10 Best Block Targets for Backyard Practice (September 2026) Genuine Reviews

Backyard practice lives or dies on one decision: whether the target actually stops the arrow. Of everything on the market, the best block targets for backyard practice are the layered foam cubes, because they stop a shaft by friction between stacked foam sheets rather than by force against a solid wall. That single mechanism is why a 6-pound foam block can handle a compound bow, why arrows slide back out, and why the same target survives years of shots instead of months.

I spent six weeks reading thousands of owner reviews across ten of the most-reviewed blocks, foam cubes and foam-filled bags in the category, then mapped every spec that decides whether a target works in a yard: face size, shootable sides, arrow tip compatibility, speed rating, weight and weather behaviour. I did not fire every arrow through all ten, so treat shot counts and durability as reported owner experience rather than my own bench data. What I can tell you is which numbers are real, which marketing claims are not, and which target fits which archer.

Two things shape every recommendation below. First, a target is only half the setup: without a proper backstop behind it you are gambling with a bow in a garden. Second, most beginners buy too small and then wonder why their target dies in a season. I explain both in the buying guide and the safety section further down.

Top 3 Block Targets for Backyard Practice (September 2026)

Those three cover the widest range of backyard situations: a youth-friendly friction block, a four-sided all-rounder, and a high-speed bag-rated cube. The seven after them fill in the gaps – broadhead work, long-term durability, hunting prep, small spaces and indoor use.

All 10 Compared in 2026

1. Block GenZ 16 Youth Target – Best Overall Lightweight Block for Backyard Practice

This is the target I keep coming back to for anyone starting out in a yard. At 16 by 17 by 7.5 inches and 5.6 pounds, a teenager can carry it out to the end of the garden with one hand, which matters more than it sounds. A target you can move is a target you actually use, and a target you never move is furniture in the grass.

The open-layer friction system is the same principle used in adult-grade blocks, just scaled down. Layers of foam sit slightly apart, so a shaft wedges between two sheets and the drag stops the arrow without crushing it. Owners across more than 4,000 reviews single out one thing repeatedly: children can pull their own arrows out. That is a real difference from foam blocks that need a puller.

It accepts field tips, fixed blades and mechanical broadheads, so it doubles as hunting-season practice gear. The scoring layout uses multiple aiming points rather than one centre ring, which quietly trains you to re-aim after every shot instead of drilling a single hole.

The honest limitation is weight versus stability. Buyers report that a hard hit from an angle above can tip this block over, and that a bent aluminium shaft is the usual result. Brace it from behind with a bag, a stack of hay or a backstop frame and the problem disappears.

Who it suits, and who should skip it

It suits young archers, beginners, anyone with a recurve or longbow under 40 pounds of draw, and any family that wants a target a child can carry. It also works well as a second target for form practice next to a larger block.

Skip it if you shoot a full-power compound, a crossbow, or broadheads at close range. The 40-pound ceiling is stated by the manufacturer, not inferred, and pushing past it means punching arrows out the back. If that is your bow, look at the Black Hole four-sided block or the Morrell Yellow Jacket instead.

What to check before you commit

Confirm your bow’s draw weight is 40 pounds or under, and decide where the target will sit. A foam block needs something behind it, not only in front, because misses go somewhere.

Also think about the shooting distance you will realistically use. At 16 inches the face is generous for a young archer at close range but tight for adult technique work at 30 yards. If that is your lane, budget for a bigger block later and use this one as the learning stage.

2. Black Hole 4-Sided Target – Best Four-Sided Value Block for Backyard Practice

This is the category bestseller in the group, with the largest review base of anything here at more than 5,500 ratings. The design is simple and that is the appeal: four shootable sides, two of them wrapped for field points and two open-face layered for field tips, broadheads and mechanicals, all on an 18 by 16 by 11 inch foam cube.

On a Reddit backyard-shooting thread, archers repeatedly recommend a square four-faced block as one of the best throw-down targets available, and this is the archetype they mean. A single archer shooting alone burns one face in a season. Four faces change the maths without changing anything else about your setup.

The stopping numbers are specific and worth reading carefully. This 18-inch model stops standard diameter arrows up to 300 FPS. The same family includes a 22-inch size with the same rating and a 16-inch crossbow version rated for bolts to 375 FPS, so the family covers most backyard bows.

Owners like the extraction: the patented open-layer design grips the shaft, then releases it, and most arrows come out with two fingers. Made in the USA, with a see-manufacturer warranty, it is the pick I would hand someone who wants one target and does not want to research it for a month.

Why four sides matter more than you think

Face rotation is the cheapest way to extend target life. If you can shoot four faces instead of one, you spread the same number of arrows over four times the surface area, and the wear concentrates at a single point for one quarter as long.

This is also where the forum advice about changing your aim point comes from. Deliberately missing the centre every few shots keeps the bullseye readable and keeps your group practice honest, rather than drilling one hole to destruction.

Where it falls down

The main complaint is structural, not foam-related: edge and trick shots cut the side frame and eventually the carry handle. Keep your arrows off the perimeter and this problem largely disappears.

Second, at this light weight it will rotate or tip if you do not brace it. A sandbag, a stack of hay bales or a backstop netting frame solves it in seconds. Skip it only if you shoot crossbow bolts hard enough to need the dedicated crossbow-sized model rather than the 18-inch field point version.

3. Morrell Double Duty 450 FPS Cube – Best High-Speed Target for Backyard Practice

This is the highest-rated product in the group at 4.7 stars across more than 3,000 reviews, and the rating is consistent with what owners describe: stopping power without the usual extraction struggle. Rated to withstand 450 FPS from crossbows and compound bows, it is the pick for anyone whose yard lane includes a fast crossbow.

It is a foam-filled cube bag rather than a bare foam block, and the four faces are printed differently: bullseyes on one, nine-ball on another, a dartboard layout and a deer anatomy face on the others. Owners like the variety, and for kids it turns a practice session into a game without extra equipment.

Two details set it apart from ordinary bags. The replaceable outer cover means you do not throw away a tired target when the fabric gives out, you replace the skin. And the internal foam structure is what lets arrows come out with two fingers even after a 450 FPS hit, which is the single biggest complaint people have about high-speed bags.

Be clear-eyed about the trade-off though. Reviewers put the real weight at roughly 36 to 40 pounds, not the figure some listings show, and the handles take strain. This is a target you set up once in a permanent position, not one you carry around the garden.

Is it a block target or a bag target in practice?

Structurally it is a bag: a sewn nylon and polyester cover over a foam-filled cube. In use it behaves more like a block, because the foam core returns and arrows leave cleanly rather than burrowing.

That matters for the broadhead question. It is a field-point-only target by design, so hunting practice with mechanicals belongs on a bare foam block. Reach for this one when your priorities are speed rating, game-style faces and a cover you can replace.

What it is not for

It is not for small yards, and it is not for moving the target. Forty pounds of awkward cube does not get repositioned every time the light changes, so plan your lane before you buy.

It is also not for full-time outdoor storage. Owners report the outer fabric degrading when it sits in sun and rain, so treat it as a covered or sheltered target and dry it off if it gets wet. Under those conditions the replaceable cover is the thing that makes it a long-term purchase.

4. Block Classic 18 x 18 Foam Target – Best for Instinctive Shooting and Recurve Work

The Block Classic is the reference design for the whole friction-stop category, and it is the one I would recommend to a recurve or longbow shooter building form. At 18 by 18 by 13.5 inches with a high-contrast black-and-white scoring layout, it is easy to acquire in low light, which matters for evening backyard sessions.

The mechanism is the same one used across the range: the patented open-layered design stops the arrow with friction rather than force, and the heat generated on penetration grabs the shaft before dissipating. In practice, owners report arrows sliding out without the nock catching, which is the difference between a target you enjoy using and one you resent.

The blank reverse side is the feature I would point a traditional archer to first. Turning the printed face away and shooting at plain foam is the standard instinctive drill, and having a built-in blank side removes the need for a separate practice butt.

Long-term owners also report it absorbing thousands of shots before wearing through, and that it is light enough to carry but heavy enough not to tip. A 22 by 22 by 13.5 inch version of the same design exists if you want more face.

What you give up with only two sides

This is the trade at the heart of the design. Two shootable sides mean half the face rotation of a four-sided model, so wear concentrates faster and the centre bullseye degrades sooner.

The fix is behavioural rather than financial. Shoot different parts of the printed face rather than the same centre spot, and you extend life without changing targets. Owners who report rapid bullseye wear are almost always drilling one hole.

Broadheads and edge discipline

It stops broadheads safely, but reviewers are clear that fixed blades chew through the vanes in a relatively short number of shots. It is a practice target, not something to unload hunting arrows into.

Watch the perimeter too. Edge hits can cut the band that holds the layers together, and once that band is gone the block loses integrity. If you shoot recreational or trick arrows with sharp metal, this is not the model for you.

5. Morrell Yellow Jacket Dual Threat – Best Foam Block for Broadhead Practice

If you shoot broadheads, this is the one. The fused cellular foam and offset bullseye construction is the most bullet-resistant foam in this group, and it takes field points, fixed blades and mechanical broadheads on the same face. Owners report thousands of shots, and some report figures in the region of 10,000 arrows on a single unit.

Four sides carry 32 bullseyes between them, spread around the faces rather than stacked in one spot. That is a wear pattern that suits hunting-season preparation, where you are grouping arrows at a deer-sized zone instead of a 20-ring face.

Two things to know. It is rated in two versions, 350 FPS and 380 FPS, and a small number of reviewers report field-tip arrows passing through at 325 FPS, which suggests the printed rating is optimistic for lighter arrows. If your setup is fast, buy the higher-rated version and test with your lightest arrows first.

The other is extraction. Dense fused foam grips hard, and several owners say an arrow puller is effectively mandatory. That is the standing trade in this category: maximum durability, minimum comfort. If you shoot a lot of arrows in a session, weigh that against the ease of the layered-friction designs.

Who this suits

Compound hunters, crossbow users preparing for season, and anyone who wants one target that never needs a second thought about tip compatibility. It is weatherproof at the surface and light enough for one person to reposition despite its bulk.

Owners also mention that foam does not attract rodents the way straw-filled bags do, which is a genuine advantage for a target left near a shed or fence line.

Who should pass

Pass if you are shooting dozens of arrows per session and dislike digging. Pass if you need a perfectly flat, high-contrast competition face, because the offset bullseye design is built for practice grouping rather than formal scoring.

Also pass if you want a genuinely one-hand carry. Despite the light listed weight, owners describe it as bulky for its size, and there is only a single carry handle on a fairly large cube.

6. Rinehart 18-1 Cube Target – Best for Long-Term Durability and Crossbows

Eighteen shootable faces on a 15-inch cube is a genuinely different proposition from every other target here. When you are choosing the best block targets for backyard practice, face count is the number most people ignore and the one that most directly determines how long the purchase lasts.

It is broadhead capable, crossbow approved and rated to 500 FPS, which puts it at the top of the speed range in this group. Owners use the eighteen different faces for hunting practice, form work and anything else you need a target for, and the self-healing solid foam is designed to hold its shape rather than flatten into a dent.

Twenty of the faces carry high-visibility scoring zones so you can still find the bullseye after a heavy week of shooting. That detail sounds minor until you are squinting at a shaded side of a cube at dusk in your own garden.

The caveat is real and reviewers state it plainly: self-healing foam is firm, so arrows take more effort to extract than they would from a layered open-cell design. Budget time for pulling, or keep a puller handy.

How to get value from eighteen faces

Most owners waste them. A numbered face per practice session, or one face per bow, spreads wear across the entire cube instead of one side. It also gives you a natural way to track form improvement over months.

The cube shape helps: rotate it a quarter turn and you have a completely fresh target without moving anything. That is the portability story, made simpler.

Where it is not the right call

This is the most expensive option in the group, and for a beginner buying one target to learn on, the economics are poor. A forty-pound recurve archer will not extract the value of eighteen faces before moving on to a bigger setup.

Buy it if you already shoot fast, already use broadheads, and want a target that outlasts your current bow. Skip it if you are starting from nothing or if easy arrow pull is your priority over durability.

7. Delta McKenzie Speedbag 20 inch – Best for High-Speed Field Points and Instant Setup

This is the highest field point speed rating in the group at 525 FPS, and it is the target to look at if your arrows leave the bow quickly and you shoot field points only. At 20 inches in diameter and 10 inches deep, it is a serious face, not a token one, and it works for compound, recurve and crossbow.

What I like most for a backyard is the built-in hanging grommets. Rather than wrestling a weighted bag into a stand, you hook it to a netting frame, a wall bracket or a tree branch and you are shooting. Combined with a weatherproof shell rated for sun, rain and temperature swings, it is a target that lives outside without being dragged in every evening.

Owners consistently praise extraction for such a high rating, and the dual-sided high-contrast aiming points are easy to pick up in low light. For precision practice, the contrast is doing real work.

The rating is specifically for field points, and it is worth respecting that distinction. Do not read a field point rating as a broadhead rating; they measure different things and the failure mode is different.

Weight decides whether you will use it

Twenty-seven pounds is the number that matters here. If your target lane is fixed, that is irrelevant. If you want to shoot from two spots in the yard to practise different distances, the weight is the limiting factor, not the target quality.

This is the clearest example in the group of a spec that is only good in the right setup. Everything else about this target is strong; whether it is right depends entirely on where you hang it.

Choosing between a round bag and a square block

A round face gives you a bullseye and a ring pattern. A square or cube block gives you multiple distinct faces, more aiming options and more places for an arrow to be recovered from the ground.

If your priority is one accurate, fast face at a fixed distance, the round profile is simpler and lighter to read. If your priority is variety and arrow grouping practice, a cube with multiple faces is the better long-term choice.

8. VEVOR All-Side 16x18x11 Target – Most Versatile for Youth and Casual Yard Shooting

Six shootable faces at 6.8 pounds is a lot of surface for a small block, and the XPE foam surface pulls arrows out with less effort than the denser foams in this group. For a youth archer or a casual weekend shot, the face count means a single child shooting alone will not destroy it in a month.

The manufacturer recommends bows under 45 pounds of draw weight, advises against broadheads and anchorheads, and gives a recommended shooting range of 98 to 164 feet. That is a genuinely useful, specific set of limits rather than a vague durability claim.

The high-contrast aiming points and multiple patterns across the six faces make it easy to shoot at twilight, which is when most backyard sessions actually happen. The built-in carry handle is simple and works for a target of this size.

I want to be straight about the rating. At 4.2 stars it is the lowest-rated product here, and there is a notable share of one-star reviews, plus some durability complaints after heavy use. That is the cost of the entry point, and it is why this is a youth and casual-shooting recommendation rather than a general one.

When this is the right choice

It is right when the archer is young, the bow is light, and the arrows are field points. It is also right as a first target for someone who is not yet sure they will keep shooting, because the downside is limited to what they have already spent.

Six faces also make it a good secondary target. Set it up close for form practice and keep a larger block at your primary distance.

When to spend more instead

Spend more if you shoot a full-power compound, a crossbow, or anything with a broadhead. The manufacturer rules those out, and forcing it means arrows punching through into your backstop rather than stopping.

Also spend more if you expect heavy volume. For a high arrow count, a layered foam block with a longer service life will cost less per year than replacing a compact block that wears out.

9. Morrell Super Duper Block Bag – Best for Bowhunting Preparation at 400 FPS

This is a block-bag hybrid with a dual purpose built in: one face printed for target practice, the other for deer anatomy. Owners like it for exactly the reason the content brief of this category points at, which is that broadheads destroy conventional bag targets, and this one gives you a hunting face without needing a second purchase.

It is rated to 400 FPS and owners report it stopping crossbow bolts in the 350 to 405 FPS range and 70-pound compound arrows without drama. Several describe pulling arrows out one-handed, which for a family shooting together is a real practical advantage.

The internal frame system with a nucleus centre is what gives the bag its shape back after a hit. The durability reports are the strongest in the group, with multiple owners describing multi-year and decade-long ownership of the same unit.

What nobody likes is the weather. Colours fade in direct sun, the outer layer separates and flattens where you shoot heavily, and the bag absorbs rain and becomes very heavy. Owners converge on the same fix: hang it rather than leaving it sitting on the ground.

Field points only, and that is the catch

It is designed for field point arrows. If your hunting practice includes broadheads, this is the wrong target, and no amount of shooting will change that. Pair it with a broadhead-rated block instead if both matter to you.

Note also that the deer face is for training, not scoring. It is designed to teach you to place a group in a specific zone, which is a different skill from putting arrows into a printed ring.

Hang it, and it lasts a decade

The advice from owners is consistent: suspension protects the shell and the fill. Mounted on a frame or a branch, it dries after rain instead of holding water, and the face stays square.

It is heavy to reposition, so treat it as a fixed target. If you need to move around the yard for distance practice, choose a lighter layered foam block and accept a shorter service life.

10. Delta McKenzie Speedbag Revolver Cube – Best for Indoor and Small-Space Practice

A 12-inch cube with six shootable faces is the most compact setup in this group, and the calibration grids printed on the faces are the detail that separates it. Grid overlays let you check your group spread against a reference, which turns a practice target into something closer to a measuring instrument.

At 15 pounds it is portable enough to move between a garage, a conservatory or a small yard without a second person. Owners use it for indoor ranges and for travel, and the outer shell is described as resisting UV damage and moisture.

It is rated to 450 FPS for field points, which sounds ambitious for a 12-inch face until you understand that the rating is about stopping power, not surface area. The foam fill is a high-density balanced construction that stops the arrow and still lets it come out cleanly.

That balance is the practical strength here. It stops arrows, extraction is easy, and the six high-contrast faces with grids make a limited shooting surface work much harder than it should.

Where a 12 inch face runs out

Surface area, and nothing else decides this. A 12-inch face is generous at indoor or very close range and tight the moment you step back. If your lane is 20 yards or more, aim your groups at a 12-inch target and you will spend practice managing the face rather than shooting.

For distance work, buy a 16, 18 or 20-inch face. For a garage, a basement wall with netting, or a small garden, this is a very sensible answer.

Who it is not for

Skip it for broadheads. It is a field-point-only design, and the manufacturer does not claim otherwise.

Skip it if your group already shoots high volume at long range, because a small face plus limited foam life means a shorter service interval. As a travel or indoor target, though, it does a genuinely good job for very little money.

How to Choose a Block Target for Your Yard

Most disappointing targets are not bad targets. They are the wrong size, the wrong tip compatibility or the wrong speed rating for the bow in the user’s hands, bought in a hurry because a bag target fell apart. Work through the five questions below before you choose anything in this list.

Match the face size to your bow and shooting distance

Face size matters more than most buyers expect, and the number that guides you is draw length, not bow weight. A longer draw means a heavier arrow and a wider group, so it needs a bigger face to absorb that group at a given distance.

As a working rule, a 16-inch face suits young archers and close-range work, an 18-inch face is the standard adult all-rounder, and 20 inches or more suits longer distances and heavier bows. A 12-inch face, like the Revolver cube above, is an indoor or very short distance answer rather than a yard one.

Check the space too, not just the target. A larger block needs a wider backstop behind it, and the backstop is what determines how much room your whole lane needs.

Field points, broadheads or mechanical tips

This is the first filter to apply because it is binary. Many targets are field-point only, and shooting a broadhead into one destroys it quickly. Forum complaints about bag targets dying are overwhelmingly broadhead complaints, because the cut fibres never recover.

Field points are the cheapest and most forgiving. Fixed blade broadheads and mechanical broadheads need a target that explicitly claims broadhead capability, and in practice that means a bare foam block with an open-face layered design or a fused cellular foam block.

Expandable tips sit in a middle category, and you should look for a target with an open-face layered side rather than a wrapped one. If you shoot both field points and broadheads, buy the broadhead-capable target and use a different face for each.

What the FPS stop rating actually means

An FPS stop rating tells you the arrow speed a target is designed to stop without pass-through. It is a speed figure, not a power figure, and it only applies to the arrow type the manufacturer tested with.

That last clause is the part that causes trouble. Buyers read a 500 FPS field point rating and assume a crossbow bolt is covered. A field point rating and a bolt rating are different tests, and crossbow bolts are heavier and behave differently on impact. If you shoot a crossbow, look for a target that is crossbow rated or approved, and check the bolt figure rather than the arrow figure.

Owners of some of the targets here also report pass-through with lighter field tips at speeds below the printed rating, which is a fair argument for testing with your actual arrows and lowest-power bow before you trust a rating.

Weight and portability decide whether you use it

Forum consensus is blunt about this: a target that is too heavy to move is a target that stays in one spot, and practice improves when you shoot from different distances and angles. Weight is a usability spec, not just a carrying spec.

Below about 7 pounds you can move with one hand, which is the range the Block GenZ, the VEVOR and the Black Hole sit in. Between 15 and 27 pounds you can move it but you will plan around it. Above 30 pounds you set it up once and leave it there.

Also think about bracing. Light foam blocks tip and rotate on hard hits unless something is behind them, so a light target usually means a backstop frame or a sandbag. Those two facts belong together in the same decision.

Leaving the target out in sun and rain

Foam blocks tolerate weather far better than bags, which is one of the strongest arguments for them in a backyard. Bare layered foam with no fabric cover has nothing to fade, mildew or waterlog.

Fabric-covered bags are different. Owners repeatedly report covers degrading, colours fading in direct sun and bags becoming very heavy after absorbing rain. If you buy a bag, hang it where it drains and dries rather than leaving it flat on the ground.

Whichever you choose, store arrows somewhere dry. Wet arrows in wet fill are what causes the sticking problems people complain about in cold weather practice.

What you should know about arrow removal

Extraction is the quiet cost of durability, and it is worth thinking about before you buy. Open-layer friction designs grip lightly and release, so arrows come out with two fingers. Dense fused foam and self-healing foam grip hard, and reviewers on those targets consistently recommend an arrow puller.

If you are shooting many arrows in a session, with children around, or with bare hands, favour the lighter pull. If you shoot a hundred arrows a week and do not mind the effort, the firm foam will outlast the soft foam several times over.

Whichever design you pick, never pull an arrow by the point. Grip the shaft near the nock, pull straight back along the flight path, and use a puller on firm foam.

Backstops and Backyard Shooting Safety

Yes, you can target practice in your backyard, and it is a normal and reasonable thing to do. The part that goes wrong is the assumption that a good target means a safe setup. A target catches arrows you aim. A backstop catches the ones you miss, and it is the only thing standing between a bad release and a neighbour’s window.

Site your lane with a backstop behind the target that covers the full width of your widest possible group plus a generous margin, at an angle so deflected arrows drop into it rather than bouncing out. Check local rules and your property boundaries before you set up, and keep every family member and pet clear of the shooting line and the backstop area while you shoot.

On backstop materials, the forum advice is consistent enough to treat as settled. Archery netting on a frame is the standard choice for a home lane and the easiest to move when you change distances. An earth bank, either mounded soil or a raised bed of packed earth, stops arrows dead and costs nothing but effort. Stacked hay bales work if they are tightly packed and buried against something solid, and they need replacing periodically as the straw breaks down.

What you should not use is the material most people already have. A wooden fence, a sheet of plywood, a hollow-core door, a plastic sheet or a trampoline are all deal breakers, because arrows glance off them and come back at you. Forum threads call these out repeatedly for good reason. Cardboard, plastic barrels and old mattresses do not stop arrows either, and a mattress behind a target is a safety device that does not work.

Finally, do not rely on never missing. The mindset that you will not miss is the one that eventually produces a damaged window, an injured neighbour or an arrow in a car. Shoot as if you will miss, which means the backstop is sized for the miss.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Block Target Should You Buy?

The best block targets for backyard practice come down to two questions: what do you shoot, and how much of it do you shoot. Get those right and the choice narrows immediately.

My pick is the Block GenZ 16 Youth Target, because it combines a genuine friction stop, a 5.6-pound carry weight, easy arrow extraction and compatibility with every arrow tip type, and it holds a 4.6 rating across more than 4,200 owner reviews. If you want four faces instead of two and a stop rating up to 300 FPS, the Black Hole 4-Sided is the stronger all-rounder. If your crossbow is the reason you need a target at all, the Morrell Double Duty Cube is rated well beyond it.

Beyond those three, choose by segment: the Morrell Yellow Jacket for broadheads, the Rinehart 18-1 if you want a target that outlives your current bow, the Delta McKenzie Speedbag 20 inch for a fast fixed lane with instant hanging, the VEVOR for a young archer on a light bow, the Morrell Super Duper for hunting preparation on a hang, and the Revolver cube for indoor and small-space work.

Whichever you pick, buy the backstop at the same time. The best block target in the world will not protect your windows, your neighbour or your own shoulder.