CSE - Crossbow Targets

In order to practice with your crossbow, you are going to need a crossbow target, and you're going to need a good one. In fact, depending on just how much you shoot, you may need two targets. A good crossbow target should stop your arrows before they bury all the way down to the fletchings. Trying to save money on buying a cheap crossbow target will only end up costing you more money in the long run because of the arrows you'll ruin So try to purchase the best crossbow target you can afford. There are three main types of crossbow targets that you should look at. The amount of time you spend practicing and the type of arrow point you use when practicing will determine what type of target you need. You may find that having two targets is the way to go if your budget allows. In this segment of the Crossbow Safety and Education series, we'll discuss each type of crossbow target so that you'll be able to choose the one that's right for you. Bag style targets are great for practicing with your field points. A good bag target will stop your arrows before they reach their fletchings and will make for easy arrow removal. This is important if you plan on shooting a lot. Targets that are hard to pull arrows from result in more fatigue and can bend or damage your arrows when trying to remove them. A bag target works great for field points, but you cannot shoot broadheads into them. Solid foam targets are great for shooting broadheads into. Their thick, dense cores provide the stopping power needed to stop arrows tipped with razor-sharp broadheads. However, when shooting an arrow tipped with a field point, foam targets can be almost impossible to pull arrows from. That is, unless you use an arrow lube of some sort. If you try to shoot arrows with field points into a foam target without lubing them first, many times, the point and inserts will pull out of your arrow and remain in the target. Or even worse, you can crack or bend your arrow shaft. The next type of target allows you to shoot both field points and broadheads into. It's called a layered foam target. Unlike solid foam targets, the layered foam target allows arrows tipped with field points to be removed much easier, and you can also shoot broadheads into them as well. Layered foam targets are good for crossbow hunters that want to practice with their field points all summer long and then sight in with broadheads before season opens. The problem with layered foam targets is that once you make the switch from practicing with field points to broadheads, if you go back to shooting field points, many times the target will be shot out and your arrows with field points will blow right through the back of your target, either damaging them or risking the chance of you losing them. One thing you'll learn quick when practicing with any target is to not shoot your crossbow at the same spot twice. Doing so usually results in damaged arrows, so you'll want to choose a target with multiple aiming points. If your target doesn't have multiple aiming points, you can draw some on with a sharpie or use stickers to add some. You should also rotate the side of the target you shoot in each session. Doing so helps your target recover better and will prolong the life of your target. So go out there and get the target or targets that will best suit your needs. Make sure to buy one that best fits your budget because the last thing you need is to want to practice but not be able to practice because your target won't stop your arrows.