Target background, will plywood work?

[cntryislandboy]

so i finally picked me up a target from acadamey. i have enough room in my back yard to shoot it's about 25 paces, now my issue is i am still learning so i might not exactly hit the target bag everytime, and i have a wooden fence. i also have a couple sheets of plywood in the garage, would one of these work leaned up and mounted against the fence so i wouldn't be hitting the fence if i missed. i would only be using field tips, or would that really damage the arrows? sorry if this sounds silly, just really want to shoot and practice. Thanks

[atexx2]

plywood would work well, just sometimes when an arrow gets in the plywood you will lose a FP.

[cntryislandboy]

thanks, i'll be setting up first thing in the morning, i think i can take the chance of having to replace the FP, that would be better than a plank in the fence, lol

[BTLowry]

Plywood should work OK

If you did not already have plywood I would suggest some rubber mats from tractor supply, that is what I am thinking about

[cntryislandboy]

yeah i was going to try the rubber mats but then i thought to myself i have 3 sheets of plywood in the garage, and would try using one of those for the time being, i saw a really nice set up with those mats, i think they are stall mats maybe anyway a guy i think on here under the DIY spot had 2 of them on his fence with the target in front of it

[fister]

plywood works, but there is a chance you will break an arrow with a solid hit to the board. I use plywood as a back stop in my backyard and a buddy of mine (not me I swear) missed the target, the arrow went through the plywood and broke half way down the shaft. I also learned to use two sheets spaced a apart when I had one ( I shot this one) that went straight through the plywood and stopped at the fletchings, messed them up pretty bad. Luckily I am alot better at shooting now so I worry much less about arrow damage.

[Ricky J]

I have some office carpet that I doubled over and made a 2x4 a frame so the carpet hangs a few feet behind the target, the doubled carpet will stop the arrows with out tearing up the fletchings.

[cntryislandboy]

so the plywood thing worked out pretty good, only hit it twice out of about 30 shots, one arrow busted, it was the old aluminum one my dad gave me, the field tip went right into it, and the other one that hit it was carbon and it just stuck in and i pulled out right out and it was ok

[100%TtId]

it was carbon and it just stuck in and i pulled out right out and it was ok

Be sure to flex test it before you shoot it again, carbon arrows can look OK after impact, but can be rendered unshootable.

Here's why its important that you do this:

http://discussions.texasbowhunter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=159298

Good shooting!

[cntryislandboy]

wow, i'll have to figure out which one it is now, i have 2 of those and not really sure which it was, might just replace them both, how would i do a flex test, is there something special i should look for? what would happen to let me know it is not good? thanks

[100%TtId]

http://www.huntersfriend.com/arrow-safety-warning.htm

Arrow Breakage
WARNING - Follow These Instructions To Avoid Personal Injury

An arrow shaft can become damaged from impacts with hard objects or other arrows or after being shot into a game animal. A damaged arrow could break upon release and injure you or a bystander. You must carefully inspect each arrow shaft, nock, and other components before each shot to see that they have not been damaged. Before shooting, place the arrow between your thumb and fingers, and, using your other hand to slowly rotate the shaft, run your fingertips along the entire arrow length, feeling and looking closely for nicks, cracks, splits, dents, or other marks that could indicate the shaft has been damaged. When checking carbon arrows, perform the following additional tests:

1.Grasp the shaft just above the point and below the nock, then flex the arrow in an arc (bending it away from you and others) with a deflection of 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm), and listen for cracking noises. Perform this test four to six times, rotating the arrow slightly between each flex until you have gone around the entire arrow. If you hear or feel cracking, the carbon has been damaged.
2.While still holding the point and fletching ends, twist the shaft in both directions. If the arrow “relaxes” or twists easily, the carbon has been damaged.
If an arrow has been damaged, or if you believe it has been damaged, do not shoot it again as it could break on release, and sharp arrow pieces could hit and injure you or someone nearby.

[Ol' Squeek]

yeah i need to a make a background for my target for the not to often miss haha soo the plywood worked well?

[cntryislandboy]

yeah the plywood worked well i thought, hit it twice, field tip went right through both times, once sending the tip into the aluminum arrow, total loss. the second came out, and now that i have been schooled, i checked it this afternoon and the arrow seems to still be good, no cracks i can see, and now cracking or bending noise when flexing it