Need input on Archery Range

[MNElkNut]

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?

Thanks for any ideas!

 

[COEngineer]

Sounds awesome! Thank you for your efforts. I have only used two walking ranges and really enjoy the ones with some natural features (trees, rocks, elevation etc). The opportunity to practice shooting around (side-to-side, over/under) tree branches, tall grass, etc and standing on uneven ground was more realistic than the ranges that are completely flat with mowed grass.

 

[Eric.MN]

Is this the one going in at stearns county park?

 

[MNElkNut]

Eric,
It is not in Stearns County. NW of there an hour.

COEngineer,
Great input. We don't have much in the form of trees, a few, but not many. We do have some topography to work with. No rocks bigger than your hand. You sure got me to thinking about how we can put some type of obstruction in the way of a few targets.

 

[Eric.MN]

Darn, it sounds like you'll have a cool setup. Must be in the Alexandria area?

 

[JohnCushman]

If the archery hunter safety course is going to be taught there you need a couple of iron buck targets

 

[Ryan2782]

I would say have a 10 yard target on the range for kids to shoot.

 

[MNElkNut]

Eric,
Ya sure you might be able to say that! On the NW side of town.

 

[GAbearclaw]

This is awesome, not much to add except that planting trees now will benefit later. There are some truly magical archery clubs I have shot at that had the foresight to plant trees early and now some pretty inhospitable and ugly pieces of property are beautiful and shady as a result.

San Diego has an archery range right next to the zoo at Balboa park that is a great use of the land, but that is a long ways for you to go to check it out... Same for Oranco outside LA. Good luck!

 

[kenton]

If you are using an earthen backstop, make the target stationary and the shooter position mobile...if you can. A missed short shot will go subterranean before it gets to the backstop if the target is away from the backstop. If you make the target position mobile, you might as well not go through the expense of a mound because shot shots won't get there and long misses have enough angle that the backstop isn't necessary. I hope that makes sense, tough to explain.

 

[MNbowhntr_Mark]

Spray for bugs and get rid of the poison ivy! Ha ha! Seriously good luck.

One interesting option is to put the range bullseye targets in a line vertically from the shooter line instead of horizontally if you don’t have a lot of room width wise.

 

[LukeDuke]

Hey sir. You should check out the carver county archery park just north of Victoria. It’s a great range. They have elevated stands and benches at the bottoms of those stands that allow you to practice shooting out of a ground blind situation. Has the windows and everything. It you log onto the Three Rivers Park site, I think it gives you a diagram of the walking course. If I remember correctly, it has 10-15 stations. 10 to 100 yds. They have a bat house to help control the mosquitoes��

 

[dirtclod Az.]

Liability insurance?Have a great place here in Az.AZGF is all about safety.

 

[Howie]

Good for you, man. You will do a fine job for your community. Attaboy!������

 

[deputy338]

Keep us all posted when it’s complete, I will drive the two hours to give it a shot.

 

[WalkingBird]

Here at AZ we have a 110 yard archery range around the corner with a long rubber mat hung in front of the earthen bank that helps to stop targets right there with no ricochets

 

[2rocky]

NFAA does site audits to certify the field course is "safe" There are certain layout protocols to follow.

Target distances for Field rounds.
https://www.nfaausa.com/wp-content/uploads/Range-and-Target-Guidelines-for-NFAA-Rounds.pdf

Archery range guidelines
https://www.nfaausa.com/wp-content/uploads/Archery-Range-Guidelines.pdf

 

[Badger_55]

Thas a pretty fun opportunity. I would say longer the distance the better. 0-120 yds for compounds on a range.