Deer Blind Recommendations?

[Sniper66]

I need suggestions for a deer blind...too old to climb into tree stands. I have an Ameristep bilnd, which I used several times and killed turkeys and deer out of it. I was kinda flimsy, started to tear at the joints and finally this week blew away in a high wind. I'm looking at Barronett and Rhino brands. Barronetts are cheaper, but look a step up from the Ameristep. The Rhino looks rugged and has much sturdier fabric and reinforced stitching around corner joints; also more expensive. Ameristep is usually under $100, Barronett around $150 and Rhino is $200+. I don't mind spending the money for a sturdy product, but hope someone out there has experience with these products. How do they wear? How easy/difficult are they to set up? Thanks for your help.

 

[SoonerMedic]

I own an Ameristep Silencer blind. It's pretty sturdy if you ask me. We had a storm roll through a few nights ago with supposedly strong winds (60+mph if I'm not mistaken) and when I checked it nothing was gone and nothing was out of place. The windows were pushed down a little bit, but no damage. It has 4 anchor points where you can stake the blind down like you would a tent. The frame is sturdy tubing and the fabric has held up nicely. My only complaint is that it's faded quite a bit since I bought it, however it does have materials sewn on so that you can put your own camo materials on the blind itself. The windows are high on the sides, but I don't think they're designed to shoot out of unless you're shooting with a rifle/shotgun due to how high up they are. The front window is ok...it's sufficient. The zippers are great and the inside of mine is absolutely waterproof. There are some small pinholes from the sewing process, but they don't leak. I'm glad I bought it since I got a pretty good deal. I think I took it home for $110 or so at Tractor Supply Co. if I remember correctly.

Now, with that said, I think the next time I decide to buy a blind, I'm going to go with Primos. They're significantly more expensive, but the reviews are much better. The reviews on the Ameristep that I have are bad, but I haven't had any big issues. I did notice after I shot my buck the other day that I must've clipped the edge of my blind's window which cut a very clean reverse V shape. No fraying or anything even after the storm came through. I'll probably take a lighter to it or a hot knife to seal the edges later on, but as of now it's good.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

I hunted out of a Primos a couple years ago and it was pretty comfortable. Roomy enough for two and plenty sturdy. My buddy leaves it up all year and it had been there at least a couple of years. The material seems duller than the shiny nylon that the Ameristep blinds use.
My old Ameristep blind got blown out too last week so I might be in the market for a replacement myself.

 

[Sniper66]

I'm looking at another alternative; a Browning blind. It emphasizes sturdy construction and extra support at vulnerable points. It's bit smaller than some of the mega blinds, but my smaller one worked well enough for two people. The description makes it sound like I could leave it up for longer periods. A local outlet store has some Primos on sale, but the one they had has a roof window for shooting waterfowl and will likely leak when it rains. Also has an opening in the door, which is just odd.

 

[Armored farmer]

We mostly use tree stands, but having a blind to get into during bad weather is really nice.
I'm not going to recommend the brand that I have because I dislike the windows. They are too difficult to open and close quickly with gloves on.
Windows are the most important consideration imho.

 

[Newtosavage]

I've been using the same original Ameristep Brickhouse since about 2004. Repaired poles at least 3 times, and tears, etc. It's still helping me kill deer.

There are so many pop-up blind options these days, and they are all better than they used to be, I'd say wait for a decent one to go on sale and snag it.