After bumping my top limb on the blind the other day and flubbing a shot I have decided a new blind is in order for next years Swamp Rooster hunts. I`ve killed several birds from mine the past 5 years actually 7 birds but know a larger one would be better.
There are so many out there these days its hard to figure out which one so I thought it would be neat that if every TG Turkey hunter that uses a blind would give a short reveiw of it pros/cons type thing it would help a fellow on a budget choose the right one for their needs.
Thought it would be best on the pow wow maybe then put on the reveiw section later because of the most Turkey attention here.Mods feel free to move if you like.
Heres my reveiw.
I have a Ameristep Brickhouse. I got it in a Horse Trade and have about 40 bucks in it. I think new maybe 175.
Pros...
Sets up quick and quiet. Good room for one hunter and a 60" bow. I`ve killed 4 of my 7 birds from this blind with a 66" Hill bow but they have to get right.A shorter bow is better.
Love the shoot through nets. Have had Turkeys so close I could have grabbed them by the neck.
Price is affordable and you can buy one at a lot of local stores.
Cons...
To short for a longbow. Windows are to high. If a bird is real close you can`t shoot him in the body.
Velcro on the windows is loud. Loud zipper on the door as well.Fades badly if left out very long.
Interested to hear some of you guys reveiws.Thanks,RC.
Oh yea...I know alot of guys are saying get a shorter bow but...I like the bow I got. I`m slowly trying to evolve into a one bow guy.RC
RC check out the one Mr.Lamb used on his hunt.Price is not bad and has shot thur windows.
RC I have a new blind that is 80 in tall. I can shoot my 64 inch longbow out of it EASY! Called a "350" from Barronett. I had a 250 and left it with a bud and bought this one as per KS Trapper suggestion. It is bigger than my first apartment and weighs about 20 #. Not great if you are covering a ton of ground but it sure is roomy. Got both kids in there with me last night, my camera gear and my stool and shot no problem. Run ya about $170 which is better than most!
I have a darkhorse recurve model on order, hope to post a blind and hunt review soon!
barronett 350. I shoot a 64" longbow out of it easy. I just bought a shorter bow 60" to go with the smaller blinds I have.
The blind Charlie was using was the Barronett 350 also. 84" tall 92" wide hub to hub
(http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/ac248/TmPotter47/blind1.jpg)
(http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/ac248/TmPotter47/b2-12.jpg)
Pro's: I can shoot a 70" hill bow out of it.
Good quality, Haven't noticed any fadeing of the material and all zippers are like new after to long years in the woods.
Very large windows and good netting, We shoot through the netting too. This is a standing view and I'm 5'9".
(http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/ac248/TmPotter47/a35-1.jpg)
Plenty of room for mulitple hunters and gear and easy setup.
Around here they are 129.99 off the shelf and Orschelins has a 20% off sale ever year for the fall hunting season and we paided 95$.
Con's: The windows could be a little lower but I stand up to shoot out of this blind.
Wish it had drop down windows instead of zip up. But it has never cost me a shot yet.
Just took another buddy out today turkey hunting using this blind hunting and the first thing he said was how much room it had and once I told him the price he couldn't believe it. I had to pull up there website to prove it. :D
Tracy
So the windows zip? I've used double bull blinds for the last ten years. I love them but for longer bows( 64" or longer) it is a pain to shoot out of. I do like the window system in the double bull blinds but another con is they are $$$$$!
RC: What's the fun in having and using just one bow, the way we hunt Turkeys requires special gear, thats half the fun of the hunt getting to try things you don't usually use in, say, an ordinary deer hunt. So, I'm one of the guys that says get a shorter bow, even if you have a longer draw, some of these short bows they are making are just amazing. OK, so your a Long Longbow type and don't want to hear about my preferences. I have used the Baronette blinds as well, don't get the 250, it's just as small as what you have, now the 350 you can darned near square dance in, and if you just gotta shoot that strung spear this is probably the way to go. i personally use a Dark Horse and would highly recommend it for most everyone, it has plent of headroom for most bows and for more that one person, camera equip ect. the windows slide, no noise and you can vary the openining heigth across the entire from half of the blind. They are a little more expensive that most, but they are built well and you get what you pay for, you'll wear several of the cheap ones out before you have a problem with a Dark Horse. RW
The problem I have with the blinds, is the weight.If you need to move often, and quick I need something to shoot a 58" BW out of, and light. What is out there?
I like the hidden hunter blind. It is pretty tall and I have had no clearance problems with it. Pretty quick to set up too.
my 2 cents worth
Make natural blind RC we all know you spend more time in the woods than most of us...LOL and you can hunt those pigs you keep running into out of them as well.Terry had the two tree bend over with tent stakes blinds idea that is a great easy way to make a natural blind in a minute.
Man I have to look at who makes the blind I got... It's a small company that just started making them a few years ago I believe...
What I love about it is its made just like the double bulls used to be... Since Primos bought double bull the quality has severely gone down hill, and you can pick em up for about $250...
I gotta take a look and get back to ya'll with more details
I think the Baronnett 350 is the way to go.
I wish I could get my hands on a db 360. shooting a 66" lb it did well, the windows drop low enough. this is the fault with most blinds, the height is fine, the windows dont drop down far enough.
I had a cabelas blind (had the two big windows same on the side, forgot the name). It also was decent but you had to shoot through the net and the net really didnt fit the openings very well. I never did get busted due to them looking in....but I did last year get nailed a ton of times when the blind moved in the wind. No amount of staking would keep it from moving. I left that one in KS for the deer hunters. Probably going to grab a dark horse this spring if my shafts get here in time. Ordered them a month and a half ago and just got billed today for them....ordered some from a different outfit when I realized this was going to go on for awhile, and got the wrong shafts. At this point I'm just hoping I get to bowhunt them lol. If nothign else by the time I get back I should have 6 or 8 dozen shafts ready to paint and finish ;) .
I went with a Hidden Hunter blind a couple years back and wouldn't buy anything else. Plenty of room inside for any length bow and quick set up.
I have nothing against any of the other blinds and have tried many different ones. Right now we have 3 different kinds and they all have there place. I have been shooting the Hill style bows for a couple years now and just like the extra room I have in them, plus I like to share my hunting with my Tradgang buddies and film most of my hunts.
Natural blinds have there place to and we build them were needed.
I hope you find a good one RC!
Tracy
I have the the Barronett as well!
(http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/uu312/scbowhntr/photoblind.jpg)
Nice setup Rusty! :thumbsup:
Tracy
Just order a 350 today. I'll let you know how it does when Charlie and I give it a try. God bless.
I used a double bull, but after hunting out of Tracy's blinds I would go that route. I'm 6'2" and can stand up in it comfotably. I also shoot longer bows and that one I could shoot out of it no problem :thumbsup:
I have the 350 Baronette also. Bought mine last year at the farm store on clearance for a $109 after tax.
I'm a big guy and have lots of room and I can shoot My 64" Recurve inside no problem.
I've been seeing a advertisement for a new blind from Ameristep that looks like a DB knockoff. It has non-reflective material. Anyone seen or used it yet?
bretto
I tell ya, with as much trouble as I've had with the Recurve model Primos Darkhorse Double Bull blind I'll never buy another Primos brand blind again. 2 rods busted from the get go, replaced free but not in time for turkey season, then putting them in the screw that holds the hub plate on twisted right off. Hub made of pot metal and real junk. Had to drill and tap it out to make it work right. Blind has been really really tight to put up from day 1. Finally was getting it broken in and the material started separating from the top hub and some of the pockets. Did I mention tight fit?
Maybe all that's just a fluke and mine was made on a Friday afternoon before a holiday, but I'll never find out again.
All that when it was up and working properly it was great LOL! Plenty of clearance. It was 72" high I believe. Currently it resides at Primos for repairs. Very unfortunate as I was really really looking forward to a Double Bull, but I guess they aren't what they were or at least 1 of them isn't.
QuoteOriginally posted by K.S.TRAPPER:
Nice setup Rusty! :thumbsup:
Tracy
Thanks Tracy!! Sitting in it as I type!
I see alot of you guys are shooting through mesh? I tried it with a compound years ago and gave up. I thought it was affecting my arrow flight. I haven't tried it with a traditional setup. Do you guys think you get good arrow flight shooting trough mesh and does it affect your accuracy?
I have film after film of us and many Tradgangers shooting deer, turkeys, coyotes lots of critters. I take my films and go slow motion frame for frame and can see no flight changes using most broad heads. I wouldn't even think of trying a expandable.
I even have Guru shooting turkeys and deer through the screen with a string tracker attached to his arrow and they flew perfect.
Tracy
Thanks Trapper, I'll have to try it again.
Thanks guys. A ground blind works sometimes and maybe most of the time but a pop up is mobile and it works.RC
It's hard to beat a "Barronnet 350". Tons of room and no height issues. The windows are a little higher in this blind, but it's easy to stand if a shot is presented. I'd get another in a heart beat. :thumbsup:
Bernie Bjorklund
NC Iowa/SW Wisconsin
The Barronet looks exactly like a blind I have. Did they change their name recently to Barronett?
Mine is a Yukon Tracks! They must have sold out to Barronett.
Anyway, the only problem was the window height. It was too high. From a seated position, you have to shoot just over the bottom of the window.
Otherwise, a great blind.
Just found it on the web. "Yukon Tracks" blinds have been renamed "Barronett" blinds.
I have used nothing but Double Bull "Recurve Model" blinds for many years shooting 62" recurves up to my 68" longbows. NO problems with overhead clearance. I HATE anything that uses zippers or Velcro on the windows for obvious reasons. DB blinds cost more than most, but they are the toughest, best put together blinds I've seen. I leave mine out for months at a time, basically from, Sept - Jan EVERY YEAR and they are still going. I have replaced a few broken rods over the years but they have either been free or very inexpensive to obtain.
I understand that PRIMOS is no longer selling blinds as of Dec. 2011?
I have the yukon tracks enforcer elite which, I think, is now the barronette 350. Great blind. Plenty of height and room and easy set-up. My windows have the magnets and I much prefer that to the zip-up windows.