Pop up blind shoot through mesh?

[David Mitchell]

Here's the situation--I was hunting antelope in Wyoming from a pop-up blind by a water hole.  I've never hunted from such a situation before--using the mesh to conceal me and shooting through it.  My first shot opportunity was 25 yards, the arrow was a GT 3555, 2 blade head with 100 gr. adapter.  The arrow kicked after going through the mesh and I missed completely.

Two days later, I had the same shot, 25 yards broadside, but had switched to a 3 blade Woodsman as I figured it would open a bigger hole in the mesh to clear my arrow better.  The arrow flew beautifully and hit the perfect spot--lope down in seconds in sight.  The hole left by the 2 blade was a slit while the hole made in the mesh by the Woodsman was a nice large hole.  My thought is that while I may well have plucked the first shot in my excitement, I also wondered if the feathers squeezing through the slit may have caused the arrow to behave as it did.  The Woodsman cut a hole sufficient to clear the feathers with no problem.

Anybody here ever notice problems with shoot-through mesh and arrow flight--or was it just my fault?    

 

[Charlie Lamb]

David... I've noticed the same thing with two blade heads. Seems the smaller the head the more likely the mesh is to interfere.

Might not be that noticeable at short range but beyond 15 or so I think it can affect accuracy.

I tend to think it's the arrows paradox that causes the problem.... maybe paper tuning at 2 feet is the answer.
   

[Coonbait]

I have not noticed any difference in broadheads shooting through netting. But you MUST practice shooting through netting. It seems to be harder for me with the depth perseption part. Being instinctive it seems to mess with my brain with the distance to the target with the mesh right in front of me!
Glenn

[Coonbait]

Nice buck! Congratulations!
Glenn

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Nice lope......

[Birdbow]

David,
 First, congrats on a nice speed goat! This past season I shot a turkey from a blind without the mesh up - great flight, no problem. Later, I had another chance at a turkey from a different blind, this time with the mesh in place. 8 yd. shot and hit the bird right between the shoulder blades AND the arrow bounced off and the tom walked away!!!! Same set-up each time and shooting the wide Centaur head. I'm a believer that, with that style broadhead, mesh makes a difference. God bless, Todd

[USN_Sam1385]

Kind of bow is that???

[David Mitchell]

It's a Treadway Black Swamp--really sweet shooter.

[Orion]

Nice antelope.  Are you sure you didn't catch a limb tip on the top of the blind on your first shot?  That will always result in a porpoising arrow.

I have had an arrow wobble a time or two shooting through the netting, but can't necessarily attribute it to a two blade head, but rather something I did.  No doubt a 3- or 4-blade head opens a bigger hole, which in turn should provide less resistance to the shaft/feathers.  In my experience, a 2-blade provides a sufficient hole for good arrow flight if one gets a clean release.  However, the smaller hole magnifies the effects of a puck or vertical torque on the string.

[BrownA5]

Nice Antelope.  Congratulations!

[David Mitchell]

Nope, didn't hit the blind with a limb.

[Friend]

Personally have not shot a two blade thru mesh.

The 'Big 3' and large 'Snuffer' have presented no issue and my shots have been 15 yards and under.... Haven't tested further since that is my self imposed effective range on gobs.

I use 1 1/2" wide two blade BH's. I hunt extensively out of ground blinds with mesh in the windows. The ONLY problem I have discovered(and yes, I found out the hard way, by experience) is that if you shoot through the mesh at a hard angle (that is, your arrow is at a hard angle to the mesh) then the feathers will catch on the mesh and mess up the shot. Judging by the two times this happened to me and the results I saw by the tear in the mesh, I concluded that at the hard angle the feather quill had caught on the mesh as the arrow passed through at the hard angle. I have found no occurreces of bad things happening as long as I keep perpendicular to or a slight angle to the mesh.

Congrats on the 'lope!

Bisch

[2020]

I have killed many animals from ground blinds all shot thru the net,every broadhead will work fine but will show if you pluck and if arrow is not flying perfect,the other thing I called double bull years ago and they said netting should be left loose not pulled tight,I used to pull it tight with safety pins and had problems and that when they said keep netting loose and have had no problems since,good job good luck!

[Night Wing]

Call me "old fashioned". With either a 2, 3, or 4 blade broadhead, I won't shoot through mesh when I'm releasing an arrow at a game animal.

[David Mitchell]

Bisch, interesting that you say that.  One of my buddies with whom I was hunting was told be a gentlemen who makes pop ups, that hard angle shots should be avoided for the very reason you mentioned.  But he also said the mesh needed to be pulled tight!?   :confused:   Hmmmmm.

[Friend]

David,

Have likely shot 200+ arrows + thru both loose and taught mesh. The loose mesh visibly produced tighter groups.

[David Mitchell]

Friend, thank you much for sharing that info.  Don't own a pop up yet but am looking at them.