Don’t you just love how Ygritte (Jon Snow’s girlfriend) in Game of Thrones is perfect with her bow and arrow? If you
love hunting, then you understand how important it is to get your shot right. Can you imagine, after hours of
trekking through bushes and long nights out on the trail, going home empty handed due to missed shots? To be honest, aiming and successfully hitting your prey takes practice, and what better way to achieve this than by investing in archery target?
For thousands of years, archery has been part of combat, and love for the sport has grown tremendously. Perfecting your archery skills is critical, especially if you want to improve your hand-eye coordination. Some other benefits of archery include
strengthening your arms, building your focus and getting some exercise. At first, hitting targets with your bow and arrow may appear hard but, with time, you will get a grip on it.
Success in archery is a combination of several factors, including smart selection of your tools of trade, such as your bow. In order to get the best archery target to perfect your skill, you need to consider your level in terms of the sport. For beginners, you may opt for bag targets, which give you room for playing around with your arrows. All in all, persistence and consistency toward hitting your archery target will definitely turn you into a refined archer, or even the best hunter out there!
Price
I’m sure you are wondering how much it will cost to turn you into a fine archer. Well, the prices of archery targets vary immensely, with some costing as little as $5, while some can go for upwards of $140. Why the price variance? To start with, the type of target plays a major role in price determination. Paper targets and 3D targets are relatively cheap, compared to the more sophisticated fiber-filled and form-layered targets.
While getting the right product for your practice can be quite daunting, we would like to discourage you from getting some the cheap archery targets available on the market. From our research, we gathered that such targets are not durable, which makes you keep going back to the shops. A good archery target needs to comfortably withstand constant hits without getting destroyed.
Features
Here are the important features to keep an eye on when shopping for the ideal archery target:
- Type - The most common types are bag targets, foam block targets, printed paper targets and 3D targets.
- Target Size - How big is the target? The bigger the target, the better the practice area, especially for beginners in the sport.
- Package - Normally, you will find that the product package comes as one item that contains many pieces – particularly in the case of printed paper targets, which often include several papers.
- Number of Sides - The number of bulls eyes is important because having only one may not provide the consistency required to perfect your skills.
- Size/Weight - Some targets are portable, while others remain stationary. If you want to move your targets around, ensure that they are light enough.
Construction and Design
Understanding the types of archery targets out there will help you determine the most suitable for you. The following are the common designs of targets that you are likely to find:
- Bag Targets – These are the most common, and you will find that majority of archers have practiced their skills on these. The beauty of these targets is that they easily stop an arrow, thanks to their fiber-filled interior. You can also easily remove your arrows when necessary. The reason these targets are loved is because you can repeatedly throw arrows at them without fear of damaging the target. You will find that these bag targets are easily destroyed by harsh weather elements if left in the field. However, more modern designs are made using weather-resistant.
- Foam Block Targets – The beauty of these targets is that they are light in weight, which makes them easily portable. Removal of arrows when using these targets is fairly easy, and they are also quite economical. Instead of using force to stop the arrows, these targets use friction. However, a little drawback for these types of targets is that those using intense draw weights may have a hard time removing their arrows, since friction won’t stop the pinching on time.
- 3D Targets – These are a favorite with hunters, since they come in a wide range of animal species, which makes them fun to practice on. Better yet, they may feature virtual images that can shed some light on where your arrow may hit, which helps build your skill further. They are quite easy to set up and are ideal to help you get in shape before the hunting season sets in.
Performance and Ease of Use
Getting the right archery target is important in enhancing your performance during practice. For maximum satisfaction, it’s important to understand the type of arrowheads you are using, since this will play a role in the determining the archery targets you get. For example, if you are using broadhead arrows, you will need to steer away from bag targets, since retrieving your arrows may be quite challenging.
Some archery targets require setting up, either in the field or your preferred location. Most come with simple instructions to guide you in the installation. If you are using bag targets, you may need to protect them from harsh weather elements that can damage them. For printed paper targets, you regularly need to replace them, especially when they become wrinkled, to allow for proper practice.
Have you been disappointed severely after picking an archery target? It could be due to limited knowledge on what to look for when choosing one. The reviews below will give you more details that should guide you in selecting the best for your particular need/situation.
It is our hope that we have provided you with sufficient information to make your selection of the best archery target easier, eliminating any confusion or doubts you had before reading through. You can now proceed to Amazon and shop with confidence.
