Target area

[gspeakes]

Gonna set up an area by the house to do some target practice. Setting up some hay bales for a backstop and will be shooting at an American whitetail super 300 target and a Rhino Block. Any other suggestions for setting this up?

[Pydpiper]

Have a stable platform to shoot from, not always, but if things start to go snaky you can rest the bow to illuminate it from the equasion.
Practice shooting from the position you hunt from.
Practice at longer ranges, it will make the close shots a lot easier, same goes for wind and rain too.
Shoot straight, and shoot often! Have fun and don't forget to load up an arrow, most dry fires happen during practice.
Most importantly, have fun.

[Kegbelly]

X2 what Pyd said.
I'm sure you already know this, but make sure you're shooting in a safe direction and know what's behind your target and hay bales. The target you mention is rated to stop 300 fps arrows, will it stand up to a Matrix 380? They shoot a lot more than 300 fps, and the closer you are to the target the harder the arrows hit and the deeper they sink in a target. Maybe set the Rhino Block behind the bag target so in case you do get a pass-through, you've still got a solid backstop that hopefully stops the arrow before it sinks deep enough to ruin your vanes.
I've used hay bales as backstops many times, I laid mine on the the cut side so if an arrow does hit the bale, it's hitting the straws crossways instead of hitting the cut ends of the straws. I've had arrows bury up past the vanes or go right through when they hit the cut side of a bale.
Be safe and happy shooting!

[gspeakes]

Thanks folks. As always, good advice. Took the American Whitetail target back and got a Morrell Bone Collector Super Duper rated at 400fps.

[Kegbelly]

I've never used either of those targets but looking at the specs, the Morrell sounds like a much better choice. Not to say the 300 fps target wouldn't work, but I think you'd be pushing the limit.
I almost bought an Academy store brand bag target on a spur of the moment thing, it's heavy as a tank and felt like a good target. Found out later it's only rated for 280 fps, and I just didn't see it holding up well against a M380. Good luck and have fun!

[awshucks]

If you 'miss' the target, don't count on the hay bales, just sayin!

[hankenhunter]

I made my back stop with a 4'x4' x3/4" plywood with 1/2" conveyor belting covering the plywood. It stops arrows from my beast very well. Happy shootin,
Hank

[gspeakes]

Cordell target stopped the arrows no problem from 20 yards.

[gspeakes]

Sorry that should read Morrell.