maddhunter Posted June 18, 2006 Report Share Posted June 18, 2006 Well I've been giving some serious thought on putting in a 3-D range behind our house. I'll have 25 3-d targets and 4 pratice targets. We don't have many ranges around close any more and the one that is cost too much for what he has set up. Also thinking of putting in an archery shop and starting off by making up arrows and maybe a few setups as I get better at this. The main focus will be on the 3-d range though. I've got plenty of land behind the house, it's a hay medow with a bunch of timber around the one edge and the back. As soon as we get the hay mowed and bailed I'm going to start making lanes figureing out where, how, and for sure if I can do this. If anyone has any sugestions on whether to buy new or used targets or any other sugestions are very welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VermontHunter Posted June 18, 2006 Report Share Posted June 18, 2006 Re: NEW 3-D Range & Archery Shop I think it's great idea on your part.... I would love to see pics when you finally get it done.... Here's an article I came across awhile back and thought you might like to read it as well... Enhance Your Range With 3-D Archery by Ken Watkins International Bowhunting Organization Here's a way to utilize some of the extra space around a sporting clays or even a rifle range and gain an additional source of revenue-add 3-D archery. Setting up a 3-D range is not very difficult if you keep a couple things in mind. First, of course, is safety. There must be a reasonable distance between targets (side to side) as well as behind. Editors Note The cost of installing a 3-D course at your club will vary somewhat from facility to facility, depending on the amount of brush and land clearing necessary to create your shooting lanes. 3-D targets themselves will range in price from about $40.00 for a woodchuck to $210.00 for a deer or bear. These targets, if used properly, should last several seasons as the cores are usually made so that they can be replaced as necessary. As in Sporting Clays, the fee charged for shooting your course will also vary from club to club. The average seems to be within the range of $8.00 to $15.00. Your 3-D range must not conflict with the leagues and shoots you are already holding. It is a little disconcerting to be shooting a bow in a quiet setting, hearing only the chirp of birds, and suddenly be entertained by the report of a twelve-gauge nearby. The second factor is the layout of the course itself. Do you have the area needed for a trail-type shoot or is it more feasible to use a single access lane, from which a series of parallel shooting stations would branch off. The trail-type set up is a meandering trail through the woods and fields from target to target. The access lane style is easier to set and maintain but does not provide the varying terrain and shot variety that a trail type often does. Targets should be placed realistically, representing the animals they depict. Try to create a natural scenario. Plan your scene beforehand. Don't just stick animal targets in the back forty. You might go to a local archery club and walk their course during one of their 3-D shoots. You may also know several members of a local club who would be willing to give you a hand-archers and bowhunters are generally pretty helpful sorts. Now that you have a general idea of the type of course to set, decide how many targets you will be able to place. I would suggest fifteen or more for sure. Plan at least an hour and a half entertainment for your shooters, keeping in mind that it will take a group of four approximately ten minutes to shoot a target and move on to the next one, in a tournament setting. A practice round for several bowhunters often will only take half as much time. Vary the targets and vary the distance of your targets. Small targets like turkey or javelin will be shot from quite a bit closer than, say, an elk or moose target. Use an absolute maximum distance for any target of fifty yards. Keep in mind the nature of the shooter who is using your range. You are not trying to challenge a world champion. You want to encourage the local bowhunter to learn to estimate yardage better and be sure he enjoys the experience. Most of the time, set the largest targets at forty yards, give or take a few. Then set the medium size ones a little closer, and so on. When you are setting your targets, use a tape measure to be sure of the distance. Unless you are an extremely good 3-D archer, it will amaze you how poorly most of us estimate distance. At an event we held several years ago in Illinois that was part of the national championships, we had a little fun deal where we set up to guess distance. No shooting, just guess the distance and write it down on the score card. We used ten of the same targets that were in the shoot itself and the winning guess was 58 yards off the total. Make sure that your squirrel target is not set at forty-six yards. I promise, someone will mention it to you if it is. The balance for this, of course, is the cost of 3-D targets. You must balance the level of difficulty with the level of expertise of the shooters who will be utilizing your range. After a couple weeks of use and asking for comments from your customers it will be pretty easy to then have the type of balance you need. When you put the range together, be sure of what is behind the targets in case of a miss. Nothing discourages a shooter, especially beginners, more than lost and/or broken arrows. Ultimately you want your customers to come off your 3-D range having had a good time and feeling that they shot pretty well. Customer service in the sport of 3D also will include making your customers feel at home. It can be most intimidating to a new 3-D shooter to come out of his backyard and shoot at a range. We all like to be confident in our abilities and need encouragement. 3-D archery is pretty tough for a new shooter. As difficult as target archery is, the competitor knows the distances at which the targets are placed. Not knowing the target distance is an added degree of difficulty that the 3-D archer must learn to deal with. Guess the wrong distance and your shot is high or low-this is the difference between a good shot and a bad shot. Be sure your customers are encouraged enough by their results to want to come back again. I suppose one way to look at this would be to say, build it and they will come. Start with a practice set up and then get into leagues and tournament type events. Help is available and we all can use another place to practice. Archery is a family type sport; from a five or six year old child to even the senior citizen, all can and do enjoy archery Give them a place to play, tell some people about it and you will enjoy the result. May I suggest a couple elevated shooting platforms be added to this range... Most ranges seems to forget that bow hunters shoot mainly from stands... Matianence of a range is easy, if you can inlist a few shooters to help out for the use of the range in trade..... Good Luck with your endevour, Im sure if you biuld it, they will come... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanH Posted June 18, 2006 Report Share Posted June 18, 2006 Re: NEW 3-D Range & Archery Shop Ask a 3-D target maker to sponser you and get a deal on targets! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hutchies Posted June 19, 2006 Report Share Posted June 19, 2006 Re: NEW 3-D Range & Archery Shop Dwin you better try to get a target company to help you out. Targets can get very high and if you setup 25 target course it could cost you easily $5,0000 to $10,000. Used maybe the way to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddhunter Posted June 20, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2006 Re: NEW 3-D Range & Archery Shop [ QUOTE ] Dwin you better try to get a target company to help you out. Targets can get very high and if you setup 25 target course it could cost you easily $5,0000 to $10,000. Used maybe the way to go. [/ QUOTE ] I do believe $50,000 may be a little out of my league If I bought all new target from BPS, 23 of them being Delta 3-d targets and 2 McKenzies, it will cost me around $3,000 not includeing stands for them. I'm just not too sure about the archery shop though. I know most of the basics and can cut and fletch arrows but there is alot I don't know too. Just the basic equipement to do arrows on a large scale will cost me about $1300. The bailer will start mowing our hay this week and then I will be able to get a better look at what I can do with the range. I think the range will be what I start out with and work my way up to the shop part later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hutchies Posted June 20, 2006 Report Share Posted June 20, 2006 Re: NEW 3-D Range & Archery Shop Sorry Dwin I meant $5,000 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAbowhunter86 Posted June 20, 2006 Report Share Posted June 20, 2006 Re: NEW 3-D Range & Archery Shop I am sure if you look around you would be able to find grants and other ways to get money to start this business. It is a great idea and one that I have though about doing after I get out of college and get on my feet. Keep us posted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hutchies Posted June 20, 2006 Report Share Posted June 20, 2006 Re: NEW 3-D Range & Archery Shop I would be real suprised if you can get a grant. Government grants only go to non profit organizations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
struttinhoyt Posted June 20, 2006 Report Share Posted June 20, 2006 Re: NEW 3-D Range & Archery Shop sounds like a good idea though.....Id be willing to make a trip..... maybe even make a realtree get together shoot out of it.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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