Heard alot about the magical steering powers of Blazer vanes, so I had to get them. Did, and was NOT impressed.
Yes. The arrows ARE properly stabilized with the short 2" vanes, but the vanes do not exhibit any property different than my other vanes. Their about as stiff and the general shape and texture are similar.
I believe that "special" angle their boasting about is BS. So what's the deal?
However, I DID notice a significant increase in FOC due to the reduced weight of the short vanes. So I suspect THIS is the "magic". Having LESSER steering power, that is balanced/overcome by better flight properties thanks to the FOC.
i am not an expert on them. i do use them and found as you have stated 1. they are abit stiffer-which helps steer 2. higher profile- helps like a big rudder 3. lighter for better FOC. there is no angle except what you use during fletching process. those are the very reasons i like them. plus i don't have all my vanes become wavy if penetration into bag past the nok. you have tried them and if they didn't perform as you thought they should. you can go back to your others and make me a price on the ones you have left.
I am not an expert either. I've never seen any reference to them being magic. They do however steer the arrow with less weight, with less fluttering noise in flight, do not deform as easy and allow more FOC. All this in lieu of a 5 or 5.5" fletching that gets damaged much easier.
If you don't believe in the "special angle" at the leading edge then I think you should recut the angle and see for yourself.
Some think it's pretty good that a 2" vane does the job of a 5" vane, others do not.
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Has anyone ever had a problem with the Blazer vane not sticking real well? Also, has anyone tried the new NAP vane, I think called the twister. It is just like a speed hunter except it doesn't have the little kicker on it and it is a lot stiffer like a blazer vane. I think it may have a little different shape than the speed hunter too. It does have the grooves in one side like the rest of the NAPs Quickspins.
I was staff shooter for a local archery shop when Blazers first came out. The owner wanted to know if they were worth stocking and had me do a shooting test with them. I was really impressed with how well they stabilized broadheads - at least, until I got up to the 1 1/2" wide, unvented Magnus heads. With 'normal' broadheads - Muzzy, T'heads, etc - they did just fine.
My theory is, since air resistance increases at a rate double the increase in speed, today's bows shoot fast enough that the 2" vanes can do the job it used to take at least a 4 incher to do. But the dinky vanes have to be stiffer and thicker than regular ones so that they can remain upright and not deform and flap around in that heavy wind resistance, so they can actually do the job. Don't have a clue if I'm right or not, but it's the only semi-reasonable explanation I could come up with for 2" vanes doing something they shouldn't be able to do at all.
I didn't have any adhesion problems at all with the Blazers, using some off-brand super glue gel I got at Wally World. All Bohing vanes have some kind of activator coating on the base, so you're not supposed to clean them. Maybe there's some compatibility problem with the glue you're using?
Magical they ain't. But, as long as the bow is tuned and you're using the proper arrow, and don't go with huge Mongo-type broadheads, they do work as advertised.
ORIGINAL: Arthur P
I still prefer feathers though.
you and me both...
I havent tried them(and have no desire to) but with all the good comments out there I'm sure blazers work at least as good as advertised but I dont see them "magically" working any better thananything else... I've been shooting feathers, with excellent results, for as long as I've been shooting bow, and I like them,I have no intention of switching my setup around every time a new thing phases in and out
Guess Im falling back to the stone age,fletched up a dozen carbons
with feathers liked them so well am doing a dozen 2219's with them
also.Use bohnning water proofing on them and have a Jo Jann so can
re fletch if needed pretty quick.Have always liked feathers and am glad
to be useing them again!
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to the ground blind!
One big reason for me to try them,like DNK sorta states...espicially on faster crossbows (or faster vertical bows!) is there is "much" less unsupported material to flutter and effectivly, steer the arrow off course, slow the arrow down.
Being a bit stiffer and obviously shorter there's much less chance of the above happening.
There is several short vanes on the market
1. Arixona, Max Hunter Vane
2. Arizona, Max Fletch Vane
3. Arizona, Speed Flyte Vane
4. Felx-Fletch Flash
5. Gateway, Rayzr
6. Nap, Twister
7. Nap, Quick Spin
8. Norway, 3-D Duravane
9. VaneTec, Super Spine, V-Max Vane
I've thought about trying the Gateway, Rayzr and one of the really short, rounded vanes like the Max-Fletch or the Speed Flyte vanes....just to see what happens.
My use is with field or practice tips only...so the really small vanes may or may not properly steer the broadhead tips.
But I thinka few of them are worth trying...a few of them are the same as others.
if they didn't perform as you thought they should. you can go back to your others and make me a price on the ones you have left.
I have NO problems with the Blazer performance. My point is that (it seems) ANY reasonable 2" vane would do the trick. I suspectBlazer has no special property. That's all.
I had a box of raisins with a large banner "no cholesterol". Great. But ALL raisins are cholesterol free...
BTW, if your vanes (any vanes) get "wavy", put them in the steam of a boiling kettle for few seconds. Many vanes are made of plastic with "memory", that returns to it's original shapeupon heating.
yes sir about steam kettle or hair drier, i just don't have either one. i don't care for 4 & 5 " vanes. i am like most of y'all i have bought 100 or 2 of those i like and i am staying with them. no they don't have anything special and there maybe other good ones out there. most of them i bought 4 or more years ago were junk! some big company pushed saying they were greatest thing since butter. they lied! []
The Blazer conspiracy
With 'normal' broadheads - Muzzy, T'heads, etc - they did just fine.
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