I have always shot 4" shields for a bit of a performance edge, but was thinking of fletching up some 5" 3555's shafts today.

For those who have shot both; do you find that the 5" fletching gives you better accuracy and stabalizes the arrow that much better?

Also, do you imagine that they shoot that much slower than the 4"?

Thanks, as I couldn't find any past threads on this.

I shoot 4" with my 4 fletch and 5" when I 3 fletch.I just like the 4" 4 fletch better.

5 1/2 inch Shields on 1916's or Carbon 500's. Don;t know much about speed, but they look cool, and the arrow goes just where I hope it would :-)

I am the world's biggest fan of a 4x4" fletch combo. Used it on my carbons for the past 3 years with great results. Now, I'm making up some hickory arrows with a 4x5.5" combo. No regrets. They fly nice and look pretty...so I guess it's all about personal preference.

i like 4"~4 fletch at 75 and 105 degrees.think they are quieter and faster than 5" 3 fletch.but it seems like some bows shoot 3 fletch better.alittle trial and error.use fletching tape and try one of each ,to see what happens out of your bow.....chris

If your arrows are tuned well, four inch is plenty to stabilize them. You will gain some speed. I don't notice that they are any quieter. I have used 3x4", 3x5", 3x5.5" and 4x5", both parabolic and shield. The more feather you use, the slower they fly. They are more stable in still conditions, but I think the larger feathers drift worse in a crosswind.

Despite their negatives, big, shield cut feathers look cool though, and I still like them on woodies. For well tuned carbons, I'll probably use four inch three or four fletch. For aluminum 3x4 or 3x5.

The larger feathers will give more drag which will stabilize an arrow a bit quicker, but that extra drag will also cause the arrow to slow down somewhat faster over a given distance.  How much speed will you lose?  Given the distances that the majority of traditional bowhunters shoot, the speed lost won't be noticable or enough to matter, when switching from three 4" to three 5" feathers.

Thanks kindly for your responses.