Hay Bale Target?

UrbanSherpa · Post by **UrbanSherpa** » Sun Nov 25, 2007 4:58 pm

Hi,

I used to shoot a compound (vertical) bow at hay bales for target shooting. They went in and i pulled them out, no prob.

I just ordered an Exocet 200 and am wondering if I can use hay bales or will the bolt go straight through?...or how far in will it go?

I'm talking field points here, not BH's

Yes, I'll get one of those foam target cube things later, but for now...

Thanks,
-Karl

wabi · Post by **wabi** » Sun Nov 25, 2007 5:28 pm

Hay bales make a poor backstop for the crossbow. The arrows are so short they tend to bury so far there is nothing to grab to pull them out.
For field points a "bag" type target is good. I have a new one I picked up this fall advertised as being for 300 fps and it works fine. Only about 8-10" thick and it stops them with the points just at the back of the target.

Farmer · Post by **Farmer** » Sun Nov 25, 2007 7:08 pm

Hay or straw is not much of a match for the Excalibur as Wabi has stated . I have a bag target that is stuffed with the same material that I seen used in pillows and quilts. It stops arrows dead and allows 2 finger arrow removal .

Woody Williams · Post by **Woody Williams** » Sun Nov 25, 2007 8:44 pm

If you band it REAL tight and soak it in water it MIGHT stop a crossbow arrow.

Just go buy a bag target and be done with it..

Cossack · Post by **Cossack** » Mon Nov 26, 2007 9:11 am

It may work to stop the bolt...unfortunately you'll have no vanes or feathers left from either pass-throughs or pulling bolts the rest of the way. I had problems keeping my bolts from doing the same thing using a 16" foam block.
Suggest the Merril bag (less than $30.00 at WalMart) for field tips and a 18" Block for broadheads.
BTW, I made a very serviceable target by stuffing a large plastic mesh grain sack with plastic bags. It took lots of bags (I raided the return bins at every grocery outlet around) packed them tight, sew the top with used serving material and wala.

ecoaster · Post by **ecoaster** » Mon Nov 26, 2007 11:45 am

A feed sack stuffed as tight as you can get it with rags or old plastic grocery bags makes an excellent stop for field tipped bolts.

Fork Horn · Post by **Fork Horn** » Mon Nov 26, 2007 12:32 pm

I used a bail of straw and it worked fine for about 50 shots then it got a little lose. I used mech braodheads the last few shots they ripped it up pretty good.
Now I was shotting at it length wise and never had a bolt go through completely.

ger34 · Post by **ger34** » Mon Nov 26, 2007 5:24 pm

I use one of these

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/store ... _400-14-10

I shoot the Exocet 200 as well...even with the basic string my field points were burying themselves up to the fletching......as far as the quality...bolts go through....broadheads you unscrew the head and pull the bolt back out...all of my arrows have gone in up to the fletching.... it was a well spent $40...thats my 2 cents