Archery target // pellet back drop ??

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steve799

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Oct 9, 2021
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Florida, United States
This may seem like a bad idea but I was wondering has anyone ever used a Archery target as a backdrop for pellets ?

Not sure whats inside but Academy has a small one on sale for $ 19.00 and the large size for $70.00 

I doubt a pellet would go thru this especially if you put maybe a large mud flap in front of it. 

Just curious if anyone has ever tried this setup. Thanks Steve
 
Yep, been shooting into a 20"x x20" x 17" deep, foam target for two years now. I went from shooting 350fps to 400fps crossbows, to air guns. I still haven't needed to turn the block around yet, but I'm getting close. I also think that I can cut about 5" or 6" off of the face to expose a fresh foam face.

I use a long Allan wrench to hang paper targets to the face of the foam. I move the paper around as a given area starts to look too beat up (full of holes).

It's quiet, the only debris is the paper that needs vacuuming up. Holds the pellets well. This is at the end of my hall. I shoot across the living room, and down the hall. Not a "long" range, but...you work with what you have.

Mike
 
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I use them for archery and know just from what they are made of that they work but be careful! There are a couple kinds of archery bags. One is for low power bows and others are for crossbows and work great. I keep all my lead for casting fishing weights and bullets so I prefer to cut up a ton of t shirt material and pack it into a cardboard box. No ricochet, no pass through even with a 100 fpe 25cal condor! Pellets stay in the box most the time and are easy to retrieve the lead. Best of all its free if you have some goodwill cloths or cheap like 10 bucks if you need to go buy lint free varnish rags from home depot. They are made from t-shirt materials. Anyway the cheap archery bags will be gone through way faster than the good ones. Good luck
 
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I have one for archery, but have been using it lately as a backstop for my 10 meter range. Mine, a friend gave it to me so I have no idea where it came from, has thick plastic woven front. Sometimes the pellets bounce off, or they are under the paper target barely penetrating. I’m thinking Gamo has a nice trap, I don’t want to tear up this bag any more than I already have, and it should be easier to recover the lead if I want. 
 
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Right now I'm using a12 gal.. tote box from Loew's filled with 2 bags of rubber mulch. In front of the tote I have a 5/8" piece of plywood. It works. But when I saw the Yellow Jacket archery bag at Academy I thought that would be a great idea also. 

I like the 20"x20" x17" foam also. Haven't seen any around here that size. That's what they have at the range but only about 6" thick. All good ideas. Thanks everyone.
 
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I use squirrels when ever possible. I kid...Seriously I use a pile of logs stacked ~6 feet high by ~10 feet wide by several feet deep. The backstop cost nothing! I then place my Champion heavy duty metal trap (lined with impact putty, duct seal, inside) on a table in front of the log pile backstop. The metal trap will stop any .177/.22 HP airgun projectile. I also place the reset metal targets in front of the log pile. In the event I should miss the trap then the log pile will stop anything short of a cannon.
 
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Backdrop or backstop means different things to different people. I'm using a plastic bin filled with rubber mulch for the pellet trap in front of the concrete foundation on my home. As far as a backstop--that's what I think of as the barrier that prevents errant pellets from ricocheting if the trap is missed.

I've read a lot of ideas for backstops ranging from a few dollars to thousands of dollars. I'm going to hang a $20 tarp from Harbor Freight (6X8) about 2 inches from the concrete wall. I know my PCP pellet will go through the tarp from my 20 yard distance. My theory is it will not have enough energy to go back through after bouncing/splatting off the wall. I'll test it next week and report out. Again--it's only a ricochet prevention that would be rarely needed, not my primary trap.

I've read from those who've tried this that it's important to keep the bottom and sides loose so the fabric gives to help dissipate energy.

Anybody else have an inexpensive, proven way of preventing ricochets off of a concrete foundation?
 
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JEFFPPC said:
Lol, everything has limits. Blocks are not designed for broadheads I don't believe. It does fine with field tips out of my 400fps crossbow. If have any sand banks in your area shooting into them with broadheads works fine.
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6E39F545-D21B-4EEE-BFDE-5EB6C794C5A4.jpeg

Mine says something different.
 
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LCURRENT80 said:
Tell me what you think 1/8 X 16 X 26 Sheet Steel + Carpet + Cardbord + Target Shot at no more than 30 Yds
Stops Pellet Dead

LCURRENT80
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As a backstop it could work as you describe, to catch the occasional errant pellet, but I would shoot into a pellet trap that has the capability of catching or deflecting pellets shot into the same spot repeatedly. Unless you change the carpet regularly, the pellets will erode the carpet in the target area leaving just steel and a ricochet risk. An internet search of "air gun pellet traps" will provide many options. I use a plastic bin with rubber mulch inside.
 
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I have been shooting Yellow Jacket discharge targets for several years now. finally had to throw one away and have another that is pretty ragged. Shot my latest one with a Challenger .30 cal at 95 ft lbs with no pass through. I do like to leave mine out in the rain a couple times and it becomes even more dense and capable. The Yellow Jacket is always backed up with a metal pellet trap just in case a pellet were to make it through.
 
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