Archery backstop?

[BiggA]

Any body got any suggestions for a backstop? I would like something that dont destroy my arrows. I have a target but after a long time of not shooting and inexperienced youth shooters we occasionaly use the wrong pin or just plain miss the target. I was thinking hay bales but I think my arrow went straight through them last time I tried that.

[HD]

I have the same situation with youth bow hunters learning.
Lots of hay bails, or raise your shooting platform in some way,(so they are shooting at dirt if they miss), find a hill side or mound dirt.

I have tried it a bunch of different ways....plywood (just wrecks arrows).... big sheets of 4x8 2 inch styrofoam (will not stop them if the poundage is high and several shots)....

The others I have mentioned in the first parograph work better.....

[BiggA]

We are shooting in a basically residential neighborhood so I dont the dirt pile option. The only raised platform would be the roof and I think the  would frown on that.
Where can I get some cheap hay bales around rush? Is there such a thing as a tighter bale?

[JohnWester]

you can use bails, and get some carpet remnants and put up too to stop the arrows from going through.

[Mayfly]

I was going to say what Hunter said...... I'll think about this one and if I come up with anything i;ll chime in again. 

[Benny]

You can call around to some of the archery shops and ranges to see if they are replacing thier Excelcier bales (compressed plastic bale back stops). They cost like $450 to $600 new and are like 4 ft x 4 ft x 2 ft , they might sell the used ones for a cheap price just to recover some cost and to get rid of them.

Benny

[HUNTER2]

I bought one of those big block targets at the archery place in St Cloud one time pretty cheap. It is about 3' by 4'. They make remaufactured ones and used ones also. They work great. They stop evry thing.

[bowhunter73]

Take the bails and squeeze them with a large 2inch ratchet strap then wrap and tie it with wire. This will tighten them up. Tried it and it worked. But really if it’s residential you should just move closer to the target so there is less missing until the shooters are more comfortable

[stevejedlenski]

i have seen compressed cardboard bales work very well. most big stores recycle their cardboard and compress and bundle them. however i think it is difficult to get stores to hand them over. always worth asking though.