3D targets for some variety in archery

Shooting at 3D animals is an exciting form of archery but also crossbow shooters are pretty keen on it most of the time. There are numerous competitions in various archery associations annually. In order to be able to rate the shots and compare them, the animals have so-called kill zones, which are segmented in four different sizes. The closer the impact of the arrow is to the kill (equivalent to the gold on standard targets), the higher the scored points will be. You can find various manufacturers of 3D targets at BSW. They all produce their targets with the goal of creating a lifelike replica of the respective animal, in order to make the experience interesting and exciting for the archers.

Longlife 3D-Animals are made of a special foam mixture, which extends the life span of the products noticeably.
Leitold 3D-Animals on the other hand are hand-made. The core of these products is made of high-quality and particularly fine-pored polyurethane. The core, which is made of one piece, is coated with an imbued integral layer, which acts like a shell and protects it from scratches and UV light. In our product range you can also find:
Eleven 3D-Animals. These are extremely high-quality products. This is not only because of the high amount of polyurethane, which guarantees high resistance and durability but also the fact that the dyed material prevents ugly patches that can occur when the lacquer chips off.
Franzbogen 3D-Animals are made of a special and very elastic foam mixture. It has more mass and thereby grants the 3D animal higher stability. At the same time, the arrow is spared more than on other targets.
Und noch viel mehr von: Center-Point, InForm 3D, TC Targets, etc…

3D Targets for some special excitement

When using 3D animals, archery gets particularly interesting. The same goes for crossbow shooting. The shape of such targets is more interesting than a standard target obviously. When using such targets, you feel as if you were on the hunt, just without the blood of real animals. A training session far away from regular targets is a very effective way of getting out of phases with low motivation, which even the most ambitious archer is never completely safe of.

Discover the animal-shaped targets now

3D archery is getting continuously more popular. Not only experienced archers spend some days on the parcours but also more and more hobby-archers use the growing amount of possibilities. Clubs have also understood this phenomenon and equipped themselves accordingly. Many of them also offer 3D targets nowadays.

3D targets offer a far larger variety when compared to "normal" targets, since several animal models are available. Starting from boars, to grizzly bears, up to hawks or hedgehogs. We also offer so-called fun-targets like fary tale- and fantasy animals or also simple everyday-objects like a can of spinach for example in our online shop. Similar to the sports targets, the 3D targets have kill zones, which are comparable to the rings on normal targets. Because of these rings, the impacts can be converted to points. The base for that is the size of the zone and the distance to the target. The level of difficulty can be increased with shots up or down a hill. The used foam material is gentle to the arrows and in most cases, it was developed in such a way that the holes seal themselves. Most of the time, the animal targets are UV-resistant and stand up to wind and weather. Take a look at our petting zoo of 3D animals and convince yourself of the large selection at BSW.

3D animals for competitions and for your garden

3D animals and their manufacturers do not have an easy game. On one side, the targets have to stop the arrows of the strongest bows reliably, be durable as well as be resistant to all kinds of weather. On the other side, they have to release the arrows in them, that means it should be easy to remove the arrows from the target and at the same time, they should be affordable. On top of that, the colour should not fade because of the sun rays. The targets are divided into four groups by the IFAA (International Field Archery Association), which has nothing to do with the respective manufacturer of the target. Group 1 contains the largest targets, which are shot at from far distances. The bigger the number of the group is, the smaller the targets are and the lower the distance to the targets will be.
The separation of the groups and shot distances is as follows:
Group 1: 26m - 54m
Group 2: 26m – 40,5m
Group 3: 18m – 31,5m
Group 4: 9m - 18m
Now the question remains, which one of the 3D targets is suitable for personal use. If the targets are purchased for a public parcours or club and are thereby used by a large number of archers, durability is the most important thing. Particularly targets by Stronghold 3D Elite and Longlife are a good choice when it comes to this demand. Targets by those brands have proven themselves on countless parcours. If the targets are meant for use in the personal garden and if they should be as affordable as possible, targets by Franzbogen are a very solid choice.

How should the 3D animals be set up?

Here, there are almost no limits. Of course safety ranks first. Due to that, targets must never be placed in line with other public places like benches for example. Otherwise everything from simple shots on an even surface up to difficult challenges that even require high performance of the best archers is possible. If the terrain allows for it, the position where you shoot as well as the target can be placed in such a way that a valley is between them. This makes it harder for the eye to estimate the distance to the target, which will increase the difficulty. But also trees or bushes that cover the target a bit make for exciting challenges. Of course shots up or down a hill are a great change to the normal shots, since the ballistic trajectory of the arrow changes noticably. When setting up the targets, however, you should be careful that they are arranged in such a way that the arrows do not hit hard objects like stones or get lost in thicket when missing the target. We recommend setting up backstop nettings behind difficult targets. Not hitting the target is a nuisance already, but if you damage one or even several arrows, your motivation is likely to sink very quick.

3D targets in your personal garden

You should also be aware of the safety aspect in your personal garden. The target has to be set up in such a way that the arrows cannot leave your property or even endanger the neighbour when missing the target. Furthermore, the size of the target should be suitable. If for example your property only allows for distances of up to 12 metres, it does not make a lot of sense to put up a target of group 1, since this is not really going to be a challenge.