• The SH Membership has gone live. Only SH Members have access to post in the classifieds. All members can view the classifieds. Starting in 2020 only SH Members will be admitted to the annual hunting contest. Current members will need to follow these steps to upgrade: 1. Click on your username 2. Click on Account upgrades 3. Choose SH Member and purchase.
  • We've been working hard the past few weeks to come up with some big changes to our vendor policies to meet the changing needs of our community. Please see the new vendor rules here: Vendor Access Area Rules

Cheap and easy backstops

Patriot

Patriot

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2019
Messages
895
I use ping pong tables. I just fold them in half and paint them Forrest green. They stop my rare shots that go astray but they are not too hard to take out arrows.

Almost every towns FB page has them for free or $20. The particle board lasts about 2-3 years even in New England winters. You could easily pretty them up and do a roof for a longer term solution.

Perfect size even for kids to shoot at they will rarely miss that size backstop.
 
I made this one 4 or 5 years ago out of 2x12’s and filled it with old clothes.
Not the best option for everyone.. it’s very heavy and needs its own real estate but has served me and my kids well. It stops everything we throw at it and has definitely saved some arrows.
IMG_4146.jpeg
 
At my place before I got married, I had an 8X8 backstop of 3/4" plywood. I needed a big one because I was shooting toward the neighbor's house across the alley. In the six years I had it up, I only hit it twice. Once the arrow penetrated about half the length, and once it forced the insert back into the carbon arrow and splintered it. That field point and insert were still stuck in the backstop when I took it down.
 
I’ll second the usefulness of a 3/4” thick rubber horse mat. I hung two of them side by side in my back yard, and they caught everything, even broadheads. Heavy as the ****ens, but they sure did the job.
 
VaBruiser said:
I got a 5 foot section of old conveyor belt from my local rock quarry. I advise against it. it'll stop a 308 round at 20 yards, but you also need a triple axle tow truck to pull an arrow out. currently have 5 or 6 field points that hav
Click to expand...
VaBruiser said:
That's What We Used Behind Our Pistol Range. They Work Really Well! No Spray Back From Rounds Hitting Something Hard.
Click to expand...
 
I have some old and new hot tub covers that I use. I have new ones because I bought a new one and twice they delivered the new ones with loose nails from the truck bed sticking into the cover. Good hot tub covers have a steel spine at the joint which I found out the hard way. Make sure you pull the spine out before use.1000006027.jpg
 
Last edited:
I'm using hot tub covers as well. Being in the business, I get a LOT of them used. I lay mine down flat, pull the metal spine out, then just start stacking them. Have an 8X8 shed built around them, with carpet hanging down in front so it looks a bit nicer. Target is roughly 7X7, 3 1/2 feet deep right now. Stops about anything arrow wise. Can move layers as one gets worn. Any hot tub shop should be able to supply a person with them.
 
Ehunter said:
I'm using hot tub covers as well. Being in the business, I get a LOT of them used. I lay mine down flat, pull the metal spine out, then just start stacking them. Have an 8X8 shed built around them, with carpet hanging down in front so it looks a bit nicer. Target is roughly 7X7, 3 1/2 feet deep right now. Stops about anything arrow wise. Can move layers as one gets worn. Any hot tub shop should be able to supply a person with them.
Click to expand...
Interesting.. I have an old cover looking for a new purpose. I have been considering using it to build some kind of ground blind. But not sure how long it will survive the animals and weather.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top