Best Bag Archery Targets

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Unlike a foam target that stops the arrow tip-first, a bag target grips the entire shaft as it slides in, stopping the arrow through friction along its length. That is why arrows pull out so easily – and why bags are the favourite for shooting hundreds of arrows in a session. It is also exactly why broadheads destroy them: the blades cut through the woven fibers instead of sliding along them.

• Low cost per shot – the cheapest way to get a durable target for field-point practice.
• Effortless arrow removal – usually two fingers, even after a long session.
• High capacity – large printed faces give you lots of aiming points.
• Beginner-friendly – forgiving, simple, and hard to misuse (as long as you stick to field points).

This is the single most important thing to know about bag targets: never shoot broadheads into one. Broadhead blades slice the woven shell and loose fill, ruining the bag fast. If you need to practice with broadheads, use a foam or layered block target instead, and keep your bag target for field points.

A bag target does not wear out the way foam does — it does not develop a soft spot in the middle. Instead, the loose fill inside gradually compacts and settles toward the bottom, leaving less material in the upper half of the bag. The target looks the same from the outside the whole time. The symptom is arrows that used to stop with plenty of shaft showing suddenly start punching deeper or passing through — but only in the upper portion of the bag, not at the bottom.

The fix is free: take the bag down, shake it hard to redistribute the fill evenly through the shell, and hang it back up. If the fill is old and has broken down into dust rather than fibrous material, that is when the bag is actually done — shaking will not revive dust. But more often than people think, a bag that “stopped working” just needs the fill shaken back into place.

If you want to extend the bag further, you can refill it. The shell usually has a zipper or opening for this, and old clothing, rags or dense plastic bags packed tight work as fill — the material matters less than the compression. Pack it firmly rather than loosely; a loose bag stops nothing.

1. Match your draw weight. Most bags handle typical compound and recurve field-point practice, but check the rating for fast, high-poundage bows.
2. Weather-resistant shell. A treated outer shell survives backyard sun and rain far longer.
3. Multiple printed faces. Different aiming patterns on each side spread the wear and add variety.
4. Carry handle. Bags get heavy – a sturdy handle makes moving and hanging it easy.
5. Size. Bigger faces are more forgiving for beginners and longer practice distances.

Hang it rather than stand it. A hanging bag swings slightly on impact, which absorbs a fraction of the arrow’s energy and reduces the load on the fill. It also keeps the bag face perpendicular to incoming arrows, so every shot hits square rather than at a downward angle — deflections are far more common with a standing bag, especially at close range. If you must stand it, get the centre up to chest height with a stand so you are not aiming downward.

Rotate the faces and bring it under cover between sessions. Unlike foam, a bag target’s main enemy is water — if the shell develops a tear and rain gets into the fill, the fill clumps, molds, and stops stopping. Patch small shell tears with duct tape before they become holes. Stop using the bag not when the centre feels soft (bags do not soften the way foam does) but when shaking the fill no longer restores the stopping power — that means the material inside has broken down past the point of doing its job.

A treated shell slows how fast a bag target absorbs moisture, but it does not seal it. Left outside through sustained rain, water works into the weave even on an intact bag with no visible tear, and once the fill gets wet it does not just clump and lose stopping power – it can mold and start to smell, at which point the bag is usually done for good rather than fixable by drying it out.

Treat “weather-resistant” as buying time, not exemption: bring the bag under cover before a multi-day forecast, not just after you notice a tear. A tarp over a hanging bag, or moving it into a shed or garage between sessions, does more for lifespan than the shell rating alone.