We score the crossbows in our ranking against each other, not the accessories they shoot into. Targets below are not on our test plot - what follows is the real speed rating, construction and size from each maker's own listing, plus the one number that matters more than any other: whether the target is actually rated for what your bow does to it.
A crossbow target is the accessory beginners underspend on and then replace twice as often as they should. Compound-bow targets are built and rated around arrow speeds that top out well under 350 fps for most shooters. A hunting crossbow routinely leaves the rail at 380-450 fps, and that extra energy is exactly what tears through foam a compound shooter would call durable. Buy the wrong target and you are not saving money - you are buying it again in three months.
Every legitimate crossbow target lists a maximum feet-per-second rating, and the rule is simple: it needs to meet or beat your bow's advertised speed, not just come close. A target rated for 400 fps stopping a bolt from a 415 fps package like the Killer Instinct Burner 415 will absorb a few shots fine and then start letting bolts punch through the back, blow out foam chunks around the entry hole, or shift on impact hard enough to change your group. The rating is not a marketing number - it reflects how many layers of foam or how dense the fill actually is, and going lighter than your bow's speed is the single most common reason a target dies early.
Kinetic energy, not just speed, is what actually does the damage, which is why some bag targets publish a foot-pound rating alongside FPS. A heavier bolt at a given speed carries more energy into the target than a light one, so if you shoot heavier hunting-weight bolts than the factory-bundled practice arrows, buy a small margin above your bow's rated speed rather than the bare minimum.
Foam blocks - dense, layered cubes with multiple flat faces - are the better long-term buy for a crossbow. The layered construction spreads impact across the block instead of concentrating it in one spot, self-heals small field-point holes as the foam compresses back, and a block rated for crossbow speeds will typically take several thousand shots with field points before it needs replacing. The trade-off is price and weight: a good crossbow-rated block costs more up front and can run 30-50 pounds.
Bag targets - synthetic fill stitched into a fabric shell - are cheaper per unit and easier to move, but they wear unevenly. Once a bag develops a soft spot from repeated hits in the same bullseye, bolts start punching deeper and pass-throughs become more likely even on a bag with a high FPS rating. Bags also do not stop broadheads as cleanly as a purpose-built layered block; most bag targets sold for crossbows are field-point only, and shooting a fixed or mechanical broadhead into one shreds the shell fast.
Not every crossbow-rated target accepts broadheads. Several of the highest-FPS bag targets on the market are explicitly field-point only - the mesh or fill that stops a bullet-nosed field point will not stand up to a cutting blade, and shooting broadheads into one voids the rating and ruins the target in a handful of shots. If you plan to practice with the same broadheads you intend to hunt with, confirm the listing says broadhead-rated, not just crossbow-rated - the two claims are not the same thing.
| Target | Type | Speed rating | Size | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLOCK Infinity Crossbow | Foam block, 6 sides | Up to 520 fps | 16" or 20" cube | Field points and broadheads on fast bows |
| Rinehart 18-1 Target | Foam block, layered | Up to 500 fps | 18" round | Broadhead practice that also takes field points |
| Morrell BIG High Roller | Foam block, 6 sides | Up to 500 fps | 16 x 16 x 16 in | 21 aim points, broadheads and field points |
| Delta McKenzie SpeedBag 24 Crossbow Max | Bag, high-contrast face | Up to 525 fps | 24 x 24 x 10 in | Field-point-only practice on very fast bows |
| BIGshot Iron Man Kinetic 650 | Bag, mesh face | Up to 650 fps / 250 ft-lb | 20 x 20 x 14 in | Heaviest hunting bolts, field points only |
| Morrell Yellow Jacket YJ-425 | Bag | Up to 425 fps | 21 x 15 x 21 in | Budget pick for moderate-speed beginner bows |
Read the table by matching your bow first, budget second. A beginner package in the 330-380 fps range - the Barnett Recruit XP or Barnett Whitetail Hunter class - has room to spare on any target here, including the budget Yellow Jacket YJ-425. A 400-415 fps package needs at least the 500-525 fps tier to keep a safe margin as the target ages and its stopping power drops. Only the heaviest hunting setups shooting 125-plus grain bolts need to reach for a 600-plus fps bag like the Iron Man Kinetic.
The sticker price is not the cost of owning a target - shot count to replacement is. A crossbow shooter who zeroes a new scope, confirms a group at three or four distances, and then puts in weekly practice can put several hundred bolts through a target before hunting season even opens. Our step-by-step guide to sighting in a crossbow scope alone recommends multiple three-bolt groups at four separate distances before you trust a zero, and that is before any broadhead confirmation groups. A cheap, correctly-rated foam block that survives a full season of that routine is a better buy than a bag that needs replacing at mid-season because it was rated too close to the bow's actual speed.
Distance also matters to target choice, not just speed. A bolt carries more energy up close than at the edge of your effective range, so if most of your practice happens inside 20 yards - which our guide to how far a crossbow can shoot recommends for building an honest zero - your target absorbs closer to the bow's full advertised energy on every shot, not a diminished long-range hit. Buy for your practice distance, not your maximum range.
Rotate your aim point around the face as bullseyes wear, and retire a foam block once a hole stops closing on its own or a bag develops a soft spot you can feel with your hand - both are signs the material has stopped absorbing energy the way the rating assumes.
These are not on our own crossbow test bench, so there is no score attached - just the real type, speed rating and size from each maker's listing.
A six-sided foam block built specifically for crossbow speeds, rated up to 520 fps and accepting both field points and broadheads. The layered construction spreads six shooting faces across two size options, which makes it one of the few blocks that does not force a choice between broadhead practice and field-point volume.
A round layered block rated to stop broadheads up to 500 fps without pass-through, built for compounds and crossbows alike. The round profile gives more usable shooting face per side than a flat-faced cube, which spreads wear out over more practice sessions.
A self-healing foam cube with six sides and 21 bullseyes, rated for arrow speeds up to 500 fps from both compounds and crossbows. The high bullseye count means you can rotate your aim point for a long time before any one face wears through.
A large-face bag target built for high-speed crossbows, rated up to 525 fps with a 24-inch high-contrast face that makes group placement easy to read from a distance. Field points only - the fill is not built for broadhead cuts.
A mesh-faced bag rated to an unusually high 650 fps and 250 foot-pounds of kinetic energy, aimed at the fastest hunting crossbows shooting heavy bolts. One-hand arrow removal keeps practice sessions moving even at that energy level. Field points only.
A budget bag target rated to 425 fps, which comfortably covers most entry-level crossbow packages without paying for headroom a beginner bow does not need. Ten bullseyes across two faces give reasonable rotation for the price.
Match or exceed your crossbow's advertised speed, not just get close to it. A 400 fps bow needs a target rated at least 400 fps, and buying a small margin above that (450-500 fps) keeps you safe as the foam or fill wears down over time and its effective stopping power drops.
A layered foam block generally lasts longer and handles broadheads better, since the impact spreads across dense layers instead of one spot. Bag targets are cheaper and lighter but wear unevenly, and most bag targets rated for crossbows are field-point only - check the listing before shooting broadheads into one.
No. Many high-FPS crossbow targets, including several bag targets, are explicitly field-point only. Shooting a fixed or mechanical broadhead into a field-point-only target shreds it in a handful of shots and voids the rating. Look for a target that specifically lists broadhead compatibility.
It depends on the rating margin, not just the target. A block rated well above your bow's speed and shot mostly with field points can last a full season or more of regular practice. A target rated close to your bow's actual speed wears out faster and should be inspected regularly for soft spots or holes that no longer close.
No, the same target works at any practice distance, but expect it to absorb more energy per shot at close range, where most zeroing and group-confirmation work happens. Buy for the speed your bow produces at the muzzle, since that energy does not meaningfully drop off within typical practice distances.