I just got a reply from a Gateway rep about the Rayzr, their new short high profile feather. He was honest enough to point out that finger shooters, and the archers paradox around the riser would require perfect spine and technique and did NOT recommend them for wood. My aluminum are already fletched and I'm not ready to tackle carbons this year so it looks like my plan to try them will be on hold until next year.
I shoot them on carbons with no problems at all, but a very good release does help.
Dave, do you shoot 3 or 4 fletch? I would be interested to hear what you shoot and how it is set-up.
Mike Gerard owlbait
Aren't they noisier than regular profile feather? Shawn
they are very quite, i cx250s fletched with them, and had very good results, very quite, i would like to here how a 4-fletch would preform with big broadheads though
I shoot them on light aluminum as well as light carbons. 4 fletch (60/120), right wing with as much helix as I can get on the small shafts. They fly as well as three 4 or 5 inch fethers from my bow. Just as quiet from my set up as well. I like them, they just look different, or unique.
ron
Has anyone checked to see if there is any gain to these as far as performance. If you are giving up some stability, you will be losing performance overall. Three 5" feathers barely register on a grain scale. Just curious 8^).
George
The gateway razors are feathers. They are made from the stiff section of the quill so that they are stiffer for adequate broadhead steering. I notice that they are faster than my 4 or 5 inch fletched arrows of the same shaft.
I have shot them for target shooting with great results. They are not as forgiving to poor spine, bad releases, etc. You need your gear tuned in order to use them effectively.
John, I knew they were feathers, I was just questioning whether or not one gained any advantage. I'm just wondering if anyone ever compared them side by side with the five inch in a more scientific manor 8^). If they are unforgiving of a bad release, then I would say they are not as stable as regular fletch and that's a concern when one goes to broadheads.
It depends on how you look at it. I have shot broadheads with the razors and have had good results. If your setup is not perfect and you want to shoot big blade broadheads...I believe you'd be better off with 4 or 5 inch fletch. I dont think theres any mystery with the razors. Gateway made them to compete with the blazers. They will shoot well, faster and stable, but they are not going to mask inadequacies in a trad setup/tune as larger fletching can.
I saw these in Cabelas today. I must say I was impressed with them, I almost took some home! I never thought a high profile short fletching would work for feathers, but they certianly are stiff. It's starting to get late for experimenting, but next season I'm going to try them, four on a shaft and offset two of them further up the shaft (1-1.5") from the other two. I've done this with 1.87" vanes for target archery, and I've found they stablize almost the same as the 3.5"-4" but with less weight - of course that was with a dropaway rest. I don't know if it would work off a shelf...