Want to keep yourself in top shooting form? Check out these top-of-the-line targets!
By FeraDyne Staff
New Target for the New Year
With the new year approaching, there is no better time to start shooting and working on your form or shooting woes. It also might be the perfect time to upgrade your target so you can have an entire season of practice in 2024 without the worry of arrows passing through your target into the field or, worse, your neighbor’s garage. There are many options, from bags to blocks to 3Ds and hybrids. One must decide what type of shooting they plan to do and then what target or targets they need for their range.
Bags
Suppose you plan on doing a ton of shooting, specifically with field tips; It is hard to go wrong with a quality bag target like the Hurricane CAT5. Targets like this will take a tremendous amount of arrows at high speeds and hold up for quite a long time, especially if the shooter moves their shots around at the various aiming points instead of shooting just the center out of the target. These bag targets will take a lot of arrows and offer very easy arrow pulling, which, for many, is their favorite feature of bags. For day-to-day shooting, it’s honestly very tough not to have a bag in your arsenal of backyard targets.
Block Style
For those who also shoot plenty of field tips but also like the ability to shoot and practice with their broadheads, be they fixed or mechanical heads, a block-style target might be precisely what you need. Like the bag target above, targets like the Block Infinity Target have great arrow-stopping power and many shooting spots. You can shoot six sides of this target with multiple different configurations of targets and aiming points. Much like mentioned about the bag target, if shooters spread their shots around and resist the urge to shoot the middle out of this style of target, expect a good life on this target. If you want a target you can stow easily or take on the road with you on hunts, there are also great targets on the market, like the Black Hole 18in Target. This target offers four-sided shooting with the ability to shoot all types of field tips, mechanical, or fixed heads on the front and back of the targets.
3Ds
For some, pounding flat targets with spots in the bag yard grows old, and a 3D target is precisely what they need to make shooting fun and keep them out there more consistently. A wide variety of targets on the market, like deer, bears, elk, caribou, sheep, mountain goats, and more. Some targets are affordable, and some that are very expensive. Some others, like the Big Shooter Buck by Shooter 3D Target, at only $150, this target offers realistic shooting at a life-sized animal target where you can shoot field points and broadheads alike.
A 3D target like this that a shooter can shoot all the time can drastically help your shooting in hunting conditions. Having to aim at the kill zone of a deer target without defined aiming points
Hybrid
Earlier, I mentioned “hybrid” targets, and what I meant by that was a 3D target with an embedded 12”x12”x12” 4-sided core system that can be rotated as needed for a longer life and three different vital views. The core is also replaceable so that shooters can shoot this target for years. After having the famous GlenDel Buck for years, the new Half Scale Elk 3D Archery Target is their latest addition to the lineup.
What to buy
Ok, now we have run through all of the types of targets out there and mentioned a few of the many, many targets on the market. What should a shooter/hunter buy for their backyard range or hunting trips? Well, ask yourself some honest questions about how much you plan to shoot and what heads you intend to shoot. If you plan to shoot a ton of field-tipped arrows all year, a bag might be the smart choice, and eventually, you can pick a block-style target for the times when you want to shoot a few broadheads.
If you know you’ll only practice if you have a 3D or two, then go that route. In the end, having a variety is best, and with Target’s prices becoming affordable, maybe it’s best to pick up whatever Target will get you by and then pick up another option over time. But, by all means, get something you can shoot as often as you want and spend more time enjoying the wonderful sport we all love.