I currently shoot 4 fletch, but have used 3 before, but was recently told by someone that he shot 2. He says they fly just as good as any other he's tried, and pointed out a few advantages. Just curious what you guys prefer. Also, what's your feather shape/length of choice. I just finished a couple with 2 - 5" shield cut gateways to try. I'll let you guys know how they fly. If they fly well, there at least shouldn't be any issue with fletching/shelf clearance and it'd be half the cost and time to fletch compared to my current 4 fletch.
(http://i1246.photobucket.com/albums/gg614/tomsm44/image_12.jpg) (http://s1246.photobucket.com/user/tomsm44/media/image_12.jpg.html)
(http://i1246.photobucket.com/albums/gg614/tomsm44/image_10.jpg) (http://s1246.photobucket.com/user/tomsm44/media/image_10.jpg.html)
Here's my 4 fletch and my son's 3 fletch just for comparison sake.
(http://i1246.photobucket.com/albums/gg614/tomsm44/image_9.jpg) (http://s1246.photobucket.com/user/tomsm44/media/image_9.jpg.html)
(http://i1246.photobucket.com/albums/gg614/tomsm44/image_11.jpg) (http://s1246.photobucket.com/user/tomsm44/media/image_11.jpg.html)
My favorite is still a long 4.5 to 5 inch , low profile half inch tall, triple banana fletch. For me they are more quiet compared to shield cut feathers.
I go with 3 parabolic at present, going to try 2 first chance.
The 2 fletch I saw that inspired these were banana feathers. I want to try those, but it'll be next year probably.
I just got in from shooting them and they actually fly better than my 4 fletch. With the 4 fletch, there's a very slight kick from the bottom inside feather contacting the shelf. It's very light, straightens out within a couple of yards, and has virtually no impact on overall arrow flight or impact point, but it is there nonetheless. With these, there isn't a feather there to hit the shelf and they fly like lasers. They also seem to have just as mutch spin as the 4 fletch does. Now, anybody know a good way for me to strip two feathers off each of my other arrows without damaging the cresting?
I shoot 3 5" feathers either parabolic or shield cut.
I prefer my arrows fletched by my arrowmaker...he uses four inch three fletch
DDave
3, 3" Shield Cut Wild Turkey feathers.
Thanks for the input guys. I was hoping to hear from somebody shooting 2 fletch to see what pros/cons they've observed.
3 5" par or shield
4, 4" shield
I've always shot three or four 4" feathers until this year I wanted to go with 5" shields. Just fletched a couple and instantly got severe contact. I'm thinking my release may play a good role in it but anyway I tried everything I knew to try and got it better but just not good enough. Since they were fletched with tape I came in and gently removed the feathers and redone them with 2 5" helical shields. They flew perfect! Zero contact and they come off the bow straighter than any fletch combo I've shot. I've been shooting them in two bows with same results out to thirty yards since mid June. I've got a dozen fletched up now this way and shoot broadheads as well every other time I shoot. They fly great too. The heads I'm shooting are Simmons tree shark 2" and Magnus ma l 1 1/2" cutt. I've shot them out of a double bull blind and out of a tree stand also and I cannot find anything wrong with this fletch style. I love it.
Thanks westkyhunter. That's what I wanted to hear. I've been shooting the same four 5" shield setup for a while with no issue, but I switched from a recurve to a longbow with about a 1 1/2" shorter brace height this year and I'm seeing the little kick mentioned with the longbow but I didn't see it with the recurve. I hadn't considered it before, but if the fletch length affected yours, it may be the brace height doing the same thing to me. Either way, I seem to have found the answer. I had 10 arrows already fletches with four 5" shields and tried the two with two 5" shields, so 12 total the same spine/length. I went ahead and stripped two feathers off of four, so now I have six of each. I'm gonna leave half of them with four because I have a recurve tuned with the same arrows that shoots great with the 4 fletch. This way I have six matches to each bow. I used glue with mine, so it wasn't as easy to remove. I left a little glue residue on so I wouldn't have to mess up my painted cresting completely. Doesn't look great, but it'll still kill a dear.
Matt,
If looks could kill, my Momma would've buried me long time back! :rolleyes:
Primitive site I used to visit talked extensively about 2 fletch...
I shoot pretty small feathers, straight offset, so I've not been tempted to mess with it, but the first time you have to shoot thru a hole in brush you'll be glad to NOT have that 'little kick' to contend with, eh?! :)
Curious, did you try the 2 fletch on the RC and it not work?
Three shield cut fletch, five inches long.
I didn't try them on the recurve, but it should shoot the 2 fletch fine. I spent a lot of time on cresting and splicing feathers for them last year and I knew I wouldn't be able to remove any feathers without messing up all that work I did. I just picked the 4 that had been shot the most and looked the worst to convert to 2fletch. I touched up the cresting a little where I messed it up taking the feathers off, but it still looks crappy compared to the original. I'll probably go to 2 fletch for the recurve as well when they need refletching. Here's the original 4 fletch.
(http://i1246.photobucket.com/albums/gg614/tomsm44/image-56.jpg) (http://s1246.photobucket.com/user/tomsm44/media/image-56.jpg.html)
I use 3 - 4" parabolic feathers on all my arrows!
Bisch
Sounds good Matt. They'll shoot just as good with a lil extra glue on them. Also I'd say they'll shoot just as good from your recurve. My neighbor wanted to try one of my two fletch arrows from his compound one day because he was interested in the wood grain gt blems I've been shooting. He has a really short draw so my arrows were pretty close for his setup. I watched him shoot several times looking over his shoulder and they were flying as perfect as you could ask them to. He really liked them and said he'd never seen anything like that.lol Of course he shot his light tips instead of my heavy tips to increase the spine. Sounds like your having good luck with them as well. I also tried some other arrows with 4" two fletch in one bow and they flew just as well. Good luck with them this fall. If I take anything with them I'll try and get pics posted.
5" parabolic and shield also.
4x5" or 3x5.5
Played with lots of styles and have settled on 4" parabolic 4 fletch 90 deg.
I have tested 2 fletch feathers on one arrow in the past. It's 4" shield on GT 1535. It flew just as well as my other arrows. I don't have feathers contact issues with my 3 fletch at that time. But it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that a 2 fletch oriented with the bottom feather pointing away from the riser will clear the shelf better than a 3 fletch with the bottom right hen feather pointing towards the riser. I am gonna try 2 fletch again when I build my 4 stumping arrows. Now the only question is how well they would fly with broadheads.
3 5.5" shield cuts...more fletch than I need but the spin going down range is amazing and I can see them so well.
4, 4" shield x2
3 - 5" shield
Or 3 - 4" of my own custom cut that I call "the delta dart"
I like three fletch. It is enough to do the job and enough for me to see the arrow flight pretty well.
On a well tuned arrow it doesn't really matter.I did a few years ago on a dozen arrows,I fletched 3 with 3-4",4-",3-5" and 4-5" feathers.They all fly great and grouped together at 20 yds.They may not have the same trajectory when shooting 30 and 40 yds,but at hunting distances made no difference.I used to shoot larger feathers when I shot wood arrows like 3-5.5" and 5.5" banana feathers but my favorite has become 4-4" parabolic and shield with all my newly fletched arrows.I have tuned arrows with 2" Blazer vanes for an ILF.I feel tuning an arrow is more important then the size or number of feathers you choose.
4 4inch shielded
3 4inch shield
I have tried countless combinations for this fall's moose hunt, and the best performer for me has been the "MV" fletch. 4 feathers fletched at 90°.
685 grain finished weight (225 grain Tuffhead w/ 75 grain titanium adapter) giving me 12 gpp. I've found the more FOC and proper tuning, the less fletching is needed.
(http://i846.photobucket.com/albums/ab28/miklvines/0712151835_1.jpg) (http://s846.photobucket.com/user/miklvines/media/0712151835_1.jpg.html)
Did the 2 fletch on my carbons last season...they flew just fine. But since then, I have gone all wood. The batch I have made for this season all have 4x5" fletching. I won't be taking any shot over 20 yards...more like 10-15yds. That close, I want my arrow flying as straight as possible as quickly as possible.
Bill-
I've played with 2 fletch off/on for the last couple of years. I shoot nothing but wood. They do fine on species like POC and Sitka Spruce that recover from paradox pretty quickly. The heavier woods like Ash seem to need that third feather for me. Haven't tried it on Doug Fir.
Three five inch is my preference. I have played around with four four inch, but did not see enough difference in flight to warrant changing.
Parabolic MAY be a little quieter than shield, but hard for me to tell. For some reason I like the look of shield fletch a little better.
I agree that the heavier your shaft the more fletching it needs. For medium weight carbon shafts 8 gpi and below. 3x3" or 2x4" works well. Wood and aluminum shafts will need more.
I've tried them all and found little difference between 3 and 4 fletch and between 4 and 5" feathers
I've had bad results with 2 fletch and see no advantage
I shoot 4, 4 inch shields, 60/120 degree, I do so for one reason and that is I get better fletch clearance off the shelf. I shoot woodies and have all my life. I shot 3 fletch for many years but I fought the self clearance issue until I switched to my current setup.
3, 5"shield
Bill
Like many here I have tried both 3 and 4 fletch, then while at a local trad shoot a friend of mine showed up with 2 Flecthings on his arrows and they flew awesome. I have switched my aluminums and carbons to two fletch but I left my mircoflights 3 fletch.
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b334/AnointedArcher/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20150907_130305_zpsfznnwvl1.jpg) (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/AnointedArcher/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20150907_130305_zpsfznnwvl1.jpg.html)
I use 3x4" parabolic on all my Bezaleels.
I've tried 2 fletches it also works well, but that hurts my eyes. :)
Also tried 4 fletches but for me that's overdosed!
After reading some about two fletch feathers, I decided to give it a try. Had a four fletch flu-flu that lost one feather...stripped another one off it and it seems to fly great (haven't check to see how far it now flies though). Put another two fletch arrow together and so far so good.
As a side note; I got my hands on some 2" feathers that are being used today. Figuring three 4" feathers gives you 12" of drag, I put 6 of these one two of my arrows and so far really like the way they are flying.
Just going from what I've read from others, but the Ashby reports talk about the smallest fletch you can get away with while still having good performance and stabilization of the broached is what is needed. I haven't seen the two fletch much, but did see some fletching at my local archery store with eight and six fletch. It was fletched normally then had a smaller set in-between the larger. It made for a wicked looking arrow. It would be cool to see a two fletch this was with a smaller set (actually making it a four).
I was stumping with friends yesterday with my two fletched arrows. One of my arrows took a slice from someone else's and removed the middle 2/3rds of the quills from one banana feather. The arrow continued to shoot just fine at all distances for the remainder of the time. YMMV, but if your tune's pretty good........
3, 3", shield cut wild turkey feathers.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Iflytrout/Covert/Feders_zpsravi2vux.jpg)
I've shot two fletch as a result of earlier discussions here. With field point it worked fine. Never shot a broadhead with it. It sure was quieter in the quiver.
I used 5.5" shields since that is what I have, besides 4".
ChuckC
Chuck, I'm shooting 190 gr Simmons Interceptors on mine with the 5" shield two fletch and they are flying great. Shoot just like my field points. I love the look of banana feathers and I may give them a try next time I buy feathers, but I'll probably stick with the two fletch with them as well.
Post some pix of a deer you take with them !
ChuckC
Will do. I'm working on it this year.
i know you have been talking carbons etc,
but i have tried these 2 fletch before on my primitive arrows
the"south eastern Indian 2 fletch"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7flDd7-OCk
normally i shoot 3 fletch 5" set up to shoot the "rick welch" style of shooting
Pat B also shoots these two fletch.seen some really nice primitive arrows made by him. A side track I know- sorry.
I know you are referring to carbon and Ali arrows
I did 2 fletch for a season. Field points seemed fine but I shoot the magnuas ma 1 broeadheads and it seemed like they didn't stabilize as well as 3 fletch. My bareshafts shot really well so I don't think it was a spine thing.
Hoyt, your three 3" shield cut turkey feather fletching looks awesome. What arrow and what grain are you using?
Just use ordinary everyday three fletch with 4-inch feathers. Always used two red and a yellow feather since 1962 and have not changed. Never cared for 5-inch feathers.