11 replies to this topic

[Blackthunder]

My name is Fred. I am 30 years and currently live in the UK. As a teenager I owned a cheap Chinese pistol crossbow. This thing was very hard to shoot wore trough it’s strings very fast and had some other quirks too. My experiences with this crossbow turned me off crossbows for many years. A few years ago I had the opportunity to fire an Excalibur vixen crossbow, it’s accuracy and power surprised me. A week ago I ordered  an Excalibur XX crossbow together with the light stuff package.
I read on this forum that people fill bags and boxes with rags, and this is supposed to effectively stop the arrows out of powerful crossbows. So is it really true that If I fill  for example a bucket with old clothing that this will reliably stop the arrows from a 200LB crossbow? Are there any things that I need to pay special attention to? The reason that I am a bit careful is that I do not want to loose a bolt per shot.   My little pistol crossbow would easily shoot trough an inch of plywood, I can only imagine with an at least 5x more powerful crossbow could do.
Thank you for your suggestions

[briarpatch]

Welcome to the Nation, Fred.  I suspect the bucket idea would work, but I'd bet it would also be tough on arrows.  Best if you took a feed bag...or order a 'rag bag' from third hand archery...and stuff with old clothes...make sure you remove all the metal stuff

[Old Longhair]

Welcome to the nation!

Yes. A bag (woven is best) packed full of rags or clothing (buttons & zippers removed) will stop any target arrow from any bow.
A cardboard box will work, but I don't believe that I would use a bucket.

[Blackthunder]

Thanks guys. I have been a rifle shooter for ages, but the whole crossbow thing is very new for me.

[original45]

hi fred im uk based too.pretty new to it too ,had c bows for years as a collection but lacked the time and space to use them.yep the rag bag works.hession sack and lots of old cotto sheets clothing i was told about 12" thick.im using 150 and 175 lb commando with 13.5" bolts.only had one nearly escape until i shook the bag again and compressed it.i shoot too.a little hft and hunting.

[thirdhandman]

briarpatch, on 02 August 2011 - 06:22 AM, said:

Welcome to the Nation, Fred.  I suspect the bucket idea would work, but I'd bet it would also be tough on arrows.  Best if you took a feed bag...or order a 'rag bag' from third hand archery...and stuff with old clothes...make sure you remove all the metal stuff

Briarpatch thanks for the post.  We have been using old rags for 20 years now.  Believe it or not you can take a paper grocery bag and fill it with old clothes and they will stop the bolt once or twice and then the bag tears up.  The beauty of the bagtarget.com is that it looks professional, it has an easy fill velcro top and a lifetime guarantee.  If you can wear out all 18 spots with field points,  Empty the bag and autograph it because you will be the first.  Send it back and I'll give you a new one.

[savatreatabvr]

Phone books work well also, various thicknesses for various poundage crossbows.

thirdhandman, on 14 August 2011 - 09:40 AM, said:

Briarpatch thanks for the post.  We have been using old rags for 20 years now.  Believe it or not you can take a paper grocery bag and fill it with old clothes and they will stop the bolt once or twice and then the bag tears up.  The beauty of the bagtarget.com is that it looks professional, it has an easy fill velcro top and a lifetime guarantee.  If you can wear out all 18 spots with field points,  Empty the bag and autograph it because you will be the first.  Send it back and I'll give you a new one.

[Cossack]

http://www.thirdhand...ct.asp?PRODID=9

Works great

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[NeilM]

Another UK archer signing in.

I just got two Rag Bags from Flybow in Ireland; as well as clothes, you can stuff the bags with cling film type wrap. We have horses, so I use the wrap from hayledge bales, but its the same stuff they use to wrap boxes onto pallets. Stomp it well down and it will easily stop a bolt or arrows.

[jnettrecker]

I use a plastic mesh feed bag filled with painters rags. Total investment, $20

[gflecky]

Thirdhand Rag bags is the business, stuff it with a couple of old quilts, arrows come out with two fingers.

[Bamm Bamm]

great info I just ordered a new crossbow and have been wondering about a target=)