Any suggestions on length? 4inch, 4.5 inch, 5 inch?
I like 5" but thats only my opinion
I like 5.5 they stabilize great but the do drag a little
The actual answer is "as little as you can get away with". But that all depends on your shooting situation. How well your arrows are tuned to the bow. Are you using broadheads for hunting or just target shooting. Only your setup can answer that question.
5" is probably the most common. Small feathers make less noise and less drag but do not stabilize the arrow well. Large feathers make more noise, create more drag but stabilize very well. pick your poison.
Mine are 5.25; better stabilization methinks.
I've become quite fond of 4" 4-fletch. They seem to be less affected by the wind. It never seems to give me a shot on a calm day. It may just be that those are the only days when they don't hear me coming.
MAP
That's what I shoot as well. 4-4". I like them a lot for my hunting arrows. Quiet.
Keeping the Faith!
Magnus
QuoteOriginally posted by Encino Man:
The actual answer is "as little as you can get away with". But that all depends on your shooting situation. How well your arrows are tuned to the bow. Are you using broadheads for hunting or just target shooting. Only your setup can answer that question.
5" is probably the most common. Small feathers make less noise and less drag but do not stabilize the arrow well. Large feathers make more noise, create more drag but stabilize very well. pick your poison.
I'll second this note.
I use 5" on my arrows in my sig line because they are also my hunting arrows but I do have some G.T. Entradas that have 3" on em.
I like 5" and a low profile,but it may differ for the type of set up you shoot.
I prefer 5" feathers. I think they tend to stabilize a heavy broadhead in a crosswind.
My arrow is short at 28" (draw of 26"). I use 3, 4" parabolic feathers. I regularly, for fun also shoot 2.8" vanes from my hunting bows with the same results. If the arrow and broadhead are tuned to the bow and your form is friendly to the shot, you don't need a lot of fletch. However, if I was shooting a long arrow, just from an aesthetic standpoint I would use 5" feathers.
With a well tuned arrow you can use a smaller feather.I used to shoot 5.5" on my wood arrows,but shoot 3-5" and 4-4" now on my carbon and aluminum arrows.Larger feathers will slow an arrow down quicker and stabilze quicker.Unless you shooting past 25 or 30 yds,it won't make a big difference in what size of feather.
I love small feathers and if your setup is tuned you don't need much. I use small four fletch as little as 2.5 " and get great results. Drew
it's all good, in the long run. however, for best results, lots will depend on how well the arrow is mated to your bow and your shooting.
a good typical norm is 5" three fletch shield or parabolic or hi back banana with either goodly helical or some decent offset.
my fave and all i use these dayze - 4" four fletch lo profile banana with very slight 1 degree offset.
Thanks everybody. I am leaning more towards 4.5 to 5 inches to start out and I will make adjustments from there. All suggestions are welcome and I especially appreciate the reasoning behind the different lengths used .
Always used 5" for thirty years? aint broke?
I think everyone who has already replied has given good insight. When I'm using good form and shooting often, almost any fletch will do with field points. (think about the number of times you've been out stump shooting with less than your best arrows, for good reason, and got by). For hunting situations, no matter how much I've practiced, I still struggle with the adrenaline rush of seeing a good deer within shooting distance. In addition, the deer always seems to come into view from the direction I just knew they would never use. So being out of position happens. Net, I'm thinking I need every advantage fletching can give me. So my hunting arrows have strong helical, 5-5.5" shield cuts.
I like 4" and 5" three fletch.
I have mostly shot 5" over the years and I'm having positive results with the 4" as well.
i have some that are 6" really low profile , no twist , and some semi sheild that are about 3"...
i prefer flu flu's cause i just glue and twist...
-hov
Arrow stabilization is very important. I use 3 shield-cut 5" feathers with all the helix my fletcher can provide. I want my arrows to spin and get stabile as quickly as possible.
My arrows have either 4-4" nana hybrid or 4-5.5" high back full cut nana
I've been experimenting with some of the 2 1/2" A&A cut fletching 4 fletch and so far the results have been very encouraging in all conditions and with my somewhat less than stellar release.
From a target shooting standpoint I like 4inch three fletch, cost wise I can get two feathers chopped from one full length feather. For broadhead purposes, I tend to stay with the 5.5 shield cuts.
This is kind of like asking "what's the best bow" in that you will get lots of opinions and they are all just that. I've tried shield cut from 4 to 5.5 inches and parabolic from 4 to 5 inches. I've tried both three and four fletch. What I've noticed is that they all work pretty well if your setup is well tuned.
So I've finally settled on 3 x 5" shield cut in either white or bright yellow. They don't really fly any better than any of the others, but I can SEE them the best. The older I get the more difference that seems to make. I've been shooting white lately because I have lots of them, but I'll be going back to yellow next time I buy feathers because, as I said, I see them a bit better than the white ones. I suppose the ideal would be bright yellow flu-flus, but I'm not quite ready for that much drag...yet.
And, yes, this is my opinion, so take from it what you will. ;)
Been shooting/making arrows with 3, 5.5 shield or parabolic cuts for several years now. These arrows are AD carbons. They shoot well from my Widows so I am a happy camper.
I have used 5.5 bananna cuts on some HEAVY arrows.
It really is "to each his own" based on what shoots best.
I like 5.5" High Back Shield...Course i shoot big heads that make my arrows look like an Aztec War Spear(MagnusI, 160gr Snuffer, Ace Express, Zwickey Delta)! A bigger/taller feather may help to stabilize and keep a larger head fkyin straight, but they do have a little more drag!
Bare shaft the arrows first to see what flys the straighted. I am going through this now with my new bow. I like four fletched arrows. I don't want to have to worry about the cock feather out when I pull it from the quiver. So far I have used three inch feathers. They have a lower profile on the arrow and I am pretty sure that they will clear the bow shelf better. The surface area will be close to something longer in a three fletch arrow.
Bottom line, make sure your bare shafted arrows fly right before selecting fetching length.
Your mileage will vary. Everyone here has their own way.
Great question. Let us know what you do.
Martin
4-4" para
i must say , in response to 30coupe ; i started with flu flu's cause i just wanted backyard shots , andd if the wife flinches , we dont have to buy the neighbors a new cat...
when i made up a 3 fletch , straigh ; it was like a rocket....
-hov
I got some 5" left wing helical fletched and they shoot great so far.
Do four 4" feathers drag more than three 5" ones?