small deer target, similar in scale to the Pre Rut and Full Rut. It measures 11 inches on its vital organ insert. If you want an easier-to-carry 3D deer target that’s still realistic enough for practice, this might be worth looking into!
9. Field Logic Block Crossbow Target
Types of Archery Targets for Bowhunting
1. Foam Block Targets
Foam targets are lightweight, durable, and can be set up anywhere. You will need to bring your own bow or have access to one – whether it’s at the range for practice sessions with friends, in a backyard setting not using an indoor space converted into a shooting area is important too.
These blocks are difficult to destroy because the layers of foam absorb an impact by spreading their power over a large area, rather than centralizing it in one location. In fact, you may not even do much damage when using them for practice! They’re equally capable of stopping simple field points or fixed blade broadheads (even though they don’t stop arrows well). There’s also many different styles available including bullseyes and dice-like targets.
If you shoot a broadhead at the target, it will take chunks of foam with it. To avoid this problem, make sure your layers are upright and face inwards to prevent tearing apart large pieces from each layer.
Archery targets are used for bowhunting target practice, competitive archery, tuning bows and sighting bows. They’re ideal to use with lower powered compound bows as arrows can become lodged deep into the foam.
2. Bag Style Targets
Bag targets are great for those who want a larger target area to shoot at. As the name suggests, these targets come as fabric bags filled with stopping material such as straw or fiber and then positioned wherever is most convenient. The large surface creates ample room for stray shots to hit even if they’re not dead-center meaning that you could be off by an inch but still have your bullet impact the bag instead of going astray somewhere else on range which can damage equipment too!
Bag targets are great for target practice because you can add more material to make the stopping power better. It’s easy to remove arrows from bag targets without damaging either and it won’t ruin your arrow or damage the target itself.
Broadhead arrow targets should not be used for target shooting. To avoid bag deterioration, broadheads cannot easily be removed from the fabric and often result in ripped-up bags. Water or UV rays can cause damage to a bag’s material, reducing its lifespan over time if left outside exposed to such conditions.
While it is recommended to store the bag targets indoors, they are still great for beginners because of how easy they are set up and take down. The main reason why people choose these over foam ones is that you can always expect them not to get damaged easily during target practice due their weight being heavier than usual compared with other types of targets out there which makes setting things easier especially if done on a daily basis which make this type ideal for both starters or even veteran archers who have been doing so already.
3. 3D Archery Targets
3D targets are the best pick for bowhunters because they mimic deer, turkey, and bear shapes. These 3-dimensional life like animals help you improve your shot accuracy by highlighting vital organs or arteries that will take down an animal quickly.
One of the best things about 3D targets is that you can simulate shots on an animal from any distance and angle imaginable. If you hunt from a tree stand, it’s easy to prepare with this type of target. You just move them into place – they’re lightweight so positioning isn’t difficult at all! There’s no substitute for hunting in real life but lifelike targets are great training tools when practicing how to shoot your bow accurately.
3D targets, such as those made by popular brands like Field Logic and Trophy Ridge Archery are designed with replaceable foam cores. These types of archery 3D targets usually come equipped to handle the wear-and-tear from multiple shots at vital organs or hit zones on a target; however, these bolts will also cut into the material more than most other bow hunting tips (i.e., broadheads). Because of this tendency for damage in high use regions, it is recommended that you use field points rather than bladed arrow heads when shooting your arrows onto an archery three dimensional deer stand target .
4. DIY Archery Targets
Homemade archery targets can be made with a few simple materials and if you have the right stuff, even free! Because safety should be your top priority when learning how to make an archery target, not all stuffing materials are suitable for stopping arrows. If it is poorly built or improperly stuffed, homemade targets could result in bent shafts and dangerous deflections. It’s up to you to ensure that any filler used meets today’s powerful bows’ standards of strength so they don’t become hazardous projectiles instead of safe ones.
How Long Will an Archery Target Last?
If you think your archery target is wearing out prematurely, there are some tricks to help it last much longer. For example, only shoot when the weather permits and make sure that arrows can easily be removed from the target before shooting again. If this doesn’t improve life expectancy, then a new one might need to be purchased in order for them both lasting at least a year each with daily use!
To preserve your target, make sure to use field points for most of the time. Broadheads will speed up wear and tear on the bullseye as well as other areas if you only aim at one spot. If you do this too frequently, it’s likely that some spots may be more worn than others which can affect accuracy when shooting different distances or with a variety of arrows/bows later down the line after scores have been recorded in previous years (if applicable).
Conclusion
Archery targets are the main way to improve your hunting skills. If you want a general target, get foam one or if you’re practicing with broadheads or for daily practice use, pick up Bag Targets. For best simulation of real-life hunt go with 3D ones but in order to hone these skill sets during fall hunts it’s all about choosing archery targets wisely!
