Shoot through blinds?
Contributors to this thread:General Topic
From: Barrera
28-Jul-19
What's your all experiences with shoot through blinds affecting accuracy? Finally drew a pronghorn tag and after scouting I'll likely be sitting in my blind to increase success odds. Owned this blind a few yrs and never used as this is my 1st pronghorn tag. I only shoot fixed blades and will be shooting exodus heads on this hunt. Everything inside me says dont shoot through it but man it conceals so much better.
From: Two Feathers
28-Jul-19
I've only shot through a blind mesh window once and it worked. I was using a three blade cut on contact sharp head. Distance was about 15 yards and it was a bulls eye, DOA. I don't use the shoot through windows anymore because I think they are not necessary if I sit still.
From: drycreek
28-Jul-19
I’ve killed several antelope and a few deer shooting G5 Strikers through netting. Not a problem up to 30 yards for me.
From: cnelk
28-Jul-19
I’ve had better luck using feathers instead of vanes shooting thru mesh.
From: Ben
28-Jul-19
Killed several turkeys shooting thru the mesh screen and had no trouble. I was shooting Zwickey Eskimo 4 blade heads. My antelope was shooting from a ground blind in a feeder ditch coming into a tank. I shot it across the tank at 40 yards with a 57# Palmer Classic takedown. Pretty good poke with out sights, but I had been practicing at that yardage all summer.
From: Barrera
28-Jul-19
Ya I guess I should of mentioned my arrow has 3" venetec vanes but they're lower profile than standard vanes.
From: Ucsdryder
28-Jul-19
Set it up and try it out!
From: Barrera
28-Jul-19
Ohio. Sorry they're slightly longer that 2" and 1/2" height. Ucsdryder: Its already in the field and hadnt planned of shooting through it until I realized how much it conceals. I know should of practiced through it but I didnt plan on using a blind until my scouting changed my mindset.
From: Spiral Horn
29-Jul-19
I shoot the Exodus too and have shot it through mesh a few times — all worked well, but I’ve always limited distance. Personally, I don’t like the mesh — I know it’s a mental thing but archery success is largely dependent upon the mental confidence of knowing that arrow is going where I want it to. The mesh plays with this — and, really takes a lot away from those final minutes of daylight.
From: Tonybear61
29-Jul-19
No luck shooting through mesh on a Double Bull as it does seem to deflect the shot with fixed and expandables. Also no luck shooting through the blind when my sight was on but the arrow made a new hole below the shooting window. One very surprised hunter and turkey when that happened. It now serves as the shotgun shooting hole for my wife and son when the birds walk right past the blind, under the window at 1 yd away ;)
From: midwest
29-Jul-19
I used to shoot through the mesh of my double bull for turks using Jak Hammer mechs. Like cnelk mentioned, I used feathers, too. My buddy was using vanes and had issues. Now days, I prefer no mesh. Can't stand looking through it for long and I shoot vanes now.
From: x-man
29-Jul-19
If you use vanes, your broadhead MUST be larger than the vanes.
From: elkstabber
29-Jul-19
I've only done it with a recurve so the broadhead was fixed and of course there were feathers. I tested it numerous times and had no problem. Your bow/arrow combination must be tuned. Then it doesn't matter if you shoot field points, 2 blades, or 3 blades.
I want to point out that it's hard to see through a mesh screen when the sun is hitting it (shade on the mesh is no problem). The way that I solved this was to use a Sharpie marker to "black out" a couple of places to look through. I used the magnum 1" wide Sharpie and made "black out" spots about 3" tall and 6-8" wide. It made all the difference in getting a clear view out of the window.
From: RD
29-Jul-19
I don't use the mesh when hunting turkey or Antelope anymore, Deer I do. Have shot through mesh and never noticed any difference when shooting COC type heads.
From: Dale06
29-Jul-19
I’ve shot half dozen deer through blind mesh. Was using fixed heads, Slick Tricks, and feather fletch. Shots were about 20 yards. It worked great.
From: JohnMC
29-Jul-19
I have done a lot of hunting out of blinds including lots of very hot days hunting antelope. In my opinion there is no reason to shoot through the mesh. The "black hole" does not seem to bother antelope. Make sure back of blind is closed tight and only place for light to get in is window you will be shooting out of and you will not have any problems. Only caveat to that is first light/last light if facing directly into sun. Set up blind so north or south of water hole and that should not be a issue.
From: JohnMC
29-Jul-19
I have done a lot of hunting out of blinds including lots of very hot days hunting antelope. In my opinion there is no reason to shoot through the mesh. The "black hole" does not seem to bother antelope. Make sure back of blind is closed tight and only place for light to get in is window you will be shooting out of and you will not have any problems. Only caveat to that is first light/last light if facing directly into sun. Set up blind so north or south of water hole and that should not be a issue.
From: Shawn
29-Jul-19
Johnmc has it for me as well, even whitetails adapt quickly to the black hole sometimes it does not bother them at all if ya brush the blind in a tad. Antelope, weary as hell but not to hard to fool them with a blind. Shawn
From: Rock
29-Jul-19
Whenever possible set the Blind up so you are shooting with the Sun behind you you can see much better and the animals have to look into the Sun if they look at the Blind.
From: Barrera
29-Jul-19
Appreciate all the info and details on blind set up. I've never blind hunted but when I got 40 pics on a trail cam in 1.5 days it changed my mind. Im going a extra day early and will shoot through the mesh before the hunt. Taken me 13yrs to finally draw a NM pronghorn tag. Between my to youth hunters and myself weve accounted for 26 antelope applications and this is tag #1. So this is definetly a oil hunt for me/us.
From: Cazador
29-Jul-19
I agree, no need to shoot through mesh. I mean, you're in a blind, you've already taken their main defense away from them. Just time your shot like you would do with anything you hunt outside the blind an you're set.
Good luck!
From: gobble50
29-Jul-19
Been shooting through mesh out to 30 yards on whitetail for years with no effect on accuracy. I shoot fixed blades (Thunderhead) and feathers.
From: Grey Ghost
30-Jul-19
I hate looking and shooting thru mesh. It's just not necessary, IMO.
Matt
From: elkmtngear
30-Jul-19
It bugs me...I just leave the mesh rolled up.
From: Ziek
30-Jul-19
I know some guys don't seem to have a problem shooting through it, but like others, I never could, as consistently as I like. When you consider that the point and shaft is engaged in the mesh while the nock is still on the string, it's hard to imagine how it doesn't effect accuracy. If you were back far enough that the arrow had already recovered off the bow before hitting the mesh, then it would probably not have any effect.
From: Shawn
30-Jul-19
It also screws with depth perception and may make you misjudge the yardage! Shawn
From: Two Feathers
14-Aug-19
ok
