I shoot alot of arrows in a week in my back yard. I can only max out at 20 yards. I just got a morrell back yard range target the big one. I tied it to the top of my chail link fence so it's about 6" from the ground. Making the top circle target about 3 foot or so hi. Well I missed I punch release early it something happened during draw. I shoot a Hoyt am35 about 310 fps. Well I never sky draw and draw pointed at target. Beyond my target is 95 yards of mowed open field then at the end is a 8 or ten foot privacy fence it's huge!!! And is about 50 yard square hiding a cell tower. Then right behind that is about 150 yds before any houses. To the side of the tower is a house about 150 yards about 10:30 to my target. So I felt pretty safe with my area. Well I missed today and the arrow is gone. I have missed before and arrows have been about 10 yards behind fence when aiming at a 18 inch hih target. But today the arrow is gone. Did not hear or see anything after I shot. But it's rained all day and ground is soaked. So I'm praying arrow is under the ground. But I still feel sick worrying!!!!! Has anybody done this before? And can give me some peace of mind!!!
-
-
my release borke during my draw. I punched myself in the nose and never saw what happened to my arrow. i dont sky draw either. after a long search i found it hit the ground 10 feet in fornt of my target skipped into the air and was in the bushes 50yards behind my target. as long as you didnt jerk up on the bow the arrow would have traveled form chest high downward. assuming it didnt hit anything and turn skyward. Of course if you dont have any cell phone service it means you killed the tower! -
Yes I did it last year. I missed and went to my neighbors behind me because I knew it was in their pasture. Needless to say the lady was not impressed because she has horses. Build yourself a back stop. That's what I did.Comment
-
i bought a 89.00 metal detector.... it finds all the kids arrows and 1 or 2 of mine every once in a while.
Comment
-
Sounds like you have a more than adequate safety zone behind the target. My story - about 15 years ago when I bought my first bow I lived in a suburban neighborhood and had a medium sized backyard - I could shoot about 30 yards from one side to the other. Being a newbie I had not yet figured out that it is a good idea to quit when you get tired. (known as "just one more" syndrome) I was tired and probably overbowed, pulling too much weight. Not only did I skydraw but I somehow hit the release by accident. The arrow, well above the target just cleared the stockade fence into the neighbors yard - and the guy was back there mowing his grass at the time! Heart racing, I peeked over the fence, half-expecting to see my neighbor skewered by my arrow. But it had flown all the way across his yard and was stuck in the top of the opposite fence - and he never saw it. I waited till nightfall and hopped his fence ninja-style, to retreive the errant shaft. My stupidity was matched by my good luck - could have easily read about that one in the paper with my mug shot....Comment
-
Don't have to worry about that here. The only chance I have at hitting something would be cattle, and usually they're in other pastures because the front 40 or so acres is clean.Comment
-
Maybe you took out the neighbor's cat
I've shot through my fence into the neighbor's yard with my recurve. Quickly I learned to only shoot that direction when he wasn't home. He does the same with me - no issues.Comment
-
X2Originally posted by Flatliner View Posti bought a 89.00 metal detector.... it finds all the kids arrows and 1 or 2 of mine every once in a while.
Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkComment
-
my premature release story... about two weeks ago i was letting a co-worker shoot my bow. he has heard us talk about bow hunting and has never tried it. so i set a block target at 10yds on the ground, with a tire and privacy behind it. he informs me he shoot rifles left hand and pistols right hand. i'm right handed so we have only one option. after a few shoots he is doing "ok" but getting weak, so i suggest we take a break. he wants one more shot and it happens. as im turning to get behind him he cant draw with the release, so he garbs the string with his fingers and pulls back, as I turn around I hear WAP. as i look at the target, i cant see the arrow. then to the right of the target i see the "bullet hole" in the fence. he has a shock looked on his face. i go get the arrow which hit the ground behind the fence, thank goodness the ground rises up. He explains his plan was to pull the string back then grab the release, as he lets the string go, the release trigger activates and surprised him and me. it was a good laugh but practice shooting was over for the day. we'll be helping him get set up w/ a left handed bow.
Comment
-
I learned my lesson about shooting targets on a chain link fence. I was trying to get my 40 yard pin zeroed in shooting at a block target on the ground backed up by a chain link fence. Well, as you guessed I missed the block just to the left(actually grazed it). The arrow hit one of the links on the fence and turned about 40 degrees and dead centered a telephone pole about 80 yards away. If it had not hit the pole who knows where it would have ended up. There are some houses not too far away in that general direction. Needless to say I dont shoot at a target in that direction anymore. I now have a backstop built to back up my targets.Comment
-
Ok building a back stop. How big, I could make it 8'x8' but what if a miss it by an inch? Is 3/8 or 1/2" plywood thick enough and what is big enough.Comment
-
Hang you some carpet on that fence as a backstop.Originally posted by snipermedic View PostComment
-
A couple years ago I went to an archery shop with an indoor range. I had just started shooting bows and I was sky drawing just as I always had. Release went off and the arrow took out one his lights and went throught the ceiling! Left a nice hole as a reminder and glass all across the range. Needless to say I was more than embarresed and that was my last shot for the day. I waited about 3 weeks before I went back hoping he wouldn't remember me....Guy has a memory like an elephant!Comment
-
Googled arrow backstop and this is one thing I found: I made my back stop out of 2 sheets of what is called, Molded Rubber Trailer Mat .
There is a Farm supply and Feed store here called Attwood’s here that I got them.
What it is, is a large mat made of rubber, just like a giant mud flap for a truck.
It’s ½ inch thick and 4 foot by 6 foot, I paid $45.00 each for them.
I made a frame work that is out of 4x4 post concreted in to the ground big enough to suspend 2 mats overlapping the center seam by 6 inches so arrows don’t fly between the mats at the center where they meet.
The mats are attached only at the top of the frame work just like a mud flap would be and are 6 inches off the ground.
Now I have a back stop that 6 foot tall and 7 ½ feet wide that I hang my Will Stop target from the top beam so it’s center of my back stop.
This rubber is self healing and my target point only makes it 4 to 6 inches through the mat before the mat robes all energy from the arrow.
I set back and launched 12 arrows at the mat to test it, not one made it through the back stop. Not sure how much you are looking to spend, but this sounds like a good one.Comment
-
My step brother missed a target and hit a chain link fence. We never found the arrow although I can only imagine what would happen if it hit the fence and projected skyward...Someone's roof has a leak...lolComment
Comment