I'm puting together some new arrows for this comming sept season opener. I am going with tappered wooden shafts 125 grn single bevel Zwickeys up font and using left wing turkey feathers off of one I got in the spring. I am cutting my fletches down to 2.5 inches figuring that it would keep my arrows quieter. Has anyone done this? and what did you think? any input would be great.
My guess is they will be too short and you will have stabalization issues. Only one way to know for sure make up one and try it before you put all that time in.
5" feathers or 4" 4 fletch.....all in full helical.
Look up OL Adcocks' thread about a "turbulator" with small fletches. He says that size fletch will work with a broadhead if it is done correctly. Bill
i'm in the 5" bracket...
I use 2.5 to 3 inch low profile turkey, shield cut...and only 2-fletch. But I use alum. Paper tuned with this set-up has given me 6-8fps chronoed faster over 5 inch 3-fletch. Right helical...shoot great for me.
I shoot 4x3" and i get fine arrow flight.
5" low profile parabolic with medium helical. The quietestst of the fletch cuts good arrow stabilizing with the helical. Be sure and keep the rear of the fleater even at the rear of the arrow for quietest flight.
Quietness comes from height, not length. Keep them long and low, and they will be quiet and stabilize your arrow much better. When hunting you can't always be sure of perfect form and release, and that's when the extra feather can save the shot.
My cutting block makes 5" shields, and they come out too high and noisy. I trim them lower with scissors, and they become silent.
I did a little playing around with my arras today. Short fletches were a little louder than my parabolics and didn't stay as consistant. I will stick to the parabolics for now, I thought that making my own fletches would be fun. I will have to get a few more turkeys for a full dozen :bigsmyl: