Round Straw Bale For Backstop?

[mmattockx]

Here's perhaps the stupid question for the weekend. In the past I have used the small rectangular straw bales for my backstop and they worked fine. Local supply of those has dried up, though. I have a neighbour that will sell me a large round bale of straw for a reasonable price and I am thinking about switching to that.

Does anybody here use round bales for a backstop? Any problems with them I should know about? Can I shoot into the flat sides without losing arrows into the core of the bale or do I shoot at the outer round surface?


Thanks,
Mark

[Selfbowman]

They work great. A bowyer friend has used one for years.

[Bob Barnes]

it will work...turn them at a slight angle so the arrow won't penetrate as far, and move the target when a spot gets too soft.

[Zugul]

I've used them for years, the ones I have are a lot more hard to penetrate from the round side so I shoot that instead of the flat part, never had an issue exept the fact that after a cuple hundred shors you have to shoot into a different spot on the bale because the net that keeps the straw tight breaks a bit and you start getting more penetration (and losing straw)

[mmattockx]

Thanks for the info, gentlemen. It looks like a round bale is in my future for my next backstop.


Mark

[organic_archer]

+1 … They make great backstops but best if angled or sideways as others mentioned. I’ve only shot the flat side of round bales a handful of times and those arrows were never seen again!

[bluejack]

They work great-been using them for years-I put a sheet of metal roofing over the top to protect it from the weather.

[superdav95]

They work great-been using them for years-I put a sheet of metal roofing over the top to protect it from the weather.

Plus one for me

[Pappy]

Only time I have ever used them is I use to rove in my uncles hay field and lost a couple arrows that disappeared in the roll  and they had broad heads on them, had to about tear the rolls up to find the arrow so the cows didn't, guess they weren't rolled rolled tight enough. I would think if they are rolled tight they would be great.
 Pappy

[superdav95]

I use round corn stalk bales.  They seem to be tighter rolled. My arrows don’t pass through them.  I tried using hey bales and they seem to be looser rolls.  I use the hey as back stop for my foam deer targets like others here.  The corn stalk bales are little cheaper too.  Mine even came with white plastic wrap already on them.