Target build almost their entire steel tip range around 90% tungsten, so the Ares goes the other way. It uses an 80% tungsten barrel to reach a lower price, and instead of trimming the accessories to match, Target have doubled up the shafts and flights. The result reads as a proper beginner’s bundle rather than a stripped-back version of a pricier set, and it sits on Target’s own UK site alongside their premium ranges rather than being a marketplace-only afterthought.
We haven’t thrown these ourselves. What follows is Target’s published specification and a round-up of how owners rate the set, with the reception figures drawn from buyer reviews rather than our own testing.
Key Specifications
The 22g and 23g are the most common picks. All three weights share the same 48mm barrel and radial groove pattern, with the diameter growing to add mass, finished in matte black with a gold logo and polished silver rings between the grooves.
- Material
- 80% tungsten barrel with a matte black finish
- Weights
- 22g, 23g, 24g (steel tip)
- Barrel length
- 48mm (all weights)
- Barrel diameter
- 6.8mm (22g), 6.95mm (23g), 7.1mm (24g)
- Grip
- Radial grooves along most of the barrel, split by a smooth central band
- Points
- 32mm steel, fixed
- Shafts
- Two sets of Pro Grip (34mm) included
- Flights
- Three sets of No.2 Pro.Ultra (100 micron, black, grey and white)
- Also in the box
- 3-dart wallet, one-month DartCounter app code
- Warranty
- Lifetime guarantee on the barrels
- Typical price
- £30–£40
How They’ve Been Received
Buyers keep coming back to value. The spare shafts and flights, the wallet and the tungsten barrel at this price are what most owners single out. Where feedback holds back, it is on ambition rather than quality: the barrel shape is plain next to Target’s signature ranges, and the 80% tungsten marks it as a tier below their main retail sets.
What Reviewers Say
Owner feedback skews towards newer players making their first move onto tungsten, and the tone is warm. One verified buyer summed up the beginner appeal:
“These are currently my favorite darts. I am a new player I would definitely recommend these to any other new player.”
Others frame it as a low-risk first tungsten set, with the price doing a lot of the work:
“Darts feel nice, my first set of tungsten ones and are definitely worth the money if you're looking to try some.”
What owners consistently praise
- Two sets of shafts and three sets of flights in the box, so spares are ready from day one
- Radial grip is firm and predictable, easy for newer players to get on with
- Beginners rate the balance and reckon they are worth the money
Common criticisms
- 80% tungsten sits below the 90% used across Target's core ranges, so the barrel is a touch thicker for its weight
- Plain barrel shape and grip next to Target's signature sets
- Clearly a starting set rather than a barrel experienced players will grow into
The Grip: What to Expect
Target describe the barrel as radial grooved for finger grip, cut at a consistent depth rather than varying across zones, so the feel is the same wherever you hold it. Owners back that up: the texture reads as firm and secure without catching hard on release, which suits players still settling on a grip style.
Set your expectations at a middle-ground grip rather than an aggressive one. If you already know you want heavy texture to lock your fingers in place, or a very smooth barrel, the Ares will feel generic rather than built around your preference.
Who They Suit
These fit players buying their first tungsten set, and anyone who wants spare shafts and flights in the box rather than as a later purchase. The middle-ground grip is forgiving while you work out your own preference, and the doubled accessories mean a bent shaft or torn flight does not stop play.
Players who already know their grip and want a barrel shaped around it, or who want the 90% tungsten used across Target’s main range, should look higher up. Target’s own Hydro gives you 90% tungsten and the Swiss Point system at a similar price, and the grippier Bolide 02 is the move for anyone who wants serious purchase from the barrel.
The Consensus
Owners judge the Ares on what it sets out to do, and by that measure it lands. It gets a newer player onto tungsten with genuine spares in the box, at a price that does not sting if a shaft bends or a flight tears. The trade-offs are the 80% tungsten and the plain barrel, both honest compromises for the money rather than hidden faults. Buyers rate it well for a first set; nobody is pretending it competes with the signature ranges.
How we compile this page
We don’t throw every dart ourselves. Instead we gather the manufacturer’s published specifications and weigh up the reception from owners and independent reviewers, then flag where they disagree so you can make up your own mind. Where a headline rating comes from retailer or manufacturer-hosted reviews, we say so, because those tend to skew positive.