Backstop netting - just how effective is it?

[RichardH]

Our club is fortunate enough to have a field for target shooting that does not require backstop netting, but we're looking to lay out some field targets in the woods, which are fairly flat - and so don't have many natural backstops. When we do this currently, we always spend a fair amount of time hunting for arrows (ahem). We've also been asked to run a "have a go" session at a school fete (this would be subject to a safety audit before we agree). The club is longbow only, and any have a go would have a max bow draw weight of 32#.

This leads on to the issue of backstop netting. It would be a significant investment for us, but can people comment on how effective it is? On a recent visit to Cloth of Gold, I saw that a lot of targets had some backstop netting behind, but I didn't have the opportunity to test its effectiveness.

Also, are there any "alternative" suggestions?

[Kae]

Backstop netting is fine for low poundage (35# max) recurves and compounds, and longbows (45#) in general.

It will not stop serious bows at short distances.

We use it at our have-a-go's with no problems.

Kae.

[geoffretired]

The netting works well as Kae says. We had problems with thin arrows from 50lb compounds. It needs to hang without dragging on the ground.

[JohnK]

As above, with the added comment that a double layer of backstop netting, with a short distance between each layer (say several inches) is much more effective.

[its my party and]

Our indoor 3D last year was able to stop everything because we doubled the netting and put a block of polystyrene behind it! But some arrows penetrated through two layers but with the force taken off bounced off the poly! Making an interesting sound as well! Letting us know when someone missed!

[Jerry Tee]

If the netting is allowed to swing when it is hit it will stop a 58 lbs compound arrow.

[Little Miss Purple]

Remember to leave a gap from the netting to the wall!!

[sambow]

I believe there may be different thicknesses. I bought standard quicks green backstop net, but it is nowhere near as dense and heavy as the white backstop netting my club uses.

My green netting stops everything out of my 30lb recurve from 10M up but fails to stop carbons (6mm diameter) from my 45lb compound at 30M and less. It does kill the speed though and I think a second layer as suggested would totally stop them.

[grimsby archer]

Originally Posted by RichardH

Our club is fortunate enough to have a field for target shooting that does not require backstop netting, but we're looking to lay out some field targets in the woods, which are fairly flat - and so don't have many natural backstops. When we do this currently, we always spend a fair amount of time hunting for arrows (ahem). We've also been asked to run a "have a go" session at a school fete (this would be subject to a safety audit before we agree). The club is longbow only, and any have a go would have a max bow draw weight of 32#.

This leads on to the issue of backstop netting. It would be a significant investment for us, but can people comment on how effective it is? On a recent visit to Cloth of Gold, I saw that a lot of targets had some backstop netting behind, but I didn't have the opportunity to test its effectiveness.

Also, are there any "alternative" suggestions?

Rule #1: Backstop netting doesnt stop arrows. As long as we all understand that, the world is a safer place. Backstop netting (or the mis-use of) frightens me because it lulls people into a false sense of security. There is lots of talk of one layer, two layers etc. GNAS Insurers require "impenetrable walls" or minimum distances between an archery range and other users and for anything else, such as a brick wall (pink flloyd), or high bank (lloyds tsb for instance) you must consult the insurers. Longbows they maybe, but even a light longbow can put an arrow over the top of 12' backstop netting. Backstop netting just means you don't have to walk so far to collect the arrows.

[SimonW]

Way back when I was starting to take archery seriously (about 1976 ish) my parents bought me a 60cm straw boss.

We had a double length garage and a longish drive.

Being 13yrs old, I strung the boss up from garage rafters with string and then realising that I wasn't anywhere good enough to guarantee hitting the boss all of the time, I took some advice from the adults at the club.

One of them suggested net curtains (yeah right!!) as a backstop net so at home I ask my mum if she's got any net curtains I could 'borrow'.

She said no (she really wasn't one for net curtains) but she did have an old sheet.

So, I nailed this to the rafters behind the boss. Then went back 15yds or so, shot, missed, BANG (oops!).

There was a neat little hole in the sheet and a neat little hole in the metal drop garage door at the back.

Not to bore you all too much, I ended up with 13 sheets (honest) hanging up one behind the other (and at least that many holes in the garage door - which my dad was not very amused by).

And this was me shooting a 26lb greenkat clubman bow with 1413 arrows.

The thing I remember most was honestly believing that one flimsy sheet was going to stop my arrows when I missed, oh yes and my dads reaction every time the garage door at the back went BANG.

Happy days ........

Simon