Gear Review: Speedbag 24″ Target from Delta McKenzie

If you practice consistently with your archery tackle, you need a solid target that can withstand a beating. Add in a fast bow, slim diameter arrows and increased FOC, and you need something extremely durable that will stop all kinds of arrows. For five months, I used the Delta McKenzie Speedbag 24″ target because I heard (and read) that it would stop my slim diameter arrows and crossbow bolts flying upward of 400 FPS. Sounded like a winner to me! I purchased one in May 2020 and had it shipped to my house. I started using the Speedbag 24″ in June 2020.

Ordering caught me off guard as I had to pay $46.00 for shipping. Ouch! That was nearly as much as the target itself. Knowing this target would be used often and that I would get my money out of it made it a little easier to swallow, but not by much. It arrived within a couple weeks and I was thrilled to start using it. The Speedbag is rather heavy (50 lbs+), but it felt solid. It also has a loop on each side so you can hoist it up and shoot at it on a frame or hang it up at the range.

Allow me to preface this gear review by saying I shot this target 3-5 times per week (24 arrows per session) at home for the first couple months. To shoot at longer distances, I brought it to the El Dorado Park Archery Range here in Long Beach and hung it by the loops on the bales using adjustable hooked straps. When I hung it on my third trip to the park, within a month of buying it, the loop started to tear away from the bag on the right side. By end of month two, both loops had torn away from the target material where I could no longer hang it at the range or at home. There went the brilliant idea of practicing at long distance with this target.

Daily practice with my new archery set up was a must. I set the Speedbag target up in the corner or my property to allow me about a 25 yard shot. I shot all over at each of the targets on the Speedbag to test for weakness in arrow stoppage. That didn’t happen. The Speedbag stopped crossbow bolts and stopped my slim diameter arrows with 17% FOC. I was impressed with the stopping power and how easy it was to pull out my arrows. The Speedbag lived up to the description of stopping most arrows.

Then came October when the bag became extremely brittle and tore by simply touching it. The center portion ripped across when pulling out an arrow and touched the field point to the surface. When I tried to lift up on the handle to move the target, the face of the target tore and fell into pieces. Beneath the target face was a heavy duty clear plastic bag filled with old clothing. Not only was I disappointed in the target face, but I was a bit upset that I paid so much for a target that simply had clothing scraps inside. I could have built something that lasted longer myself and for far less coin!

I decided to give Delta Mckenzie a chance to answer some questions and make it right. In November, I emailed two members of their sales team with my concerns. After a month and a half of not hearing from them I sent a second email. I followed up with a third email (through the website this time) and then a phone call to customer service in January. I was asked by a machine to leave a message and someone would call me back in a few days. It’s now been over three months since my initial emails and I have yet to hear from anyone at Delta McKenzie regarding my phone call.

The Delta McKenzie Speedbag 24″ was purchased for $83.80 (I received a discount), including shipping. Retail shows the target is $59.99 and I can imagine the shipping is similar. Is the Speedbag 24″ worth over $100 for you to purchase ? I recommend not wasting your time. I would spend your money where you know that c-note and change would pay for a target that would last longer than a few months. In less that six full months, the cover completely came off and I was left with a plastic bag of scrap clothing. Am I disappointed? You bet I am. I’m disappointed that the target cannot be left outside to shoot (especially when it weighs 50+ lbs). I am disappointed that I wasted my money and now I have to find a replacement target that can be left outside to practice with. Save your money for an archery target that will last longer and will take a beating. Unlike the beating I took when I purchased the Delta McKenzie Speedbag 24″ target.