Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting Need input on new archery range

I have a unique opportunity to help lead the effort in putting in an archery range in my hometown at a new county park. They will be moving dirt this summer so we have to get our plan in place. Right now, we are planning on a small crossbow bullseye target range out to 100 yards, a regular bullseye archery range from 20-90 yards, and an elevated range shooting bullseye and maybe a few 3D targets from 2 to 60 yards (by elevated I am thinking a 20 yard wide shooting platform 10? 12? feet in the air). Then we will have a walking 3D course with roughly 12-18 stations. I have never planned a range like this so I am looking for feedback both good and bad about courses you have shot. What were great about the ranges you have visited? What would you do different? What is new that people are doing? Even the little things are important. I have toured a really nice one and got some thoughts, but I am sure there are a lot of great ideas out there.

Thanks!

for some reason i do not know ? most ranges do not allow x- bows may be its a legal liability problem ? but if its not glad to see you will allow x- bows in certain areas at your archery range. make sure signs are posted where x- bow and regular archery equipment areas are allowed and not allowed.

p90pay

You can really extend that xbow range further than 100 (if you have the room). Agree with the other posts that you will want to totally separate the area for crossbow hunters to sight in from the area for real bowhunters. Crossbowers want bench rests and seats (like firearms shooters) when they sight in their scoped weapon and those bench rests and seats would only be in the way of real bowhunters.

Target technology has not kept pace with the advances in xbow technology so you need different (more expensive) crossbow targets. If you allow the crossbower onto an archery range they will bury their tiny bolts/quarrels so deep into targets that they will cut into them to retrieve the bolts/quarrels or worse yet they will leave them inside and slink off without telling anybody and when the real bowhunters shoot at those targets, they will damage their gear when hitting the hidden bolts/quarrels. Also the crossbowers will chew up the center spots/bullsyes of the targets pretty fast as they are so accurate so get crossbow targets with a lots of spots to shoot at.

Our local archery range has disallowed any crossbowers from the range because of this and their blatant disregard for the posted rules and because the crossbowers did not practice muzzle control and would point the loaded shoulder fired weapons at others. They did not treat these highly powerful stored energy weapons with the respect they deserve. he had bolts/quarrels stuck in the walls and ceilings due to miss fires and no trigger control.

He even has a sign posted on the front entrance doors stating that no cocked and loaded crossbows are allowed in the building and that they will come out to the parking area to diagnose hang fires and problem weapons.

Invest in quality targets for the real bowhunters as they will shoot a lot out of pure enjoyment of the sport. Crossbowers shoot just enough to sight in the scope and then stop. you may also want shield/screens to isolate the crossbowers as many dont like to be watched using one. Think of it like driving a Chevy or getting out of a bath tub. You dont want anybody to see you doing it.

Sharpthings,
That was a fabulous post. I copied it verbatim and sent it to the committee (and heckled the guy who drives a chevy!).

Glad I could be of assistance.

Don't sweat the village idiot....he has nothing useful to say unless it benefits him. Good to see a club accommodating all archers.

dull things you dont know what the [bleep] you are talking abought

The thread starter appreciated the accurate info so Im inclined to not give a rats ass what you think. (just so you know). Im not saying that I don't care what you think on the whole (but Im betting that is the case) so don't get too upset. Im sure at some point you will post something I will care about.

Man, someone is having a meltdown. Why the anger? Must be where the boy got it from.

Elevated shooting platforms used to be common.
Not anymore.

Now almost everybody shooting wheels is using a mechanical release.
There's been a lot over the years in archery media, about proper form.
And most folks know you shoot the horizontal component of your triangle

which means elevated platforms simply are not needed.

Just added expense and liability.

Bench at a bow range?
Well, it is nice to have a place to lay a bow if working on it.
Doubles as a shooting position for X bow folks.

Proly need concrete path from parking area to a bench or two, for handicapped to use.

Nix the elevated platform idea and use the $ for handicap access.

Elevated shooting........used to be funky for folks way back.
Fingers, not bending at the waist......made things hit different.
If you had the right form and yardage..........no big deal.

Amazingly, some old time bowhunters of some science background.........still don't understand why they shot high.

Even if they did the form stuff right, they often misjudged yardage because of the loss of foreshortening.
Elevated let them see more of the ground between them and the target........change in perspective. Looked farther.

Then there was the aiming error itself.
Hold half way up on your 3D deer when shooting horizontal........and it's half way up the side..
Elevated, you now see more of the top/back of the target, and half way up on the brown actually shifts your aiming point higher on the side.
Add that stuff up and deer flinch..........yup, over the top.

Our F&W area does not have targets on their bow range.
They have wood sided sand banks at diff yardages.

You have to supply your own target.

Can set your bag target half way up on sand bank (just set on a flattened spot in the sand).
Can also just wad a piece of paper and poke it into the sand halfway up.

The latter is a cheap and easy broadhead target

Used to be hay bales w compressors. Redone right before bow season. Folks would shoot broadheads and tear the centers out quickly.

So...........when we shot we aimed elsewhere.

Old shot out cardboard deer target was left on a bale and I shot it in the nose (20 yards).
Some hippie blew me crap about shooting overdraw and release (around '86).

Said I couldn't hit crap w my "fancy" stuff. One of those bowhunting elitist jerks he was.
He had a PSE wood riser compound, w quiver rattling badly. His 20 yard groups were basketball sized..

Told my vocal critic I aimed for the nose, since blowing through the shot out bales (kill zone on deer target) was hard on my feathers.
He called BS.

So I shot the 30 yard deer in the nose too.

He shut up and left, so my bud and I quit shooting the elevated platform (max 40 yards) and walked off to the side and behind, where we could shoot 60-80 yards.


Our local club had two 20 yard compressed bales, a 30 and a 40, and a sand pit past the 40..........where you could test broadheads. Written rules on big sign right by shooting line.
Evidently bowhunters are for the most part an illiterate bunch.
Because they blasted broadheads into the bales and target compressors.

Weren't no X bow folks back then either.

So.................a park for archery IMHO should mandate field tips only.

If it is a club with hunting practice in mind, a sand pit for such usage (but many will ignore it.......you have been warned).

To really reduce the chance of stupidity.................sand banks only. Like the F&W area range.
It isn't supervised like the gun ranges.

Note.............the bow range has berm at back, maybe one side too..
I suppose it's also a safety area behind the bow range............to keep people out of harm's way.

The F&W range (and my old POS Jeep).

PM, and good luck with your project.

Well I really liked the elevated idea! Hmm. Thank you for the thoughts everyone and keep them coming. Even little things. It will be on a paved trail for handicapped access.

If you want an elevated platform and can afford it.............why not?

Hell, with most ranges not having them anymore, might have some draw factor.

Dunno. Worth asking around.

The range that I liked best had a flat area for parking then you could walk down into a draw with covered shooting positions that faced North with bunks set at 20, 30 etc.,to 70 ft. This practice/sight-in range was out of most wind and provided shade as well as a few picnic tables.
The 3d targets started after leaving sight-in area and made a large loop shooting out from the center of the loop with around 20 targets. Then ended with last target by parking lot.
If x-bow range is needed could be set up before parking lot to one side or the other, with x-bows not allowed on other range (or forget having usable targets)
Shooting from raised areas can be accomplished during dirt work by simply making cuts or mounds.
A good shooting range is an asset to any community and is a goal worth time and effort.

Worry about broadheads, are they allowed? If so they tear up targets much faster and it rules out bag targets.

Elevated I would shy away from. You will have to put a railing, and once you do you actually introduce an obstacle for the archers to get over, avoid with the bottom limb etc.

Worry about what's behind the range, a glance off the top of a target, heck even a skip off the ground, arrows, and bolts, can go a long ways.

The elevated platform of old F&W area had the front rail low.
Proly nailed a few trad or Oneida shooters that got too close LOL.

There was no chicken wire or screening under the rail...........so any kid screwing around could fall off (unsupervised area).

Dunno if anybody ever did...........but with today's liberal lawyers, suspect the old design and cost to upkeep or change ......factored in it's removal.