Target archery is where archers shoot at a stationary target at varying distances. Today, archery targets come in various form and sizes. One of it even comes in 3D! This is to make shooting more realistic to get more accurate shots.
Shooting at a target could be a form of practice before hunting the real thing. It is also helpful when you are teaching your kids who are still a novice to archery. Archers can figure out what shots they need to improve on before heading back to the woods. You can either use a compound bow or crossbow for archery, according to your preference.
Hence, check out this review to choose the best archery target for broadhead (either with fixed or mechanical blade) practicing.
Top 7 Archery Target Comparison Table
| Name of product | Weight | Size | Sides | Dimensions | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GlenDel Buck 3D Archery Target with Replaceable Insert Core | 8 ounces | 1 | January 20, 1900 | 11" x 11" x 11" | $$ |
| Black Hole - 4 Sided Archery Target - Stops ALL Fieldtips and Broadheads | 8 ounces | 2 | 4 | 18" x 16" x 11" | $$ |
| Block Classic Archery Target - Stops Arrows with Friction not Force! | 8 ounces | 3 | 2 | 18" x 18" x 13.5" | $$ |
| Block GenZ Series Youth Archery Arrow Target | 16 ounces | 2 | 2 | 18" x 16" x 8" | $ |
| Yellow Jacket Supreme 3 Field Point Bag Archery Target | 32 ounces | 1 | 2 | 25" x 23" x 12" | $$ |
| Morrell Double Duty 450 FPS Field Point Archery Bag Target - for Crossbows, Compounds, and Airbows | 8 ounces | 1 | 4 | 19" x 19" x 19" | $$ |
| Archery 40cm & 80cm Targets by Longbow | 32 ounces | 3 | 1 | 2 1/2" x 26" | $ |
The top 7 are decided by certain factors:
- Weight
- Size
- Sides
- Dimensions
- Price
Weight
The lesser the weight, the more easy it is to carry it around but it may not be much in regards of stability.
Size offered
The more the size, the more surface area for shooting
Sides
The more the number of sides, the longer the archery target life.
Dimensions
The dimensions could help us estimate how big it is especially for transporting it around.
GlenDel Buck 3D Archery Target with Replaceable Insert Core
First on the best archery target review would be GlenDel. The 4-sided insert core measures 11″ x 11″ x 11″. The core design has 4 sides with different vital positions to simulate a variety of shooting scenarios. The broadside is ideal for quartering away and from a 20 ft. tree stand at 20 years.
The Polyfusion Technology has internal layers fused to the inner wall. This results in uniform layer compression and easy arrow removal. The 4 sided replaceable insert extends lifespan.
It includes stakes on the bottom of legs. You would have to insert them into the ground and then match the holes precast on legs. It was much larger (almost actual deer size) compared to other 3D targets. Even if one wears out( which takes place after a long, long time) there are 3 more sides you can switch to.
The whole insert is brown so I painted the heart red and lungs black to enable me to see them at 30 yards. Don’t consider that as a flaw but rather just my personal preference for shooting accuracy.
So far, it held up well to deep penetrating arrows (try carbon arrows as well) and removing the arrows was not difficult. The vitals are nicely situated. This allows you to position the deer at various angles while you are practicing from a tree stand.
Even after a couple hundred arrows, I can barely tell if it has been shot at all. Sometimes, the ears come broken in the box so make sure your purchase arrived with all parts in good condition.
If you experience any problems pulling your broadheads out of the target, I would recommend applying a touch of some kind of lubricant to the arrow. Although the arrow is easy to pull, some spots may be tricky.
The purchase will get you 2 legs (yes, only 2), 2 antlers, head, body, and 2 metal stakes. Setting up the deer itself takes about 45 seconds. Setting the stakes in the ground and the deer on them was quite hard for me. After spending about 30 minutes, I managed to set it all up.
Although the vitals are outlined, it is quite difficult to see them even from 20 yards. Also, the way the plastic legs attach to the foam most likely can cause failure if the unit is taken apart multiple times or during heavy movement when pulling arrows.
The replaceable core does not “lock in” from top. This causes it to move back approximately ¾” when shot. The large symmetrical replaceable core takes 100% of the punishment leaving none to the deer. At the same time, it provides a wide shootable area on core.
So far, after 120 heart/double lung shots, the arrows are poking 3″ out of backside in that area with no complete pass-throughs.
Overall in this best BB gun review, I would definitely recommend this best target for an avid hunter.
Suitable for:
- Avid hunter
- Wide shootable area on core
Black Hole – 4 Sided Archery Target
The second on the list of review would be from Black Hole. The open layered design measures 18″ x 16″ x 11″ with the front and back of the target is suitable for field tips, broadheads and expendables. However, the Polypropylene wrapped sides are recommended for field tip arrows only for longer lifespan.
The high contrast graphics aid in visibility while the multiple aiming spots extend the target life. There is also a built in handle for easy transport. Also, it is available in 2 convenient sizes for your preference.
Even if I have been shooting at bear attitude 70lb pull, 29″ draw at 10 & 20 yards, there hasn’t been any single issue. It has stopped every arrow although when shooting the broadside, the arrows protrude about 6 inches out of the back. Nonetheless, the arrows stop every time.
If you were to put the target directly in front of something hard (brick/concrete wall), you can potentially damage your arrow. Setting it up with around a foot between the block and your backstop will be good.
The shooting compound is approximately 290 fps and the field tips are 100 grain with 28″ shaft at 20/30/35 yards range. The field tips penetrate about 5″ out back after about 100 arrows on the same face.
It has OSB panels on top and bottom to keep form. Do take note that this is lightweight so you will need to place any anchor (stick, rebar, rod, etc.) behind it to prevent it from shifting in case targeting spots close to sides of face.
It has taken many layers of foam which are easy to be removed. They are layered them on top of each other. Therefore, your arrow actually enters the ‘end grain’; for lack of a better term.
I would recommend keeping it indoors like in the garage because the OSB gets wet and will lose much of the form. Avoid using expanding broadhead practice tips if possible though. Since the best archery target is made from sandwiched foam layers, pulling the heads out can rip sheets of foam out.
The effectiveness isn’t affected yet even after about 300 arrows but you might want to switch to field tips just to be cautious. Plus, this block doesn’t capture the arrows at the tip. When I’m using a 75-pound draw single cam bow, the tips were punching straight through the back.
In one particular case, when fired at from about 15 yards, it was caught about 1.5cm before the fletching touched the foam.
Just as a quick note, this best archery target doesn’t have yellow marking on the face of the target. Although they are white, you can still see it good through a peep sight from 20 yards away.
So far, after shooting about 30 arrows in, I didn’t have any problem with it not stopping them at all. I used a high country power force bow that has 60lb draw weight. I even used Toxic broadheads in it and still it holds up great. The 18″x18″ is ideal for 20 yard paper targets using both the multi-color 10-ring or the white center on blue 5-ring.
Overall in this archery target review, this may be the perfect choice for you.
Suitable for:
- Multiple aiming spots
- Visibility
- Easy transport
Block Classic Archery Targets
Third on the list of best archery target review would be Block Classic. The classic 2-sided archery target measures 18″ x 18″ x 13.5″ and has patented open layer design which stops arrows with friction rather than using force allowing for easy arrow removal.
The high contrast white-on-black aiming points provide great visibility and measurement of accuracy. Plus, the best archery target comes with handle for easy transport. It is available in 3 sizes and this is made in the USA.
This is not self-sealing but very tightly packed foam. Field tips do not tear out foam but broadheads do though. Since it is a layer target, it is comprised of layers of foam that are compressed. Since the target is under compression, when an arrow enters the target, the resultant friction stops the arrow.
When the arrow is removed, any channel that the arrow caused collapses. This occupies less space. However, like anything, over time the friction from compression will become less and less but it still works pretty well and last a decent amount of time.
To prevent wearing out the target quicker in a particular spot, don’t try to hit the same spot every time you shoot. Instead, spread your shots around the target.
The best archery target can handle up to 90 lb draw weight for sure and it catches broadhead practice points as well as field points well. Besides the stopping power, the arrows can be pulled out easily using mostly with one hand.
For a crossbow, I do think a size with more depth would be more appropriate. I would purchase a crossbow target to have more shots out of the target. Another option would be using two target. If you are shooting to sight in, check occasionally and this target would be fine especially if you shoot at all the different parts painted on the target.
However, this doesn’t hold up to broadheads well so avoid using broadheads for this. After about a half dozen shots to the middle using fixed blade broadheads, the middle was dead. You would have to shoot at the corner dots then.
I would buy the 22″ instead of the 18″ since when you step back to shoot at longer distances that ranges from 40-50 yards, those corner dots look awfully small. Although it is not a great fit for brodheads, if you are a hunter and shoot mechanical tips then this thing is perfect.
The slanted fixed blades as well as mechanicals are more difficult to remove and this can result in damaged broadheads.
When you hit closer to the edges it’s a little harder to pull the arrows out but not bad at all. If you hit the very top or bottom of the archery target, the arrows might hit the wood frame. Fortunately, even if you do this, it is not hard to get the arrows out.
Don’t think that the back side being blank was that they were just being cheap. Instead, you can make small marks with chalk and shoot at them rather than using the bigger circles on the front.
Overall in this archery target review, for the price, amount of shots, ease of pulling the arrows out and taking into account on how light it is, I would definitely recommend this at least for traditional bows.
Suitable for:
- Traditional bows
- Easy transport
- Easy arrow removal
Block GenZ Series Youth Archery Arrow Target
Next on this review would be Block GenZ. The youth archery target can be used for bows of 40 pounds of draw weight or less. The dimensions measures 18″ x 16″ x 8″ and designed with open-layered technology to allow easy arrow removal and longer lifespan.
The high contrast white-on-black aiming points provide great visibility for your child to move up from larger aiming points to smaller points for a greater degree of difficulty and superior accuracy. Plus, it comes with handle for easy transport.
It’s small and compact enough to be extremely portable while being big enough to provide a meaningful target for both your children and yourself. For the most part, my beginner archers could hit this target consistently at 20-30 yards without any trouble.
Using 30-35 pound bows at 20 yards, the arrows with field tips can penetrate about 5-7 inches and they can be removed easily. Even though it’s stated to only accept 40lb bows or less, I didn’t find any issue regularly shooting at it with my 55 pound bow.
The 30 inch arrows punch all the way through the other side but they are safely stopped about halfway which might pose a problem for anybody that wants to set it up against a hard background. This best arrow target will occasionally tip over when an arrow hits high.
As a result, it bent a couple of aluminum arrows when it tipped over. But that complaint probably isn’t fair given that it happens occasionally with the 30 and 35lb bows. Meanwhile, the carbon arrows survive the tip-over event.
Usually the tips back a little when an arrow arrow strikes. Then, it falls forward when tipped back as the weight of the arrows on the front pulls it over. Therefore, the arrow(s) that are still stuck in the target break the fall.
It would not tip if it was heavier, but on the other hand it would be harder to transport it too. If there is a tradeoff, I’ll keep the portability. So far I’ve put a few hundred arrows into it and I can barely tell that it has been used.
The target pieces are placed horizontally in order to allow the arrows to slide in. still, they are tight enough to allow resistance. If the tips are blunt though it might not be enough.
I like how it is water resistant but the sun is the real problem as it can start to degrade the foam. If you leave this outside for a year you would notice the damage. Since this is so small and portable, rather than leaving it outside just bring it in after use.
Although it has several surfaces to aim for, it still isn’t the largest. Therefore, you may want to make sure the background area is safe before shooting.
It has several layers that work with the arrows differently. The outside has thin, horizontal layers compressed on top of each other. Therefore, the whole thing doesn’t quickly become just a huge mass of holes.
To sum up this archery target review, this is recommended for bows 40lb and below and field tips only.
Suitable for:
- Youth archers
- Water resistant
Yellow Jacket Supreme 3 Field Point Bag Target
Continuing on to the next best archery target in this review is the Yellow Jacket Supreme. The best archery target is designed for a high speed compound bow that takes thousands of shots. Only field points are recommended for longer life archery targets.
The arrows are easy to be removed as easy as two finger removal. Handle and grommets are provided for easy carrying and hanging and to further extend target life. The grommets offer the option of hanging this free-standing target.
The red dots became pretty faded over time so I took a black Sharpie and colored them in. They stood out perfectly. For anyone who is color blind, the black dots work better anyway.
There is no difference in penetration when compared to using a 60 pound compound bow at 160 feet per second with a 70 pound PSE. Morrell’s Yellow Jacket has completely replaceable target cover to increase core target life even longer.
I made a portable stand out of 1″ PVC pipe to hang it from which works on any type of terrain and works great. However, a stand may not be necessary because this target is a free-standing archery target.
When I shoot using a 30-pound recurve at 10 yards, the arrows can penetrate about 2-3 inches. It seems that the larger size arrows damage the cover quicker. Nevertheless, the standard ones work well.
The Yellow Jacket target was larger than expected but it is a good thing as it provides more surface area for shooting. Obviously though, the larger the surface area, the more the weight.
The resultant holes self-seal due to the weave of the bags tough material. I suspect that if this is left out in the weather for months on end, the coloring of the archery target may fade. Also, this archery target is loud when the arrow hits through.
You would have to step on it from time to time in order to move the padding around and redistribute the filling and strands of the cover. Despite that, it can stop everything from my 330fps chill to my 360fps crossbow.
The eyelets on the sides of the Yellow Jacket target are also very sturdy and I had no problem supporting the weight of the bag. It’s large enough to be used at longer distances (currently 60 yards is the maximum i can make out of it), but still light and portable enough to make carrying it around easy.
If you use field points, be certain that your field points are screwed on tight. If you accidentally use a slightly loose point, you might be unable to pull the arrow out. Ultimately you can pull it out but not without twisting the arrow,
Overall in this archery target review, I would highly recommend this field tip target. It is large enough and tough enough to withstand hundreds of hits from my bow and there is really no apparent wear or damage.
Suitable for:
- High speed compound bow
- Replaceable target cover
- Self-sealing holes
Morrell Double Duty Archery Bag
The second last on the list of review is the Morrell Double Duty. The Morrell archery target is designed for high speed crossbow, compound bow and airbow. It is recommended to use field point only for longer life archery target.
An easy tote carrying handle is provided for easy transport. They can even stop the fastest known arrow flight which is 440 FPS from an Airbow. The target cover is completely replaceable which increases the core life even longer.
A stand may not be necessary since this block target is a free-standing archery target. Being a cube, it locks into the ground just like a vault. The printed graphics offers easy visibility for target practice.
If you want a crossbow target that can stop bolts as well as allow for two finger removal, then this is the product to buy. However, I would not leave it outside. The sun and elements can potentially breakdown the covering after a period of a few months.
Therefore, if you store it indoors when not in use, it will last without fading or premature breakdown of material. I used a 70 lbs. compound that shoots arrows at 325 fps and I also used a high powered crossbow which shoots bolts at 345 fps. The arrows just slide back out easily by hand with no tools required to pry or pull them out.
However, broadheads will definitely cut it up quicker so they are not recommended. It will be catching on internal fiber of target as you try to remove it. The cover on this target is woven so when the target points push the fibers apart, the holes will close back up after a while.
It is fairly easy for your field points to get stuck in the material inside the target. Therefore, always make sure that your field points are screwed in tight before you shoot. I assume that the rotation of the arrow when shot will as might loosen the field point fairly enough. This allows the material to wrap itself around the threads.
I also used this archery target with both a compound bow (arrows at 250 FPS) as well as a crossbow (bolts at 340 FPS). It handles both without problems and the size presents a decent enough at 20 yards.
It may seem small at that particular distance for an inexperienced archer though. However, if you are a bowhunter, it’s going to be the size of the zone you need in the field. The 4 sides each have different pictures for you to shoot at which is great depending on your next outing.
Do take note that this is remarkably heavy so you may find difficulties in transporting it around whenever you want to use it. However, it might prove to be a good thing when you are using 65 lb Easton aluminum arrows.
Overall in this archery target review, I am very pleased with this target.
Suitable for:
- High powered compound bow
- Crossbows
Archery 40cm & 80cm Targets by Longbow
The last on the list in this review would be the Longbow Target. The Longbow archery target is printed to exacting official standards. Printed on heavy duty 7pt archery paper, the 40cm targets are designed to limit hole size during impact for longer lasting targets.
Furthermore, the 40cm targets are packaged in 8, 20, 50 and 200 packs adhering to the strict 40 and 80cm archery standards. Each color ring edge is manufactured to be exact of 4cm and 8cm from ring edge to ring edge.
The 40 cm is printed on heavy duty 7Pt archery paper while the 80cm is printed on using either 7pt Archery paper or 10 point heavy duty Tagboard. The 8, 20 and 50 packs are shipped rolled while the 200 pack is shipped flat leaving none of them folded.
However, 80cm’s is 31n1/2″ and 40cms is 15n3/4″. They are not too thin and the size is good. The colors are visible and vivid for me while shooting at distances out to 60 yards. I do prefer though if the sections were numbered for scorekeeping. However, that is not really a big deal for some.
Without the numbers, it is hard to keep track of scores if you want to practice for a competition. You would have to figure out the scores yourselves based on the location the arrows are.
I would not recommend to use this in the woods or stretch each sides with a piece of rope or elastics. This is not a good choice either if you want to leave your target outside or maybe overnight.
However, if you want to shoot for an hour or so, I would suggest tuning in your stand/position. Then, get back to the motion to know where you are aiming and shooting. By doing so, this archery target will work fine.
Your kids can try this as well kids are using bows with draw weights of about 30 lbs. You can try using both carbon arrows and fiberglass arrows. The bright colors would help to see the target in low light conditions.
However, I would prefer though if the yellow part is bigger to make it more visible. On the positive side, it is somewhat resilient to rain and quite sturdy. However, if it gets soaked in the rain, it might be too heavy to carry.
As you can guess, after 50 to 100 hits in the same area, the inside backing will sink in some. The paper is of high quality though and it is thick. For hanging it, you may need several pins and boxes to be hanged on them.
For example, I taped it to a piece of cardboard for stability. After doing so, I attached the cardboard to stacked bales of straw.
Overall in this archery target review, the target paper works really well as it does not rip or tear easily which is a good thing for us.
Suitable for:
- Crossbow
- Longbow
Conclusion
I hope these best archery target review has been helpful for you to choose the best archery target for your needs.