Shoot-through Ground Blinds
 

Okay...who has used these ground blinds with the scent-control systems that claim you can shoot through the camouflage mesh? I just got the Ameristep Penthouse, and it has 2 coverings for the windows....one is a mesh material that you can easily shoot through, but doesn' t seem to offer the scent-containment properties that the blind advertises (Total Scent Control). The other window coverings are basically the same mesh, but its backed with a clear plastic membrane. Sure, this would address the scent control issue, but can you really shoot through this thing?? I shoot a Mathews Legacy set at 67 lbs, Beman ICS Hunter 400' s, and Rocky Mountain Snyper mechanical broadheads. My thought is that there' s no way I' m getting a Snyper through that TSC membrane w/out it opening.

Any thoughts??

Thanks!

RE: Shoot-through Ground Blinds
 

I recently read where you cannot use mechanical broadheads with the shoot thru membranes. YOu must use a non mechanical broadhead.

JD

RE: Shoot-through Ground Blinds
 

:DI have an ameristep penthouse with tsc....the instructions that came with it recommend NOT to shoot a mechanical broadhead through the tsc material.;)

>>>---DAVIDP---SILERCITY,NC--->

RE: Shoot-through Ground Blinds
 

Same comments here as I have the Penthouse and Doghouse TSC models as well. You can shoot through both the mesh and the membrane window covers but not with expandables.

RE: Shoot-through Ground Blinds
 

So if I' m " hearing" you guys right, you think the mechanical is okay for the mesh, but not for the TSC membrane.....right?

That seems reasonable.

Thanks!

RE: Shoot-through Ground Blinds
 

I have the Doghouse TSC. I set it up on the edge of a field one evening when I bought it last season and walked away from it 20 yrds and looked at it. The clear shiny plastic on the inside of those windows was literally glaring at me. I was disgusted! Not only do the windows crackle like cellophane (that' s what they are I guess?) it' s shiny! I immediatly called Ameristep and asked them if I could order the replacement mesh windows without the TSC and she said not at the time but eventually that would be an option. I told her my concerns and she was dead silent.......then she said, " you are about the 20th call today with the same concerns. People do not like the way the window glare." She then told me that many people were taking a very sharp razor blade knife and carefully cutting the clear plastic off the mesh windows. Finally disgusted and not know what else to do, I cut the plastic off. Down the drain went all that extra $$ I paid for the TSC.

Now about the shoot thru mesh windows.... I know guys who shoot thru the mesh on these types of blinds and have great success but my testing quickly showed me that I will not be risking shooting thru the mesh windows. I very commonly practice with my bow while sitting in my chair that I will use in my pop-up blind and I' m very accurate while sitting in that chair. I then moved my chair into my blind and shot thru the open windows and was still dead on. I then put the mesh windows on and stretched them as tight as possible. I backed up to 20 yrds and took a shot thru the mesh window. To my utter shock, my arrow went off to the side of the target and was lost in my grass! I told myself I flinched but I moved my blind up to 10 yrds and shot another arrow. It hit in the very bottom right hand corner of my target. Now I' m very concerned. 3rd arrow, 10 yrds, hit left 6 inches and way down low. Now I' m ticked.lol I put everything up and tested it again on 3 seperate occasions. Every single time I experienced VERY eratic arrow flight and I never had an arrow hit where I was aiming. I have decided that I will NOT be using those mesh shoot thru windows. I just can' t make it work for me.

Disclaimer These were only my results and almost everyone else I talk to has no problems with the shoot thru mesh windows.

If it matters, I shoot a Diamond Hornet, 57lbs, 80% let off, 27 in draw, Gold Tip carbon arrows, and Thunderhead fixed 100 gr broad heads.

RE: Shoot-through Ground Blinds
 

I don' t have any experience with the Ameristep blinds
or the netting that comes with them, but I have shot
many arrows through Double Bull' s netting. I' ve
shot 4-blade Muzzy' s, Wasp SST' s, Thunderheads, and
Rocket Steeleheads....all flew perfect, like the netting
wasn' t even there.

I would recommend a couple things before shooting
BH' s through netting at live game-

1. Make sure your bow is tuned and shooting properly.
I think paper tuning is a must to get good arrow flight
through the netting.

2. Shoot your BH' s through the netting, don' t rely
on just what you hear from others.....practice makes
perfect;):)

Though I' ve never seen it, reading about the plastic that
goes over the windows makes me a little skeptical. If it
does give off a " shine" , I' d cut it off as fast as I could.
Game animals will pick that out right now[:o].... I' ve
even covered the white support rods inside my Double
Bull with hockey tape.