When you think of a good target bag, what are the components that you want? You may have never thought of that question, but I have and my "must have" list is below:
- Rugged and can take hundreds and thousands of arrows
- Remains standing up consistently rather than falling over after impact
- Ease of removal in pulling out the arrows
- Multiple targets for rotational shooting so that you do not overshoot one area
- Portability so that you could transport it without too much difficulty
- Made in the USA by a local company
- Something that helps with low-light shooting because my eyes are not as good as they used to be
Before jumping into the actual
review, let me step back and tell you a little bit about Walk-On Archery
because you may never have heard from them. This foam company is located
in Salisbury, NC and has been in existence since 2002. They have recently moved into the archery
target field within the last two years, and I’ve had the pleasure of visiting
the company to learn more about their process.
The foam for every target is made on-site (and it’s pretty amazing to
watch the formation, steaming, and drying process) and they also use shredded
material to surround their foam in the BuckTag 4.0.
They also shred the material on site in order to package within the
target. When you purchase a target from
them, just know that every target is packaged by hand by the folks there at
Walk-On Products. You cannot beat an
American-made target that is comprised of recycled materials for the benefit of
the archer.
In turning to the target itself, the
target comes in a square shape as shown by the picture here to the left. The shooting area is 22 inches by 22 inches
and please note that this target is for field points only and is rated to 430fps. The target cover contains a cardboard box
that encloses the packaged foam and shredded material. The box does not necessarily have to be part
of the target but it does create a flat surface that prevents the target from
falling over much like other bags. The box
has a primary purpose to keep the shredded material in place, but you do not
have to keep the box within the cover – I removed mine just so I could unpack
that box and see exactly what was inside it.
My wife was thrilled to see all that shredding sitting on the kitchen
table!!
One of the best features of the
BuckTag 4.0 is the zippered bottom.
Other “bag” targets that I have used either had Velcro at the top or it
was completely open meaning that you had to sew it together in some
fashion. This bottom also helps keep a square
base, which, as described above, helps prevent the bag from falling over. After more than 200 shots into the BuckTag, I
am yet to have this bag tip over after a shot; and that tipping was a HUGE
problem with my other bags. In fact, my
oldest son told me he’s glad he no longer has to run down there to set it back
up during our shooting sessions!
Another valuable feature are the handles
at the top of the bag, which help with portability. If you are not concerned with portability,
that’s fine too because it has grommets where the target can be hung in place
on a stand. For me though, the
lightweight internal core of foam and shredded material makes this easier to lug
around. Why does this matter? I am working with a guy that has never shot a
deer in his life and we practice all the time.
I was able to take him to the stand where he will be hunting and set up
that target at various ranges. He could shoot
at the vitals part of the target so that he can get used to sitting down,
drawing, and shooting.
I can anticipate what you are
thinking – if it is so lightweight, then how can it be so good at stopping
arrows? The answer is two-fold: (1) the density of the foam that is utilized
and (2) the packaging process. The
shredded material in the picture to the left surrounds the packaged foam with a burlap sack in the
center. Not only does it stop arrows
without issue, but the ease of removal is also increased. If you doubt that, check out this video below
by Hedog Archery and notice that the target bag is hanging (further showing the
ease of removal): https://www.facebook.com/HedogArchery/videos/1200698293307650
The BuckTag has shooting
capabilities for both sides and I’ll discuss each below. Before jumping into this, let me explain
something to you. The polypropylene cover
is the only part of the target that is not American-made. When I inquired about that fact, they
explanation made sense – the graphics from the overseas cover held up more
under testing than did those in the US. Coupling
that durability piece of the bag with the price point, it made sense. This choice was not optimal for them, but
they also wanted to keep the units as economical as possible.
- Vitals and numbers – the vitals are self-explanatory but understand they are a larger than normal for a NC whitetail. Still, it gives you good practice of thinking through a “kill shot” on a deer that may be quartering to or away. The other wonderful feature of this side is the various numbered white spots. Multiple games can be played with those numbers, and I've used them to determine winners in giveaways (each person assigned a random number and one arrow is shot at each number with the closest to the center winning). As an educator, I have my kids outside shooting with me. We fling three arrows at various numbers and then they have to add or subtract them. Yes, I incorporate math into archery as a great little teaching tool.
- Skullcrusher side – this side has a buck skull on it with multiple white spots. They are not numbered but they give you plenty of targets so that you are not constantly shooting the same place over and over and over. The placement of some of the spots are right between some of the antlers, so you can use this in an archery version of the game “Operation” originally made by Milton Bradley If you hit one of the arrows, our “buzz” is running laps and I HATE running.
Finally, most of these target bags are white with dark circles or bulls-eyes. This bag flips that as it is primarily this blue color as you have noticed by the many pictures; and for my older eyes, this helps especially shooting in lower light situations. Its different and I kind of like different, so this coloration pattern suits me very well.
Simply put, I love this bag. As long as Walk-On Archery is making target bags, they will be getting my business. As a native North Carolinian, I will continue to support local, NC businesses in the field of my passion – archery. Remember the practice session I mentioned above with that guy I am teaching? I shot two arrows at 30 yards and the results are below. Yes, I am rather pleased!
Please give Walk-On Archery a try. You will not be disappointed with their products, their people, or their service. Here is how you can find them on
social media:
- Website: https://www.walkonarchery.com
- Twitter: @Walk_On_Archery
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/walkonarchery
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