3D targets make practice much more realistic.

Animals taken with archery gear don’t fall to a single arrow; they fall to the hundreds of arrows we shoot in practice. That one shot that ends in a clean, humane harvest is only possible because we’ve rehearsed it.

But let’s be clear: practice doesn’t make perfect - perfect practice does. Let’s face it, bowhunting is personal. It’s intimate. A ten-second (or less) window can define an entire season. Hell, it can define an entire life. Speaking of which …

I’ll be in New Zealand chasing red stag with my bow this weekend. And while I’ve trained hard in many ways, one of the biggest differences in my preparation came from using 3D targets. Why? Because while bag targets teach you how to shoot, 3D targets teach you how to hunt.

A red stag is a very different animal than say, a mule deer. Shooting on a 3D model of one can help you as a bowhunter.

Like most game, I’m betting red stags don’t stand still at 20 yards in a wide-open shooting lane. They’ll quarter. They’ll move. They’ll show up uphill, downhill, and almost always behind cover. Shooting a 3D target mimics those critical hunting moments, the odd angles, low light, deceptive shadows, target height, and depth. All things a bag target just can’t do. 3D targets are just more authentic to the hunt, and the more you rehearse real-life situations, the less they’ll surprise you when that one shot you get matters most.

Confidence in those moments isn’t luck. It’s muscle memory built on repetition with realistic targets.
3D targets aren’t just about aiming at the foam; they’re about understanding anatomy. With block targets, you shoot for rings. With 3D animals, you’re learning shot placement: heart, lungs, maybe liver, depending on the angle.

You start asking yourself the real questions before you shoot (better yet, before you draw). Would I take this shot in the field?Is this a clean angle? Do I have the range right? That ethical mindset isn’t taught; it’s developed through repetition, and let’s be honest trial and error.

I’ve shot a lot of 3D targets, and some of them are very realistic like the ones from Rinehart. As I understand from their marketing manager, Dan Schultz, that’s thanks to master craftsman Brian Johnson, whose eye for detail on size, shape, color, and texture. Bowhunting success is all in the details, so targets who sweat them as much as we do can make a big difference.

The best 3D targets look like the animals we hunt with as much attention to detail in size, color, and shape as possible. Photo courtesy of Rinehart Targets.

Don’t just shoot arrows. train with purpose. Change your shooting angle. Use your hunting gear. Time your shots. Add broadheads. Shoot from your knees, from your tree stand, from your blind. Shoot tired. Turn your backyard into a practice hunt, and when the real shot comes, you’ll be ready.

A 3D target doesn’t just teach you to shoot; it teaches you to think like a hunter. It makes practice real. And it makes success repeatable. So, if you believe, like I do, that every arrow is a responsibility, then 3D practice isn’t optional. It’s essential.

Jay Pinsky
Editor – The Archery Wire & The Hunting Wire