How many of you fellers shoot stone heads? I'm working on a set of tonkin cane for deer season and need some advice on fletching. Should I fletch 2 fletch or three? Should I fletch helical or straight?
I want to keep them as primitive as I can. I plan on using turkey feathers and maybe goose for the hen feather.
lets see some pics.
Stics
two fletch if you want primitive, imho
helical for max stability
I used to shoot two fletch cedars, flew right with the three fletch cedars I had.
I used stone last year and killed a deer. My set up was a wooden shaft, turkey feathers from turkeys killed by me, straight fletch, 3 feathers and the arrow was self-nocked. Worked for me.
same as i do. cedar shafts, turkey feathers from local killed birds.. three fletch. self nocks. sinew.. Ed
Two and three fletch are both correct. It just depends on where you are. Same for the helical, it was in use as long as 5000 years ago, Otzi had some in his quiver. That also includes peeled feathers and cut and ground feathers. If you can find it, check out "Bows, Arrows and Quivers of the Native Americans:, Vol I and II, by Hamm. Bill
Thanks for the info Guys.
Bill the arras I'm workin on are with heads you sent me. Got them flying good bare shaft and I'm finishing them up. Gonna fletch in a few days with peeled feathers I think I may go with two fletch on a few and three on a few. I will check out the books you reccomended.
Pics to come of my whole setup when I'm done.
Sticks
If your arrows are flying well bare shaft add which ever style of fletching you want. Fletching is to stabilize the arrow. If they are already flying stable the fletching is just a little extra insurance.
My stone set ups this year are one 599gr hill cane arrow with Cherokee 2fletch(made by Art Butner, artcher1)and two sourwood shoot arrows, one with a slightly offset straight 3fletch(tied on) and the other a tangential 3fletch using 3 full smaller feathers tied on in a helical.
If this is the first time you will be hunting with stone try different styles and see which flies best with stone then use that best flying arrow to hunt with.
i made up some arrows a while ago. they are four fletch. i secure them with a dab of pine pitch front and back then wrap them with sinew.
(http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd349/ozyclint/IMG_1213.jpg)
(http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/dd349/ozyclint/IMG_1215.jpg)
I use both 2 and 3 fletch on my primative shafts, just change up a little.
Ozy, those are sweet.
Sweet looking sticks Ozzy.