Best Archery Targets: How to Pick the Right One

Fletchwise guides are independent and hype-free – we are not sponsored by any archery brand.

A bag target. It is the cheapest per shot, arrows pull out with two fingers, and it handles high-volume field-point practice all day. The only rule: field points only, never broadheads — blades shred the woven shell and loose fill, and once the shell is cut the stopping surface is ruined for field points too. A bag target typically lasts a year or two of regular practice before the fill settles and stopping power goes patchy.

A foam block target rated for broadheads. One target covers field-point practice and broadhead tuning, and most have multiple faces to spread the wear — see foam targets. Count broadheads through the block, not arrows through it: once the centre goes soft, a field point can bury to the fletching where it used to stop cleanly. A dense block typically lasts a couple of years before the middle needs replacing.

A layered (high-density) block. It is built to stop fast, heavy arrows without pass-throughs and lasts the longest of any flat target, sometimes three to five years. The trade-off that catches people off guard: arrow removal from a high-density block is genuinely hard, especially at short range. Arrow lube on the first few inches of the shaft makes a real difference — a small tube lasts a long time.

A 3D animal target. It trains distance judgment and spot-picking on a realistic shape, with a replaceable vital core — see 3D targets. Budget for a replacement core roughly every season or two of regular use; the core is the part that wears out first, and it typically costs about a quarter of a whole new target.

A compact foam block or a bag target with a handle – light enough to move and store easily.

Every target balances two things that pull in opposite directions. Higher density stops arrows better, especially from fast, heavy setups, but it grips the shaft harder and makes pulling each arrow a workout. Lower density lets you pull with two fingers — which matters when you are shooting a hundred arrows in a session — but a high-poundage bow will walk arrows through it faster. The mistake most beginners make is buying too much stopping power for a 40-pound bow and spending more time pulling than shooting.

The rough guide: under about 50 lbs with field points, a bag or lighter foam block pulls easily and stops fine. From 50-65 lbs, a mid-density foam or block balances both. Above 65 lbs or with a crossbow, high-density layered blocks earn their tough pull by being the only thing that reliably stops the arrow at close range. If you go high-density, budget a few dollars for arrow lube — a small dab on the front few inches of the shaft before shooting cuts removal effort noticeably and costs almost nothing per session.

1. Match the draw-weight rating. Buy a target rated at or above your bow’s poundage to avoid pass-throughs.
2. Field points or broadheads? Broadheads need a foam or block target, never a bag.
3. Indoor or outdoor? Outdoors, pick a weather-resistant target or store it under cover.
4. Stopping power vs removal. Match density to your bow – do not over-buy density you do not need.
5. Multiple faces. More shootable sides means longer life.
6. Height and mounting. About 51 inches to the center is the standard aiming height – see our target stand guide for getting there without the stand shifting when hit.

Avoid under-rating the target for your bow (the fastest way to a pass-through and a ruined target), shooting broadheads into a bag, and leaving any target out in the sun and rain. Replace a target once the center is shot out and soft – a worn target is a safety risk, not just a performance one.

Everything above is about what the target itself does. Just as important, and rarely covered in the same breath, is what happens behind it – a missed shot or a pass-through does not stop just because it left the target, it keeps travelling.

Give a home range at least 25-30 yards of clear space beyond the target and backstop before anything you cannot afford to hit – a fence, a shed, a road, a neighbour’s yard. If your ground slopes, shoot uphill rather than down, so a missed arrow buries into the rise instead of sailing over a boundary. Orient the shooting lane away from foot traffic and windows, tell neighbours what you are doing before they find out from a stray arrow, and check local ordinances before you build anything – some municipalities restrict or ban backyard archery outright regardless of how good the target itself is, and crossbows are often restricted more tightly than bows. Our guide to checking backyard archery legality covers exactly how to look that up in about ten minutes. Our target stand guide covers the physical backstop hardware that catches what the target does not.