Sandbags for archery!?

[Virilis]

Hi there all archery lovers :wink: !

I want to build on our country house a place where to shoot with my bows. The problem is that we have plenty of room in the forest but the surface of the ground is very rocky. I have been pondering how on earth I could make a sandhill as a background there in the forest; the terrain is rocky and it is impossible to carry the sand with machines there. So could this be a solution?:

http://www.specialistbags.com/sandbag.php#sandbag

I was thinking of filling some hessian bags with earth / sand and this way to make a background for shooting. Lot of carrying in the narrow path to the place but I am determined to do it. Is this link above a good place to buy these bags, I can`t find any vendors here in Finland which can deliver large quantities of bags (I was thinking of 300 for starters...).

Thanks, all advice appreciated :wink: !

[Tarbicus]

Could you not build an earthern rampart and secure it with chicken wire? You could also use that to experiment with building a vallum :wink: I'd worry about the bags eventually disintegrating after a lot of bad weather.

[Virilis]

Could you not build an earthern rampart and secure it with chicken wire? You could also use that to experiment with building a vallum :wink: I'd worry about the bags eventually disintegrating after a lot of bad weather.

Hi Jim! As I said earlier, the terrain is very rocky and it is difficult to find suitable soil for the filling of the rampart. In addition the surface of the target should resist powerful bows (up to 110# pounds) so sand is the only option, methinks :roll: . It is not a problem if the bags will eventually disintegrate, they are enviromentally friendly and at least I will have a nice pile of sand left :wink: ...

[Athena Areias]

In the US, some deer hunters place their practice targets against bales of straw built up into a wall. Do you have access to straw bales? You could tarp the wall when not in use to slow the rate of decay. Good luck.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

That was going to be my suggestion too! The archery target I was offered many years ago was made from straw too.

[Virilis]

Thanks for the tips, guys!

Unfortunately here in Finland the farmers pack the straw inside some horrible plastic bags nowadays. I have not heard of bales available anymore ...

[Gaius Decius Aquilius]

http://zensekai.wordpress.com/2007/03/1 ... h-a-master

Build a roofed shooting area and a matching target enclosure. But not as wide as the above link, of course.The back enclosure can be of double wall constructio with an earth filled core. The sides catch deflected arrows. If a board in the facing wall takes too many hits, it can be replaced as needed. Saves on big huge mounds of sand at the same time.

Google images - "Kyudo range" for more really cool pics.

The shooting encosure can also double as a cocktail area.

Ralph

[Virilis]

Wow Ralph, this looks great !

Anyway, I have decided to make a big pile of sand where I will put a paper plate as a target (it is my usual target anyway). It will be back-breaking work for months to carry all the sand up in the woods. A pile of sand / earth is good because I can "attack" it from different directions, from the bushes and also from the hill above...

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

You have tiros, do you not?
Baskets? Shovels? Maybe not so back breaking..... :twisted:

[jonwr]

Jyrki ,
Sandbags work to keep things nice and tidy. You can also cover them with a tarp when not in use.
Myself,I just use a pile of sand I had dumped out in the woods. Shoot everything from bone,flint and metal heads into it. I just use one of those
rubber quiots kids play with as a target.
When it starts to "creep" a little time with a spade gets it back into a pile.
As to the hay in plastic bags, while maybe not too Eco friendly it sure makes a good back stop. I know a lot of Archery clubs found here use them on their outdoor ranges.
Happy shooting.
Jon R.

[Virilis]

Thanks guys !

The problem is I don`t know where to get hessian bags here in Finland. Maybe I will order them from the link I presented above?!