Archery target for under $10. 

My whole life I have heard, "Oh you can get this at any blah, blah." But I have never been able to find whatever it is. If you go to your local hardware store and ask for the item they look at you like you are speaking Klingon. So with no small trepidation, I went to the Tractor Supply and asked for the big blocks of styrofoam. "Oh, yeah. Around back. Take whatever you need." I have 25 huge blocks of styrofoam sitting on my patio. Thanks for the tip!

I did exactly the same. I scored 31 blocks and strapped them, into a 6'x5'x1.5' giant target/backstop. The problem is in one session at the archery range, I have bits of styrofoam blowing all over the lawn. I was using a 25 pound longbow at 10 meters. In less than 100 shots, I have a crater almost punched through to the other side. The TS blocks are approximately 1 pound density foams. At home, I have a purchased 2 pound density styrofoam 4'x4'x1' block. Same bow and arrows at 7 meters. It took about a 850 shots to get the first arrow to go through to the back. I can get 12 shots into a 6 inch diameter circle. As the center of the cone shape crater gets thinner and thinner, the arrow tips gets closer and closer to the back of the 12" thick block. As you can see, there is a huge difference between the 1.5' deep 1# density block vs. the 1' deep 2# density block. It was a good experience to understand all this. The price of all this is the thrill of scoring 31 free blocks and the feeling of defeat of the experiment not working out and have to find a way to get rid of 31 blocks. Well, 30 blocks. ONE of the block was left behind at the archery range as crumbs. I used a full can of Loctite Windows and Doors spray foam to repair the crater at my home's 2# target. The low expansion W&D would end up slightly denser than the regular expansion variant spray foam. I also use it in my cold and low humidity (it's winter) basement so the expansion is further limited. It took longer than usual to cure. Left a lot of voids inside. Judging from finger pressure, it is approximately slightly denser than the 2# block. It is also has a less tendency to breakdown into crumbs. It is "stretchier" or "gummyer". So it is a good thing. Have not test it with arrows yet. I will update later. UPDATE: The spray foam is a bit lumpy but it's OK. Going to poke holes in it anyway. It is a lot cleaner, less crumbs on the floor. Styrofoam crumbs are hard to clean because of the static electricity. It grips the arrow a lot tighter than the original 2# styrofoam. I think it has a bit of polyethylene in the formula to make it gummyer, stretchier and less crumbs. It hold together well. The heat generated by the high speed penetration melts some of the said polyethylene. Polyethylene is the plastic foam packing materials. They tend to be self healing. The hold size will shrinks down after you pulled the arrow. The melting part is what makes it not ideal for arrow target. It leaves a plastic residue on the first 2 inches of the arrow tip. It is not easy to scrape off. I give the Loctite spray foam a thumbs up for 2# density styrofoam block repair. My next repair will be using fence post anchoring foam. After the mixing, it pours as a low viscosity liquid. I expect it to have less voids, unlike the can spray foam that injects a lot of gas propellant into the mix. I hope density is at least as high as the Loctite and have the same or less tendency to crumb. UPDATE: Fast2K Fence Post Expansion Foam is a lot harder and denser. It grips the arrow very tight. So use an arrow puller tool. The problem is that it is very brittle. Powery crumbs comes off from it. The surface is so hard and brittle that punching with my knuckle will crack the surface with an indent. It is NOT ideal for foam black repair. I will try different brands of fence post foam. I will eventually try Fast2K again. The first try was in a cold dry garage. These chemical needs higher temperature and more humidity. An ideal styrofoam density would be 2.5# or 3#. 3# density may have my arrows from a 25# bow bouncing off of the target at 20 meters. At 10 meter, 3# should be OK. If I am to buy another 2# block, I would get it at 1.5' thick. At 2.5# or 3#, 1' thick is fine .... using a 25# bow at 10 meters.

I am in central New Jersey. It comes down to who you talk to at the Tractor Supply. If you talk to a low level clerk, they typically don't know what they do with their left over foam blocks they used for shipping trailers. They just know they stack it somewhere in the back lot until a big giant dumpster shows up and they unload them. My experience is that these clerks don't know that they can just give them away and save themselves some extra work. Or, they just don't want to deal with you and want to make you go away. So they make up some reason that you cannot have them. If I approach the store manager, he typically do understand what they do with it. They recycle them. If someone takes some, it just means they have to do less work. It usually cost money to to get the dumpster delivered and hauled away. Giving them away means they will save money. So, my experience with 3 different Tractor Supply's has been good with the store manager. Just don't leave a mess after you sort out the clean ones and ones that are not chewed up. There is a plastic wrap around them. Take them and throw them out at your own house. Or, remove them at the TS site but keep things neat and clean and not allow the wind to spread the bags all over after you leave. Better yet, throw them out in the garbage dumpster on site. ..... if you want a regular supply of the blocks. Don't forget to go back in and thank the store manager. AGAIN, don't leave behind a mess.

FYI, I use the same thing and compound does just fine, penetration is deeper but does not melt the Styrofoam. My arrows speed is 235 @ 60 pound draw.

Styrofoam is a great target material I used crawl space Styrofoam taped together for a back stop before I'm going to try stopping crossbow bolts when we move into our new house. along with my recurves.

Geez this gives the saying "you couldn't hit the broadside of a barn" meaning. How big of a target do you need? LOL

free carpet wall in frt of the foam carpet and underlay are free

nice

How does this withstand the elements? I'm in an area with a decent amount of rain and snow, would love to know how yours has held up over the years.

Are you in the Verde Valley AZ?

These are fine if you want bits of styrofoam everywhere...

How well has it held up?