Bag vs block

Bag vs block targets

Two different stopping mechanisms, two different jobs. Most crossbow owners end up with one of each, and here is why.

By Mike M.Updated October 6, 2026

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Ranked

Quick picks

#	Product	Speed rating	Score	Price
Rank 1	Hurricane H28 The biggest face per dollar	Up to 425 fps with standard-diameter arrows	8.2	$46.50Amazon
Rank 2	Block 6x6 Poly Fusion Broadheads and field points on one target	Up to 400 fps	8.2	$99.95Amazon
Rank 3	Morrell Yellow Jacket YJ-425 A big bag face for sighting in	Up to 425 fps	8.3	$69.99Amazon
Rank 4	Rinehart 18-1 Broadheads at up to 500 fps	Up to 500 fps	9.0	$159.99Amazon
Rank 5	Block Classic Easiest arrow pull of the foam targets	Not published	8.2	$77.50Amazon

#ad Prices come from Amazon and change. How this site is funded. Scores are our published rubric — how we evaluate.

The short answer

A bag target stops arrows with layered fiber fill: cheap, big-faced, easy to pull, field points only. A block or foam target stops them with layered or self-healing foam: takes broadheads, lasts longer, costs more. For a crossbow owner, a large bag for volume and a small foam target for broadheads is the usual answer.

In detail

Both types

01The biggest face per dollar

$46.50Amazon

$69.99 34% off

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Hurricane H28

Hurricane

8.2/ 10

28 by 28 by 12 inches for under fifty dollars, rated to 425 fps with standard-diameter arrows, with deer vitals on the back offset from the front aiming points so the two sides wear in different places. Tri-Core technology is the stopping structure. The largest face on this page by a wide margin.

Published spec	Value
Speed rating	Up to 425 fps with standard-diameter arrows
Dimensions	28 x 28 x 12 in
Faces	2
Back face	Deer vitals, offset from the front aiming points
Technology	Tri-Core
Carry	Strap handle
Compatibility	Compound and crossbow

What it does well

A 28-inch face is the biggest here and the cheapest per square inch
Offset front and back aiming points extend target life
425 fps rated
High-contrast aiming points readable at distance

Where it falls short

The 425 fps rating is specified for standard-diameter arrows only
Not a broadhead target
Awkward to carry at that size despite the strap

Our rubric

Stopping power: 8.0
Arrow pull: 8.8
Portability: 7.0
Durability: 7.8
Value: 9.4

02Broadheads and field points on one target

$99.95Amazon

$129.99 23% off

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Block 6x6 Poly Fusion

Block

8.2/ 10

Six-sided, 400 fps rated, 18 by 18 by 16 inches, and the listing states it handles everything from practice tips to broadheads. Poly Fusion bonds the layers to the inside walls, which is Block's answer to the classic layered-target failure of the stack pulling apart.

Published spec	Value
Speed rating	Up to 400 fps
Dimensions	18 x 18 x 16 in
Faces	6
Technology	Poly Fusion multi-layer bonded to the inside walls
Arrow types	Practice tips through broadheads
Carry	Built-in handle

What it does well

Handles broadheads and field points on the same target
A large 18-inch face, which suits sighting in
Bonded layers resist the stack separating

Where it falls short

400 fps rated, so not for a 430 fps or faster bow
Heavier than a 12-inch cube

Our rubric

Stopping power: 8.0
Arrow pull: 8.4
Portability: 7.8
Durability: 8.4
Value: 8.6

03A big bag face for sighting in

Morrell Yellow Jacket YJ-425 from Morrell

$69.99Amazon

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Morrell Yellow Jacket YJ-425

Morrell

8.3/ 10

20 by 15 by 20 inches, 32 pounds, two shooting sides and ten bullseyes, rated to 425 fps and approved for crossbows. A big soft face is the right thing to sight a new bow into: you want every shot to land in something, including the first one that lands eighteen inches left.

Published spec	Value
Speed rating	Up to 425 fps
Dimensions	20 x 15 x 20 in
Weight	32 lb
Faces	2, with 10 bullseyes
Technology	MLDD and IFS
Weather	Weatherproof surface
Crossbow approved	Yes

What it does well

A big face catches the shots a new setup throws
425 fps rated and crossbow approved
Easy arrow removal, which matters when a whole family is shooting
Carry handle despite the 32 pounds

Where it falls short

32 pounds does not move easily
Two faces only, so wear concentrates faster
Bag targets are not broadhead targets

Our rubric

Stopping power: 8.2
Arrow pull: 9.0
Portability: 6.8
Durability: 8.0
Value: 9.0

04Broadheads at up to 500 fps

$159.99Amazon

$167.62 5% off

#ad How we are funded · Price as of October 6, 2026

Rinehart 18-1

Rinehart

9.0/ 10

Eighteen shootable faces of self-healing foam, broadhead capable, rated to 500 fps and explicitly crossbow approved. This is the one target on the site that handles the two hardest things at once: a 470 fps bolt and a fixed broadhead. 15 inches a side and light enough to carry by the handle.

Published spec	Value
Speed rating	Up to 500 fps
Faces	18
Dimensions	15 x 15 x 15 in
Broadhead capable	Yes
Foam	Signature series self-healing
Crossbow approved	Yes
Carry	Easy-carry handle

What it does well

500 fps and broadhead capable together, which is rare
Eighteen faces means you rotate rather than shooting out one spot
Self-healing foam closes the hole behind the arrow
Light with a carry handle

Where it falls short

Expensive next to a bag target
Fifteen inches is a small face for a beginner at 40 yards

Our rubric

Stopping power: 9.4
Arrow pull: 8.6
Portability: 9.0
Durability: 9.4
Value: 8.0

05Easiest arrow pull of the foam targets

$77.50Amazon

$99.99 22% off

#ad How we are funded · Price as of October 6, 2026

Block Classic

Block

8.2/ 10

The original open-layered Block: arrows stop with friction rather than force, entering between unglued layers that grip the shaft as it heats and release it as it cools. That mechanism is why the Block pulls easier than a solid-foam target. 18 by 18 by 13.5 inches, two-sided, high-contrast faces.

Published spec	Value
Dimensions	18 x 18 x 13.5 in
Faces	2
Technology	Patented open-layered friction design
Arrow removal	Heat and friction grip, then release on cooling
Faces detail	High-contrast black and white
Carry	Lightweight and portable
Speed rating	Not published

What it does well

The open-layer design gives the easiest pull of the foam targets here
An 18-inch two-sided face
Light enough to take to camp

Where it falls short

No speed rating published, which is a real gap for a fast bow
Layered targets can separate over time
Two faces only

Our rubric

Stopping power: 7.6
Arrow pull: 9.4
Portability: 8.6
Durability: 7.6
Value: 8.6

The two stopping mechanisms

Bag: friction over a long path

Loose synthetic fill inside a woven cover grips the shaft along several inches of travel. Big faces are cheap to build, arrows pull out easily, and the whole thing is light for its size — Morrell's YJ-425 is 20 x 15 x 20 in at 32 lb, Hurricane's H28 is 28 x 28 x 12 in.

The weakness is cutting. Broadhead blades cut the fill apart from the inside and the damage starts on the first shot.

Block: layered or self-healing foam

Block's open-layered design stops arrows with friction, not force — the shaft enters between unglued layers that grip it as the friction heats them and release it as it cools. Poly Fusion bonds those layers to the inside walls so the stack cannot separate. Rinehart's approach is different again: dense self-healing foam that seals the hole behind the arrow.

Either way, foam tolerates a cutting edge in a way fiber fill does not.

The comparison

	Bag	Block / foam
Stopping mechanism	Layered fiber fill, friction over distance	Layered or self-healing foam
Broadheads	No	Yes, where the maker states it
Face size per dollar	Much larger	Smaller
Arrow pull	Easy	Easy on an open-layer Block; harder on dense foam
Faces	Usually 2	Up to 18
Speed ratings here	425 fps maximum	400-500 fps
Weight	Heavy for its size (32 lb)	Lighter per unit volume
Weatherproofing	Treated cover; keep it dry	Generally better

Figures from the products on this site.

Which job each one does

Pick by what you are doing

Sighting in a new bowBag, the biggest you can get. A 28 in face catches the shots a new setup throws.
High-volume field-point practiceBag or a mesh target. Cheapest per shot, easiest pull.
Pre-season broadhead checkFoam, broadhead capable. Three arrows is all you need.
A bow over 450 fpsFoam or mesh. No bag target here is rated for it.
Shot-placement practiceFoam with 3D faces — the Rinehart RhinoBlock shows anatomical organs.
A discharge target for unloadingSmall foam cube. Cheap, portable, and it takes repeated field points.

The speed-rating difference

This is where the choice narrows for crossbow owners. Bag targets here top out at 425 fps, and Hurricane specifies that figure for standard-diameter arrows. Foam and mesh go further: Block's Poly Fusion 400 fps, Morrell's High Roller 450 fps, Rinehart's 18-1 500 fps, SpyderWeb no stated limit.

If your bow is over 425 fps, bag targets are off the table entirely. See targets for fast bows.

Durability, which cuts both ways

Bags fail by the fill compacting where you have been shooting, which gradually stops the arrows less. Rotating the two faces delays it; Hurricane offsets the back-face deer vitals from the front aiming points to spread wear further.
Layered foam can fail by the stack separating. Block's Poly Fusion bonds the layers to the inside walls specifically to prevent it.
Self-healing foam lasts longest and costs most, and the Rinehart 18-1's eighteen faces mean you may never shoot the same spot twice in a season.

What we would buy

Both, and it is about eighty dollars. A Hurricane H28 for the big face and field-point volume, plus a Delta McKenzie Speedbag Revolver or a Rinehart 18-1 for broadheads and discharge shots. If you can have only one and your bow is over 425 fps, the Rinehart 18-1 does everything except cheap volume.

Frequently asked questions

Is a bag or block target better for a crossbow?

They do different jobs. A bag gives you the biggest face per dollar, the easiest pull and field points only, with a 425 fps ceiling here. A block or foam target takes broadheads, offers more faces and higher speed ratings, and costs more. Most crossbow owners buy one of each.

Can you shoot a crossbow into a bag target?

Yes, with field points, if the bag is rated for your bow's speed. Bag targets on this site top out at 425 fps, and Hurricane specifies that figure for standard-diameter arrows. Never shoot broadheads into one — the blades cut the fill apart.

Why do Block targets pull easier?

The open-layered design stops arrows with friction rather than force: the shaft enters between unglued layers that grip it as the friction heats them and release as it cools. That mechanism is what makes a Block easier to pull than a dense-foam target.

Which target lasts longer?

Self-healing foam, by a clear margin, and it costs the most. Bags fail by the fill compacting where you shoot; layered foam can fail by the stack separating, which Block's Poly Fusion bonding is designed to prevent. Rotating faces extends any target.

What target should I buy first?

The biggest bag you can get, if your bow is 425 fps or under — a 28-inch face is what catches the wild shots while you are sighting in. Add a small foam cube for the pre-season broadhead check. If your bow is faster than 425 fps, start with foam.

Sources

SpyderWeb 20XL No Speed Limit from SpyderWeb

Targets & Cases

Bag vs block targets

Quick picks