Rinehart Targets began the day in 1997 when company founder, John Rinehart, grew dissatisfied with conventional archery targets. Their durability and performance simply did not live up to his expectations. The Rinehart website says, “He began working with foam and eventually came up with the compound that would become Rinehart’s trademarked solid self-healing foam.” He founded the company two years later.
In 2005, John stepped down, turning over the reins of the company to daughter Barbara McGovern and her husband James. After that Rinehart went on to launch its first-ever Dealer Program, which highlighted the archery industry’s only full year guarantee on Rinehart’s 18-1 target.
Today Rinehart offers a large range of weatherproof self-healing 3-D targets. The durable foam is not built in layers and has no fillers. No lubricants or arrow pullers are required to withdraw arrows, regardless of whether they are tipped with field points, fixed broadheads, or even expandables. These targets are exceptionally resistant to the damaging effects of ultraviolet rays, and Internal Locking Insert Tubes secure the target insert or core in place (to release, pull the two plastic tubes down, push out the used insert and replace it with a new one) until it's time to replace the used one. Rinehart 3-D targets are also stamped with scoring lines for practice broadside or at practically any angle.
Rinehart president James McGovern says all the company wants these days is to create “the best archery targets in the world. We want to get our poured urethane targets into a price-point model.” That being said, they are well on their way, even in these rough economic times.
When the international recession got rolling, McGovern researched a durable, recession-proof 3-D deer target. The resulting Woodland Buck 3D carried an unbeatable suggested retail price of $159. Even at such an economic price, it provides true-to-life practice with a standing eight point buck—an alert, head-forward whitetail. McGovern’s team solved the price/durability issue by building the target with two types of foam. The body, other than the core or insert, is constructed of Solid FX Foam whereas the core is constructed of Rinehart’s Signature Solid Self-Healing Foam.
The Woodland Buck 3D has a variety of shooter-friendly features. The company’s patented replaceable locking insert saves archers time and money, without sacrificing target quality. And remember that archers can practice from a variety of angles, while the buck’s outlined vitals help understand shot placement results. The weatherproof target is resistant to sun, moisture, and extreme temperatures. Its design simulates a 120-pound deer, can be shot with field points, fixed broadheads, or expandables, and won’t damage or tear.
McGovern says Rinehart has several new products in preparation for 2013, but the target that continues to help bowhunters perfect their practice and enhance their shooting under pressure—whether they shoot stick bows, the fastest cam bows, or hard-hitting crossbows—is the 18-1.
The goal of the $90, ultra-durable 18-1 is to take a beating, day after day—after day. In fact, Rinehart is so confident that its 15-inch-by-15-inch 18-1 target can outlast an entire year’s worth of practice shots that the company backs the target with a unique One-Year replacement guarantee: shoot out the 18 sides in a year and Rinehart replaces it—free. (“We’ve only had to replace about 0.3 percent of our sales,” McGovern says.)
Rinehart’s 18-1 lets shooters practice all shooting angles and variables from horizontal to uphill and downhill shots, thanks to the target’s unique 18 highly-visible sides. Durability is ensured with solid, self-healing foam construction. “Unlike competitor targets that shed layers one practice session after another,” Rinehart says the 18-1 will keep its shape and integrity no matter what you throw at it—all types of broadheads, field points, and even heavy crossbow bolts.
Arrows are so easy to remove from the weatherproof Rinehart 18-1, McGovern says, that even a child can do it.
An example of Rinehart’s efforts to grow the sport is its Woodland Zombie target (which joins a line of imaginative targets including dinosaurs and giant mosquitoes). “What could be more fun that practicing shooting the living dead?” McGovern asks. Just don’t expect the target to ooze green blood or explode when hit with your arrow, because it is built to absorb shot after shot from any type of bow-arrow-point combination, even expandables—which means your customers will have to work especially hard to kill this zombie.
Rinehart’s lightweight, weatherproof Zombie has two “creepy zombie heads to shoot at,” one on each side of the target, but both with frightening detailed faces.
James McGovern says Rinehart wants to make ordering (and selling) its targets easy. Therefore if a retailer wants to begin by purchasing “onesey-twosey,” it may be most economical to work with a good distributor. On the other hand, if someone wants to set up a permanent display or include targets in their shooting range, it may be easiest and most economical to call and work direct with the company.
To contact Rinehart Targets visit www.rinehart3d.com, call (608) 757-8153 or send an e-mail to raptor@rinehart3d.com. Their offices are located at 1809 Beloit Ave., Janesville, WI 53546. Rinehart is active on Facebook.com where they sponsor a monthly prize give-away.
NOTE: In 2003 Rinehart organized target-shooting events—Rinehart R-100 Archery Tournaments—to introduce young people to archery, but the shoots have proven to be fun for the whole family. These events give hunting clubs and other groups the chance to test their skills on 3D targets ranging from ultra-realistic game animals to outrageous and even scary aliens, and each offers the chance to win prizes, regardless of age or skill level. For more in formation contact Rinehart or check out the schedule at www.r100.org.