Thread: 2025 Bowhunting trip- target options?

Hey,
Long time lurker on this great forum, rarely post but anyway, here I go. I am visiting your awesome part of the world again this summer for a family holiday for 3 weeks rolling the Sth Island in a campervan.

I have visited the Sth Island a few times now for hunting and also just for holiday trips with the family. This time I thought I would combine the 2. I have hunted the Sth Island with rifle a few times now and have taken a respectable Chamois and cracking Tahr by rifle and am coming back for the future with the just the bow.
I have been thinking I will need a target to lay into whilst over there for that long ( for a bit of target practice when back at van camp with the family, and the boy (10) loves his archery aswell)

I have been looking into available targets from Christchurch area ( landing / van pick up there) and am wondering if anyone has used the stealth XPE solid foam target from H&F ?
I have seen advanced archery has a few also, but they are in the higher price range, and this one from H&F seems to fit the bill nicely.
https://www.huntingandfishing.co.nz/...arget-99210115

What Im really wanting to know is, if anyone has one of these, and is happy / unhappy with it? theres a few of these getting around made in china that are really just stuffed with rags, so not really "solid" at all.
Hoping someone on here has used one of these and can tell if good or not, definitely dont want to get one and have it fall apart after 1 afternoon of target practice.

Cheers

@Billbob

Mines a bag of rags and weighs 40kg and a bit cumbersome ive seen those stelth targets and know alot use them. Also check out these below from gun city that may be of better size to fit in the caravan.
https://www.guncity.com/fun-target-a...t-420mm-382410

Hey, Thanks Billbob I will check them out too. Inside knowledge is always better than going in blind. And yeah , whilst the bag of rags does the job quite well, it might take up a bit of room in the motorhome, already gonna have 2 adults and 2 kids in there. Thanks again

No first hand experience with that target you've mentioned sorry (I use the Rhineheart 18-1). Another option would be to see what the two local archery shops have in stock that may fit the bill?

Paddy is in New Brighton - https://www.bowhunt.co.nz/
Matt is in Darfield - https://arrowheadarchery.co.nz/

contact ellesmere archery club, they shoot saturday mornings out to 70m also indoors wednesday evenings up to 20m

Cheers for that lost, for some reason when I search on the web for archery stores in Nz from here in Oz ,bugger all turns up , so any pointer on who to go and see whilst there is what Im chasing . Thanks

Thanks for the reply also gonetropo, whilst I enjoy sending arrows down range with like minded people, Im sort of just after something that I can use on the go. We won't be spending much time around the cities/ towns, mainly be doing a big loop of the Sth and stopping in places with good hiking and hunting availability/ Doc access. If Im passing through that area on one of those days I might stop in for a look .
Cheers

Just an idea.......

Get a few packs of these and duct tape together and save a bit over a target....

https://www.kmart.co.nz/product/4-pa...B&gclsrc=aw.ds

Originally Posted by AussieHunter

... We won't be spending much time around the cities/ towns, mainly be doing a big loop of the Sth and stopping in places with good hiking and hunting availability/ Doc access. ...

a wee note - I did just that with my bow, thinking that I might pick up rabbit or two for the pot or maybe a hare, or who knows.

But what happened both times I got the chance to line up an animal , was that some go pro influencer turned up, sounding like a a buffalo walking on cockle shells and scared the target away... grrrrr... back packers...

I also saw one of yer famed Canterbury panthers, black, muscly and about twice the size of an average town cat. And fleet of foot.

Cheers again Billbob, Yeah I have thought about that option (and have done that back here in Oz years ago) but prob just gonna grab a simple butt that will do the job and stay tidy ,and hopefully stay together for the time there. If it lasts the time I will prob just "leave" it in Nz for another archer to lay into. If your in the path of my journey out of Nz , there might just be a replacement for your 40kg bag of rags .
Cheers

Hey MarkN, yeah that would suck (would of been hilarious if ya punched one, whilst an animal activist was doing a live feed thing though), but hoping to beat it away from those kinds of people. Will be there from the 1-21 of december so also hoping that its in the quieter period of people getting out and about . Did the same sort of trip back in 2018, but spent a week in the hills hunting , then done 2 weeks in the motorhome, I only borrowed a rifle for that hunt , but wish I had something with me for the last 2 weeks getting about, fishing was still good enough to keep me entertained though.
Will be covering much of the south , but prob spending biggest amount of time on the west coast so hopefully that keeps the tramper numbers down a little aswell. Will see how it goes and have a great time doing so anyway.
Cheers

Originally Posted by Billbob

Just an idea.......

Get a few packs of these and duct tape together and save a bit over a target....

https://www.kmart.co.nz/product/4-pa...B&gclsrc=aw.ds

This! For a cheap and cheerful broadhead target, you won't get better than this. For field points, a woven polypropylene moving bag stuffed with empty fertilizer sacks is lightweight and cheap.