What makes a good target?

D

darkseraphane

Joined
Aug 6, 2010
Messages
73
Darn..I ran out of pine circles.. I tried an old couch cushion--NEVER doing it
again, either..:) I could consider styrofoam..but it tears apart so quickly, and makes a really nasty mess. A cardboard box with old blankets inside could be feasible...but cardboard and knives don't mix. Thank you in advance for any suggestions.

DS...
 
Oh, if anyone is curious..yea, I tried to use an old sofa cushion as a target. (Never going to try that again, either..) Geez..that knife came close to getting my shoulder. Bounced back off of that cushion as if it were a trampoline! If it weren't for my training's effect on my reflexes..that would have been very, very bad. I'll never try that again. Hehehe..not even with my compound bow at a high drawweight. (The cushion was a high grade foam, very strong and very springy). I'm adding this to others can know what can happen when using an improvised target. I'm glad I can laugh about it.
 
Hey, that is a good idea! :) Even draw your own targets on it. Wish I'd thought of that
when I had the 'bright' idea of using a cushion. Hehehe. Ah well. Thank you for posting that video! Now maybe I won't have to worry about a rebounding knife! Reflexes can't get me outta the way every time..
 
I made a couple of targets out of 6 or 7 layers of cardboard backed with plywood with a wood frame to hold it together. They were about 3' x 3'. My main target was a square block made of twelve 1" pine boards about 2" thick x 12" long, glued together face to face so the side grain was showing as the target. You won't split this unless you use an axe. If you drill a hole in the back you can hang it off your cardboard target so any miss throws will end in cardboard, not wall, rock or tree or go flying off into the woods. Once the front face of the wood target is pretty much done, flip it over.
 
I'm not sure, but a dartboard (without the iron wire grid of course) would seem to make a nice target.
 
I used an old dartboard for awhile but wide, thick or heavy knives occasionally bounce out and will eventually destroy the board itself, although it will take awhile. For light use or smaller knives it would be just fine.
 
i was using a dartboard until the sections started to come apart and break, but thats because i was using a kinda cheap dartboard...oh well
 
With the grain of the wood changing with each ply it will be hard to stick I think. That why stumps on end work well. the Grain is less of an issue.
 
knowsnoknife said:
Would a 1 inch ply board do? or will it be bad for my knives?
Click to expand...

That would not work. I've tried. It will seem like it's working in the beginning, but before long, the board will get holes in it. Like the member above me said, the grain change along with the thin layers makes plywood a horrible target.
 
darkseraphane said:
Darn..I ran out of pine circles.. I tried an old couch cushion--NEVER doing it
again, either..:) I could consider styrofoam..but it tears apart so quickly, and makes a really nasty mess. A cardboard box with old blankets inside could be feasible...but cardboard and knives don't mix. Thank you in advance for any suggestions.

DS...
Click to expand...

I found some foam at work (in the dumpster) that actually worked out great. its a semi hard polyethelyene foam, we see it sometimes when we order really expensive equipment. its best for darts/bo-shuriken and smaller knives (big knives will destroy it). I mostly use it to extend the life of my target, I have a 2 foot by 4 foot strip running down my 7' x 3.5' target and aim for the foam strip (using tape to make smaller targets on it). its literally taken thousands of shots. it needs to be tapped together with duct tape every once in a while but its worked pretty well.

my regular target is just 10 layers of heavy cardboard backed with plywood. I wish I could find some more of this foam though, its not too springy and holds lighter darts better than soft wood and doesn't tear like cardboard.
 
Try looking at 1" foam board Insulation. I comes in 4'x8' sheets with a silver backing. You can cut them down to 2x4 foot or 2x2 foot targets (whatever size you want) and then spray mount targets to reduce the glare. Then respray targets over the old ones when they get beat up. This foam is for smaller knives. I do this with a 2" wood backer and remove it when I throw my big knives.
 
Freak Show Scott said:
Try looking at 1" foam board Insulation. I comes in 4'x8' sheets with a silver backing. You can cut them down to 2x4 foot or 2x2 foot targets (whatever size you want) and then spray mount targets to reduce the glare. Then respray targets over the old ones when they get beat up. This foam is for smaller knives. I do this with a 2" wood backer and remove it when I throw my big knives.
Click to expand...

Foam board insulation you say? never even thought of that. does it crumble at all? sounds like it would be a great target for bo-shuriken. Maybe I'll pick some up next time I hit up home depot. :thumbup:
 
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