So will I get better flight with straight fletch or helical? I hearing that my helical parabolic 4", 3 fletch is actually slowing my arrow down. I use Grizzly single bevel broadhead.
What's your recommendation on fletching?
I shoot 5 1/2" helical and don't worry about the speed .
All fletching slows an arrow down.
If you plan on shooting broadheads you want your fletching to stabilize the arrow. Helical will do the better job.
The helical fletches cause the arrow shaft to spin. Objects that spin in flight, whether it is a bullet out of a rifled barrel, a football or an arrow that spins will have a more balanced and stable flight.
Even a straight fletch will cause the arrow to spin, just not as much as helical.
I've always used straight fletch because someone gave me a JoJan Multi-fletch with straight clamps. I've never had a problem with arrow flight because they were straight fletched.
I use both and can see no real difference. That's with 4" feathers.
They both work, but I prefer the helical.
straight off-set.......... BEST
I personally think helical fletching with a big broadhead is a help, especially in a hunting scenario where there could be crosswinds also. Now if youre shooting small heads or those junk mechanical heads like many wheel bow shooters do, straight fletch may be just fine. Just my $0.02.
Like JamesV I also offset my straight fletch.
Helical helps when feathers are wet
A well tuned arrow should do well with either selection. If I do my part, that being especially important, a 5" left wing helical, 5" left wing straight offset and a bare shaft will group, although I can't emphasis the archer doing their part and meticulous tuning.
Yup what orion said. Once my arrows are super tuned it doesn't matter what feathers I put on them. I use 4" helical just because I can get 2 feathers out of 1 full length.
When I use aggressively fletched helical four 5" with matching single bevel heads, they they spin so fast that i can see the arrow fly through the hole I just drilled through the deer. Really, I wouldn't kid you on that, maybe sorta. I have found that enough fletching can get an arrow to straighten out quicker with a bad release, whether that is straight offset or helical. Many years ago I fletched with thread and glue as Hill described. I could get super helical wrap arounds. They straightened out real fast. They buzzed like a bumble bee in flight.
As stated above any fletch will slow your arrow down, I have shot both straight and helical and have settled on helical only because I prefer it to the straight. I haven't noticed any speed difference, but my eyes might be off a bit due to aging. :) But seriously, if it's working for you and isn't broke, don't fix it.
Jason
I don't think that helical can slow down an arrow at hunting distance but for sure it can help,so why to risk?
With a well tuned arrow tipped with a field point, you should be able to accurately shoot 20-30 yards with no fletching at all. You would be more accurate with 2-3" straight fletchings, because we don't live in a perfect world.
The same 2-3" straight fletchings would not adequately control an arrow tipped with a broadhead, no matter how well your arrow is tuned. You would get the best performance out of your bow if you shoot the least intrusive fletching that would do the job. So you would make up a series of arrows starting with 3 - 4" straight fletchings, and ending with 4 - 5 1/2" helical fletchings, shoot them all many times, and pick the one that gives you the control you need with the smallest and least curved fletchings. This would be tedious.
Or, you could just pick 3 - 5" helical fletchings, a combination that has proven effective for many people, and live with the fact that you might be leaving some speed on the table.
I find offset straight goes on better with the short feathers I'm using now. No issues with arrow control with the VPA three bladed heads I've been shooting.
I fletch my arrows with 5 " LW shield helicals, never tried anything else. Iv'e shot the others but never noticed that much of a difference.
Deno
if u can tell whitch flyes faster ur a better man than me...to much worry for nothing !!!
3, 4" shield, helical fletched for me. I turn them as tight as my Bitz will allow and still maintain quill contact on the shaft.
I shoot 2-3" offset out of other equipment.
No problems with either one.
They both have the same basic effect, but helical does a better job, especially with a broadhead on the front end. I doubt any of us could tell much difference in arrow speed. Accurate arrow placement out weighs speed.
I just took 4 inch straight fletching off my arrows. I went back with 5 inch right helical parabolic feathers. I saw a difference in my groups. The larger fletching tightened them up.
I haven't shot with broadheads yet.
I'm still fairly new to traditional so take it for what it's worth.
Josh
Fletching slows down your arrows but in typical hunting distance within 25 yards you will be VERY hard pressed to notice the difference in trajectory.
I can promise you 5.5" feathers would group with your 4" feathers within 25 yards as long as your bow is not a complete slug.
Also the heavier the arrow the less the fletching itself will slow it down.
If you put 5.5" feathers on a 200 grain arrow those arrows would behave like flu flu's. Put the same 5.5" feathers on a 600 grain arrow and they will still shoot pretty flat (as long as your bow is not a slug!) even beyond 25 yards.
That being said unless you are target shooting the more helical and the more fletching the merrier in my book.
With a little bit of practice it has been my experience you learn the elevation differences even at the further distances even if your arrows do drop off hard after the 35 to 30 yard mark with a little bit of longer distance practice.
Also keep in mind the Japanese Yumi Archers use what appears to be 5" to 6" feathers and they are hitting a target around 60m away.
The English Longbow Clout shooters typically use 5 to 6" feathers as well and they are shooting out to 400 yards.......
A nice long feather that put's a lot of spin on the arrow will be more forgiving and send it on it's true path much faster. I know I'd give up 5-6" less drop at 50 or 60 yards for that......
I wouldn't shoot straight fetched arrows ever....either helical or off sett.
I have a Bitzenberger jig with the straight clamp that came with it. I adjust my jig to give me as much offset as I can with the straight clamp, all the while keeping the best contact with my arrow shaft. I find that my arrows fly just fine. My eyes suck and I can't really tell if my arrow is spinning fast. I just assume it is. I have never tried a helical clamp because my Bitz came with the straight, and the Bitz helical clamp is EXPENSIVE! One day I might splurge and buy one, but for now, straight clamp with an offset works just fine for field tips. I will likely buy a helical clamp come hunting season.
Just remember to not make the same mistake I did the first time I fletched with an offset. For right wing feathers the offset should be front of the feather to the right if looking down the shaft from the nock. I did it backwards on my first attempt. Check this link:
Trueflight Fletching Guide (http://www.trueflightfeathers.com/guide.htm)
Also, I will choose stability over speed any day.
Neat site, Chris.
If your shooting a single bevel I'd shoot helical to help with the rotation...not sure if there is science behind that though
When I made some of my super spinners with the thread fletch method, I used the original right wing Grizzlies and made the right wing spinners to match the head. I shot one fairly close range deer with one of them. I was hoping to bore a hole through it. The reality was that maybe the entrance hole was slightly more torqued, the arrow seemed to do one rotation going through the deer. No difference than even when cross spinning them with left wing. Of course, we are talking deer, not dried water buffalo bones bolted to a bridge beam.
The best part of a helical fletching at my age is the arrow looks like a tennis ball going toward the target!! In other words I can see it better in flight and where it strikes the target/critter!!
Helical fletched.
Just my opinion; helical or offset is better due to the increased rotation (think gyroscope) imparted to the arrow. Of the two I prefer helical over offset.
Too much helical can be a problem too.
I like helical. I did some offset straight the first time I did four fletch,and liked them. I did my first batch of four fletch helical the other day,but haven't shot them. Probably my favorite is three fletch helical. I've gotten arrows off the classifieds,and they managed to get way more helical on them than I had,and to tell you the truth I thought they looked weird flying. Mine just fly nice and straight,but I could really see the others turning. It may be a good thing,but mine flew just as straight,and seemed quieter.