Archery is a great sport and a relaxing pastime. It’s an excellent way to spend more time outside, make new friends, or find a way to challenge yourself. Let’s be honest, there are few things more satisfying than the feeling of sinking an arrow into a bull’s eye. But in order to enjoy all these benefits and be accurate enough to hit your target, you need to practice and spend time shooting!
So what if you could practice and shoot more from the comfort of your home? It is no secret that you must practice every day in order to be good. Sure you could take the time to go to the archery range every day, but how much more could you shoot if you had your own archery range at home?
You can easily double or maybe even triple the amount of time that you are able to shoot your bow if you can go out into your backyard instead of commuting to a range. So how do you set up a home archery range?
How To Set Up A Home Archery Range
One of the first steps to building an archery range is checking with your local laws to make sure it is actually allowed. If your local laws prohibit any archery on your property, you will have to find another option for practicing.
Once you have determined it is allowed, you can get started building your range. The first thing that you will need is the appropriate space for the range that you want to shoot. For competition shooters, deciding distances is easy as you simply refer to the rules for your competition and measure the distance that you will be shooting.
After finding adequate space for the range, the next thing you will need is a backstop. While most arrows will hit your target, misses can and do happen. A backstop is needed to keep arrows from leaving your range and getting lost. A good backstop is a great safety measure and will even stop arrows without damaging them.
Many homes already have a built-in backstop in the form of a wall or fence around the property. While these work great, many archers do not want to damage their fence or their arrows, and will simply put up a rubber mat on the fence to protect not only the fence but the arrows that might hit it as well.
Now the last thing you need is to simply add your target in front of the backstop, step back to your desired ranges, and start practicing! Setting up a home archery range does not have to be a very complicated or fancy process, and keeping it as simple as possible will ensure you have plenty of space and time to practice.
Type Of Targets
For targets, you can either use store-bought targets or make your own. If you are a competition shooter, you will want to use the targets that you will be shooting at. As a hunter, you may opt for a 3D target. If you choose to make your own targets, common materials that are used are hay bales and stacks of used carpet. These can be used for a long time and easily replaceable, and you can simply use paper targets on top and replace them as needed.
Final Thoughts
If you find yourself wishing you had more time to spend at the archery range, you should consider setting up your own home archery range and spend more time shooting! Hit the bull’s eye every time with Bradley’s hunting guides. We update our content year round so you can keep your archery skills sharp as a knife!
