I picked up the Cartel Triple Layer Target Face for my backyard setup after getting tired of ripped corners and soggy mornings destroying standard paper faces. The promise: three bonded layers for durability, supposedly standing up to both heavy use and spring showers. After a few weeks, I can say it’s not just marketing fluff. These faces take a beating, dozens of arrows from my recurve and my buddy’s compound, and there’s barely any tearing around the bullseye. Even after a rainstorm, the face stayed flat, not wrinkled like cheaper options.
But there are trade-offs. The printing isn’t perfectly crisp. The yellow and red rings lack the vibrancy you see on World Archery-standard faces, which made scoring a bit trickier when light was low. Also, these faces are heavier, so they require sturdier pins or clips. My usual thumbtacks lost the battle after a few shots, had to order plastic arrow-target pins, which added to the cost.
If you shoot daily or run practice with a group, this target face saves hassle and replacements. For someone prepping for their first local tournament, it’s a solid investment. If you only shoot occasionally or want official competition visuals, you might stick with the classic paper. For everyone else, especially in wet spring conditions, the Cartel triple layer is a welcome upgrade, just budget for new pins.