4" or 5" feathers

acollins · July 10, 2016, 12:06:00 AM

4" or 5" feathers. How do you decide which to use. Does it have to do with tuning, or just personal preference.

Longtoke · July 10, 2016, 12:11:00 AM

I'd go with the 5 inch unless you are shooting in some crazy wind. More feathers=more advantage imo

July 10, 2016, 06:26:00 AM

Years ago I shot 5 1/2" high banana cut feathers. I had to to straighten out grossly over spined arrows I was shooting. I later learned how to tune my bows and have gone to 4" feathers. A tuned bow doesn't require much feather.

Phillip Fields · July 10, 2016, 07:08:00 AM

I use 5" feathers. My bows are tuned so I don't need 5" feathers. I like the quick recovery offered by large feathers. In hunting situations, particularly on the ground, I can't always get in perfect position and have been known to have a less than perfect release.

centaur · July 10, 2016, 08:15:00 AM

I use both, but tend to shoot more 4 inch because I'm a tightwad. I don't see a nickel's worth of difference in flight characteristics. YMMV.

July 10, 2016, 08:40:00 AM

I use 4". I like as little fletching as I think I can have, and 4" is the size I decided on.

Bisch

ISP 5353 · July 10, 2016, 08:49:00 AM

What Jim said! 4 inch feathers are plenty on a well tuned bow.

Bowwild · July 10, 2016, 08:58:00 AM

4" for me. My draw length (and me personally) is so short that I'd longer fletch would interfere with my broadhead.

Shadowhnter · July 10, 2016, 09:06:00 AM

I use both, but tend to use more 4" lately .

Sam McMichael · July 10, 2016, 09:24:00 AM

I have had good results with both 4 and 5 inch feathers. So for me, its just a personal preference for 5" feathers. They just look better to me.

M60gunner · July 10, 2016, 09:32:00 AM

I use both sizes as well. 5in does look better on my wood arrows. Been thinking about going 3in for my lighter weight bow.

Gooserbat · July 10, 2016, 09:49:00 AM

I like 4" feathers. I feel like a 5" from a well tuned bow is just overkill. If I'm in a situation where I think I need more fletching I go with a four fletch

FlintNSteel · July 10, 2016, 11:05:00 AM

QuoteOriginally posted by acollins:
4" or 5" feathers. How do you decide which to use.

I use 5" with 3 fletch and 4" with 4-fletch.

I've yet to find a broadhead of any size or kind that I cannot shoot with four-fletch 120 x 60 4" parabolic cut helical feathers. Seems to quickly stabilize anything.

T Lail · July 10, 2016, 02:18:00 PM

I have not seen any difference between the two as long as you are well tuned......if my arrow/broadhead combo will not fly well bare shaft.....then it is back to the shop to do some fine tuning.......