A tightly baled 1-ton hay bale will stop an arrow. At long ranges (70+), the straw will too. Much closer, you’ll dig in your straw bale to see the nocks. Hay bales make a poor backstop for crossbows; arrows bury so far there is nothing to grab. Hay bales suit beginners; cheap, big, arrows penetrate easily. Youths shooting low-poundage bows stick arrows in hay bales easily. Hay handles large target faces too. The common inexpensive backstop is a hay bale. But more than just putting bales behind targets is needed to stop arrows. Modern compounds question if bales work and will stop fast arrows. My experience is arrows easily blow through square bales and through or bury deep in big rounds. Any hay bale shooters confirm? No traditional bows, only modern compounds questioned. A nice tightly packed 1-ton hay bale will stop arrows. At long distances (70+) straw will too. Closer, fletching or point may show through or pass through without a backstop. Synthetic fiber bag targets easily stop and remove arrows, working well for beginners’ repetition.
What Can Stop an Arrow?
Backstops absorb shock. Without them, arrows hitting walls break. Synthetic fiber targets stop arrows too, working for repetitive practice. Hay’s availability aids beginners; bales’ size enables distance, removals, visuals. Yet modern bows question if bales withstand fast arrows, with some blowing through or burying deep. Foam resists weather, not arrows as well, though costs more. For traditional bows, hay endures, easily set up and protecting equipment and shooters.
Why Use Hay Bales for Targets?
As archery’s oldest known target, straw and hay have always served traditional bowhunters and new archers. Inexpensive and readily available, the materials’ size lends to distance shooting and easy arrow removal. The bales also visually mark shot placement. Often weather-resistant, they stand up to heavy use. Yet for modern bows, their capacity to stop arrows comes into question. Proper construction and maintenance improve durability, as does synthetic fill and foam targets, though at higher costs. Ultimately for many, hay endures as a cost and carefree option.