Home > Archery Kit > Tuff-Shot Practice Butt

I used to belong to a target archery club, however the shooting ground was on a school field which was used all week by the kids and then on Satruday for football. That meant that we could only shoot once a week on a Sunday. Of course life often gets in the way and what with one thing and another I was only getting to shoot a couple of hours two or three times a month. The only thing to do was get my own target, but most on the market are simply not suitable for shooting with a higher poundage bow. 

The options seem to be either straw or some sort of rubber. The straw bosses are OK but the smaller ones for home use are generally not man enough for the job when it comes to 50# plus bows and the rubber ones by the usual 3D manufacutrers, no matter how long lasting, are very expensive. Also the larger straw ones are just too large to store easily at home and certainly a pain to move around in a standard car. 

After a bit of research I came across the Tuff-shot practice butt, it is sold by Merlin archery and the attractive part was the price and the fact you get free delivery to anywhere in the UK, that's pretty good for such a large item. I say large but it's not massive measuring 60cm x 60cm x 45cm, so to all intents and purposes a cube, however it is big enough for most people's ability if you are shooting at 20-30 yards or so. The cube design means it can be shot from a number of angles and more importantly it requires no stand as it sits on it's own wooden base. The outside is tough material and in side is a compressed foam core. The 5 viewable surfaces each come with a target painted on them, one a single dot, an arrangement of 5 dots, 2 rabbits and a rat on top, this makes it very versatile but you could of course pin a target face to it if you needed to. 

I used to shoot the Tuff-shot in the garden when I had room but having since moved it now gets the odd outing in the woods where it is excellent. Carrying the target around is the major down fall as there are no handles any where so it means trying to bunch up the corner to get a grip and then throwing it on to your back. It's not particuarly heavy but it is rather combersome and the addition of a couple of handles on the side would be a real advantage. 

I suppose the critera of a target is does it stop an arrow, it does brilliantly and I have shot it with a range of bows up to 60# and also compounds and it has had no trouble dealing with them. After a while the middle does wear down but it's nothing serious and if anything a plus point as the arrows are easier to remove. I mentioned the woods and this is where the target comes in to it's own, I was shooting yesterday and we found a nice spot to place it and then spent the next couple of hours shooting it without having to move it. We would shoot it, collect arrows and then walk off in a different direction and shoot a different side. 

I have owned the Tuff-shot for around 2 years and while it has got a little tatty it has held up really well. I keep it outside in all weathers and while the various spots and animals have faded a little there has been no longer term damage to it, which you would get with a straw boss. 

 

Rating
Features & Design
Five sides gives great flexibility but could really do with some handles to make it easier to move around.
Performance
Great at stopping an arrow and has stood up really well in the longer term.
Value for Money
Possibly one of the cheapest targets around and does an excellent job.
Overall
A really good product, a few minor points in not having handles and being a bit low to the ground but overall well worth getting hold of if you have the room for a target at home.

 

 

 

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Steve Nicholson and Andy Gilfrin, are real archers interested in the best archery suppliers have to offer. In our search for the very best bow, arrows and equipment we have shot, used and worn pretty much everything on offer.

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Essential Details
What : Tuff-Shot Practice Butt Price : £28.88

 

Magazine

July 2010 The Mary Rose story comes to life this month, when Steve and Andy went to visit archaeologist Alex Hildred and got our hands on 500 year old long bows (literally). We look at the battle of Vernuiel, Andy visits France on a peace mission and we talk to Sid at Border.


June 2010 Bumper edition this month, a pig in armour, Geoff towers direct from Homildon Hill and a look at the Mary Rose. There is also news of the UK Atlatl championships and all the usual regular items.


May 2010 This month sees the release of yet another Robin Hood film, to celebrate this months magazine is a Robin Hood special. We look at the man behind the legend with a couple of articles about the man and the period that gave rise to him. We also have an article on Little John, not Robin Hoods side kick but John Cately of Little John Arrow, he talks to us about his life in archery and the way he likes to make his arrows. 

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