Was having a discussion with a friend about arrow flight and the shoot through mesh on blinds.  I'd like some opinions on if the mesh has an adverse affect on arrow flight or point of impact.

Bowmania

I didn't see any affect on arrow flight, it may mess with your depth preception/yardage but if you have a known distance/point you should be good.

I can't tell it if it does.  I've shot a deer, a red fox, a squirrel, and rabbits through the "shoot through" mesh, both with broadheads and blunts, at ranges from about 8 feet (squirel and deer) to approx. 22 yds (red fox).  A young lady using my blind shot a deer with a light poundage bow at approx. 25 yds. (down in about 65 yds).

All my experience has been with Ameristep blinds.  I love it myself.  It can mess with your depth perception, especially in low light, but properly tuned arrows fly through it just fine.

Chad

It doesn't seem to affect it at all.

I had problems with my homemade arrows/broadhead combo last antelope season. I was getting horrible flight thru the mesh on a double bull blind. Now I have a hidden hunter and the mesh is nice and tight (good flight) but not on the double bull. I believe the combo of loose mesh and my imperfect taper from broadhead (trade point)to arrow caused my problems. If I was to use my hunting partners double bull again I will have some safety pins with me to tighten up the mesh for my set up.

very helpful thanks

I keep the mesh tight, I shoot 2 blade broadheads, I've killed a doe and a turkey out of my blind.  I have a double bull  T5 and cut and pin the mesh to keep it on the tighter side.

It WILL effect the trajectory of the arrow, but it depends on a few factors -

In my experiences (including the mechanical kind), the largest factor is the cut pattern in combination with the fletching type.

A broadhead with more than two cutting surfaces will open the mesh much wider than a single blade head.  This is important when using a non feather fletching.  The higher the profile of the fletching, in combination with the stiffness of the fletching, can introduce error as the arrow leaves the blind.

I noticed these effects greatest while shooting small diameter broadheads (1") while using high profile plastic vanes.  In yardage over 20yrds, the effects amplified immedately, to as much as 15" at 30 yrds.  BIG DIFFERENCE in point of aim/impact.

Using feathers you'll be at an immediate avantage as they can lay down passing through the mesh, but still use a multi-blade head as much as possible!

Keep the mesh tight, and you'll be fine.
 

I open up small shooting holes.  I just don't trust it.

My first expierience with it was about 10 years ago in Africa . I was hunting with Dries Visser Jr. . We were set up along a dry creekbed where a lot of Kudu had been using . We set up in two pop-up blinds next to each other . We had two windows in each blind , one to shoot through and the other for the video camera to photo the shot , both had the fabric but the smaller one had a hole for the camera . A pair of nice bulls came along and I hunkered down and shot one . Went about 60 yards . There was no arrow hole in the fabric , seems I shot out of the camera opening without realizing it . But by the end of the hunt I was shooting through them pretty good . takes getting used to though . Seems like it doesn't take much to distract me .
 Fred